I can't sleep. So I guess I'm going to talk about my Art.

I don't think this will be a sarcastic blog.  My personality shifts at 2 in the morning:

Butterfly.

A birthday present for a friend.

Eric

A bunch of different works in progress.

Playing with Colored Pencil

Playing with Watercolor Pencil.

My Lizard, Ulla.

Beyonce

A Uromastyx in watercolor pencil

Sport

Now, what you've got to understand about my art is that I am so specific.  I only get joy out of drawing animals or other things that I feel close to.  Naturally, I get frustrated easily and I only get "urges" to draw (much like I get the urge to blog).  It is very difficult for me to maintain a steady level of drawing talent year round.  Sometimes I have bursts of creativity I can't keep in.  Right now I'm painting (like I said, I had the urge) my beagle Duncan.  But that urge was something I woke up with two days ago.

You can tell the animals that I'm particularly close to from the others because they have eyes that deliberately connect with the viewer.  The ones that I don't have a close bond with will have less of a connection because I have nothing to recreate.  Personally, I was closest to Sport, intrigued by Eric, and I thought Butterfly was wonderful to draw.  I don't know if the differences are noticeable to anyone but myself.

In high school I was encouraged to go to art school by my art teacher.  He- for whatever reason- believed that I had the unique combination of drive and talent to really make it in art school.  But what he didn't understand was that my drive came from recreating the images of animals I had loved or seen around me.  And my talent (I would assume) came from the same thing, and from practice.  What he also never understood was that my preferred name is Jenny, not Jennifer, but after 2 years I had to let that one slide.

So I didn't go to art school.  I went to Becker College, where I was able to major in Animal Care and Criminal Justice.  I got to be around the animals that inspired me and got even more opportunities to draw and create images that other people could take home with them after the source was gone.

After I created a good deal of art for the December Petfest, I went home and visited my High School.  My art teacher was excited to see me and had asked how my art was going.  I was glad I had something to show him.  Despite not going to art school.  And he promptly introduced me to a freshman very interested in animal portraiture and asked me to explain the most important part of a portrait.  As I said before, I think it is the connection with the viewer that matters the most, and to me, that is in the eyes.

I guess you just have to decide what in your life is most important, and to what extent it drives the rest of your life. Sure, Art mattered to me, but my love for animal rescue is what got me drawing.  You can't let anyone push you into the wrong career because of the way they perceive your strengths, I suppose you have to trust your gut.
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Also, I didn't want to be a starving artist.

Here's some links:

My art on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.177194529877.153954.578409877&l=f8e6ceaaa9&type=1

My Art Teacher's Work: http://victorleger.com/  He does landscapes.

I played a video game. To my boyfriend I might as well have finished a 5k. I would have rage quit a 5k too.

I didn't finish the video game though.  Let's not get too ahead of ourselves here.

I have problems with my hand eye coordination as far as these things go.  I can't quite master the quick movements it takes to be good at a video game, because I am not and have never been a gamer.  I did however, play one city-building game when I was younger.

This game, to be exact.  I love Greek mythology.

Some Gameplay.

When Don found out, it was like he stumbled upon gold.  A whole new side of me was revealed, I may have to go on Maury or Jerry Springer because the level of drama my double life caused was so extensive.

Not really, he was just super happy and he went and told all his friends. (who also had loved to play Zeus)

So it was by this discovery he convinced me to play Portal.  Which is way more difficult then Zeus.

For those that DON'T know portal, here's a Dorkly (that's a website, for those who also don't know) video that pretty much explains the basic premise of the main tool in the game.

It's catchy, I know.

So here I am beating 14 levels of Portal, when I get to level 15.  Well crap.  Now I have to shoot a portal WHILE FREAKING FALLING.  I don't have the capacity to do these kinds of things, I AM NOT A GAMER.

So here comes another "Don is a Proud Daddy of a New Gamer Moment"

"Awwwww Jenny's first rage quit!"

Gkaljdflkasjdf. The rage quit.  I'm pretty sure it went like this:

Don: Do you need me to do this

Jenny: No I'm gonna do it

D: You sure

J: *10 tries later* I HAD IT THAT TIME AND IT DIDN'T WORK

D: You used the wrong color portal

J: *screeching* AND YOU DIDN'T NOTICE THAT THE OTHER 10 TIMES?

D: uhm no.

J: *grumbles and swears*

D: Do you need me to just get you past this part?

