Time on Fast Forward

Time has felt like it's been on fast forward here. Seriously I feel like it was just Valentine’s Day but really April starts in 3 days.

I have no idea where the time has gone.

.... scratch that, it went to classes.

Honestly I will never suggest doing 6 classes during your final semester unless you absolutely need to.

Work has not been easy. Thesis is taking up a LOT of time but I am - thankfully - not behind. The General Motors class is moving along and we are starting to create the digital models. My Zbrush class is a lot of fun, but also tons of work. I’m also the only person not in Illustration, Game, or Animation therefore basic first steps to them are very foreign to me. Glass casting is one of my only laid back classes - I can take it easy and not stress as long as I get 4 projects done. Native American Cultures is a joke. The class is boring like nothing else and we aren’t even given any tests so what’s the point. (of course this is the only one I have to take to graduate....)

Somehow Spring Break came and went.

I spent the first half at Disney World. My sister Katie is doing the Disney College Program but was able to get most of the time off. My brother Michael had the same break week and drove down with his friend Maddy and my parents and youngest sister flew from home. It was the first time all 6 of us have been to Disney together in 5 years. 

Family all together in Disney for the first time in a while.

The week was fun: seeing shows, riding rides, taking pictures of Katie at work, catching up with May-Lou about things at school and the up coming prom, watching Michael and Maddy make strangers and cast members give the a “high five for Disney,” not thinking about anything else but the present. 

Alas, it was only a week. A week several weeks ago now.

Things are really moving.

Moving to summer.

Moving to graduation....

...ug.

If you had asked me 6 months ago how I would be feeling now, I would have said, “good.” I had everything planned. I would hear back from all my schools, have gotten in to my safety schools, a few middle-of-the-road ones, and maybe, maybe, even a top pick. I would have other options too: long term internships, Disney College Program, maybe even a job offer........

Now though.....

I’ve heard from 5 schools: 2 yes and 3 no. (I’m still waiting on 3.) As for my back up plans I have heard nothing back. The college program has been sending me emails for over a month saying they are backed up and will get to my application soon, but everyone I talk to say that is very odd. Everything else is just nothing, no emails, no notices, just silence.

Before I thought I would be standing at the end of a hall with almost a dozen open doors to choose from. 

Now I feel like am standing in the dark watching doors disappear or slam shut. Even the halls that I do see don’t look as appealing as I first thought they would. Nothing is how I thought it would be and a part of me can’t help but think that these are the only options I’m going to have. After all, I’m never the one picked first, never the smartest or the best, never the one chosen for the job or the internship, never the one asked out, never the one looked at twice.....so why should I feel hopeful for my future when I’ve always lost in the past? 

The next few weeks will determine everything.

I’ll hear back from the last 3 schools by the 10th, the college program by the 20th. The internships will be starting their process soon so I’ll know if I have a chance or not soon. 

So, yeah, time is really moving.

Of Interviews and Disney Trips

So last week I had my babysitting interview. First let me say that I don’t think I got the job, not that I think i would take it if I did. The couple seemed very uninterested in me and the mom was just watching the TV for the whole time. I was only asked about 4 questions and it took longer to get there than the amount of time I actually stayed there.

So yeah, I doubt it.

The rest of the school week was okay. Animation went well. In Concept my teacher actually got really excited about some of my ideas which bearly ever happens.

Design. Now that was interesting.

We’re doing these music videos for a band called Birthday Massacre, a gothic rock band. It’s actually a contest that they posted for someone to make them a music video for a song from their newest album. 

Anyway, on Friday story boards were due. I put up mine with about 70 boards while others had 20ish (though each song is about 4 minutes.) Mine were talked about in length since is was the most thought out, dictated, and I was working on my own. They all think I can get it done (even though it is a crazy big bite if work) and they all promised my teacher to keep an eye on me to make sure I don’t go crazy.

Page 3 of 12 in my boards.

Then came the weekend, and with it DISNEY WORLD!!!

My grandparents were taking my youngest cousins (8 and 3) to Disney after being on the Disney Cruise for a week and had asked if I wanted to join. 

Of course.

So Friday after class I left for Orlando and meet them for dinner at the Hoop-de-Doo where my Grandpa got chosen to play the part for an angel, a role my dad played a few years ago.

The next day we went to Magic Kingdom without my Grandma as she had been sick all week. But we had fun anyway and Oliver (3) was pretty well behaved. Erica (8) had an appointment at 11 to be turned into a princess as I went exploring with my Aunt and Uncle for 2 hours before we all met up again at 1 for lunch with the princesses at the castle.

Snow White visited us at our table and even gave Oliver a kiss.

After that we headed over to Epcot and I was annoyed that the new version of Test Track was already out of fast passes and the line was 190 minutes long for stand by. Sorry, but no. I was able to convince my cousin to try Mission: Space - the less intense version and she loved it. She then got my Grandpa to go on with her a second time. After that, Figment, and Spaceship Earth we had dinner at the Land and the little ones were ready to crash.

We dropped the kids off at the hotel and I headed back to Magic Kingdom with my Aunt and Uncle as it was open until 1am. My Uncle had never been to Disney and my Aunt hadn’t been since the 80’s or something so it was fun, though they were confused as to why I was acting so weird. What can I say, I’m more tempered when I’m watching over people, but have me alone in Disney and I’ll act like the kid I am.

