Urban History- presentation 11/30, paper 12/ 4

Urban Development and Preservation in China- assignment #3 11/18, paper 12/18

History of European Landscape Architecture- paper 11/24, final 12/15

Race, Space, and Place- paper 12/10

Thesis...?

Also, I got a tour of the most beautiful abandoned subway station in NYC!

Urban History- presentation 11/30, paper 12/ 4

Urban Development and Preservation in China- assignment #3 11/18, paper 12/18

History of European Landscape Architecture- paper 11/24, final 12/15

Race, Space, and Place- paper 12/10

Thesis...?


Let's go to work!

I have successfully traveled from Ithaca to Nashville and back.  I don't particularly care for Nashville, and apparently it doesn't particularly care for me either seeing that I now have a lesser version of the plague which requires me to concentrate very hard on not throwing up every time I finish a meal.  Much shenanagans ensued, so check out the numerous pics on FB.

I've been blessed with the chore of planning a field trip to Nashville for 12 students.  I've begged $3400 in the past two weeks off of various organizations.  We are just in the final steps of finishing the itinerary, which is excellent because the trip is next week. 

When I send out an email saying "our funding got approved, the business office is purchasing our registration so you don't have to worry about it" I mean, the business office has paid for your registration, you do not need to register.  Please read the goddamn email and quit asking me questions.

Then I get told today, today one week before the trip, that an MRP has decided she wants to go.  She was at the last meeting, and didn't sign up for the trip but now wants to attend.  She'll have to petition into the class, but I have no idea where her funding is coming from; for all I know, she'll pay for the whole trip herself.  This also means that our driving arrangements are off and the business office has to be notified that another student is going...

are you f*ing kidding me? one week? ughhhhh

I'm glad I now don't have time to work on my thesis.  I mean, who wants to graduate anyway?

In case you haven't heard, Tom Delay is on Dancing With the Stars. 'Nough said.

... I am not one of those people.  I mean, someone needs to represent western PA in Upstate! Right?

Which means, I'm back at Cornell for round 2, part 1, final call.  And what better way to kick off the semester than with a brand-new laptop! It's a very exciting upgrade and now my poor six-year-old desk top can retire to being a back-up drive and my TV.  I just need to find a suitable place in my cozy new apartment for this archaic hunk-a-junk (meant with sincere affection) and make some curtains and I'll be set and ready to battle the winter blues whenever they come knocking.  

The semester is also going by remarkably fast (October? cold weather? really??) between classes, PSSO, and my thesis...? Classes are awesome, I truly like them, but I was definitely spoiled this summer with a "real job" in a fantastic city with this great guy and some fantastic friends.  In other words, writing papers is like pulling teeth. Again.  PSSO is on a whirl-wind adventure to secure funding to go to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Annual Conference in Nashville this October. It should be a treat if I can get everyone to agree on how funding should be handled.  It's been making me nauseous, which means I could probably use a drink!   For my thesis I've decided to work on (drum roll, please) the preservation of NYC subway stations, specifically looking at the ones designed by Hines and LaFarge.  I can't wait! As an aside, check out Mole People by Jennifer Toth, if you are interested in some good investigative journalism on the homeless living in tunnels in NYC  that will blow your mind.  If only I could find time to actually settle in and work on it; the one hour a day rule is a start, but definitely NOT getting me anywhere fast.

So that's my life! How is yours?

Also, the Steelers need to quit losing close games.

This summer has been a spectacular experience! I love New York City and all the things I've gotten to see and do around the city.

But to catch you up to speed...

I'm interning at the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, which is the local-level government body responsible for designating and overseeing historic properties in the city.  Seeing how the organization works and how people interacting with the government has been eye-opening.  Mostly I've just been working on a research project on windows, which has its ups and downs. 

I've also picked up volunteering, though they are nice enough to call me an intern as well, at the Neighborhood Preservation Center.  It's giving me a look at preservation outside the red tape which is also a great thing to see.  The director, Felicia Mayro, may in fact be one of my most favorite people ever.  She's just so positive and bubbly and scatter-brained yet incredibly put-together professionally.  I think I like my volunteer position better than my real one.

And then there is New York, one of the world's most amazing cities.  The museum culture is first-rate and almost all the museums have a free night-- sponsored by Target (which continues to make them less evil than Wal-mart).  I've been to the Met for a Francis Bacon show, the Guggenheim for a show on Frank Lloyd Wright (fantastic!), MoMa, and the New Museum.  I've seen Brooklyn institution Rev. Vince Anderson and the Love Choir, who does a take on jazzy "dirty Gospel" in a big-band way.  I've picniced in the park at Union Square and studied at both the New York public library and Avery library at Columbia.  Verlaine's is this great bar in the Lower East Side that has $5 Lychee martinis from 5-10 every night of the week.  I've ate dinner and shopped in SoHo.  Josh's great new roommates for July are from Australia and we got to do the Fourth of July celebration with them.  I've had to start a list of all the awesome things going on here just so I don't forget!

