La-dee-da, la-dee-da

Well, its Labor Day Weekend, the traditional time for people to go back to school. And for the first time in... about 18 years, I am not among the students headed away from freedom and back to the classrooms. In someways, I'm really glad. No papers. No real deadlines. No last minuet panic attacks and getting work done just in time.
Well, really the only thing I miss about being in school is hanging out with people. So, Haha, suckers still in school. You enjoy your easy access to a multitude of friends, and I will enjoy my regular sleep schedule.
This weekend also marked my triumphant return to the Gill Family Tradition of my Uncle Jacks Crab Feast. I missed in the last four years because of school. It's an annual Tooie/Gill/Tilghman Family reunion. It's usually fun/amusing. I get to catch up on the latest of family gossip and hang out with my Cousin Catlin, who this year caught me up on High School gossip. The most interesting piece was that one of the people i know from high school is getting a divorce. And that sums up my weekend.

Snap out of it!

I love the Orioles. I do. And I mean the Baseball team, not the bird (which I have never actually seen, thanks to over development and global warming). And they are a good team, except when they play baseball. Let me explain. They have the skills and ability to play well. They have shown that time and time again. If I recall correctly they shut out the Yankees 12-0. Not bad. Then last week, They lose 30-3. To the Texas Rangers. The highest score in modern baseball history which goes back to 1900. It was a ridiculous game. I mean it was hysterical in its own pathetic way. I was at the game, cheering for the Rangers along with everyone else. Right after the Rangers finally scored their 30th run, My brother's room mate texted him with the fact that the previously held record was 29. Last night they lost after they gave up 11 runs in the eighth inning, making it there seventh lose in a row. In the same game they also had six, Count 'em SIX, Home runs. And they STILL lost. Why can't they play as a team?
It's a good thing I don't live and die by the Orioles.

After all, tomorrow is another day!

Have you ever heard of the 12 Girl Band? They're from Shanghai, and they are an orchestra of Chinese instruments. But they don't just play traditional music. They also play classical like Mozart or Nessun Dorma from Turendot, Jazz like Georgia on My Mind or Take Five, and Pop like My Heart Will Go On. It's pretty wild. The reason that I have them on my mind is that my aunt (who is a music teacher) gave me the bands new DVD and CD for my birthday. I like it, but I'm alone on that front. Oh well, I'll listen to it in my car, when no one is with me.
Speaking of my family, my sister has come down with Mono. Perfect timing to screw up the beginning of college for her. That's right, she is supposed to start at Hood in a week. She is planning on starting classes like the regular student, just move in a little later. By then she will have had it for almost two weeks. I don't know if she will be any better or not, but hopefully she will have figured out how to cope with it.
As for me, Life is going to start changing next week. Both my brother and sister will be moving out to college, and I'll be left here. For all of college's drawbacks (papers, homework, tests, classes in general) I wish I could go back. Maybe that's just because I haven't yet actually made any steps forward. I did hear about a job working for the NSA in there museum (YES! the NSA has a museum!). I would be cataloging and organizing all the recently declassified material from WWI and II. I'm going to call them up and find out how outrageously under qualified I am. But I'm going to keep my finger's crossed. Hey, there's always Medieval Times (Must enjoy wearing tights! It honestly says that on their job stuff)

Here's Johnny!

