2 weeks

Just a heads up, the next 2 weeks are going to be crazy for me with lots of finals and term papers, so I won't have much time to update this page. See you at Christmas!

I'm Coming Home

Wow. This past week has probably been one of the most exciting and memorable times in my life.

I got to be involved in the biggest bonfire west of the Mississippi in a time honored tradition known as "Freshman More Wood," where we stoke the flames of the fire as it starts to die out. I got the privilage of doing this with one of my best friends up at Cal, in front of a crowd 9000 strong. The next day, I got to fire the cannon shot to start off The Big Game, in which Cal triumphed over Stanfurd 37-16 to win back The Axe.

But probably the most important thing that happened to me this week, was on Sunday night, when my best friend Kayla gave birth to a beautiful, healthy, baby boy. His name is Jaron Benjamin Trees, and he was 8 lbs 12 oz. Both Mom and baby are doing well, and I couldn't be more proud to be a part of this child's life. I'm so excited to meet him, because I'm going to spoil him rotten!

Can you believe it? I'm an auntie!

Father Jason and baby Jaron 1 hr after birth

Big Game Week @ Cal!

So it's Big Game Week here at Cal, which means that things are absolutely CRAZY! The campus is pretty much bleeding blue and gold in preparation for the 111th Big Game against Stanfurd on Saturday. Last year we lost the axe to them after holding onto it for a good amount of time, so this weekend is going to be all about revenge. Activities for this week have included:

Cable Car Rally in San Francisco
Night Rally
Tree Chopping Rally (because not all trees deserve a hug)
Stanfurd v. Cal Sing-Off
The Biggest Bonfire west of the Mississippi (no joke, it's 3 stories)

Now combine all of this with mass amounts of publicity and what you end up with is one VERY exhausted Rally Committee. Some of the folks I'm working with haven't slept for 3 days. Now THAT'S dedication. Meanwhile, over at Stanfurd, the students are crying about how their school hasn't advertised the date of the Big Game well enough. Well I say, "Man up yo!" Figure it out for yourself if you're so smart! Or are your grades so inflated that you forgot how to use your brain?

May the Cardinal be damned!

Dunkel Zigeuner Lieb... Say Whaaaat?

Ok so I know it's been forever and a day since I posted anything on here, but I've been insanely busy with midterms and such. I'm not even going to try to update you all on everything I've been up to since October 16th, but honestly... it hasn't been that exciting.

I have a show tomorrow night performing Brahms Zigeunerlieder (Gypsy Songs) with the University Chorus, which should be a lot of fun... even though I'm bitter because it prevented me from going on roadtrip. Oh well, if I can get out of this dress rehearsal that I'm currently at before 10:00 I'll be grateful for that.

Peace.

Sweet Nuggets!

Yaaaaaaaaaaaay, I pulled my first all nighter last night writing a midterm paper for ESPM 6. It only took 4 hrs but I didn't start until 12 am.

Rollin' on 3 hrs of sleep right now. Rock on. Rock on.

Material World

Last night I underwent an amazing experience with the University of California Rally Committee that I wouldn't trade for anything. The only thing that to blemish the night is the fact that I lost the one material item that I value more than anything else I own: my high school ring.

Luckily, I have it insured so I can pay a fraction of the price of the original (let me just say, that shit was expensive!) to get a new one, but it still really sucks. I love that ring more than anything else I own, but last night was worth it. It really was. I have no hard feelings toward the experience, only a strong sense of loss that now accompanies the pride I feel.

The irony is that I never lose anything, I really don't. I lost the ring I bought at the Del Mar Fair for $8 in the bushes in the rain, and went back 10 hours later and still found it. Not to mention the fact that last night I was talking to a friend about how much I value the ring, and how I would be so upset if I lost it.... It's also pretty sad because the only reason I took it off was so that it didn't get ruined by paint. As I was taking it off, I remember thinking, maybe I should put this in a plastic bag before I throw it into my pillow case. But then I decided it would be fine and I should stop being paranoid... Everything was fine until I got back to my dorm room and discovered that there was a hole in the corner of the pillow case. The same exact corner I had tossed the ring into, thinking it would be safe. The only reason I didn't lose my other ring is because a plastic bag (the same one I was going to put the rings in) was blocking the hole.

The good news is that the ring was fading anyway, and I was going to send it in to be refinished. Also, my initials weren't centered on the inside of the ring. As soon as I get this new one, I'm going to have it re sized so that I NEVER lose it.

In the end, it seems only fitting that I lost my high school ring on the same night that I became an official member of a college spirit organization. My only regret is that the ring, with all it's sentiments, is lying somewhere in the dirt.

Lesson learned. C'est la vie.

Worst Day Ever

So this morning I realized that I can't go on the UCRC roadtrip to Disneyland and the USC game on November 8th. Instead I will be having a dress rehearsal/performance of Brahms Zigeunerlieder in Hertz Hall.

This is why musicians are emo.