...is the word of the hour. I'm moving to NYC in less than two weeks, and I still can't really believe it. Apparently, [Mannes] can't either, because they still haven't figured out whether they can give me campus housing or not. The latest twist - I called them today, twice - is that I should start looking for apartments, and call the school back this friday to see if they found some campus space for me. Which means that between finishing up 4 different projects at work and practicing for Mannes orchestra auditions, I now also have to go apartment hunting in NYC. Great. And thanks, housing office people, for not calling me and telling me this - I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't called them??

My brother is off at music camp, apparently completely going berzerk. According to Rachel (Kane, fellow ex-Swattie, trio-buddy, and now, my brother's camp counselor), he and a 15-year old camper are hitting it off. Says Rachel: "HELLOOOOOO, she doesn't even drive yet!!!!!!!". And yesterday he caused another camper to chip off half a tooth by attempting to jump onto the guy's back. At least he's breaking some other guy's tooth, and not mine.

The other day, we were invited to a dinner at an acquaintance's house, and I was asked to bring along my cello and play for some kids that were going to be there as well. I ended up playing three movements from each the first and third Bach Suite, followed by a rather poor performance of the op.79 #2 rhapsody by Brahms on the piano, which I will blame on the piano. I had fun (I actually felt pretty comfortable and "in my element" while I was playing, which is kind of nice. usually I tend to get a bit tight when performing.), but I think people started getting bored by the end of the second Bach movement I played, but I just kept playing anyways, until my hand got tired. After my "recital", one of the guests came up to me and asked which instrument I actually was going to music school for, "piano or cello?" "Actually, I'm going for voice. I sing, too," I told him, and the funniest thing was that he must have believed me, cause when I told him about 15 minutes later that I was joking, he ran off laughing hysterically.

I'm spending a lot of times these days playing the piano. Actually, more even than I spend practicing the cello. The other day, I learned and memorized one of the Brahms op.117 piano pieces in about two hours...Brahms' music just tears the heart out of me. Part of this piano craze is probably because I'm kind of moody these days - women trouble :P. That also explains the slightly bitter tone of this journal entry. Don't ask me about it, I won't tell you anything.

If you ever get bored while around a computer, I suggest you take a peek at [Ben's Bargains]. You actually do sometimes get really good deals for all sorts of stuff on there, but what's even funnier are the uncensored "discussion" that take place on the item forums. Look for the ones that have a higher post count, and you're sure to run into some classics like [this one] (Warning: this one is pretty obscene).

Oh, and one more thing: AVP!!!!! That movie was actually pretty entertaining...OK. now I better go get some sleep before my already battered immune system allows my cough to kill me.