Showing posts with label oxford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oxford. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 19
My documentary.
To the small amount of people (if anyone) that reads this blog, here is the documentary I worked on last semester with two classmates about a small dairy here in Oxford, MS.
Sunday, August 30
"The Atlantic was born today, and I'll tell you how."
Figured a blog post is due now that I've been successfully residing in Mississippi for a little under a month.
The move itself went very well. Packed up the Focus, the Escalade, and the Budget moving truck and shipped out of Acworth on the morning of August 5th, with Drake, my brother, my best friend since middle school, my mom, and my grandma all in one giant caravan moving across two states. Arrived in Oxford around 3:00 and had successfully unloaded everything in a matter of hours. The clan stayed until Friday morning, helping me unpack and hang things (huge help). The apartment looks great and feels like home because of them. After they took off, I had about two weeks to get acquainted with my new town before school started.
My laptop died about a week after being here (I just got it back this past Friday). As a result and in order to keep from being bored nonstop, Drake and I wound up exploring a lot. We walked in Lamar Park almost every night (still do); the minimal human interaction there saved me from going crazy my first two weeks here, I'm almost positive. Last weekend, I decided to take us on a hiking adventure in Holly Springs National Forest. Somewhere along the trail, like a dumbass, I got us lost, and we were picked up by a couple out hunting for deer approximately twelve miles away from my car. Sorry Mom. Needless to say, don't think we will be trying that one again anytime soon.
I have caught up on my movie watching. I joined Blockbuster Online, and the Oxford library has a surprisingly great selection of movies and documentaries. I also finally grew balls and discovered the joy of going to see a movie alone. The comprehensive list is as follows:
At our welcome party last Friday night, one professor busted out a harmonica and a kick drum. Last week in class another discussed the South's potrayal in True Blood as being a sign of the postmodern condition. The classroom that 2 out of 3 of my classes are in is filled with original black and white prints of Faulkner, while the other classroom has a huge screenprint of Elvis hanging on the back wall. Yea, I could get used to this.
Wednesday immediately after class I am leaving to go back to Atlanta for Labor Day weekend. I can't wait. The Focus is finally getting painted (I scratched the right side of it up pretty badly two years ago and never had the resources to get it fixed), my best friend from high school will be in town, I'm going to my final Braves game of the season...so basically, all the makings of an amazing weekend at home.
A couple of pictures of the move:
On a final note, I have been to the farmer's market in the cool little neighboring town of Taylor a couple of times, and each time this contraption caught my eye.
It's a daybed that someone has wired to hang from your porch as a swinging bed, for lack of a better term, and HOLY CRAP, it is so comfortable. Seriously, one day I will measure the success of my life in terms of how many of these I own and use on a daily basis. My first paycheck from a real job is going to one of these, even if it breaks the bank. Sallie Mae, be damned, this is more important!
The move itself went very well. Packed up the Focus, the Escalade, and the Budget moving truck and shipped out of Acworth on the morning of August 5th, with Drake, my brother, my best friend since middle school, my mom, and my grandma all in one giant caravan moving across two states. Arrived in Oxford around 3:00 and had successfully unloaded everything in a matter of hours. The clan stayed until Friday morning, helping me unpack and hang things (huge help). The apartment looks great and feels like home because of them. After they took off, I had about two weeks to get acquainted with my new town before school started.
My laptop died about a week after being here (I just got it back this past Friday). As a result and in order to keep from being bored nonstop, Drake and I wound up exploring a lot. We walked in Lamar Park almost every night (still do); the minimal human interaction there saved me from going crazy my first two weeks here, I'm almost positive. Last weekend, I decided to take us on a hiking adventure in Holly Springs National Forest. Somewhere along the trail, like a dumbass, I got us lost, and we were picked up by a couple out hunting for deer approximately twelve miles away from my car. Sorry Mom. Needless to say, don't think we will be trying that one again anytime soon.
I have caught up on my movie watching. I joined Blockbuster Online, and the Oxford library has a surprisingly great selection of movies and documentaries. I also finally grew balls and discovered the joy of going to see a movie alone. The comprehensive list is as follows:
- Sicko
- Bowling for Columbine
- Streetcar Named Desire
- The Long, Hot Summer
- Confederate States of America
- This Film Is Not Yet Rated R
- Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus
- O Brother, Where Art Thou?
