Scholarship Competition.

So, this past weekend I went to UF for the invitational scholarship competition. There were 120 other competitors. We had to write an essay and we were interviewed by some of the staff. Thanks to Mrs. Fralick's damned weekly timed writings in English class the essay was a breeze. I was the first one finished and I was done half an hour early.

Dana was there! She might be going to Findlay! It's insane how small the world can seem. She lives in Bartlett. We used to work together at Sunset Hill on the weekends. I haven't seen her in aaages. It's good to be back in touch and know that I might know at least one person on campus next year :3 She was telling me about Dr. Peck who I guess is some bigwig in the Pre-vet program. A very intimidating, influential lady. She said I should get on the good side of Dr. Peck and make sure she likes me as well...XD I think Dana was confused about my major and thought I was majoring in Pre-vet as well, but...this information definitely came in handy later...

I also ran into Tracey, a girl who I met at the Equine/Pre-vet campus tour thing back in August. She's interesting, but not really the kind of person I could see myself spending a lot of time with. XD Her and her mom were kind of...condescending and braggy. Ah, well. They were nice enough.

I love, love, love things like this because I meet so many new people. When I finished my essay and sat down after they took our pictures, I met Kerri, an English equine major. She seemed very sweet, but I think I scared her a little with all my talking. XD I also met Megan, a pre-vet major, who was super, super nice. A little quiet, but out of all the people I met, I could see myself being good friends with her :3 I explained to both of them that I have a problem shutting up and that it's nice to meet new people since I've been with the same group of kids for four years XD I also told them there are only four boys...-_- Which they thought was funny. XD

Then, when my interview time finally came up (12:15) I met Jaime, the only Western equine major, I met the whole time. Completely unfortunate because the moment we met I could read her like a book. She's one of those overly outgoing people who is secretly overbearing and clingy. She comes off as friendly and fun, but a little dorky. You feel a little bad for her, so you're nice to her, and then...Just try and get rid of her. It's impossible. She's a clinger if I ever saw one. Also, she seemed like a know-it-all. Why even GO to college for equine studies when you already think you know everything about horses..? XD The worst part about that was...she said "I hope we end up rooming together!" That made me laugh because, out of everyone I met that day she would have been my LAST choice if I had to choose from them. Maybe I'm wrong and I'm being falsely judgemental, buttt...I'm usually right about people.

Anyway. I felt good about the essay. I think I put a unique spin on the question, which is necessary, I think, in order to stand out from the crowd. When it was time for my interview, I entered the room and shook hands with the women who would be interviewing me. Guess what? One of them was Dr. Peck! XD And she WAS a little scary! But I was not intimidated! I sat down and I was confident and I got both of my interviewers laughing which must have been something because Dr. Peck didn't look like she laughed very often...XD There were five questions they asked, but I don't remember what they were...All I know is I managed to make it more like a conversation than an uncomfortable interview, so I felt GREAT when it was done. When I walked out of the building I almost jumped in the air and shouted, but there were some other people around, so I didn't...XD I passed Tracey who was on the way to her interview with a big group of other kids. They were totally silent...I told her "good luck", but she just nodded XD She looked like she might vomit if she opened her mouth...

Anyway. It was pretty amazing to be back on that campus, where I'll be spending the next four years of my life. I can't wait. Oh, and...XD I bought UF sweatpants, a brown "Findlay" hoodie, and a window sticker for the rear window of my car.

Don't I feel cool?

Yes. Yes, I do.

Finals Week.

Yep. It's finally here.

I'm pretty relaxed, as usual, and enjoying watching everyone else flip out. XD

I'm working on my photography presentation right now, on Lee Friedlander, and I found a few quotes I wanted to save and share.

"I didn't choose photography; it chose me. I didn't know it at the time. An artist doesn't think first then do it, he is driven."
--Ilse Bing

"Everything around us, dead or alive, in the eyes of a crazy photographer mysteriously takes on many variations, so that a seemingly dead object comes to life through light or by its surrounding. And if the photographer has a bit of sense in his head maybe he is able to capture some of this – and I suppose that's lyricism."
--Josef Sudek

"I always wanted to be a photographer. I was fascinated with the materials. But I never dreamed I would be having this much fun. I imagined something much less elusive, much more mundane."
--Lee Friedlander

Sweeping Out 2006.

We used to spend New Years Eve at the Nieft's house just down the street. Craig would bust out a broom at midnight, open wide the front door, and sweep all the old junk out the door. I always think of that at New Years, even though the Niefts have moved to Belvedere. It's a great metaphor for what everyone should be able to do at the new year. Brush off all the old problems and start a new year with a clean slate. I wish I was still a kid so that the problems of the previous year would vanish with the coming of the new.

Out with the old and in with the new. This year will be a great one. May 2007 be as phenomenal as it can possibly be.

Happy New Year, everyone.

The Mint Shack.

I'm so. Upset. There was this ancient, abandoned shack on Bartlett Road. It was mint green and the door hung off the hinges. Sometimes it was closed and sometimes it was open. I drove past today. And it was all in pieces, packed in big ol' dumpsters. I always meant to explore it.

This is what happens. When you put things off.

Also, I just found out that an old asylum on Munger Road was knocked down in 2003. It kills me, the loss of these places, so full of stale pain and dusty memories.

The fact that my camera will never capture their honesty. Just tears me up.

Maybe I can find something interesting in the wreckage of the house. If I don't do it tomorrow I may never get to.