It was exhausting and my feet hurt but Sunday was not a day to rest as I had to drive back to school, do animation, concept, do some reading and cook Sunday night dinner (Megan’s Birthday - ravioli).

But I had fun, and I got it all done, so no harm no foul.

How to Turn 21

Oh my goodness was my weekend awesome!

Okay, so on Saturday I turned 21 and to celebrate my sister came over. She goes to FSU in Tallahassee and took a bus on Thursday to get to Tampa where I picked her up and we drove back to Sarasota (I had to go to class the next day).

Thankfully I got to leave at 4 instead of 6 and therefore we got to Downtown Disney by 7 as opposed to 9.

And guess what! Though Halloween had been only 2 days ago the Downtown area was all Winterized and they were already playing Christmas music!

Downtown Diney

Dinner was not healthy - Ghirardelli ice cream - then window shopping and some pictures before heading to the other end to see Wreck it Ralph in 3D (got tickets online before we left when we realized we could leave sooner).

The movie was awesome and I think everyone should watch it especially if you play any type of video game.

We didn’t get to the hotel until 12:30 and no sleeping till nearly 2 as we were talking to Katie’s friends who would be driving her back to school come Sunday but for now we were just rooming with them.

Now onto the main event.

My birthday was not short of awesome.

We were up by 6:30, eating breakfast (of Mickey waffles) but 7, and waiting for our bus by 7:30. We got to the Ticket and Transportation center (basically as close as you can get to Magic Kingdom on a bus) by 8:30 and went to pick up our tickets that Katie ordered online through her school.

There was a hiccup were they were saying the wrong date but we got it straightened out. Of course we had to wait 20 minutes but during that time the person gave me my “IT’S MY BIRTHDAY” pin to ware and gave us a magic Fast Pass that we could use at any time on any ride at Magic Kingdom that day.

Still we were at the parks before they opened and the running began.

We first hit Buss Lightyear, then got Fast Passes for Splash Mountain, pictures with Chip and Dale, went on Haunted Mansion, checked Pirates and found it was closed, back to Splash Mountain, had orange ice cream, went on Jungle Cruse, the Philharmonic, went by the new Fantasyland, saw a show at the castle, did window shopping, and signed up for the Sorcerer’s game before running over to the Crystal Palace for our lunch reservation at 1 with Pooh.

Lunch with Pooh and friends.

By now we were hungry and a buffet with Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet was just what we needed. 

We then left the park to head over to the MGM park (now known as Hollywood Studios) and got there around 3. 

More running. Started at Toy Story Mania and say they were out of Fast Passes with a 1 hour wait so moved on, ran through New York and it’s Christmas display to get to the updated Star Tours to get a Fast Pass there instead, Great Movie Ride was too long a wait so we did an character drawing lesson, drew Woody, got pictures with Sorcerer Mickey, Wreck in Ralph, and the Girl character who’s name I forget. Then a quick dinner, picked up something for my brother, then went to the 7:30 show of Fantasmic. Amazing as always. Then ran to Toy Story Mania and got in line for 40 minutes because it was worth it.

So that park was done - we stayed there until it closed at 9. But out day wasn’t done. Magic Kingdom was open until 12 so we went back. Pirates still wasn’t open so we used our magic Fast Pass to go on Splash Mountain again in the dark this time which was really cool. Then we took the long way around to get back to Main Street seeing the Electrical Light Parade on the way. We then did 2 lands worth of the Sorcerers game which if you don’t know is a interactive-scavenger-hunt-trading-card game they established in the Magic Kingdom park. The locals are addicted and the passer-bys find it cool. The day then was capped by a stop at the bakery before getting back to the hotel around 12:45.

An awesome birthday if I do say so myself.

But it didn’t end there!

The next day we didn’t wake up until 8 when we meant to get up by 7:30. We scrambled and was dressed, packed, checked out, grabbed food, and was in the car to EPCOT by 8:20. Disney is a really good motivator.

Okay, so Sunday we drove to the park since Katie’s friend wanted to leave around 12 and our hotel’s bus didn’t like that. But to park there was cheeper than parking at 6 Flags in New Jersey. Anyway, we were both sore from the day before so took the day at a slower speed. First was Spaceship Earth, the the Mission: Space game twice, toured the new Inoventions House of the Future which was replaced in April as a go green house, the over to The Sea to look at the manatees, shopping for Christmas gifts, the the ride with Figment, lunch and ice cream before meeting Katie’s friends in the parking lot and parting ways. (Test Track was closed).

Actually the Magic Kingdom the day before but who cares.

I got back to school at 2ish and found nothing to do since I did all my homework on Thursday thinking I wouldn’t be back until 8-8:30. On top of that I had canceled dinner for the week also thinking I would be back too late. Oh well. 

Later I helped Millie (on of my roommates) shoot some reference video for her animation. It only took a few minutes before we went back to the Quad (the building name of our dorms). 

We walked in, I gave the memory card to her, and I moved to go to my room when suddenly there was banging and screaming and people coming at me! I was so scared I started crying! Everyone that comes over for dinner had come by to surprise me for my birthday. They brought me my favorite cookies and some milk and gave me a coupon for a dinner out to eat where ever I wanted on them. 

So that was my weekend, my 21st birthday weekend. And what an awesome one it was.