- Into the Wild
- Bonnie & Clyde
- I Love You, Man
- Public Enemies
- Inglourious Basterds (twice - it is that good)
At our welcome party last Friday night, one professor busted out a harmonica and a kick drum. Last week in class another discussed the South's potrayal in True Blood as being a sign of the postmodern condition. The classroom that 2 out of 3 of my classes are in is filled with original black and white prints of Faulkner, while the other classroom has a huge screenprint of Elvis hanging on the back wall. Yea, I could get used to this.
Wednesday immediately after class I am leaving to go back to Atlanta for Labor Day weekend. I can't wait. The Focus is finally getting painted (I scratched the right side of it up pretty badly two years ago and never had the resources to get it fixed), my best friend from high school will be in town, I'm going to my final Braves game of the season...so basically, all the makings of an amazing weekend at home.
A couple of pictures of the move:
On a final note, I have been to the farmer's market in the cool little neighboring town of Taylor a couple of times, and each time this contraption caught my eye.
It's a daybed that someone has wired to hang from your porch as a swinging bed, for lack of a better term, and HOLY CRAP, it is so comfortable. Seriously, one day I will measure the success of my life in terms of how many of these I own and use on a daily basis. My first paycheck from a real job is going to one of these, even if it breaks the bank. Sallie Mae, be damned, this is more important!
Tuesday, August 4
Last blog post from GA.
The day that I have been waiting for for a little over two years has finally come. This time tomorrow I will be chillin' in my new apartment in Oxford! Cannot wait to finally have a place that actually feels like it is mine. Not the basement apartment of someone's house. Not a boyfriend's apartment. Not my parent's house. MINE. ALL MINE.
Saturday, March 21
Finally! Something worth blogging about.
As I was leaving for work this morning, I checked the mail on a whim. A Victoria's Secret catalog, Brian's Sports Illustrated, some bills, and bam. There it sat. A scarily-thin envelope with a return address from the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at University of Mississippi. I managed to make it down the staircase and into my car where I called Brian and read him aloud the letter:
"I am pleased to inform you that the Southern Studies Graduate Committee has recommended your admission to our master of arts program. You have an outstanding record, and we are pleased to recognize your achievements."
I promptly burst into tears. In a good way, mind you. But yes, it is official. My dream for the past two years just became a reality. I am headed to Oxford, MS in a little over four months. I was just in the town two weeks ago to look at apartments and will be living at Lexington Pointe. Move in day is Friday, July 31st. As of right now, it will just be Drake & I headed westward, but if BT can find a job, he will be joining.
The only shitty thing: the program doesn't have adequate funding for me to have an assistantship. This means I need to cover roughly $6200/semester in tuition & fees on top of off-campus living expenses. Owch. At least I was lucky enough to graduate from college debt-free.
As a result of this as well, the search for my dream car, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, has been thwarted for the moment. No tuition waiver + no living stipend = major loans, which a car payment definitely does not need to be added to. Looks like the Focus will have to be my partner in crime for a couple more years. One day, Laredo, one day.
This day is really what I have been waiting for for a little over two months now. I feel so relieved. Nothing else has seemed to be of any importance, hence the lack of blog-age.
Well, I should probably take that back. I did see Billy Joel & Elton John last weekend with my dad, and it was amazing. I will never get over the way I feel when I hear him play live while sitting next to my dad. It's like being five again, riding around in the Saab in Raleigh. Definitely was worth the money, and I would see them again in a heartbeat. On the other hand, $40 for a shirt was not so amazing. If there was anything I learned that night, it is when one has a prominent Billy Joel tattoo, that much money for a tshirt with his face on it seems ridiculous.
Speaking of ink, I think I may go get my anchor tattoo tomorrow. I wanted to wait until I got my acceptance letter, since the tattoo will serve as my reminder to stay grounded during my time in Mississippi and to not forget where I came from. Just like the horseshoe will be my good luck charm as I go it alone in a new town. And let's be honest, I love traditional tattos.
