It's Thursday, and there's a sold-out Wilco concert going on tonight at the University PAC that I'm totally going to miss. Crap.

I figured I'd make a quick update and clue some of you in to the plans I've been making lately. It seems that Europe is not going to work out after all. I planned as best I could, but in the end I realized that I just won't have enough money saved up to survive there for 3 whole months. When I checked with the airline last week to see if I could change my tickets in any fashion (maybe get an earlier return flight) they gave me the bad news: non-refundable and non-changeable tickets. So, other plans are in the works (and I will make it back to Europe someday soon).

As most of you know, I've been struggling lately to figure out the when, where and how of getting back to college for a different degree and a different life path. The answers to those questions have presented themselves over the past week, and I'm finally going for it. The University of Arizona (where Garrett is currently working on his PhD) offers a great BFA/MFA program for VISCOM (graphic design) and photography. After speaking with an advisor in the School of Art, it seems likely that after living here for a year I will be able to file for a domicile affidavit and pay in-state tuition prices to get a 2nd bachelors degree in the aforementioned field(s). So, that's the new plan. No more Portland (at least not for now). I've made so many new friends here in such a short time, and I love this place. Arizona is truly beautiful and really does have a lot to offer. My plan is to begin school not this fall, but the next (although I may take some not-for-credit classes next semester for fun). After I begin the program, it will take 3 years to complete it. I'm not in any rush, and I'm really looking forward to all of the general art courses I'll have to take for the degree. I can't help but feel like this is what I should have been doing with my life all along, but at least I'm finding this out now and not much, much later.

I should also mention that while leaving Tulsa and all of my friends and family is going to be tough, I'm really glad to be getting out of Oklahoma and going someplace new where I'll have a chance to start over again with a clean slate. Life hasn't been that easy for me over the past 4 years, and I think a lot of my problems have to do with the fact that I've felt stifled and held back by old, painful memories. I've been waiting for this opportunity for so long, and I can hardly believe that the time for action is finally here. At the end of July, I'll be coming home to pack my things, spend some quality time with everyone and say my good-byes. Of course, I hope you'll all come visit me in Arizona at some point. You're most certainly welcome to. :)

~~~~~

Now, on to a less "heavy" topic...

WHY does Polaroid film have to leave us? While I was in SF, Devin gave me his grandfather's old Polaroid CoolCam. I ordered two (very expensive) packs of film for it online from Adorama.com. Twenty exposures for almost $50? Ridiculous. But let me tell you, when I loaded that film into the camera, closed the door and heard the gears click and move inside, I fell in love.

(first image - Oh, I'm so giddy!)

Now I'm kicking myself for not getting into Polaroid photography long ago, before they decided to cease production of this beloved film. Why oh WHY?? Anyway, I'm going to purchase an inexpensive SX-70 One-step cam from eBay (see image below), try to obtain one pack of SX-70 film (apparently the 600 film cannot be manipulated, and I'd like to mess around with that), and come up with a cool project that I can frame and hang up on the wall in my new place. It'll be worth the cost when everything is said and done.