Good Bye Drexel

Got my final grades today. I'm done! I HAVE AN MBA!!!!

:)

Oh Yeah Solid Travels to Europe!

As most of you know, I will be leaving tomorrow for a trip abroad.
The trip consists of vists to Germany (Munich), Czech Republic (Prague) and Italy (Florence, Rome)

I will be posting info and pictures throughout the trip here at "Oh Yeah? Solid." and also at the following site:

http://www.oystravels.blogspot.com/

Check in frequently to catch-up with me!
See you all when I get back!

Just checking in...

...during the midst of it all

I am well. In case you were wondering.

I’ve been very busy. I don’t like to talk to much about the woes of my busy life. Because we all know that if it were any other way I’d be uncomfortable. I gravitate toward the busy stuff. So it’s kind of a given.

School is just about over. I graduated (read walked) in June… I still had a few classes to go though so I’m working on those right now. Never got around to posting pics until now. But thanks to my sister and her love of the awe-inspiring Face Book, the pictures have been floating around for some time. Anyway, here are a few.

There are more here

I’m currently taking two classes… I’ll be finished with them within the next two weeks. God knows I’m glad! And then there’s just one more class to finish up. This last class consists of a Trip to Europe (more on that another day) so who’s complaining?

Then? Oh yes… then I am DONE!

I had more to say but I got side tracked to many times and now I forget.

Simple

I find that I am quite ridged in my thinking. At times I am completely obsessed with the way things are supposed to be. Wear the right clothes. Save the right amount of money. Buy the right house. Piece together the right kind of solid, structured American family. Don’t drink that. Don’t eat that. Go to bed early and don’t waste time.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about living simply. About what we really NEED in order to survive and what we just kind of like to have along for the ride. I’ve been thinking about “right” and “wrong” with respect to what we should want for our lives and what we should strive for. I search for a way to break away from these very certain molds that I have built for myself. To live freely and simply, and maybe even slowly, is something that I seem to never master.

The concept sounds childish -- to live a life that is slightly lacking in boundary and that allows time for simple and free living. But in all honesty, aside from a need to learn a bit more responsibility, do children really have it so wrong? Why are we so stuffy when adulthood sets in? Is it stress that makes us this way? And if so, why do we allow ourselves to become so bogged down with things that if could be tangibly measured, would not be worth the effort?

For most, the notion that “we cant take it with us” kind of slips from our grasp as we graduate from mandatory secondary education and look at our so called options. We are told that the only way to make this life work is to go on to study at a university and then some… and though I don’t regret any of my education, I’m completely puzzled by the fact that we go into so much debt to live these lives. Is it possible to live a fulfilling life with no stress? School begat debt begat endless working… living like our neighbor begat debt begat endless working... without school, our neighbor's influence and debt, would there be less work?

Or maybe the work being done would be of the save the world sort instead of the save ourselves from drowning in debt sort...

Tired...

It’s busy. It’s busy and it’s tiring… but it’s good.

The last few weeks have begun to catch up with me as Mellow is struggling to get itself off the ground, piano lessons aren’t slowing down, and class work is almost doubling as the quarter is over halfway through. Let’s just say I totally let my group down on this last project and will need to double my efforts on the next one to keep them from going to the professor and complaining that I’m not “dedicated to the MBA cause”.

I’ve been pulling some majorly long days and most of it I don’t mind at all. Of course I could certainly do without the interviewees that up and decide not to show (even if I confirmed with them an hour or so prior…) It happened twice this week and I just cant muster up enough energy to go all the way to Mellow again for an interview that isn’t going to happen. I still can’t get over the fact that people don’t show up for interviews. It completely blows my mind.

I don’t get it, but instead of worrying about it I’ve just decided not to interview for a while. I love the staff that I have right now and though I don’t have full coverage (which would be 2 therapists available at all times Mon – Sat), we’re almost there.

This last week was our busiest week yet… between Valentine’s day appointments, Gift Certificates, and a hugely busy Saturday from outta nowhere, we ended up with 15 hours worth of massage and Gift Certificates. That’s massive considering we just opened. I’m pretty excited. It makes the completely drained feeling that I have right now seem worth it.

We had a staff meeting last night and that went really well also. There was an ice breaker since most people haven’t really meet each other yet, a little meet and greet, and of course my list of things I needed to tell everyone. That and a couple of large pizza’s made for a fun and cozy night at Mellow for just the staff. I’m really looking forward to working with these folks and it seems like they’re looking forward to being around. At next month’s meeting, we plan to train for Sabai Herbal Ball therapy which is an amazing Thai method of massage that we’ll be offering soon. I’m really looking forward to that.

Be on the look out for the following events

• February 22, 2008 and 23, 2008 – Blue Method at Warm Daddy’s

• March 8, 2008 – Mellow Hosts Traci Lynn Jewelry party. (Includes free chair massage, light finger foods, and lots of shopping)

• March 15, 2008 – Mellow does chair massage at Bloomingdale’s in the King of Prussia Mall!


xo,
G

p.s. My Sungee surprised me with the complete Steely Dan Score book. So now I can play "Caves of Altamira". I love that song. :) He is such the best.