"I am pleased to inform you that the Southern Studies Graduate Committee has recommended your admission to our master of arts program. You have an outstanding record, and we are pleased to recognize your achievements."
I promptly burst into tears. In a good way, mind you. But yes, it is official. My dream for the past two years just became a reality. I am headed to Oxford, MS in a little over four months. I was just in the town two weeks ago to look at apartments and will be living at Lexington Pointe. Move in day is Friday, July 31st. As of right now, it will just be Drake & I headed westward, but if BT can find a job, he will be joining.
The only shitty thing: the program doesn't have adequate funding for me to have an assistantship. This means I need to cover roughly $6200/semester in tuition & fees on top of off-campus living expenses. Owch. At least I was lucky enough to graduate from college debt-free.
As a result of this as well, the search for my dream car, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, has been thwarted for the moment. No tuition waiver + no living stipend = major loans, which a car payment definitely does not need to be added to. Looks like the Focus will have to be my partner in crime for a couple more years. One day, Laredo, one day.
This day is really what I have been waiting for for a little over two months now. I feel so relieved. Nothing else has seemed to be of any importance, hence the lack of blog-age.
Well, I should probably take that back. I did see Billy Joel & Elton John last weekend with my dad, and it was amazing. I will never get over the way I feel when I hear him play live while sitting next to my dad. It's like being five again, riding around in the Saab in Raleigh. Definitely was worth the money, and I would see them again in a heartbeat. On the other hand, $40 for a shirt was not so amazing. If there was anything I learned that night, it is when one has a prominent Billy Joel tattoo, that much money for a tshirt with his face on it seems ridiculous.
Speaking of ink, I think I may go get my anchor tattoo tomorrow. I wanted to wait until I got my acceptance letter, since the tattoo will serve as my reminder to stay grounded during my time in Mississippi and to not forget where I came from. Just like the horseshoe will be my good luck charm as I go it alone in a new town. And let's be honest, I love traditional tattos.
Sunday, July 20
"Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me..."
Feelin' much better after getting out of Atlanta for a couple of days, even if it did come with a lot of questions and lecturing from -who else- my mom and grandma. Oh well, I think that will always be a part of being female AND the first-born to a Southern family.
The trip to Oxford was awesome. Up until this weekend, it existed as a fictional little plot of land in my head - something I had read about and researched but never actually knew what it was like. Well, I got to know it, and I loved it. The drive there took FOREVER (seven hours - my mom was driving). Plus, the scenery on US 78 is lackluster, needless to say; I was getting more and more skeptical about the town with every cow pasture we saw, and believe me, there were a lot. We finally got into town around 7 or so, but we all were pretty tired so we just ate at the Applebee's across the street from our hotel (exciting) and crashed out.
The next morning we woke up pretty early, ate a good breakfast, and then headed to Ole Miss campus for my tour at 11am with the graduate school. We had a guide named Aaron who was also a student in the Southern Studies Master's program, which was awesome. He was super nice and really informative. He drove us all around campus in a golf cart, pointing out the main buildings & the likes; the campus is so incredibly gorgeous. I mean, coming from Georgia State, anything with more than four or five rundown buildings and a library is going to blow my mind, but the campus really was exceptional; huge Greek Revival buildings and perfectly manicured lawns. I loved it.
After our general Ole Miss tour, our guide took us to the Barnard Observatory which is where the Center for Southern Studies is housed. I met a woman who is a student advisor, and she gave me a ton of literature about the program, lots of Faulkner-Yoknapatawpha Conference and Oxford Conference for the Book posters, and a ton of back copies of The Southern Register. I talked to her about my fear of taking the GRE, and she assured me I would be fine because of my GPA; the program is so small that it isn't as competitive as others, and they admit people more on the letters of recommendation and statement of purposes than the test scores. That eased my mind in a big way. Overall, the tour was great, and it was awesome to finally put an image and a feel to the place I've been pining after for about a year now.
