Home!

I'm home now~!

It's nice to be home. Relaxing, not having to worry about anything but the broken foot deal. I go to the doctor tomorrow. Hoping he says everything is healed up and we can release the cast but the chances of that actually happening would be slim to none.

I was supposed to close on my house tomorrow at 4pm but an issue with the paperwork has created a bit of a wrinkle in my plan. The closing is now slated to happen at noon on Thursday. What I will do over the next three days, I have no idea. Maybe i'll imagine i'm back at VanderClasses to help the time go by

Speaking of which, the end of the summer turned out to be much much better than the beginning. I was able to get around on my crutches much better and get out in the city. Went to a Sox game, had an epic night of karaoke, and got a chance to eat at several wonderful restaurants. I will miss my VanderCook friends and hope that we are able to stay in touch throughout the school year. Now that we know we won't run into each other next summer, maybe it will be different this year. Only time will tell.

Thanks to everyone for their help this summer as I became a crippled pain in the ass. Your help was greatly appreciated. Ben, if you're reading this, I'm going to find some way to get you a Dragon's Milk.

The end is near

Holy crap! Brass methods was rough to get through today!
Luckily, we are all completely done with that class! One more day of classes, then graduation day, then leaving for home!!!!! Excited. Much excited

SCOOPS!

Tonight was our final night at Scoops. Scoops is our favorite ice cream place to eat in Chicago. Here are some pics to share

Ben must be sad that this is our last night of Scoops. Or he is looking lovingly at Donny

Mary Kate couldn't wait for the rest of us

Chris was actually the last to sit, so he didn't need to be patient

This person above ladies and gentlemen is my newest friend in Chicago. She is my doppleganger. We are both pretty much the exact same person, only with different parts.

I'm really getting into eating my ice cream

PIZZA!!!

Had the best pizza in town today. Took 5.5 weeks but we finally all made it down there together


Out at Giordano's. Amazing. I was hungry. Like a boss

Philosophy

Heard a comment from a friend today during a great conversation that was cool

"I'm not afraid of making mistakes in life, but I am afraid of missing out on it."

Thought that was pretty cool

The Riddler

So our good friend Donny has finally decided to make an appearance out in Chicago!

He is a part of the original 6 from last year and brings us closer to having everyone back together.

We all went to the White Sox game last night for some relaxation after that first day of week 6 classes. (it totally looks like my hand is around Ben's waist. Fear not...that is not my hand!)

Tonight, we are all going to Giordano's for dinner, Thursday evening will be a fun-filled karaoke night, and Friday will go out with a bang at Tuscani Restaurant.

On Saturday, we have graduation from 10am-4pm, then it is time to head home for the summer. I can't wait to get back to Ohio this year. The flair of Chicago wore off rather fast this year and I feel as though I did not get challenged in my learning. I knew the summer was going to be easy academically, but I had no idea it was going to be this bad.

At any rate, I'll be moving into my home next week. It will be pretty awesome. Mainly because I'm tired of moving every single year to a new place. Hopefully, this will be the last one for a while.

Play Contra

Remember Contra for the old-school Nintendo?

Here it is baby!

Remember the code for 30 lives is

up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, a, b, start

Thank me later

Earth Song

Earlier in my bloggage, I mentioned the song Earth Song and I told you I would get a copy of the VanderCook Graduate Ensemble singing this wonderful piece. Well, for your enjoyment, I have posted it above. I think the recording came out very well from the performance:) Hope you enjoy it as much as I did

another week

So I never thought I would be anticipating going back to Ohio as much as I currently am. I have approximately 11 more days out here and while we definitely have some fun things planned for those days (karaoke, dueling piano club, blues club, improv comedy) I can't help but feel that I will be much more calmer when I return home and turn right around and move into my new home:)

Last Saturday was the dreaded Comprehensive Exam (OOOOOH). What a joke that was. I'm glad I went my normal route of studying (which is non-existent) and spent no more than 2 or so hours looking over stuff for this thing. Yes it helps that I have a memory for tests that is amazing (wish I could apply that memory to everyday life), but honestly, I felt that it could've been much more challenging than what it was. I kicked its ass and gave it a new name.

We attempted to eat at Hot Doug's Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium that day, but due to my lack of being able to read a simple time and the blue line being all shades of messed up, we missed out. Oh well, we got to see some great improv comedy at Comedy Sportz:) That's always a good time.

