Thank You, Computer Inventors

Nowadays, it’s pretty hard to imagine a world without computers, right? No internet, no Facebook, no hard drives. I was going through all of the photographs I have saved on my computer the other day, and realized how amazing it is that they will forever be saved, safely on my laptop and my backup hard drive (unless there is a zombie apocalypse).

Take this picture, for example.

This is my grandfather, or “Pop Pop” as I still call him. He was in the US Navy. This picture was taken in 1945 at Pearl Harbor. Here he stands, on the deck of a boat, donning his Navy Seal uniform and the last name “Remmel” that is written on his shirt. I love this picture for its attitude and aesthetics. Old black and white photos like this are just so precious to me.

Back to my main point. This picture was just lying in a box of old family photos until my dad dug it out, scanned it, and saved it onto his computer and mine. All of a sudden this picture went from being seen only a few times years ago, in the flesh, to being saved and cherished forever.

So thank you, computer inventors, for allowing me to efficiently store family photos and memories and share them with future generations.

A Game for When You’re Bored at Work

If you like Boggle, play Scrabble, or have ever done those Word Scramble things… then this is an easy game for you. Find any object at your work, write down the name, and then try to find as many words as you can using the letters in the name.

Tonight was an exceptionally slow night, so here is what I came up with….

DIY Green Cleaning Supplies

The other day at work, I met a customer who owns her own cleaning service… and makes all of her own green cleaning supplies! Although I’m not a mother, I still have that motherly-protective thing going on with my little dog Taz. He licks everything, and I’m always a little concerned about what’s in the floor cleaner or furniture polish that he may be ingesting.

Anyways, the amazing thing about this girl is that she has her recipes posted online! The recipes are easy and mostly stuff you’d find in your kitchen anyways. I am anxious to try these and thought I would share them with you all

Glass Cleaner:

• Water – 1 cup
• Vinegar – 1/2 cup
• Alcohol – 1/4 cup

All Purpose Cleaner:

• Water – 2 cups
• Borax – 1tbs
• Liquid Castile Soap – 1 tbs 
• Vinegar – 1 tbs

For heavier grease-cutting needs use half as much water.

Wood/Leather Furniture Polish:

• Vinegar – 1/2 cup
• Olive Oil – 1/2 cup

This ratio can change depending on your furniture.  I like to have more vinegar because of all of the paw prints on my furniture.  If it’s not real wood you may want less oil.

Powdered Toilet Cleaner:

• Borax

Floor Cleaner:

• Vinegar – 1/2 cup
• Water – 1 gallon

More vinegar has more cutting power, but this ratio generally works fine.

These recipes are all from Concierge Cleaning Service. Go check it out!

Let’s Go to Unique LA

Ever since we discussed Unique LA in class this past week, it’s been hovering around in my head.

As a young girl, my family always used to go to the arts and crafts festivals in Pine. Pine is a SMALL town about 15 minutes north of Payson, Arizona. We used to have a cabin up there that we would stay at on weekends to get away from the city. Situated in the heavily forested mountains, the area is a beautiful retreat full of fresh woody air, an abundance of squirrels and birds, and heavenly silence.

On busy holiday weekends, the small town would host an arts and crafts festival. The vendors were mostly local people, and mostly old. But they did some amazing work. My favorite booth was the handmade scrunchies. Oh yeah, that’s right, I had one in almost every color and pattern you could think of. They had plenty of amazing fair food like Indian fry bread and fresh kettle corn. Mmmmm.

But my favorite part about it was that there was such a huge variety of things all in one place- little figurines, house decorations, homemade jam, dog clothes, quilts, jewelry, bath soaps, and everything in between. Every craft or domestic item that you could possibly think of was there. And every booth had something that you probably wouldn’t find in the average boutique.

That’s what struck me about Unique LA. I looked around on their website and found the “Look Book“- a catalog of pictures of some of the great products and booths you’d find at the show, along with a list of the upcoming vendors. They have vendors selling art, prints, accessories, jewelry, clothing, bath and body products, food, home decor, toys, stationery, and even dog stuff. This is my kind of show.

From what I can see, it looks the place that artsy, tree-hugging people would go. These are my people.

Although since I’m still developing a few different ideas right now, I don’t know what exactly I’d sell. But I’d definitely love to visit Unique LA to get some ideas of what its like to be a vendor, the audience there, and what visitors seem to be attracted to. It looks like they have shows fairly often… I better get my butt in gear!