After our tour, we all went to Downtown Oxford to eat and scope out the stores. Our first stop, upon recommendation from our guide, was Ajax Diner. All I have to say is: holy shit. I think I had the best sandwich of my life there. It was called The Big Easy, and it was country fried steak, mashed potatoes & gravy, and butter beans all on a delicious big bun. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Plus, their sweet tea was perfect; not too sweet but sweet enough to be delicious. After lunch, we went to the infamous Square Books to look around. I bought a magazine called Oxford American, Faulkner's Light in August, and The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty. We walked around some more, saw Faulkner's statue in front of City Hall, and bought some Rebels gear. We left the square, went back to Ole Miss campus to drive around some more and take pictures, and drove down some side streets to look at houses which were all really cute, for lack of a better word. After that, we found St. Peter's Cemetery and went to Faulkner's grave. It's a pretty plain looking grave, and he is buried next to his wife. Apparently, locals put whiskey bottles and pennies on his headstone on a regular basis which I find hilarious. He was an alcoholic after all so he probably loves it. My mom also took it upon herself to take a wreath someone had put on his grave and move it to the other side because it was "hideous"; I hope he haunts her now. After all the sightseeing, we finally went back to the hotel to chill for a little bit. My mom and grandma ended up going out to dinner later on that night, and I just stayed in, ordered pizza, looked over all my information, and watched a lot of Cesar Milan before passing out at 10:30.
The next morning we woke up early, ate breakfast, packed up, and shipped out to Rowan Oak, Faulkner's house from 1930 - 1962. Seriously, I can't even describe what it meant to me going there; it's like my mecca. I've been wanting to go for so long and to finally get there was amazing. Rowan Oak itself is a surprisingly quaint house; it's a pretty basic Greek Revival style house, nothing too extravagant. It's private and on a good sized plot of land. I guess what I'm getting at is it's my kind of house. The University owns it, but if I win the lottery one day, I wonder if they'll let me buy it and be its curator it for a living. One can hope! Anyways, we walked around the house and the grounds for about an hour; I finally got to see where he wrote the outline for "A Fable" on the walls of his office. I had asked the guy that was at the front desk where he kept his phone because I had seen pictures of a little alcove where he kept his phone and behind it had written tons of numbers down. He told me it was blocked off because so many people want to see it and it gets super crowded, so I was pretty bummed. As we were leaving though, he came outside and told me he could bring me back to go see it because the house was pretty empty. Seriously, I was so stoked; that guy doesn't even know, but he made my day. I got to go back into the pantry where it was and take a couple pictures of it. Come to think of it, I should have asked him if I could have seen his Underwood typewriter because it too is blocked off...
After Rowan Oak, we shipped out. Luckily, I drove us home instead of my mom, and we made it in six hours, even with two separate stops. I'll be honest; if I had been driving the Focus, not the Escalade, I definitely would have made it in five and a half, ha. Either way, I was glad to get home and see Drake. Plus, Madison and his girlfriend got my spare key and went into my apartment and put Ole Miss stuff on my breakfast bar! I have a license plate holder, a beer mug, and a shot glass in addition to the shirt and car sticker I bought. I can't help it; it's going to be my first "real" college experience (sorry, GSU), and even at 23, I'll show some school pride!
In conclusion, it was a very successful trip. I'm so glad I have a feel for the town, and it eased my nerves about a lot of things. The shitty part is going to be waiting another year! Oh well, it will give me time to save some money and get my brain back in school mode.
The trip to Oxford was awesome. Up until this weekend, it existed as a fictional little plot of land in my head - something I had read about and researched but never actually knew what it was like. Well, I got to know it, and I loved it. The drive there took FOREVER (seven hours - my mom was driving). Plus, the scenery on US 78 is lackluster, needless to say; I was getting more and more skeptical about the town with every cow pasture we saw, and believe me, there were a lot. We finally got into town around 7 or so, but we all were pretty tired so we just ate at the Applebee's across the street from our hotel (exciting) and crashed out.
The next morning we woke up pretty early, ate a good breakfast, and then headed to Ole Miss campus for my tour at 11am with the graduate school. We had a guide named Aaron who was also a student in the Southern Studies Master's program, which was awesome. He was super nice and really informative. He drove us all around campus in a golf cart, pointing out the main buildings & the likes; the campus is so incredibly gorgeous. I mean, coming from Georgia State, anything with more than four or five rundown buildings and a library is going to blow my mind, but the campus really was exceptional; huge Greek Revival buildings and perfectly manicured lawns. I loved it.