Sunday, as God intended, was a day of rest. I did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! I'm so exhausted from this crutch work anyway (seriously, I have to walk so much around this campus on these things and it doesn't seem as though anyone had a handicapped person in mind while designing any of the buildings). Revolving doors are somewhat of a pain in the ass to maneuver. My favorite part just happened yesterday, I'm struggling to get into th dorm building. Scanning my card to open the door, can't get to the door in time before it locks again...It goes on like this about 3-4 times while the undergrad IIT Dorm worker is sitting on his butt watching me struggle. What a dickhole.

I've met some realy cool people out here again this year. Donny is coming for a week long MECA in week 6, so that should help the last week fly by.

I'm seriously about done with all of my work. I'm currently working on preparing a Triad Choirs blog site similar to this. Our school's website designing stuff is crap compared to using this blog program. I hope they don't force me to use the schools stuff...I'll throw a fit!

Anyway, check it out, it's just in the beginning phase of construction as I decide all the new stuff to get on there...It has a sweet layout and our calendar for the year. It'll be awesome

Week 5 is almost done.
8 more days of classes
11 more days until going home
5 more conducting classes (blech)
3 more brass methods classes
1 more trumpet lesson (which are going amazing!)

An update

So my dozens of fans have been asking why I haven't updated my blog in a while...well, as you read, I broke my foot and was dead tired just about every day after tooling around on crutches and I spent the majority of my time sleeping. So here's an update.

This has got to be one of the most painful summers ever (Yes i'm about to get all pessimist on you)
While things started out amazing, things quickly turned to hell in no time. I had my heart broken. It's so weird too because I've never experienced that kind of hurt before. It's still lingering around me, I don't know how to shake it. Then, I decided to go and break my foot. Way to go Paul. This has got to be the single most inconvenient thing I think I have ever done in my life. Not only are the crutches absolutely tiring, but it is just downright depressing to be so dependent on other people. Meanwhile, I am blessed to be around such a caring group of people that would help whenever I need it. Ben and Chris have been amazing help for me around the dorm room and getting to and from the school building. I don't think I can ever repay them for how much easier they are making this. I was able to get a ride to and from Ohio for the 4th of July weekend. Thankful that Sarah was able to help me with that. Then my parents proved how amazing they are yet again by coming out at 1 in the morning to pick me up and bring me home and then drive me out an hour and a half to get me back to Chicago. I am so thankful to have the parents I have.

The situation with my brother seems to be approaching no kind of resolve. He continues to be the close-minded piece of garbage he is and continues to treat our parents like dog shit. (and no, if you're reading this it wasn't just in the store) I think it is mainly because his girlfriend/living partner/baby mama has his balls in a vise and he can't think for himself or stand up for himself and talk to people like a human being and not F this and F that every time somebody points out a flaw.

OK, now that I'm done venting.

I have three more weeks out here in Chicago. I honestly can't wait for this summer to be done, which is sad because I was looking forward to coming out here more than anything this past school year. Maybe it's the broken foot, maybe it's the broken heart, but I just feel that I don't belong here this year. Oh well. We have comprehensive exams this coming Saturday and then who knows what we'll get into after that. This week will be devoted to studying for said exams out of hopes of graduating next summer:)

Hope everyone's life is going well.

horoscope reading

My horoscope today says this

"Stimulation is good. Expose yourself to something new and feel a reawakening."

Little did I know my "new" would be a broken bone

Setbacks

So in my attempt to get myself in better physical shape i've been doing several things. Trying to eat better, not drinking adult beverages, and staying active. Well, the staying active part was the part that I was having the most fun with. I would get out and walk the city. Or I would go play racquetball, my favorite sport ever. Anyway, I went over to play today and was blessed with this tasty little treat.



That Ladies and Gentlemen, is my 5th metatarsal bone in my right foot (at the bottom). It's broke.

The timing couldn't be more perfect either. I'm in Chicago working on my Master's degree. The dorm is not what I would consider close to where my classes are. I was planning on driving home to Ohio this coming weekend. I'll be moving into my home in about 4 weeks. I've got a lot going on, and now this has happened. So much for being active.


I will say that I am thankful that I am surrounded by individuals who care a lot about me and waited in the emergency room until I was done. Ben and Chris are my two favorite roommates of all time. I wish I had them during my undergrad.

This is my first broken bone. It was an experience. I am just thankful that nothing of a bigger magnitude happened.

Making fun of Cleveland

Enjoy these two videos about Cleveland:)

Transformers and Yolk

Went out to watch Transformers last night. Heard many things about it from people that I respect their views on movies and such so I wasn't too sure what to expect.