The Black Keys in My Head

You know that feeling when you hear a song that IS your life?

Well, recently, I was lucky enough to find a band that has created a whole soundtrack to my life.

The Black Keys have been around for a while, but I had no idea who they were until my boyfriend started playing their songs all the time within the past year or so. It took me a bit to absolutely fall in love with them, but boy was it worth it. Now I crave certain songs. The Black Keys were slightly influenced by the Beatles, but their songs are still unlike anything I’ve heard before. I’m more in love with their sound than the actual words. For instance, every song on their album Chulahoma has an INCREDIBLE melody. The guitar itself seems to sing, and the words are just the guitar’s backup. You can’t help but sway, move your head, tap your foot, or whatever else you do when the music is moving through you. Their other albums like Brothers, Attack and Release, and their newest one, El Camino, are just as catchy and have more of an upbeat vibe to them.

I’m kind of addicted to The Black Keys now. I find myself playing different songs of theirs in my head, depending on my mood. Here are my top picks:

• my waking-up song: “Everlasting Light”
• my jogging song: “Howlin’ for You”
• my favorite songs to listen to with my boyfriend: “Meet Me in the City” (< MY FAVORITE) and “All You Ever Wanted”
• my I’m-feeling-moody song: “Psychotic Girl”
• my road trip song: “Gold on the Ceiling”
• my calm-down song: “My Mind is Ramblin”
• and the ones with goofy music videos: “Tighten Up” (see below!) and “Next Girl”

Here is their entire discography. Check it out!!!!

And hey guess what?! The Black Keys were just featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. You can read their story here.

Side note: I’d love to do a painting of this one t-shirt design of theirs. And I will hang it in my house.

Dream Studio

It’s time for a daydreaming session about my dream studio….

 

I walk through my family’s house and open the door to my studio. It’s the middle of the day, and the warm sunshine is coming in from the skylights above and the floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors at the opposite end of the room.

I look to my left and see my little mini living room. A loveseat and a big comfy armchair are accompanied by a large broad-leafed tropical tree, a patterned rug on the floor, and a coffee table. On the left wall behind the arrangement is a drying rack situated against the wall. My in-progress works lay there, looking for my attention.

   

The floors underneath my feet are a light sustainable hardwood. My large, tall, rectangular craft table in the middle of the room is sturdy and has a whitewashed finish. I have a few barstools and a tall comfy office chair surrounding the table. A couple of my current artworks and craft projects are spread out on the table, inviting me to jump in.

 

The right side of the room is lined with white cabinetry. The lower cabinets and upper glass-door cabinets hold all of my supplies and books. I have all kinds of acrylic paintbrushes, watercolor paintbrushes, acrylic paints, watercolor paints, graphite pencils, erasers, charcoal pencils, colored pencils, ink, and markers. Apothecary vases sit on top of the lower cabinets and hold pretty art supplies. My studio is always neatly organized with everything labeled and in its place.

 

A cutout halfway down the wall holds my desk with my computer and large computer screen, with shelving and corkboards for inspiration on either side. The cabinets right next to my desk store all of my office supplies. At the end of the cabinets, towards the window wall, a stainless steel sink is installed for easy cleanup.

The wall on the left side of the room is fairly plain, adorned only by my current and past paintings, drawings, and craft projects. They’re hung somewhat randomly, but the arrangement still looks presentable. I walk along the wall between by artworks and my table, and towards the back wall that is all glass sliding doors. I can see my outdoor patio, pond, and tropical backyard beyond the glass.

There is a closet connected to my studio, too. It holds various lighting props, my easel, blank canvases and paper, and anything else I can’t fit into my cabinets.

My favorite parts about my dream studio are the floor to ceiling sliding glass doors and the skylights. I am a big nature girl, and I need plenty of natural light, plants, and sky around me. I believe it nurtures the soul and my creativity.

I’ll be moving to an apartment soon where I won’t be able to have everything I’ve dreamed out here, but I hope to include at least a few things to make my own beautiful creative space. In the meantime, plants and flowers are a must, and maybe I could do a few of those apothecary vases full of art supplies as well! I’ll keep adding ideas to this dream studio list, and then… somewhere, over the rainbow….

