hippie store

That moment when your non-dancer roommate walks into the living room and says that it smells like a hippie store because you have Icy Hot on shoulders, Lavender Shea Butter on your feet and Burts Bees on your lips.
 . . . dancer problems . . .

counting

show wounds 

    bruises

      right wrist - 2

      right elbow - 3

      right thigh - 1
      right knee - 2

      left knee - 3

      right foot - 1

      left foot - 2

   marley burns

     right shoulder

     right knee

     left knee

     right foot

     left foot

   open wounds

     right foot - 4

     left foot - 6

tech wounds

   raw, skinned palms and fingers (carrying large panels of unfinished wood isn't the most fun experience) 

. . . yeah, it's been a long weekend 

Now for more positive things

- I got to go the top catwalk in the PAC :) I could touch the ceiling (51') of the theater :) 

- I took the gels out of the box booms which pretty much means scaling a metal frame and hanging over the top bar (which is at least 6 times my height) to reach the lights

- I performed all weekend and, by the grace of God, still had enough energy to strike the stage
- The range of dance styles I am comfortable performing has increased drastically
- I got a lot of really wonderful compliments concerning the really hard (technically and physically) piece I was cast in :) 

- My parents and grandparents all drove 8 hours to come see my show :) . . . and they surprised me :) I assumed they wouldn't be able to come. After my Saturday afternoon show, my mom called to say that they were five minutes from my campus and wanted to know if I wanted to go out to eat before my next show :) They stayed for my evening performance and church Sunday morning :) :) :) 

Now for regular college things like homework and laundry . . . and eating and sleeping at regular times :)

good stories

I just finished an essay on the parallels between 

this book 

and this film. 

Both works were very thought-provoking and very well done. There are so many symbolic images in the film and the introduction and conclusion to the novel are particularly interesting and frame the novel very well. If you have time, you should certainly consider reading The Three Inch Golden Lotus and watching Water. 

wind . . .

This is the weather forecast for tomorrow. 

I love 50 mph wind gusts. 

did this actually happen?

I got out of class yesterday at 11:30 to be told that the campus was shutting down in an hour. 

Mercyhurst has never had a snow day, ever, and the campus hasn't been closed in more than ten years. 

It snowed like crazy on Monday (see previous post) and has been snowing gently off and on since then so right now the city of Erie is covered in 6-8 inches of snow which is a normal occurrence in Erie. 

However, a main water pipe froze and burst so the campus has no water which means they also have no heat, food or working bathrooms. 

The whole campus was evacuated and hopefully school will start again on Monday, but no one knows anything until the pipe is found (under 6-8 inches of snow) and repaired. 

I went from trying to remember all of the things I had to accomplish/complete before the day was over to suddenly being temporarily free from those obligations and suddenly needing to pack up my life and remove myself from the only place I really knew in Erie.

Thankfully, many people graciously offered to host students who were too far away to go home. Currently, Kathryn and I are staying with one of our ballet teachers (the one for which we both babysit). The director of the Dance Department and her husband offered to host all of the freshman in their basement which is so kind of them. Also, the pastor of the church I attend in Erie offered his house as well if Kathryn and I are in need of it. 

Once we found out we were staying with our ballet teacher (and her husband and baby daughter), Kathryn and I went to our apartment to pack up as much as we could in as little space as possible. We also had to take everything off the floors in our apartment because our heaters are water based. If the city of Erie has to shut down all of the water temporarily to make the repair, then our apartments could flood. 

This all seems surreal . . . However, today I've been sitting in a beautiful, warm living room, reading a book, drinking tea, talking with a wonderful couple about anything and everything and playing with an adorable little baby. So I guess getting evacuated isn't so bad in this case :)                          

white blankets [that do not keep you warm at all]

roommate quote of the morning -

 "This is more snow than Little Cocky's seen in her life." 

But, seriously, this is more snow than "Little Cocky"* has seen in years. It also happens to blow directly sideways in great blankets constantly (due to Erie wind). It's really pretty much impossible to see anything. Pictures coming later, I presently have a horrible cough and a light fever and am doing my best to recover as quickly as possible.

*roommate pet name due to my last name being that of Cockerham (pronunciation presently in debate)

disease prevention

The beverages currently beside me while I read and stretch. 

(cold water, throat coat medicinal tea and airborne) 

Currently half the Dance Department is sick along with Kathryn and Blake. I am doing everything I can to keep myself from getting sick - including following Kathryn around with Lysol and disinfecting the door handles, light switches and sink handles just about every half an hour. I have problems, I know, but now would be a really bad time to get sick.