First thing: NCECA was awesome. There was SO much to do, and I ended up not doing some of the things I intended just because I was exhausted. You wouldn't think sitting and listening to half hour to hour-long lectures would tire you out, but whoa. Still, I saw some cool stuff, got some good advice, now really feel a need to travel, and am thinking about either applying for residencies or taking part in some workshops. There's also a pottery place in Greenwich Village that offers classes, a residency, AND an internship, so next time I'm home, I'm gonna check it out. I mean, the internship app will have to be in before then, but even if I don't get it, I might take a wheel throwing class. It'll keep me in clay over the summer and give me something to do for about... a month or so. Got a few books and brochures for grad schools. Not sure I'm doing that, but SMFA in Boston really interested me. Totally interdisciplinary--no walls between media--and only about 700 students TOTAL between undergrad and grad? Yes. Although this means getting in would be ridiculously hard, but anyway. ^^; I'm not looking at MFA programs right now, because I'm not sure that I have the self-driven focus that you need for an MFA. I'm looking at post-baccalaureates now. They're only a year long and will help me kind of figure things out before I go the whole way. And I'd get a certificate for my troubles. Nothing wrong with that. Anyway, Houston's weather. Oh god. Pennsylvania needs to freaking get with spring already, I want my 60-70-degree temps. It was so sad when we got back to Pittsburgh and the temperature was like 30-something.

I spent WAY too much money there, but whatever, yo. I got stuff I'm gonna use in class. One of those things was a throwing book, which will definitely come in handy considering what I have to do before April 12th. As payback for going to NCECA, instead of writing a paper, we each have to schedule an interview with one of the editors at the Juniatian (school newspaper), write a blurb on the ceramics studio FB page giving one of our highlights of the conference (pertaining to ceramics, of course--I already did that), and make 30 bowls to be donated to the Empty Bowls event coming up. I'm not exactly happy about the 30 bowls, although I would much rather make 30 bowls (or even more, for that matter) than do that stupid dinnerware project we were given. I'm so tempted to ask Bethany if that's an option. Honestly. I come out looking like a coward (or just extremely unsure of myself, which, hey, guess what?), but meh. Meh, damnit. And on top of everything else I have to do? MEH. The stress started creeping back as soon as I got here, and it was not helped by the fact that I processed two of the three rolls of film I've taken, one of which consisted solely of Houston shots, and half of each of which (is that even proper English?) did NOT come out. The film was developed, but apparently there were several frames that weren't exposed. I know at least once in Houston I accidentally took a picture of the inside of the case when pulling the camera out, so it would've gotten blackness... but I have no idea. I wasn't the only one with this problem. I'm not happy about it. A bunch of the Houston shots eitiher look like shit or didn't come out at all, and my slow-shutter speed attempts at home were also crap. Most didn't come out. The ones of my fan came out well, but the panning experiment with Craig failed miserably and other shots show signs of camera shake, even one I had on the tripod. (I was waving a flashlight around in the mirror while holding the Bulb button, though, so I guess that's my fault.) I'm probably going to bomb this photography assignment because of all this. I got a C or so on the last one because I didn't venture out of the greenhouse to take my photos, and I haven't gotten a chance to reprint any of those shots... and I'm running low on paper anyway, just ordered some more.

The only good thing right now is that I finished the video for WAM 2, and the only thing I should have to do this week is a blog post.

A has been staying up here in my room with Heather since I was gone, and she's still up here now, apparently asleep... I haven't looked over there. I hope this doesn't end up with her up here all the time again, I can't take that. This semester's been fairly all right on the roommate front aside from the whining.