Dear Me…

Today is the last day of me as a 21 year old. Tomorrow is my birthday and the day when I feel like I am entering into the grown up world. I know that people always ask us on our birthdays, “Do you feel older?” and almost always the answer is no. But I feel like tomorrow I will finally answer with a yes.

When you’re younger, there are many exciting birthdays like 5, 10, 13, 16, 18, and 21. We’re excited to be older and have more privileges. However, after 21, there are no more “young” birthdays. Birthdays like 30, 40, 50 ( and so on) are big, but they are not really something that we typically look forward to. We may look forward to future accomplishments like buying a house, owning your own business, becoming parents, becoming grandparents, paying off student loans, retiring, etc. But rarely do we say “YES! I’M 40 TODAY!” without sarcasm. I think I’ll say it like this: 21 is the last young birthday, and after that, we’re just celebrating life experience, not age.

Anyways. I’ve had this I’m-a-student mentality since I was 5. But in three months, I will be graduating. Here I am, looking for a job in the creative field in the real world, about to be completely on my own, with a man that I love by my side. As I often say to my dear friend Margaret: “When did we become grown-ups?”

In honor of my last day as a youngin’, I’d like to write a little letter to my older self:

Dear Me,

Never let go of the child in you. It’s OK to be goofy, finger paint, play on the swings, and pretend to be Cinderella.

Always seek happiness in the little things.

Dream! Don’t be afraid to think of the best things that could happen to you, and then make it happen! These things are possible if you just put it out into the world.

I believe that my life’s gonna see the love I give returned to me. (OK sorry, but I had to go a little John Mayer on you there. I love this line.) Karma, baby. Be good to others and the world will be good to you.

Surround yourself with people who love you and add to a positive environment. Get rid of any negativity.

Work hard. And then work harder. But don’t forget to reward yourself with plenty of wine, dark chocolate, and nature outings.

All my love,

21-year-old me

The Best Way to Wake Up

I will preface this post by saying that I love my sleep. I need my sleep. It’s the cure-all for bad days, sicknesses, a tired body, and tons of other things that a doctor could probably explain better than I could. When I’m sleeping is the only time when my mind isn’t going a hundred miles an hour, or thinking about what I should be doing or have to do tomorrow. Recently, my average night’s sleep is between 4 and 7 hours. This does not please me. But hey, I’m a full-time student, I work in retail, I do commissioned paintings, and I’m moving soon. It’s a busy life. That’s just how it is.

I relish the thought of sleeping in. I envy those “regular” work hours of Monday through Friday, 8 to 5. But then again, I may get bored of that pretty quickly- I am not a morning person, and I work best in the afternoon and evening. So maybe it’s a terrible idea. But I do enjoy daydreaming about free time. “It will come after graduation,” I keep telling myself. In the meantime, I will take full advantage of the extremely rare occasion when I can sleep in.

This is my perfect scenario for waking up at home on a day off: I get up around 10:30 am, which is the best time to wake up. It’s late enough that I got a good night’s sleep, but not too late so that I feel like I missed out on half of the day. I was not awoken by an alarm clock but by the birds chirping outside of my window. My little fuzzy dog, Taz, sees that I am awake and snuggles in the crevice between my arm and my side. I lie in bed for about ten minutes and slowly come to. I turn on my TV and “The New Adventures of Old Christine” is on. It’s a cute show on Lifetime, starring the woman who played Elaine in “Seinfeld.” I like the silly humor, the easy watching, and the theme song’s bubbly music. I get out of bed and make a hot cup of Starbucks Verona Roast coffee and a piece of toast with organic almond butter on top. I climb back into bed, eat my breakfast, and watch the show for a half hour or so. Then I’d get up and begin my day. Perhaps I would then make waffles for a second breakfast (yes, that’s right, second breakfast) with a big glass of ice-cold milk.

Doesn’t that sound like a lovely way to start the day?

7 Eco-Friendly Tips for Protecting Our Oceans

A lot of times we forget to take care of our environment because we can’t see our negative impact right around us. I am guilty of choosing cost efficiency or laziness over taking the time to be eco-friendly- it’s a dilemma that many of us deal with. But it got me thinking about what we can do, in our daily lives, to be ocean friendly. So here’s my top picks!