I loved it! It was awesome! We caught it on IMAX so it was really big and I feel like I need to watch it in a regular theater, but I had an absolute blast watching that movie!

This morning, we all went down to Yolk to eat
For those that aren't familiar with this fine establishment....you should be. Go eat there this weekend if you can! Great breakfast food!

Decided to not go to the Diana Krall show. Instead, we are going to a drum and bugle corps show in Naperville tonight. Should prove to be a good time as I haven't been to one of these in several years. I should be able to provide some excellent pics from that upon returning.

My conducting

Check out my awesome conducting skills. Seriously, not much going on here, this class is incredibly BORING.

Moved

Mariachi Concert

This evening, the four of us decided to attend the Grant Park Symphony Concert in Millenium Park. It was HOT!! However, most of the music was extremely enjoyable and we had a good time.

Millenium Park has so much to offer but my favorite part is the Pritzker Pavilion. An outdoor concert venue that is simply amazing. Here are some pics.

This is above the lawn portion of the pavilion. Not sure if it is coverable or not for rainy days....but who knows. It has speakers hung throughout for excellent sound production.
This is part of the stage believe it or not. It is very decorative. I was not able to get the whole thing in the shot from where we sat but hopefully, I will get a farther shot to share.
This is a shot of the stage. As you can see above, the decorations from the pic above continue to the stage. So maybe that kind of gives you an idea.

This was the highlight for me. The Mariachi group is called Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlan. They sounded awesome!! It truly was an amazing experience to see a group like this in person. The latino people around were constantly screaming out and yelping, just like you would think of a typical mariachi concert. It was fun.

We have our first Graduate Ensemble Concert tomorrow night. We are playing Lincoln Portrait by Aaron Copland. Truly an impressive piece. Feel free to watch below:)

Nessun dorma

We played this aria from Puccini's opera Turandot in college and I fell in love with the song. Then I heard it with lyrics and thought it was awesome. THEN, today in conducting, I learned what the whole thing is about. It was pretty awesome. It really struck me today, something no lyrics have ever done. I thought I would share the Italian lyrics and a video of the performance by Pavarotti on here. Enjoy!

Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma!
Tu pure, o, Principessa,
nella tua fredda stanza,
guardi le stelle
che tremano d'amore
e di speranza.
Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me,
il nome mio nessun saprà!
No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò
quando la luce splenderà!
Ed il mio bacio scioglierà il silenzio
che ti fa mia!
(Il nome suo nessun saprà!...
e noi dovrem, ahime, morir!)
Dilegua, o notte!
Tramontate, stelle!
Tramontate, stelle!
All'alba vincerò!
vincerò, vincerò!

If you want to know what it means, just look it up:P

Trumpet lesson et al.

Since I'm blogging so often, you can look at my previous ones on the left hand side. There are certainly some interesting pictures in some of them.

So i'm taking lessons from my first female trumpet teacher ever.

She is so supportive of my playing problems I've always had. She is incredibly articulate on what she expects from me. Rather than simply playing something and saying "ok, now play that way" She plays with me and I am able to change my sound through that. I could hear myself getting better as my lesson progressed today.

I started practicing (something I would rarely ever do in college) this past week out of fear of her kicking my butt. Now, I want to practice to show her I am capable of progressing in my playing skills. I'm thinking private lessons teacher is going to be in the upcoming school year:)

Speaking of upcoming school year, I need to get cracking on my Master's Project. Hopefully I can get a lot of research done over the next couple of weeks. I'll keep it updated.

I can't believe it is going to be Wednesday of week 2 already. This summer is flying by already. The first couple of days dragged, but we're in the flow now and before I know it, I will be coming back home and moving in to my house.















That's going to be a lot of fun.

Racquetball Day 3

Today was the third day I played Racquetball with Miles. He is starting to beat me. I think my head is still in a different place and that's why I couldn't play up to par. Or maybe he's just better than me. Hopefully it's the latter.

We usually get in about 3 games every time we play. Play one right handed, then we switch to a game of left hand (which can be devastatingly hard) and then finish up with a game of right. It's a lot of fun. I have certainly missed it a lot since college and it helps to get me active and not laying in bed watching TV.

I've been trying to make better choices with my life lately. Trying to consume better things, trying to be more active, giving up the things that were unhealthy. It's difficult right now but i'll come out a better person because of it.

I don't have nearly as much homework as I had last year. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. The bad is that everyone else seems to have a bunch and they are working on it a lot so I have no one to hang out with at times. But I get by. Trying to make the most of this summer.

