February 15--Happy Birthday Mom!

I had classes at the CS Headquarters from 8am until around 1:15 or so, then I looked at a few stores to find some boots. I really want some nice ones that I can wear to work with a skirt. I've never had luck finding cheap ones that I like though, it was no different this day. I had a $3.30 sub for lunch! Now, that's probably even cheaper than going to the grocery store and buying all the ingredients only to have them go bad in our fridge. I do take my lunch to work most days though. Speaking of lunch, Ang and I are thinking of meeting for lunch on Friday, since we work so close to each other!

So after no luck with finding boots, I went to the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation for some volunteer work there. I really love that casual atmosphere. It's a nice getaway from Easter Seals once a week because of the difference in organizations as well. It would be so nice to bike to work one day. Maybe I can rent a bike from them for a month. That was one of the places I turned down for an internship but I liked them so much that I still wanted to do some kind of work there. Network myself out there, you know? Plus, I love meeting people anyway so now I have a few more contacts if I ever want a job in Chicago.

I came back to the apartment for a quick nap before supper and the Ballet at 7. I needed that nap SO bad. I should really get more sleep. I don't like going to bed early at night though, that's the time when I can buckle down and really focus on stuff I want to get done! I'm just like that. I think I should find a job that I can start at 10 or later after I graduate. Hah, we'll see.

Supper was a blur because I had just woken up, so I don't remember much until we changed clothes for the Ballet at the Joffrey Theatre. We all decided to dress up in skirts and nice shoes. It was great weather when we left the apartment, but we got caught in the rain on the way back at 10:30. Cold feet. The Ballet and the Theatre were AMAZING though. Here are some notes I took about the theatre and the ballet:

We were at the Joffrey Ballet, all dressed up, excited for something only a few of us had ever seen before. A Ballet, Romeo and Juliet. Walking into the building was overwhelming because there were so many people milling around--mostly Chicago Semester students blocking the doors...I hate being in a large group and calling attention to ourselves like that. Grr. But once we stepped into the actual theatre someone said, "It's like stepping into Heaven." Totally true. I was brought to tears at its beauty, the detail, the color, the precision. SUCH CLASS! There were three large murals on the front and both sides with quote on the bottom.
Front: "The utterance of life is a song, the symphony of nature"
Left: "A great life has passed into the tomb and there awaits the requiem of winters snows"
Right: "O Soft Melodious spring time! First born of life and love"

How did they get the ceiling so decorated with it being so high? And there's so much detail? When was the theatre built? It seems like the 20s or 30s. Amazing. I've never been in such a huge theatre. We're in the third balcony. The musicians pit is a flutter of sounds. The renaussance paintings/mural above the stage adds to the whole setting of the theatre and the setting of the ballet as well.
How will they potray Romeo and Juliet without words?
The MUSIC. It blends really well and TELLS THE STORY. Certain instruments (flute-Juliet, Oboe-Romeo) tell the story of the feelings of the characters. Granted, I do need the act description of the play as I watch it, but because I studied the play in high school I can tell generally what is going on. For most, I'm sure that if they don't already know the story it would be hard to understand. You really have to pay attention to small details.
As the lights dim for the Ballet, the small lights are like stars on the ceiling. So calming and sets the stage for a beautiful Ballet.

I got back to the apartment to find out that Mark and Karla Bouma had another baby! A healthy baby boy named Dallas Allen Bouma. over 6 pounds. Big compared to tiny little premie Jaden when he was born last January. Congratulations to them!