1. Choose reef-safe sunscreen:

No matter where you live, the sunscreen you wash off yourself in the shower, pool, lake, or ocean is eventually deposited back into the earth. A recent article by National Geographic reported on the adverse impacts that sunscreen is having on coral reefs. (Click here to view.) You can purchase it for your own use by following this link. Want to learn more about the testing that is behind the claim “reef safe”? Visit the Beach Buff Sunscreen website.

2. Use less plastic:

Plastic finds its way into the ocean, where it breaks down over time into tiny bits that find their way into the aquatic food chain. Reduce your use of plastic bags and containers by choosing reusable alternatives like shopping bags and water bottles.

3. Choose sustainable seafood:

Seafood is one of the last “wild caught” foods routinely consumed by humans. However, many types of marine life are harmed by overfishing or other irresponsible fishing practices. Become educated so that you can choose sustainable choices. In Hawaii, Pacific Whale Foundation works in partnership with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program to distribute Hawaii Seafood Watch cards and Sushi Seafood Watch Cards. To learn more, click here.

4. Help prevent marine debris:

Dispose of all trash properly. Participate in beach clean-ups.

5. Avoid using chemicals in your home or garden:

Chemicals pollute local lakes, streams and waterways; this pollution accumulates in the ocean. Choose organically grown products whenever available.

6. Buy ocean-friendly cosmetics and jewelry:

Steer clear of cosmetics containing shark-based squalene (look at your moisturizer and sunscreen in particular) and jewelry made of coral or tortoiseshell. These products are directly linked to unsustainable fishing and harm to entire ecosystems. Use products with olive-based squalene and adorn yourself with local handmade jewelry through craft fairs or online markets like Etsy.

7. Use less fertilizer:

Excess fertilizer eventually ends up in the ocean. One result is the appearance of “dead zones” — areas with very low levels of oxygen in the water. In the Gulf of Mexico, a dead zone the size of New Jersey forms during the spring and summer. Since all marine life requires oxygen to live, they must flee the area or die. Many other coastal areas are at risk too. Use fertilizer sparingly if you feel you must use it.

As seen in the Pacific Whale Foundation’s website and thedailygreen.com

How to Dress Like Marilyn Monroe

The image of Marilyn’s white dress flowing up in the movie The Seven Year Itch has become one of the most iconic outfits of the century. This voluptuous-on-top and flowy-on-the-bottom dress perfectly highlights the 1950s-era silhouettes.

But I also LOVE the pictures of Marilyn in casual clothes. Simple, classic, and beautiful. Gotta love these 10 looks…

1. Cigarette pants

2. Jean jackets

3. Polka dots

4. Wedges with ribbons

5. High-waisted shorts

6. Ruffly, sweetheart necklines

7. Sequins

8. Checkered or tweed capris

9. Cutesy sundresses

10. Simple rolled jeans and a white button-up shirt

One Dream, Three Parts

As a continuation from my last post, I wanted to consider what my dream job would be in an ideal situation. Right now, my dream job consists of three parts:

Getting paid to travel! Perhaps I would be contacted by a travel magazine or service, wanting to hear feedback about a particular location and adventure trip. I’d write about, photograph, and sketch my experiences to educate others. I would not want a TV show or anything like that- I’d like to be able to fully “be in” a place and experience it, and not have to stop and film something for someone else.

Also, in my home town, I’d like to have my own gallery where my work is sold. The gallery would not be a typical, stuffy gallery- it would be full of life, energy, and personality. My studio would be an extension of my family’s home, and would ideally be half indoors and half in a garden-like setting… ohhh the possibilities!

The cherry on top of all of this would be if my family had our own winery (to satisfy the wino in me).

I guess the only question now is…. which suitcase to pick!?

Goals

I don’t think someone has asked me “What are your goals and dreams?” since I was about 10 years old. But when I was asked this question last week, I took me by surprise that I didn’t immediately know what to say. Sure, I knew what job I’d like to get next, and that I’d like to travel. But getting specific is hard. So here is a list of what I’ve come up with so far…

5 (or more) Short-Term Goals:

• Graduate in May with Summa Cum Laude
• Move up in the Origins company
• Work in a local art gallery or art center
• Develop a body of my own artwork
• Travel to Europe
• Get more involved in an ocean conservation program like the Wyland Foundation or the Pacific Whale Foundation
• Participate in learning about the process of wine making

5 (or more) Long-Term Goals:

• Have my own solo show
• Travel
• Go to graduate school
• Get an art or travel article published
• Own and help design our own house
• Own an art gallery/art center

Travel Goals: 

• Go to the Louvre
• See Alaska, the Northern Lights, and the humpback whales
• Swim with Great White Sharks
• Visit Monet’s house
• Go skydiving
• Visit Italy, England, Ireland, France, and South America
• Scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef
• Visit Angel Falls
• Hike in a crystal cave

Steps to get to these goals:

• What MUST i do?