Cold Rain

It’s a rainy nasty day outside. Not the nice warm comforting rain but the cold miserable kind that is only nice if you can stay dry in your warm bed for the day. It’s making me kinda sad… I’m trying to force myself to get out of the doldrums… especially since there is so much to be happy about.

I handed in my last final for the quarter last night. A case study on the Eastman Kodak Company and why Kodak had such a hard time keeping up with competitors given its once monstrous presence in the film market. So now I can rest from school at least until January.

Chair massage at Swarthmore today… We’re really excited about that because it’s our first college final exam stress buster type event. That’s always been something that I’ve planned for so it will be nice to see how it goes. We are currently looking for more On-Site chair massage business so if anyone is in need of some “good rubbin”(R.M. Sungee), give me a call.

Oh and the maintenance man has FINALLY caulked the window at Mellow so we’ll now be able to keep the heat in. Its about time… we could literally see the outside courtyard clearly around the edges of the window.

Not sure how the handmade gift thing is going to go. I’ve gotten some things that are handmade but I don’t think I’ll be able to find something handmade for everyone on my list by Christmas… so I’ll have to resort to store shopping. At least a little. I’m proud of the artists that I did support though… I’ll tell more after the gifts are given.

And the Coffee thing is going alright too. I’ve definitely still been drinking coffee… but not the $4 Starbucks lattes. My pockets are feeling a bit fuller now that I’m thrifting my way through the coffee crave. Not full enough to buy my plane ticket to Munich though…

I got these in the mail last week.

Please understand when I tell you in all honesty, I AM IN LOVE with these earrings. They are light and beautiful and I have to have them ALL. And the best best best part about them is that whatever silver she uses… I don’t seem to be allergic to it. Could it be that there is no nickel here? Could it be sterling? It’s like heaven. The earrings I’ve been searching for all my life.

· Wood
· Hypoallergenic
· Lightweight (no old lady torn earlobes)

I knew everything was made better in Montreal…

xo,

G

Women Rockers

Ok so I took a little longer than one day of silence.
Big deal…

Spent a rad music filled weekend.

Friday night was the opening show for the Black Lily Film and Music Festival.

Artist line up was a little drab, though there were a few sparklers throughout… Malene killed it… as did Ethel Cee (one half of the former duo Verses) I hadn’t seen her perform solo prior to that night but I definitely think she’s gonna do big things… people seemed to dig her.

Hmm.. who else… other than Kindred and Lady Alma (who both put on great performances). I pretty much could have done without everyone else… (Especially Slanty Eyed Mama).

Sunday was the closing show for the Festival… definitely a better line up. Finally saw ALICE SMITH!!! She only did 2 songs but still it was pretty great. Other participants included Ursula Rucker, Imani Uzuri, Black Blondie, and a surprise appearance by Amy Winehouse.



I like Amy a lot. She has a powerful voice and great style (and I was totally feelin her until she forgot the words. Ironically to the song “Rehab”. What kinda "fuckary" was that?!?! ... maybe she actually should go…)

The evening ended with Jill in the spotlight. You could feel the power of women artists throughout the whole place... An inspirational experience if nothing else.


Managed to get all of my required school work done too… now if I could only get my Statistics Homework done for tomorrow… we’ll be in business.

WHEW!

ok. So i finished two petals. I think thats enough to satisfy the "create a flower PRONTO!" craving...

What?...

oh yeah. paper. right. ok...

dinner? check!

tv off? check!

NPR/Temple U. jazz station on? check!

Flowers or the paper? Both you say?

I've decided that I'm not going to bed until I finish the MIS paper. Since deciding this about an hour ago, a sense of relief has come over me... simply because its nice to know that it will be DONE tonight. However I seem to keep forgetting that this is not enough and that I have to actually DO it in order for it to get done tonight. So yeah... but first I start to knit the flower. :)

Procrastination

It is Friday and there is much that I should be doing.
I have two papers due next week… lots of discussion board reading and writing to do…
I must be the queen of procrastination… there is no other explanation for it.
Literally all of my time goes toward SAYING that I’m going to do something… not toward doing it. Its been this way almost my entire life.

I have 1.5 hours of time right now to do work. With my mind on it and the pedal to the metal I could make a serious dent in the work that I have to do for this weekend…

When am I going to grow up? Its time I stop acting this way and just DO what needs to be done. Makes sense right? If I do it now then I can relax later… knowing that it’s done!

Grrrrr….

I can’t even use the excuse that I don’t like school because I do this with things that I like and Things that I don’t like… all of the time. procrastinate,procrastinate,procrastinate…


Ok gonna read now. At least I’m saying that I’ll read…