J: NOOOO *screeches in frustration*

D: ok! ok!

J: *three more tries/three more failures* GOD F***DAMN-IT SH**F***STUPID FREAKING GAME  

D: You're angling it wrong.

J: *glares and tries again* *screeches in agony/frustration*

D: Oh! That one was close.

J: *Tries again, fails* THAT'S IT I'M DONE WITH THIS GAME AND ALL VIDEO GAMES EVER I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU CONVINCED ME TO PLAY SHUT THE STUPID COMPUTER DOWN I'M GOING UPSTAIRS. *stomp stomp stomp*

I know, not my most mature moment ever.  Apparently Don thought my full blown hissy fit was an adorable "Baby's First Rage Quit". Dear lord.

I suddenly understand this meme so deeply.

Don thinks I could probably beat the game before I have to go back to school in two weeks. 

I think that he trusts me too much around his beloved gaming computer because I would have strangled it if it had a throat.

Way more fun then a Portal Gun.

The X-Files: Or the reason I no longer have a life.

Insert Theme Music Here- wait, can I do that on this blog?

No, I'm pretty sure I can't. Damn.

The X Files.  I have no life because of this show.  It's absolutely addicting.  Even though it is basically an adult version of Scooby-Doo (which I also loved)---I only find the repetitiveness endearing and comforting.

In fact, I am struggling with the nagging urge to log into Netflix right now and resume watching episodes where I left off.

So I'm returning to this draft around 2 weeks later because I did indeed go watch some episodes.


Also during this time my lovely boyfriend got us both matching "I Want to Believe" posters. Awww. That's so romantic.

The poster in Mulder's Office.

I CAN PUT THE THEME SONG HERE. I just figured it out BOO YAH. Lets see if the video actually works or if I'm just an idiot.

I'm not sure it worked. Whatever.

But you get so obessed with this show.  I found a bunch of stuff online after my obsession became full blown.


All I need to know I learned from the X-Files

• Trust No One
• Smoking really IS bad
• Always make back-ups of your important data
• Don't eat at restaurants where the motto is "Good People, Good Food"
• The Truth Is Out There
• "Nojo on the rojo"
• Bambi? Her name is Bambi?
• Sometimes you really do get your $29.95's worth from a mail-order video
• Deny Everything
• If it's iced tea, it's love
• If it's root beer, it's fate
• If you find an audio cassette in your car, 10-to-1 you can't dance to it.
• If there's a white van in your driveway, don't drink the water.
• Beware of women named B.J.
• Don't pass judgement while in the Arctic
• Never scan unidentified metals
• Don't look for romance on-line
• Don't accept dinner invitations from bald, tattooed, half-naked men
• Make sure you remember the birthdays of people who are inportant to you
• No wardrobe is complete without a New York Knicks T-shirt (holes optional), at least one red speedo, and black silk boxers
• Sometimes the only thing you can say is "Sure. Fine. Whatever."
• Miracles happen
• Everyone has on uncle who is an amateur magician.
• Just because someone shot you doesn't mean they're not your friend
• Never, ever, go into a bathroom
• "Go with it"
• If you see a cockroach, say hello to the aliens
• Recieving Superstars of the Superbowl is a good reason to live
• Sometimes simple answers are good. e.g." Why is it so dark in here?" "Because the lights aren't on."

I don't take credit for this list. I just found it and was appalled at how much of it I understood.

Also, from Urban Dictionary:

x phile

A person who is a huge fan of the hit tv show "The X Files". Normally they will apply ever aspect of the show to everyday life. Can often be found making music videos to the show, writing fan fiction or creating digital art or manipulations with the shows main characters, Mulder and Scully. A true x phile should be able to quote every significant event throughout the 9 year run of the show. Possibly the only people to ever understand the complex conspiracy that just got more confusing as time went on. Can be found anxiously anticipating the next x files movie. "It will happen, I know it will!" A typical x phile would be able to say any of these at least once every day and incorporate them into otherwise unrelated conversation. "That was like that time in that episode in Season 3 when Mulder asked Scully to..." "That's why they put the 'i' in FBI!" "This must be conspiracy" "Oo! I feel like I'm stuck in an X File" Endlessly singing the Catatonia hit: "Things are getting strange I'm starting to worry. This could be a case for Mulder and Scully!" Whilst watching TV: "That guy was once on the x files in an episode where Scully and Mulder...." "Trust no one" And of course: "The truth is out there!" Oh boy.  Well I don't write fan fiction or make music videos, but I also have a 10 year distance from when the show stopped running pretty much.  Well.  I suppose by the rest of the definition I am in fact an X-Phile. I would do a witty review of the shows crap but I wont as I'm feeling lazy, so I will leave you with one last goody from the web on my new favorite show: This kind of simplicity is why I liked Scooby Doo so much.

