This year our family was split up, by necessity, as Jasmine and Samantha moved to Cleveland, Ohio to attend Case Western Reserve University. I'll let them tell the story...
College: An Introduction* (by Jasmine Gallup)
*(as always, no one needs to really read the introduction, no matter how attached to it the author is. You might want to skip down to the real material right about now, four paragraphs down. (-Jasmine))
Here's the deal, future college students: Forget everything you think you know about college. The truth of the matter really is very simple: No matter how much good advice people give you; no amount of coaching, research, worrying, packing, or making lists can prepare you for the reality of the experience you're going to face... It's new... It's a lot like theater.
When you're preparing for a show, you have to memorize your lines perfectly. You rehearse blocking over and over again. You work with your cast mates, and your director, and your crew to make opening night the best it can be. But here's the thing. When the show actually opens--when you're performing in front of an audience...there's only so much preparation you can do. When you perform on a stage you have to be ready to roll with the things that go wrong...you have to remain calm... you have to keep moving forward no matter what. If you stall out at every non-rehearsed moment, the show will die. It's like improv. Your performance has to be real, not rehearsed. You have to forget everything you've practiced and just let it come naturally, learning as you perform, reacting as you perform, getting better even as you perform. The performance has to be organic, natural, present. Real. You have to be able to let go of failures and keep going.
College is like this. First semester is a tough spot to be in. It's like opening night. You've prepared, you've rehearsed, but all of a sudden, you're actually doing it. Moving into your dorm, going to classes, completing assignments. And all of your circumstances have changed. You can't call for a line, or stop in the middle of a scene and start over. The lights are bright, the spotlights are up, you're doing this in costume with all the changes. It's happening.
It's different than everything you imagined. Nothing is going the way you expected it to go. And now you have two options: cling to your original plan, no matter what..., or ditch your original plan, and make a new plan. I've taken the first option, and let me tell you something. You want to go with the second. It's gonna be great.
College: What's Actually Happening (by Jasmine Gallup)
Picture the scene. It's 8:15am. The inside of a tiny college dorm room that's a sweltering 83 degrees Fahrenheit. The alarm sounds like a series of church bells. Through the window, one can see a snow-covered ground on an overcast day. The 19-year old girl lifts her head from her pillow to hit her alarm and then look out the window. She turns on her back and stares at the ceiling.
This particular college girl She stayed up until 3 am last night, finishing an 8-page paper for her required first year writing seminar--her SAGES class (Seminar Approach to General Education and Scholarship). Her first thought isn't really a thought. It's a question..., self-directed. And the question is (drum roll please): "Do I really have to go to Religious Studies today?"
Answer: No. No you do not. So she hits the snooze button on her alarm, rolls over towards more snugly covers, and goes back to sleep.
This particular little story capture merely one of the many Religious Studies classes I missed-- next semester I have vowed that there are to be no 9 am classes on South Campus. And I have kept my vow. Anyway, between sleeping sessions this semester, there were:
Couch Forts in the Lobby;
Surprise 19th Birthday Parties XD;
Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Viewing Parties;
Stage Managing for a crazy show called "The Mystery of Irma Vep" (it has 38 costume changes in 200 pages. 2 actors play 8 different characters. Believe it.);
Cosplaying as the TARDIS for Halloween;
Going to the midnight showing of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" downtown and having to walk back at 2 am because all the buses were out of commission;
Attending my first wedding;
AND seeing several plays.
In summary, college is great; thanks for asking. I made some of the best friends I think I'll ever have, played a lot of pool, attended 'IMPROVment' shows every Friday, saw one of my fiends win a costume contest as Professor Oak, and became even more of a geek. I was so busy I had to schedule time to eat and sleep. I ran lights after stage managing a show, painted the entire floor of the stage for opening night and struck the set at... you guessed it, 9 am.
I joined chorus again (a decision I will never regret), met a few phenomenal teachers (namely, my choir director, Dr. Garret; my film teacher, Professor Spadoni; and my US Government professor, Karen Beckwith). I wrote a lot of papers, watched a lot of movies, and got dragged into a few crazy schemes. I missed my family a lot, missed my fiends a lot, and missed my sister a lot. I realized that no one is really joking when they talk about sub-freezing temperatures in Cleveland and 3 feet of snow. It's a thing.