1. Apply for graduation by February 15th
2. Do all homework assignments and get at least a B on all tests
3. Maintain good attendance and performance at work
4. Keep up with my travel journal/sketchbook and blog, even past graduation

• What do I WANT to get done?

1. Network and hand out business cards
2. Send out at least 1 art submission, job application, or travel grant application per week
3. Set aside money for travel
4. Research, travel, and sketch for my artwork

• What do I HOPE to get done?

1. Finish 1 commissioned painting every 1-2 months (and plan days JUST for painting)
2. Get at least a 3.8 GPA (4 As and 1 B) to qualify for Summa Cum Laude honor

**** I’ll be continually updating these lists… more to come! ****

Steps in Yosemite

When someone says the word “Steps,” what do you think of? Stairs in your house? Steps to success? Hopscotch?

When I think of steps, I think of the thousands of stairs I climbed this past summer in Yosemite. My dad and I visited the park for 3 days, hiking all kinds of trails among waterfalls, forests, and canyons. Nearly every trail had steps of some sort- you’re hiking in a valley, after all! I can’t decide which I despise more- steps or an inclined path. Either way, these steps tested our physical condition and our determination, but we were able to push through because of the beautiful reward- the view.

Because it was early May, all of the snow was melting which meant an IMMENSE amount of water flowing ALL over the place if you within 100 yards of a river or waterfall. It was rushing down down the creeks, over the falls, through cracks in the canyon walls, and over the stairs on the trails. The mist from the powerful waterfalls traveled in the air like fog. There was slippery moss growing everywhere, which made for some very interesting and dangerous hikes.

If you ever have the chance to go to Yosemite- GO! Its absolutely gorgeous landscape will take your breath away.

A Little Life Story

In trying to figure out what to say in this little introduction to my life, I thought I’d share all the details about my family, my interests, my pets, etc. As I thought about it more, I didn’t quite know where to start or where to stop or how many details to share. So, here’s just a little summary of where I got to who I am today.

I was born here in Mesa, AZ in February of 1990. I’ve lived in the same house since I was born, most of the time with my (much) older brother, mom, and dad.

I’ve attended private, Catholic schools all my life. Girl scouts, sleepovers with friends, softball, and family vacations were pretty much my life from age 5 through 14.

I attended another private Catholic high school and most of the time was with my girlfriends. I also played softball, participated in Art Club, and fully embraced all the typical high school stuff- football games, dances, the works!

Right now, I am a senior at ASU studying Art Education and Sustainability. Much of my time now involves working for Origins (an amazing organic skincare/makeup brand), taking vacations all over, and spending time with amazing company- boyfriend, friends, and family

Don’t You Think Daisies Are the Friendliest Flower?

You’ve Got Mail is one of those classic, feel-good movies for me. My mom and I used to watch it about once a month when she still lived here, and now at least once every time she is in town. It’s a witty, romantic story of two people who were professional enemies but end up falling in love over exchanging e-mails, not aware of each others’ true identities. I love this view of e-mail as just a fast way to deliver a conversational friendly/romantic letter, instead of what it has become today- instant messaging, quick info exchange, etc. I am the type of girl who loves paper and pencil, handwritten letters, sketchbooks, physical books and magazines, and the sort! For some odd reason, I’m absolutely addicted to the movie. Sometimes I’ll sit down and watch it, but usually I just love putting it on as “background music” while I’m doing homework or painting. The characters quickly grow on you… and so does the movie’s soundtrack.

My favorite part: When Kathleen says, “Don’t you think daisies are the friendliest flower?”

Anyways, I won’t rave any more about this movie, but if you haven’t seen You’ve Got Mail yet… then add it to your rainy day to-do list!