Because Curly Fries are WAY better than Potato Wedges.

For those of you that know me, read me, or have passed me by, you know that I have bad luck.  For those of you that know Becker College, you know that we have bad food (and good food comes along only so rarely).  But when these two things combine, I get that trampled and downtrodden feeling that you can only get when you miss out on Curly Fries.  Oh yes.

OmNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOM....

I am not the only one that feels this horrible, stinging pain.  When googling for a picture of curly fries, I stumbled upon this blog.
http://curlyfriesfiasco.blogspot.com/2008/02/what-is-this.html

In fact, his whole blog is called "Curly Fries Fiasco".  Now that I feel unoriginal, moving on!

The problem is, the jock-like guys at Becker are feeling the sting of losing all the time because they suck. They also like to eat their feelings, as well as the entire offering of curly fries right before I get to them. Because I'm clearly an epically patient person, I just decide to go back up later to get curly fries.  BUT NO, I'M NOT ALLOWED THAT DISTINCT PRIVILEGE.  What do they replace them with- everyyy time? Potato wedges. Just for those that don't understand- THEY ARE NOT THE SAME.  So, for the past 6 times, I have missed out on Curly Fries.

Om NO NO NO NO!

But this past spring semester, I got my curly fries.  For the first time ever, on a Tuesday night, they were there waiting for me.  I was ecstatic.  CURLY FRIES.  So I had curly fries, a hot dog, and root beer.  It was like fair food!


Yay Curly Fries. That is all.

I never thought I would say this but...

I want to go back to school.  I'm Becker-Sick.  I want to go to a place known for its outstanding lack of interesting things to do (yeah, that's you Leicester) and I want to go now.

See here's the thing.  I got screwed hard as far as summer jobs go.  I had two lined up that both fell through.  Whaa whaa whaaaaaaaa (sad trombone).
For those that don't know the sad trombone sound- You wont know how to use this link anyway. Jeesh.

I did o.k. as far as money, but not having a full-time job ensured that I would be interacting about 90% more with my family.

As most college-age people know...this presents a problem.

Working was never something I thought I would miss.  Just like Becker.  Maybe I'll explore that later.  But being 20 years old and living at home is like trying on your high-school self all over again and realizing none of that crap works for you now.  Your life doesn't exist in the terms of your hometown.  You've worked hard to make life at school the best it can be for you, only to have to be transplanted back to (insert hometown here).  It's like being put back in a smaller pot inside after you got planted outside. IT DOESN'T FIT.


You don't interact with your siblings the same, or your parents. Trying to help out and err on the side of adulthood and responsibility only seems to get you in trouble because you were interacting and they aren't used to that anymore.  And yet if you hide in your room you know that your parents are making comments about laziness galore.  The result is a deep set alienation that both sides studiously ignore.

Woo for "transition periods"


When these thoughts of actually missing Becker first crept into my head I dismissed them.  Maybe I had a fever because that shit is crazy.   But they kept reoccurring and nagging and I couldn't really deny that I did want to go back, and I wanted my year to just start already.

Maybe it will make more sense if I explain:

• I have a king size bed and the biggest room on the Leicester Campus- to myself.
• I am an RA in my first choice of building
• I now have a kitchen (read: upgrade from microwave and gross toaster oven)
• I am co-president of Animal Health Club, and I get along with the other co-president really well
• My class schedule is ideal, with sleeping in possible and fewer shuttle rides
• Oh- and I'm going to be getting one of my degrees in the Spring.  Not that that is anything to be excited about or anything like that......!!!

So OF COURSE I want to go back.  I have it made.  I fixed everything so it is my way this semester, but first I have to wait out summer awkwardly at odds with my high school self in my room.

So yeah, I want to go back and sit through two weeks of RA training despite the awkward icebreakers and the boring and the general yuck that is any sort of training.

I want to go back to the town where the major highlight is a Dunkin Donuts and a friggen Wal-Mart. Whatever.

And despite being an introvert- I really kinda miss some of the people at Becker, even though I know after two weeks they will be annoying the shit outta me.

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God I sound like a whiny bitch.