New Assignments, New Rides, Old Drama

So I've been in my photography class (to anyone pursuing it, it's an expensive class OR hobby). Back in high school, they had cameras we could rent. But our teacher surprised us on the first day saying that by the next day we'd need 35mm, fully manual cameras, and special film for them. Well, in this digital age, only one class member had one. Others had to go out and buy them - and I almost had to go to my nearest pawn shop - but then I recalled that my aunts had always been the photo-takers in the family - surely one of them must have an old 35mm hanging around. And one did! So I got the camera right off the bat. The other supplies, like film and photo paper, etc, was picked up by Tony since he works downtown, and most camera shops are downtown and have stupid hours of 8 or 9 to 5, M -> F. So it worked out for him to pick it up after work one day.

What's cool is, our first assignment involves taking 2 rolls of pictures depicting direct and diffuse light. But the really neat part is, it must involve a subject (or subjects) that are socially taboo - i.e. poverty, sexuality, crime, social status, etc. Anything that makes the viewer uncomfortable when looking at it. I can't wait to get started, but she said we can't start yet because we'll be using film today in our cameras for practice.

As far as the scooter goes, my parents took me yesterday and we got the papers signed, it's been ordered - I went with black. I thought well, black goes with anything, especially helmets and outfits, and also if I want to pinstripe it or find cool decals for it (NOT bumper stickers, but more like chrome decals), they'd look cool on it. Unfortunately the bike won't be here at the latest 6 days from now, at the soonest, I'd say a few days. It's coming from the warehouse in Cali, and then the guy here has to assemble it. Which only takes a couple of hours. Can't wait to be riding that thing all over! Not have to be dependent on anyone for rides...

Which takes me to the next topic - not since high school did I thought I'd find myself involved in drama, crap-talking stuff, but here at nearly 28 it's happened. There's a girl at my clinic who appears to be a bit crazy, always crying, having an issue of some sort, and has taken a liking to spreading dumb made-up stories about me. I don't even know this chick! On the one hand, I could confront her and tell her to knock it off, that I don't have time for that crap, that I'm too old for it - which in turn would accomplish two things. First, she'd lie and say she never said anything. Second, I'd get hit even harder with the crap-talking. On the other hand, I'll do what I usually do and just wait for it to blow over. People who do that usually have their Karma coming to them. Karma...that's a comforting though :)

School, Scooters, and Scribing

I first started my college life right after high school - and went on a many-year-long haitus...only to find out that, indeed, college needed to be pursued further. So during the past few years, I'd take a class, and then work for a while, back and forth - but in order to get the real job, the job of my dreams, the job doing things that actually interest me - a degree is in order.

So, next Monday, I will be going back to finish my degree. I know, sounds intense - don't worry, summer term is super condensed, it's only a month long, with 4-hour classes 4 days a week. Even the advisor told me that taking any more than one class during this term is, well, not to be "advised." It's lucky that I have virtually all of my "core" classes out of the way, so I'm down to my cool classes - I can jump right into graphic design, my passion. And what better way to start than with Photography I. I was very into photography classes in high school - kind of the photography teacher's "pet," if you will - even had a special study hall where I could just run around and take pictures.

Let me digress to the scooter part of this blog entry - the scooter is coming. My mom put down a few ground rules: It had to be electric (therefor no insurance, no special license, no gas, etc), it should have at least 600 watts, and it has to be under 1000 (including helmet and all). I've already picked out the helmet. This weekend, I'm not sure, but I think we're going to get THE bike.

Now, I've spent the past month or so looking online for a vespa-like, vintage-looking e-bike, and dude, they're just not out there. Not for under a grand. But there is ONE, that meets all my needs. Doesn't have that "Vespa" body frame, but hell, I figure when I'm pullin in the mad cash from my graphic design business, I'll buy an e-Vespa (which they have started to make, and sell for several grand).

And then there's the book I've been writing for a few months now. Ever since I was up in Oregon, going thru my "dark" period (I'll leave that to those who know me), I've always said I'd write a book about my experiences. It took me a long time to feel "ready" to write that book, so I started last winter. Come to find out, writing a book is hard work. So I began to write pieces of it as they came to me. Every once in a while I'll remember something random from that time and think "OH! I'd better write that down," and most of the time I do.

Eventually, the book will be finished - it must be, so the Molly legacy can be complete. People must know the dangers that lurk in the world, the dark, deep Silence-of-the-Lambs-type dungeons that await unsuspecting young students to fall into, and it takes many years to escape them - if those kids ever get out at all. So this is my story, and I promise, blog readers, you will someday read it. Until then...read my random bloggy thoughts.