Oklahoma in 3 weeks!!!!

impressive hornet's nest

So, I've been trying to think about blog topics. I've been feeling a bit melancholy lately - a little homesick, a lot anxious... but I really hate reading whiny blogs, so I decided against it. This morning however, I went outside and the sun was out and the weather was nice and cool (a breezy 82 degrees!!). The cat that lives on our front porch was sprawled out in the front lawn in front of the quite impressive hornet's nest - just soaking up the sun. It's hard to see such simple beauty and feel down at the same time. Thanks kitty and thanks Mr. Sun, that's just what I needed.

kitty!!!

That said, I will share the one bad thing that has happened.... Car break-in, check. I have been officially initiated into the great city of Philadelphia - the city of brotherly love.  The other day, I went out to my car in the morning and it looked like a squirrel had gotten in and torn little bits of paper and spread them around my car. Then I noticed that the glove box had been emptied into the passenger seat and finally - I saw the back passenger window shattered across my backseat. It was a strange emotion. I was quite perplexed since they seemed to have taken NOTHING except a few pennies in the front dash... Oddly enough, the stuff that was in the backseat was all stuff that I was taking to Goodwill the next day. Had they taken it, it would have saved me a trip, haha. Oh well, guess I'm glad they didn't take anything like say - my car battery, or engine. (My friend said this happened to him...) I think it's time to change my Oklahoma license plate to PA.

Presser Hall - Boyer College of Music and Dance

On a brighter note, next week is exam week! Ok, fine. It's not so much brighter as it is just better than being robbed. I get to give my knowledge away. Yep - this glass is determined to be half-full. I am actually enjoying studying for my entrance exams. It's always fun to go back through my old notes and see what useless things I wrote down because I had no idea they weren't important. (For example... Bach took a coffee break... and went 200mi past the local Starbucks.) Don't worry, I've decided not to study the notes my 18 year old self wrote... Yay, Norton Anthology (which by the way, was my first book to be checked out from the Paley Library at Temple University). Too bad the exam only covers Baroque-present. I could have kicked some Medieval ass. Just saying. (oddly enough,  there is also no twentieth-century theory.)

Alright, so continuing with the theme of the incredibly random blog, I do have one more story. I'm sure it is because the city is so heavily populated, but the "wild-life" here is unbelievably tame - specifically the squirrels. First, there is one that literally lives in the campus library. He isn't shy - he just walks around keeping an eye on things. The security guard at the front door (you have to show id when you go in any building on campus) said that he has been put outside several times but he always manages to come back in. Other than Paley (his name since he lives in the Paley Library) I have had one other squirrel encounter. I was sitting on a bench by the clock tower on campus and this squirrel comes up and sits on the bench with me. He gives me a little squeak (or huff...) and when I don't respond, he starts walking into my bag. Then I remembered that I had a little bag of goldfish crackers left over from my morning with the kids. Just to see if he would, I took the bag out and gave him a goldfish. He literally took it from my hand, sat on the bench while he ate it, then came back and huffed at me for another. The overgrown rat, ate the entire bag of goldfish - a human child size portion! I have to admit, it was kind of fun sharing my snack with my new friend ;)

Paley the Library Squirrel

I like goldfish crackers and snacks w/friends :)