Procrastination Shmocrastination

Who ever said that procrastination never yields good results was lying. Granted, for me, it’s not the most comforting feeling in the world, but I’m satisfied with my two finished products tonight!

Despite the simplicity of this piece, I think it suits the assignment well (to only use every bit of one sheet of black paper and one sheet of white paper, all in one artwork).

This next one I’m actually rather fond of… it’s an ink painting accompanied by one of my favorite quotes by the amazing John Muir.

The Ultimate Definition of Wilderness

As I powered through my online  homework, writing discussion board post after post, I finally came across an interesting assignment… we were asked to explore other definitions of the word “wilderness” in our textbook and talk about our own experiences in the wild. I usually dread writing about definitions, as it can be extremely dry and too concrete for my taste. But, I must say, I was so proud of what I wrote that I just had to share it here. And of course I added some photos taken by me (or my dad) for visual pleasure.

“Today’s dictionaries define wilderness as uncultivated and otherwise undeveloped land. The absence of men and the presence of wild animals is assumed. The word also designates other non-human environments, such as the sea…” (Nash, 2001, p. 3). In my mind, the truest example of wilderness is the ocean. It is a place that contains an unknown amount of life and action. We as humans do not yet have the capability to fully explore the deepest parts of our seas. Even when we do dive into the areas we have access to, we are merely temporary visitors at the mercy of the wild marine creatures and the powerful force of water. The ocean depths and coral reefs are teeming with life that is only sometimes affected by man’s direct force because of fishing. As of today, man cannot create a civilization by conquering and demolishing the ocean like he could a forest. This immunity may be the key to an alternate definition of wilderness.

“On the one hand [wilderness] is inhospitable, alien, mysterious, and threatening; on the other, beautiful, friendly, and capable of elevating and delighting the beholder” (Nash, 2001, p. 4).  This description is insanely accurate to my own experience scuba diving for the first time. As soon as we swam off shore and descended underwater, I had no sense of direction. The only thing I knew was up and down (and only because my sinuses told me so.) We swam through a foreign land full of strange and colorful coral formations that looked like fans, sponges, brains, and tubes from some kid’s science fiction book. Stars were, for once, below us instead of in the sky. Fish of all shapes and sizes danced around us, their scales twinkling as they caught a beam of sunlight. Turtles swam slowly above and beneath us. It was as if our humanity had no meaning to any of them, like we were just some kind of moving playground to keep them entertained. We saw sleeping sharks- six-foot-long monsters who looked like “Jaws,” all taking an afternoon siesta. I knew these beasts could eat me in one bite if they wanted to, but I just hovered and stared at how peaceful they were. During the entire experience, the only sound I could hear was my own bubbles, along with the occasional distant calls of humpback whales.

Everything about this environment was foreign to me; my notions of gravity, communication, breathing, floor, ceiling, space, time, and threat were totally different here. But despite my disorientation and mysterious surroundings, I was completely fascinated by the strangeness of it all. Who would have thought that I’d fall in love with a place that I felt completely lost in?

*All of the above photos were taken by either me or my dad on our scuba diving trip to Hawaii in 2010*

Artist Obsession: Grzegorz Wrobel

Although I sometimes complain about allowing myself to get sucked into “surfing,” I consider it to be worth it when I stumble across a blog with pictures of paintings like this:

This is the work of artist Grzegorz Wrobel, a Polish artist who paints beautiful city scenes using watercolor. Having only been a fan of watercolor for less than a year, I have an immense amount of respect for any artist who can control it (and not let IT control THEM, as it so often does.) I really enjoy his use of softness, contour, light, detail, and atmosphere. The amount of detail he uses is just enough to create a sense of realism, but he also lets the watercolor do its own thing- the finished product is a gorgeous mix of photorealism and unexpected uncontrolled beauty.

More to come on the results of my roamings!

Blogs and Whales.

I must admit that I recently developed a new obsession: wandering around (and getting sucked into) Pinterest and WordPress blogs late at night! I now find myself jumping from picture to picture, blog to blog, finding all kinds of interesting things. I start by searching for a particular little piece of inspiration for a project in art class, and all of a sudden, its 3am and I’m looking at pictures of cute little whale-topped cupcakes and still lacking any sort of progress on homework. I guess that’s what I get for moving my portable laptop out of its set position in my studio/homework room and into my comfy bed. Lesson learned.