After our general Ole Miss tour, our guide took us to the Barnard Observatory which is where the Center for Southern Studies is housed. I met a woman who is a student advisor, and she gave me a ton of literature about the program, lots of Faulkner-Yoknapatawpha Conference and Oxford Conference for the Book posters, and a ton of back copies of The Southern Register. I talked to her about my fear of taking the GRE, and she assured me I would be fine because of my GPA; the program is so small that it isn't as competitive as others, and they admit people more on the letters of recommendation and statement of purposes than the test scores. That eased my mind in a big way. Overall, the tour was great, and it was awesome to finally put an image and a feel to the place I've been pining after for about a year now.
After our tour, we all went to Downtown Oxford to eat and scope out the stores. Our first stop, upon recommendation from our guide, was Ajax Diner. All I have to say is: holy shit. I think I had the best sandwich of my life there. It was called The Big Easy, and it was country fried steak, mashed potatoes & gravy, and butter beans all on a delicious big bun. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Plus, their sweet tea was perfect; not too sweet but sweet enough to be delicious. After lunch, we went to the infamous Square Books to look around. I bought a magazine called Oxford American, Faulkner's Light in August, and The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty. We walked around some more, saw Faulkner's statue in front of City Hall, and bought some Rebels gear. We left the square, went back to Ole Miss campus to drive around some more and take pictures, and drove down some side streets to look at houses which were all really cute, for lack of a better word. After that, we found St. Peter's Cemetery and went to Faulkner's grave. It's a pretty plain looking grave, and he is buried next to his wife. Apparently, locals put whiskey bottles and pennies on his headstone on a regular basis which I find hilarious. He was an alcoholic after all so he probably loves it. My mom also took it upon herself to take a wreath someone had put on his grave and move it to the other side because it was "hideous"; I hope he haunts her now. After all the sightseeing, we finally went back to the hotel to chill for a little bit. My mom and grandma ended up going out to dinner later on that night, and I just stayed in, ordered pizza, looked over all my information, and watched a lot of Cesar Milan before passing out at 10:30.
The next morning we woke up early, ate breakfast, packed up, and shipped out to Rowan Oak, Faulkner's house from 1930 - 1962. Seriously, I can't even describe what it meant to me going there; it's like my mecca. I've been wanting to go for so long and to finally get there was amazing. Rowan Oak itself is a surprisingly quaint house; it's a pretty basic Greek Revival style house, nothing too extravagant. It's private and on a good sized plot of land. I guess what I'm getting at is it's my kind of house. The University owns it, but if I win the lottery one day, I wonder if they'll let me buy it and be its curator it for a living. One can hope! Anyways, we walked around the house and the grounds for about an hour; I finally got to see where he wrote the outline for "A Fable" on the walls of his office. I had asked the guy that was at the front desk where he kept his phone because I had seen pictures of a little alcove where he kept his phone and behind it had written tons of numbers down. He told me it was blocked off because so many people want to see it and it gets super crowded, so I was pretty bummed. As we were leaving though, he came outside and told me he could bring me back to go see it because the house was pretty empty. Seriously, I was so stoked; that guy doesn't even know, but he made my day. I got to go back into the pantry where it was and take a couple pictures of it. Come to think of it, I should have asked him if I could have seen his Underwood typewriter because it too is blocked off...
After Rowan Oak, we shipped out. Luckily, I drove us home instead of my mom, and we made it in six hours, even with two separate stops. I'll be honest; if I had been driving the Focus, not the Escalade, I definitely would have made it in five and a half, ha. Either way, I was glad to get home and see Drake. Plus, Madison and his girlfriend got my spare key and went into my apartment and put Ole Miss stuff on my breakfast bar! I have a license plate holder, a beer mug, and a shot glass in addition to the shirt and car sticker I bought. I can't help it; it's going to be my first "real" college experience (sorry, GSU), and even at 23, I'll show some school pride!
In conclusion, it was a very successful trip. I'm so glad I have a feel for the town, and it eased my nerves about a lot of things. The shitty part is going to be waiting another year! Oh well, it will give me time to save some money and get my brain back in school mode.
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