Happenin’ Weekend. . . Last Weekend of Summer!

Oh man, lots of happenin’ things over this weekend! I’ve decided to break them up into afternoons and evenings.

Friday Afternoon:
Met with my advisor, and finally worked up the courage to say “hey, I should have a committee meeting” which as been making me nervous because I *should* be having one every year but I didn’t have one last year. The further on into a new year I get, the more nervous I get, worrying I’ll be “found out.” I shouldn’t worry, because lots of students have had less-than-annual meetings and still defended successfully. But still, I’ve been putting it off and I felt triumphant for just freaking getting it out in the open. So there.

Friday Evening:
I bought tickets to the Fast Forward Music Festival for Andy and I, so that we could see the internet sensation “Leslie Hall and the Lys” in person. It magically turned into a date night as we had dinner beforehand and wandered about State Street together. We got balcony seats at The Majestic and watched several opening acts, including Screamin’ Cyn Cyn and the Pons (which I’ve been wanting to see for some time). I found it so funny that I’ve never felt “cool” enough to go to a concert, and I probably just never will. Even though I was going to see my dad at the Sagebrush Cantina (a bar) in California when I was three. ANYWAY. Leslie Hall was awesome, although winded easily. We tried to stay for the last act of the night, Dan Deacon, but his insistence on pushing the main speakers up as far as they would go meant we had to choose between staying and keeping our eardrums intact. Bummer.

Saturday Afternoon:
Sarah and I decided to take a minicourse on making jams and jellies, which required a journey into the countryside west of Madison on a gorgeous fall day. When we first got the place—a family center out on a hill, complete with sheep, a donkey, and a little cockapoo named Sugar—there were only women in class. Thankfully, two guys showed up soon and so we ended up with a good sampling of age, gender, and profession. What struck me was how everyone wanted to share their stories, their knowledge about canning and the crops and families they’d all left behind to move to Madison. I think that is the magic of performing tasks as a group—talk comes a lot easier when you’re sharing a common goal. The amusing thing about canning is that it requires the ability to measure accurately and work with sterile technique: key skills for microbiology research. It was fascinating to apply those skills to something more day-to-day useful and delicious. We made raspberry jam and elderberry jelly. . . and next week it’s applesauce and canned tomatoes!

Saturday Evening:
We watched the original “Dune” at Roger’s place. After a thorough treatment of David Lynch in Twin Peaks, I was hoping to watch this version of Dune he directed. I remember watching it after reading the book and finding it a bit too trippy and off-topic. But now, after some distance from the book itself and deepened appreciation of Lynch (and its mesh with H.R. Geiger) I found the movie stilly trippy, but so gorgeous and immersive.

Sunday Afternoon:
More UW bellydance club choreography practice. I have to say that I’m proud of myself for learning a complete choreography in one afternoon—although it will be awhile before I’m happy with how I perform it. Although it eats up my Sunday afternoon, with all the exercise and stress relief it provides, I think it’s time well spent. Also, I’m going to help out with the beginner practices this semester, and I’m excited about sharing my joy with new folks. I just hope I can share it effectively!

Sunday Evening:
Sarah and I watched “Feasting on Waves” with Alton Brown. Very fun stuff, as it’s basically a tour of the Carribean with the crew stopping at various islands to learn about island food. Some day I’d like to take a trip to that region, so I’m pretending this show will help me pick out my destination.

So now it’s Monday again, and another busy week ahead of us all. Time to put my head down and one foot in front of the other!