Update

An update

I can't believe that I'm finally losing interest in xanga! I've turned into such a Facebook person b/c so much of U of M is only on Facebook. I'm going to try to keep this site a bit more updated though, this is a better spot for journal entries and such.

Here's an update:

Right now, I'm so sick. I pulled two all-nighters last week. One on Saturday night and the other on Sunday night. The result: my immune system went down and I picked up some nasty bug. I've been in and out of classes all week, and it all came together into one nasty day yesterday. I am so lucky that yesterday was Saturday and I didn't have to work. The whole day was spent w/ a nasty fever, sore throat and a blistering headache. Today the bug decided to settle in my throat-leaving me voiceless and clutching my throat whenever outside in the lovely 15 degree weather w/ a windchill making it feel like zero.

I'm done complaining about all that now, I just really needed to get that out, and I can't verbally vent-due to lack of ability to speak.

In other news: my applications have been submitted and are awaiting final approval for my two summer programs: 5 weeks in Florence studying voice w/ faculty from the music school, and 5 weeks in Oxford studying Medieval Studies including a course on Arturian legend (I've died and gone to heaven)....I'm waiting for news back from Financial Aid and from the scholarship committe at the Office of International Programs....Keep me in your prayers, I really want to go!

I've decided that I am moving into the grad apartments on campus. If I don't get to go to Europe, I'll move in May and if I do, I'll move in Septemeber, having put my belongings in storage for the summer months. This means that my kitty REALLY needs a new home, so please, if you know ANYONE (even TC people) who wants a 7 year old male cat w/ a lovely personality, clean bill of health, and a very well-trained obedient manner, please let me know.

Friday night, I came home to a waterfall in my apartment. My brave cat stood next to it, so that the minute I got home, he could get my attention. It was a bit obvious, but the thought was really sweet. The lady upstairs let her toilet overflow and the clean water from within the toilet itself leaked into my bathroom, and poured into my bedroom. The ceiling tiles bulged but held the water and we had to puncture them to get the water to drain out. I was so lucky though-no water got on my bed, or in my closet, or on any of my electronic items (hair blower, straightener, ect) in my bathroom. It just soaked the carpet and the tile. I suppose if something bad like that has to happen-a Friday afternoon w/ no major damage is the best way to go :)

I've joined the Honor's College now, so that means I've added a ton of extra work during my senior year, but it looks great to "Graduate w/ Honors", I think it will be worth the extra work.

That's pretty much it-I'm passing out of my piano class at the midterm which is on Wednesday, so we'll see how that goes. I'm performing in the Orpheus Singer's Stravinsky Requiem and Mozart Coranation Mass next week. My papers for Medieval Musicology and Baroque Musicology have been turned in, and once I get my voice back, I'll be able to start on my very first musical theatre peice "Art is Calling to me".

Other than that, Mike and I have pretty much gotten back together and I couldn't be happier, I'm still working at the Music Library and Off-Campus Housing while taking 18 credits and yes, I am totally insane :)

That's it! I'll post pictures later when I have time. Have a wonderful week everyone!

1993--The first year I attended a U of M School of Music Collage concert

2000--The first year that I attended and decided that I wanted to be in one

2006--The first year that attended and decided I WOULD be in a Collage concert

And now....

2008-My first Collage Concert

The Collage concert is a "juxtaposition"  (ok, that's the music school's phrase, not mine) of performances made by soloists and ensembles within the school of music. Easier term: it's a talent/show-off show. It's always amazing and finally I was in one. It was just as an ensemble member, but now that the first one has come and gone, the next one hopefully will be one where I will also perform as a soloist!

In other news.....

Mike had his first solo acoustic gig on Saturday night at a place called "AJ's" in Ferndale, an up-and-coming suburb in the Detroit area. Pictures to follow (I didn't take them as my phone had died by then, so I'm waiting for his friend Rick to email them to me).

Also, as I have now decided that I WILL be moving at the end of this school year, I naturally chose to further decorate my apartment. The fact that I'll just have to take it all back down again in a few months has not bugged me for some reason. Anyhoo, instead of paint (which would have cost a fortune and also taken away from my security deposit), I chose to buy $20 worth of very sheer purple curtains from IKEA and to decorate my livingroom in the same style as I did in my bedroom area of the studio:

Mike and I spent a lovely quiet weekend sleeping in.....and I didn't study at all. I'll pay for that this week but it was worth it.

Yesterday it was back to class, even though only one of my classes chose to meet due to Martin Luther King Jr Day. These photos are the reason why I always park on the top level of any parking structure:

And this last one is about 2 weeks old. I saw it on the day of the primaries. Apparently a student found a rather unusual reason to vote "undecided" for Kucinich:

I thought that was pretty interesting.....

Lastly.....

Things are looking pretty good for my two summer programs. I'm in such a state of shock, that I might actually be going to Florence and Oxford in just a few short months!

Anyhoo, that's all from me, I hope everyone is having a wonderful week :)

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!
I love seeing all the tree pictures from people who have put up their
tress, they are all so beautiful. Thank you so much for posting your pictures so that I can share a bit in your experiences. I love seeing everyone's families, husbands, kids, pets ect. The nicest part about blogging is being able to keep up w/ people that I would have no way of staying connected w/ otherwise.

Thanks to a snow storm last week, Michigan will probably have a white
Christmas. Right now I'm sitting at the front desk in the music library
which is a large set of rooms above the music school with lots of
windows overlooking the scenery on North Campus. The snow is covering
everything and it looks so peaceful. I love looking at snow in the
woods and there is a small wooded area with a pond that I can see from
my desk. It's so nice to see it, and so nice to be viewing it from a
well-heated place instead of out there in the below freezing
temperatures! :)

The next two weeks are going to be filled with visiting family, getting
some prep study completed for next semester, and eating deviled eggs
(only once a year and one of my favorite part of Christmas).