I learned that film studies is a lot like AP English, that college is a really busy place, and that I still have no idea what I want to do. I guess if I had one resolution (stereotypical resolution) for the new year, it would be to stop pulling all-nighters for essays. But I think we all know there's a very slim chance of that happening ; )
Anyway, that's all I got for ya', people of the internet.
Merry (Belated) Christmas and have a happy new year!
College Auditions (by Samantha Gallup)
College Decisions (by Samantha)
High School Graduation (by Samantha)
Moving In (by Samantha)
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At home Dianne and Steve looked for other activities to fill the empty place in their hearts where the twins had once held unfettered supremacy. Fortunately for Dianne, her sister, Lisa was engaged to marry; and, in fact, did marry...after a number of peremptory parties. Here to tell the story, is Dianne...
Lisa and Andre (by Dianne Gallup)
To kick off the festivities, Lisa invited everyone in the wedding party and their significant others to one of her favorite locales, New Orleans. We shopped, listened to live music, took a tour, ate and drank well into the wee hours of the morning. Any additional stories of that trip are left in New Orleans but those that were there will retain the fond memories.
The next party leading up to the grand finale was a wedding shower at Lisa's house (Lisa is one of my sister's many devoted friends). Yes, the friend's name is Lisa and to make matters worse, the 2 Lisa's look alike. This is just one of many examples of how confusing it was to keep Lisa's friends' names straight but I think I finally have it :-). Lisa's wonderful friends made this shower something that my sister will remember forever. The shower took on a 'wine' and 'middle eastern' theme. Everyone brought Lisa a bottle of wine to put on the wine rack, which Lisa then took home. The food was fabulous and included all of Lisa's favorites. I learned a lot about my sister that day as we played many a bridal shower game whilst drinking many a glass of wine.
The last party before the biggest party of them all was a Bachelorette party in Ocean City, MD over Labor Day Weekend, 2013. I hadn't been to Ocean City since I was a young child so it was a real treat to be able to go back to a beach that I had grown up on. I had a wonderful time getting to know the ladies in the wedding party as well as some of Lisa's other wonderful friends. The weather, food, drink, and company all led to an amazing weekend. I must admit, however, that those young 'uns wore this old lady out. That weekend confirmed that I'm not as young as I'd like to think I am.
Finally, on Sept 21, 2013, my younger sister married Andre in a beautiful ceremony that Lisa put together all on her own. After the many months of planning, it was Lisa's time to kick back and enjoy the day, which is exactly what she did. The day was an incredibly emotional one for all involved as we welcomed Andre into our family. I can't wait to see how Lisa and Andre's story will unfold; and I am so happy to be part of it.
...And that concludes the tale of joy and madness that encompasses marital bliss.
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At home, Dianne and Steve still had a residual void that threatened to swell into a feeling of all-consuming emptiness, from the absence of their beloved children; so they were forced to dabble in other endeavors to cope with their broken and destitute hearts. Biking became a major pastime as the sport saw a resurgence of epic proportions. ...Ok, perhaps, I'm exaggerating.
I'll tell the story myself...
Biking...
I've been biking forever. I had a bicycle paper route. I rode from Murphey to Manteo for my 'special project' week at the NC School of Science and Math. I rode with a bicycle club at Vanderbilt, and I did another long ride, from Washington DC through Shenandoah valley and back to Raleigh while I was at NC State. I even rode my bicycle to the Durham VA for rotations during medical school. But somewhere after school ended, I became a less frequent rider. (Probably because I was enjoying soccer, basketball, and volley ball instead. And possibly from having kids.) That all changed in August of 2012.
