Let-Downs, Bumps, and Rises.

I want to tell you about the past two days.
Do you mind just listening? It's a lot of craziness all mixed into 48 hours.

Enough lolly-gagging. Here we go:

Yesterday, I was slated to present my final project in a class. I worked my tail off burning the midnight oil making sure I got things ready. I wasn't completely satisfied, but I was ready to present it regardless. As the presentations proceeded, we ran short on time, so I was bumped 'til Tuesday for presentation. I was glad for it because that gives me a weekend to really fine-tune things.

I had a scheduled Calculus exam that day. I asked my teacher if she would let me take it the next morning so that I could participate in the undergraduate research conference on campus. She said yes. Big burden off my back. Whew.

I ran from class to the Romney building for a seminar that turned out to be spectacularly mediocre. More of a recruiting meeting for ISU, minus the main speaker.

Then I turned my attention to the student research conference. I'd already prepared a poster and presented my findings at the Geological Society of America National conference in Denver this semester, so entering this conference was only a matter of signing up and hanging my poster.

This was a great experience. At GSA, I had to defend my statements to professionals. At our school, I had to creatively tailor my presentation to suit a non-geology crowd. I loved it. It went really well. I knew they had an awards ceremony after the conference sessions; what I didn't know is that there were cash prizes. I won 2nd place overall in my poster session for the physical sciences. (It's a major award! I won it!) That will help pay for my trip back to the sunny, beautiful desert I call home.

Yesterday, gone. Today, here it is:
-woke up
-donated plasma
-took my 3-hour calc. exam
-went to sound-checks for the Best Of show
-went to the fitness center
-performed in the show
-sulked

It was one of those full of exciting/stressful events days. I was most excited about the Best Of show. Our medley was sounding great, we were pumped up and excited and confident. Then, the sound technicians stepped in. We stepped out onto the stage, the crowd roared. We started the medley with a solo from Beauty and the Beast. Her mic was muted through the first phrase. Throughout our act, our microphones were completely sporadic. Muted, active, live, dead. And no matter how great of a job we did performing, nobody could really hear it. They got the gist of the act, but not the refined finish we'd worked so hard to achieve.

After a performance, our group is usually on a high. The high I'd been anticipating all day was replaced with a huge let-down. I was frustrated. I probably will be for a good while. But that's life. I think what bothers me the most is that our sound-tech in charge of the show was really rude and impatient with us at our sound checks, and then he didn't save the settings for our act into the show program. The poor sound tech at the board was left to handle the catastrophe. If he would've been nice, I would feel less inclined to blame. But this guy was a jerk to us and rushed us through sound checks like we were wasting his time.

Ugh, whatever. There. Now you know all about that event. I want to look back on my time with this group happily. We've had some amazingly fun times together. I've made some great friends and done great things with them. It's kind of sad to end our semester with that tone.

So after the show, I went to Taco Bell with some friends then to the cheap theaters. That is the recipe for taking one's mind off pain. Some people choose alcohol. I choose Chalupas and cinematography.

I end my day here, ready to lay down and not wake up until late Saturday morning. In the light of morning, I can view all of today's craziness in a fresh perspective. And for that, I'm happy.