Last year my mother gave me a journal for Christmas. She asked me to
record everything that dramatically changed my life this year. The
whole family was experiencing a year of change in 2007, and my changes
were part of that.

1) Leaving Relocation Central Apartment Search after being a senior
agent there for almost four years.

2) Being accepted into the School of Music at U of M after six intense
semesters of 45 hour work weeks with full-time class loads so that my
transfer would go through.

3) Saying good-bye to my parents and sister as they relocated to
Billings, Montana from Michigan.

4) Seeing my brother go back to school in Political Science at WMU.

5) Meeting tons of old friends again on Facebook and Xanga

6) Finally leaving the Metro-Detroit area and relocating to Ann Arbor.
It's been quite interesting, learning to adapt to the life of a
full-time student.

7) Finalizing my divorce and hoping that somehow something good will
come of this.

8) Making the Dean's List at U of M-YEA!

9) Traveling to Texas for the first time and having the honor of being
accepted to two of the top music schools in the country.

10) Learning to let go of the past and let old dreams die. I've had to
let go of many dreams this year. The dreams I once had for my life died multiple times over the last 12 months. Yet moments that I thought would destroy me have not, and hurdles that I thought would be impossible to conquer have turned out to be less intimidating than I thought. Sometimes it's good to let go of old dreams. This year I lost one that I've foolishly held onto for over ten years. I also lost the dream of being Mike's wife forever, and the dream of having his children. So be it. This is life and it has taken turns that I would have never expected. So many positive things have come out of this. I want to quote lyrics from two very different songs:

"Up from the ashes grow the roses of sucess"

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end"

It's been a new beginning in Ann Arbor and I don't think I would trade this experience for anything in the world. Harder than I ever imagined, more frustrating than anything else I've ever face, but also so much more rewarding. I know that I am in the place where I am supposed to be. That makes it all worth it.

So, those are my thoughts from 2007, looking back from last Christmas to this one. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season. I can't wait to see everyone's pictures. In the meantime, here are a few of mine:

I took this on my last day of finals, mainly so that I could look back and remind myself that I really did pull off two all-nighters in a row.

With finals over, I can finally relax. First, visiting Mike's place for some much needed Seinfeld.

Mike practicing for his gigs.

Our two cats Tom and Blackie live with Mike now. Tom is the only cat I've ever seen who actually smiles. He has so much facial expression, it's amazing. Here he is sitting on Mike's lap curled up behind Mike's guitar.

Rock on Tom and Mike!

Mike's Christmas tree. I helped him decorate it this year w/ my ornaments too.

Ummm about Mike's ornaments....they mainly consist of food. Perhaps because food is one of the biggest parts of his day. We started collecting food shaped ornaments at Frankenmuth a few years back. These are some of the main ones.

French bread

Little bottles of red and white wine.

A pear.

A turkey.

This is one of my favorites. As an ornament I think it commemorates our relationship. Mike's Jewish background was always something that I felt very proud to be affiliated with. Yea Shiksas! (Yiddish for non-Jewish girl). Christmas and a Torah, the cross-culture world of Messianic Judiasm.

And now for mine. Ballet dancer # 1.

Ballet dancer # 2....

And my favorite: an Irish Dancer (of course).

On Sunday I attempted to go to work.......as you can see this wasn't the best idea.

This is the ramp from  Novi road to I-96 which is the best way back to Ann Arbor. It was covered in 11 inches of fine white snow and it wasn't plowed at all. The good news: all the trucks and suvs made it through. The bad news: I didn't. Thankfully a Subaru Outback had the power to pull me out (how did that little car do that?!).

Christmas shopping in honor of Lindsey Shev who already completed hers (I truly lack that kind of motivation). I went to IKEA for a few of the harder-to-figure-out-what-the-heck-to-give-them gifts. At $5.99 this turtle was the best idea there. It's for my little 1 year old cousin Anika. But the turtle is very addicting....

You can't help hugging it!

Or staring at it......

Ok, so that's it from me! Merry Christmas everyone. Have a wonderful holiday and a wonderful new year!

Survey

School is over. Finals are over and now I'm just finishing up a week of working before the offices of all three jobs close down for the winter break. I'm going to be leaving Interlibrary Loans after Friday as I don't have time this next semester for three jobs. I'm going to double up a bit on the hours at Off Campus housing instead.

And of couse, here is the long overdue apology regarding my rant from last week. I needed sleep. Badly. That doesn't mean though that the music students aren't everything I said they are. They really are. But they don't care so why should anyone else. I'm just going to keep those issues to myself.

So, in the meantime, here's a survey from Christina Carlson's website because I haven't done one in over a year. Tomorrow I'll post some Christmas stuff but for now, here is the survey.

~*~The Ultimate Survey ~*~

Full Name: Kathryn Anneliese Vaitkevicius Wyner

Nicknames: Katy, Freak (Robert), Moron (Robert), You (Mike)

Hometown: Born in Detroit, consider Traverse City to be my home, currently living in Ann Arbor

Croutons or Bacon Bits: Mike's mom's homemade croutons. No contest.

Favorite Salad Dressing: Seconding Christina on the Rasperry Vinigrette

Have you ever gone skinny dipping? On my to-do list if I ever make it to 105 pounds.

Do you make fun of people: Does Robert count?