Last year, I started riding with a Lifetime Fitness group that, at that time, was departing from My Way Tavern, in the building where I work. Feeling sore and achy from playing basketball once a week; I decided to try a little biking again. I went on over to REI; got a nice looking hybrid bike, and joined the group. It wasn't long before I was riding after work on Tuesdays and Thursdays (thanks Karen, for leading the rides), and riding with Team CBC on Sundays (thanks Jerry, Bob, Kari, et al.). I rode deep into the fall, at the back of the pace line (frequently with Nancy, my 'training' partner. Thanks Nancy for riding with me up those horrible hills). Pretty soon I convinced Dianne that I should get a lighter bike; and in the spring I was feeling ready for some charity rides. I rode the NCBC spring rally; and I felt so good, and drafted so well, that I finished the 30 mile ride in pretty good time.
So I tried some longer rides, and I 'bonked' at least three times (bonking is when your legs are so energy deprived that you couldn't pedal downhill in 1st gear), before I figured out how not to run totally out of energy in such embarrassing fashion. Dianne joined me for rides including the Raven Rock Ramble, the Firecracker 50/100k, the Five-O Raleigh Memorial bike ride, and, most significantly, the Historic New Bern MS 150. In New Bern, we both rode 75 miles the first day; and then Dianne rode 50 miles, and I rode 100 miles. Many of these rides included pace line riding with our new friends from Team CBC and Lifetime Fitness (you know who you are, but a special shout-out to CJ Rice for getting Dianne ready and also willing).
The week after the MS150; I had a special challenge in mind, which was to ride the 100 mile ride from Lenoir, NC, to the foot of the swinging bridge at Grandfather Mountain. This was, as I've said before, the most difficult thing (physically) that I've ever done. By the time I reached the last hairpin turn at the top, I was totally spent. I was happy to have support of Dave, Tom, Doug, Scott, Jill, and my wife to make the experience so great. (I also have to thank the guys at MSing Links for inviting me to join them for the 50 mile Blood, Sweat, and Gears ride, earlier in the year. Thanks to Scott, David, Don, David, Chet, and Klaus. I also rode with these guys on the Fall Foliage Tour at the Uwharrie National Forest)
So now I'm close to getting to 5000 miles by the end of the year; but perhaps next year I'll make the 50,000 kilometer goal (6213 miles). But even if I don't; I'm pretty happy with all the cool rides that I've done (including solo rides around Lake Gaston, up to Massanutten, and group rides that I've organized on Wednesdays in the winter), and all the new people that I've met. I'm afraid that my basketball days are over, and my volleyball days are numbered.
...And that concludes the tale of all consuming madness that encompasses my biking obsession.
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Now for a few odds and ends.
Trips that we took
Washington DC; April 1-8 - Phillips collection; Potomac Tidal Basin; Philips Collection; Alexandria,Va.Cleveland OH; Aug. 14 - 20; Hywet Hall; Pro Football HOF; Cuyahoga NP with ABC; CWRU, etc.
Cleveland OH; Feb. 22; Cleveland Botanical Gardens; Cleveland Museum of Art
New Orleans, LA; Nov. 10-17, 2012; French Quarter; Bus tour
Plays
DPAC - War Horse, Anything Goes, Jekyll & Hyde, Million Dollar Quartet, Priscilla Queen of the DesertPlaymakers Repertory - It's a Wonderful Life Radio Show, Clybourne Park, Raisin in the Sun
Theater in the Park - A Christmas Carol
Playhouse Square, Cleveland - Venus in Fur << All I can say about this show is that I remain in love with David Ives as a playwright. He's freaking awesome.
Birthdays
Indigo, 9/1/13. Indigo turned three and raked in some seriously cool small-scale farm equipment toys.Steve, 5/19/13. We had dinner at 'Bolt' and saw Lake Street Dive at the Artsplosure festival.
Dianne, 6/29/13. We had dinner at 'Tripps' and saw the Indigo Girls at the NC Museum of Art amphitheater.
Losses
Ivan Purdham passed away on 4/15/13. He will be fondly remembered. His mischievous smile, his caring nature, and his quiet presence will be a sorely missed .Paul Cavaliere passed away on 5/16/13. We send condolences to our loved ones on the loss of one of the members of our extended family. May the new year bring you happiness instead of sorrow.