Shesh, I really ought to update more. To updated only once a month just looks like carelessness. But oh well. Better infrequently than never.
Have you noticed lately how these past few days have been terrible for the International film community. Two famous Directors and an actor died, each from a different country in Europe. Is it just the time of the year?
Lately I've been hanging out at the B&O Railroad Museum on Mondays. I'm scanning in old negatives that are decomposing and need desperately to be placed in freezer storage. Most are simply early acetate, which dissolves into vinegar and brittle plastic. It's not deadly, just smelly. But some of the negatives are actually Nitrate emulsion, which is highly volatile and degrades easily and toxicly. So if I'm not careful, I could poison myself. And people say museum work is dull and quiet.
The actual subjects of the negatives is not terribly exciting. The most exciting part is the question: Why did the B&O Railroad have pictures of cows, chickens and sheep? I guess the Railroad was involved in more that just trains.
But, Hey, Guess what?!? Last week I was Dog/Cat/House sitting for my Uncle Bill. During that time, I got a lot of reading done. The most significant of these books was some little obscure book that NO ONE has hear of called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I liked it. And I'm bursting to talk to people about it. But since there are people out that who still need to read it and don't want me to ruin any piece of it (my brother and Mother), I won't talk about it.

Harry Potter Mania: Will it end soon?

I am increasingly apprehensive about the coming end of the Harry Potter series. I'm terribly afraid of who is going to die. Not IF someone is going to die, but who. There are only four people I want to survive: Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. If possible I want all the Weasley's, Hagrid, Lupin, Tonks, Neville and Luna to survive, but if they don't, it'll be OK. But, seriously, if the fabulous four go, I'm not sure that I could ever read these books again. I just put down the Sixth book, and I have no desire to read any of the other Potter books, except the last one. And the last time i put it down, I didn't read any of them for two years. Part of that was because of the whole finishing school thing, but I may have also lost my appetite. I don't really remember any more.
The real question is, why is this so important to me. It's just a silly book. The characters aren't real. Harry doesn't exist and has no bearing on my life what so ever. But I care. Rowling has created amazing characters in her books. My aunt had a similar experience when she read the Lord of the Rings. She said that she couldn't pick up another book for a year because they weren't her friends Sam and Frodo. Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately) for her she didn't have to wait for the ending, It was right there. Easy to access. And didn't need to be written. Now she is a librarian right in the middle of a Library that has been carried away, like the rest of us, by the whole series climax. Of course, she's happy to go along. She's going to be the first in her house to read the last book, probably starting the second she gets her hands on her copy. Now the question is, where do I get my hands on a copy?

Back in the realm of all things personal and Gina: I have gotten a gig volunteering at the B&O railroad museum. It's a chance to gain experience, and see what it is like to work in a museum with more than six employee's. It should be fun.

I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse.

Let's see. What have I been doing lately...
Well Friday I went sailing. It was a beautiful evening. We, my family and I, saw random fireworks and what may have been a satellite. It was a tiny point of light moving quickly across the sky, so that is what I will have to assume it was.
And Sunday my father, brother and I went on a hike all over Patapsco State park. Another beautiful day. We saw some crazy people sliding down the dam. I should mention that at least one person a year dies at this dam, usually by drowning.
What else? Oh yes, Saturday. Saturday I bought a car. I now own a dark blue (onyx blue to the dealer) Nissan Versa.

Plastics.

John recently pointed out in an e-mail that it has been over a month since the class of 2007 graduated from St. Mary's. Damn.
I haven't got much to show for a month of freedom, except a few unanswered job application and a rearranged room. But, based on no official survey, that seems to be common among people I know, at least the the few who didn't approach graduation with a job already. My main complaint is finding jobs that I am both qualified for and interested in. Unfortunately, these are few and far between. Most jobs that are more then secretarial in museums need a masters degree. Which means that I really Need to go to grad school. I was really hoping to make sure that this was the career path that I wanted before committing to 2 more years of expensive school. It will all be OK. It will work out. I've yet to really fall on my face by following my gut and flying by the seat of my pants. How's that for mixed metaphors?
In other news about my future, though not nearly as pressing, my mother has begun to lean on me to plan a party for my 22nd Birthday. I am not a big fan of parties. I like get togethers with my friends, but i rarely have good luck getting people together (with the exception of the four years of college when everyone was located within a mile radius). I'm not entirely sure what to do, since the date is, amazingly, fast approaching.
I'm looking forward to the day when SOMETHING in my life and future is sure. Though I doubt that day will ever come.