Every morning I wake up and can't believe I'm actually here.  I don't want to leave!

I can't believe the season finale has come and gone already!

<3 Pam and Jim, for they are my favorite!


one more paper and a bunch of Blue Forms and I'm on my way to being done with my first year of grad school! yay!

It is finally official!

I will be interning in NYC this summer!

I get to work in the field in an exciting city and live in an apartment where I will have my own bedroom and that chance to reconnect with my babe! At the last minute, everything pulls together.  Now to finish the semester :-)

You ever hit "reply all" instead of forward?

Ever have a message to your significant other go back to the whole school with your user name and password?

OMG WHY am I failing at this week???

::headdesk::

This past weekend was PSSO's (Preservation Studies Student Organization) annual Work Weekend! Every spring semester we choose a stabilization project to learn some hands-on preservation techniques that benefits the immediate building owners and the larger community.  This year we went to Liberia Plantation in Manassas, VA to rip out two modern bathrooms, document and preserve Civil War Era graffiti, clean shudders, and apply lime wash to the exterior.  The plantation had been headquarters for both the Union and Confederate armies during the war and both President Lincoln and Confederate President Jefferson Davis had visited the house (at different times) during the war.

It was an awesome experience! And they aren't kidding about Southern Hospitality-- even in northern Virginia we were well taken care of (both project-wise and baked good-wise)

For the local news article see : http://www.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/article/liberia_secrets_are_uncovered/33151/

Pictures to come!

I don't know about you all, but I've had just about enough of this "school" thang.  I'm just over doing all this homework! I know I've learned a ton, and it's been quite a painful process, and I am glad for the knowledge.  But I'm done be beaten up by performas that I don't understand and papers that I'd rather not write, thank you very much. Or the stupid real estate students that brought beer in a computer lab and then didn't get rid of the evidence the next day. Idiots. Thanks for getting the only lab with CAD in it shut down. Bummer.

But as much as I'm looking forward to summer, I'm a little terrified.  I have been unsuccessful so far in finding a paid intership and it's getting late in the game.  I am also a Class A worry-er so I hope I can take care of this problem soonish.

This weekend though, I will be back in Pittsburgh and [hopefully] among some really great friends for a little bit! Can't wait!!!

Dear Life,

I don't know what I'm doing with you, and that fact is quite disturbing. Just thought you should know.

Hugs & Kisses,
Emma

PS- Helpful hints and suggestions welcome!

Being tagged as the Best Superbowl EVER!
Hells yeah Steelers! Mean Joe Greene, Lynn Swann, and the Bus are going to have some sweet company in the Steelers record books!
I really can't add anything more than what's been capture and replayed about the game. It speaks for itself.

Also, Bruce Springsteen was ridiculously entertaining! I haven't laughed so hard in a long time! As was the commercial about hating your job and feeling like you want to punch small animals...which I think represents Cornell's 2010 HPPs last semester pretty fairly.

We.Are.Pittsburgh.
We.Are.Number.1!


(Dude, I need to find some people I connect with up here... because Ithaca < Pittsburgh)

T-2 days until the Superbowl...

and I'm addicted to the Steelers theme songs on youtube.  So for your entertainment I submit the following:

The Classic (2008-9 version):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bquB9hXvebc

The Dance-Mix (straight up out the South Side! what what!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHq-9N1xowY&feature=related

The Pop-Music Version (oh B-94):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o68SEdnyYHw

The Polka (pierogies? anyone?):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naaU8YHvoGc&feature=related

And for Troy Polomolu (because of his ability to fly horizontally across the field and take down just about anyone):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At69PJ3ymIg&feature=related

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/business/30obama.html?_r=1&hp

^check it out! It's about time someone said something about it.

this past weekend, I did the silly thing of stabbing my thumb with a knife.  while it's only a very small -though deep- cut, every time i bend my thumb it feels like the skin is splitting apart.

today, i maimed my other hand by  accidentally spilling boiling water on it. the skin can't come anywhere near heat without excruciating pain.

what does this mean? neither of my hands can tackle the  mound of dishes i need to do....

White house home page as of noon today:

Change has come to America.


Hell, yes!

I want personal growth to be a beautiful thing- like one of those exotic pink lilies unfolding in a graceful gesture that only time acknowledges;  the world approves upon completion of that full, bright blossom.  But no, it's more like the dreaded band-aid being ripped off in one fail tug, and making matters worse, it's someone else ripping the adhesive off  while calmly distracting you with learning.  I tend to hyperventilate while looking around at the new world after the metaphorical band-aid comes off and I'm usually calmed by familiarity or inclusion or achievement.  But what happens when you look around and it's only deep water? Can you swim long enough and endure long enough to find your niche again?

The semester hasn't even started yet and I already have work guilt. How does that happen?