Exchequer

Tonight Ben, Chris, Mary Kate and myself all went down to our favorite restaurant in the whole city to get ourselves prepped up for week 2:)
















And just exactly how did we prepare ourselves for another grueling week of graduate classes?















With one of these bad boys! Chicago pizza is amazing. This evenings toppings included Sausage and Green Peppers. It was great.




















We took our typical train ride back to the dorm.

All in all, it was a good Sunday. Got the traditional Exchequer in:)

Saturday

Today I needed to get out of the awful dorm room to get my mind off of some things. Couldn't think straight enough to get any homework done so I decided to go downtown with my friend to just catch some sites of the city. We decided to go to the Shedd Aquarium and I really enjoyed seeing the things I was able to see. We then walked for a good hour or so before catching the train to come back.
















Mary-Kate and myself at the Chicago Bean! What's the Chicago Bean you ask? Well,

















This is the Chicago Bean. A pretty sweet attraction I must say...no pun intended.

















While I hadn't taken any skyline shots yet this year, this one comes from the exit of the Shedd Aquarium. The tower formerly known as Sears can be seen on the far left.

















This was one of the last things we saw in Shedd Aquarium. It is a huge (HUGE) Snapping Turtle. He was sitting there on this rock in the water with his mouth open. Many people thought he was a rock sculpture because he remained motionless! Needless to say, I had to convince several passersby that he was indeed real and why he was doing what he was doing. It's one thing to see this kind of stuff on TV and it's completely different to see it in real life. It's amazing how this turtles tongue looks like a worm. It was really cool.

















Penguins. They were so much fun to watch.

















Penguins swimming in the water. I got to see one dive in. It was pretty funny watching them hop around on the rocks.

















This is a fine specimen from the Ohio region...oh wait...That's me getting my picture next to the otter sculpture. Ironically, I was wearing my Otterbein Alumni t-shirt this day. Seriously folks, this was not planned in any way.


















I found him!!

















This Starfish looked like a toy. I thought the picture came out pretty well:)

















The jellyfish seen here were amazing to look at. They would swim around and the lights would change their colors. Too bad it was in the middle of a line and I had to move along otherwise I would've gotten several more pictures of them.


















They even had Monkeys here! While they didn't do a whole lot, I still want one.

















These two fish were talking to each other...or making out....I couldn't tell which.

















This fish was HUGE!!! The picture does not do him justice by any means!

















This is one of the first guys we got to see. He had sharp, pointy, nasty little teeth.

All in all, I had a great time attending the Shedd Aquarium.

We got to see a number of different things throughout the aquarium (including Beluga Whales, Sea Otters, River Otters, Sea Lions, Dolphins, Lobsters and several other creatures) but I was not able to get solid pictures of everything.

All in all, I feel that I had a productive day of sight-seeing.

Upcoming sights for me to see will be:

The Tower formerly known as Sears
The Taste of Chicago (starting next weekend)
Grant Park Symphony concerts
Jazz/Blues Clubs
Rattlesnake sausage from Hot Doug's Sausage Emporium
Several Chicago style Pizzas

First Week

So the first week has come and gone so quick. So many things have happened this past week my world seems to be spinning uncontrollably. My classes do not seem to be too terribly difficult so far. I am taking Vocal Mechanism (to help better teach my choir kids), Brass Methods, Band Conducting, and Instructional Design (my tech class).

I'm thoroughly enjoying my classes more and more as the sessions come and go. Choir is so much fun (ask me three years ago if I would have ever said that). Band is going to be more challenging this year as I am playing trombone instead of trumpet. However I am taking trumpet lessons and think I'm going to get my butt kicked by her (my teacher). It will be good for me.

Miles and myself have gotten into a good habit of playing racquetball every Monday Wednesday and Friday morning. My arms have been sore the past couple of days, but it is worth it because I am getting out and being active and having fun all at the same time.

The beginning of the Summer, many of us thought that this year was a bit less exciting than last year, but that wore off rather quick after we had some nights to all get settled in and reacquainted.

So here's to the rest of the Summer being a blast! Hope all is well back in Ohio for everyone.

Introduction

My name is Paul Waibel and I am currently taking classes at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, Illinois. I am working on completing my Master's Degree in Music Education.

I am currently in a music technology class working on integrating Web 2.0 capabilities in our everyday lives. It has been interesting so far but a little slow (but what technology class isn't). This has been a better one I have taken so far and I am looking forward to the remaining 10 classes we have:)

I will post on here often throughout the summer.