I finally got a Costco card (a bloodless coup was involved; I had to take my father’s. Subsequently, as some sort of punishment from the universe, the photo ID looks more gremlin than human)…ahem, back on track. Thusly, the Costco card gives me the cheapest film processing in town, and the gents I usually go to do a fine job!

So, here in glorious black and white, is Montana State University in all it’s honor and prestige.

Thus far going to school here has been more culture shock than anything! My courses are exhausting- I have about 250 pages of reading per week total, and that’s on average- sometimes it will come to about400. Spanish is kicking my Italian-minded brain into the dust, and my pronunciation is horrendous. A class focusing on Dutch Baroque art seems to be promising- the teacher has a dry sort of humor that is morbid and yet hilarious. History of the Gilded Age is male dominated, and my female voice hasn’t been heard much over the din of an especially Viking-esque appearing genius with an impeccable vocabulary and succinct summaries of the course material. Damn him.  My Museum Studies course might be the favorite this semester; the teacher holds a high standing in the museum community, is lively with conversation, and has connections all over the place. We get to evaluate exhibits and research, and find out how museums work; the politics portion is especially interesting. How does one keep the wealthy patrons/sponsors of museums happy while still pushing the envelope?

Other than that, I’ve been spending my time reading The Shining by Stephen King, one of my all time favorite books, while eating bland dining hall food (Mmmm! Weak gumbo!) and bowls of raw spinach, which I’ve recently acquired a taste for. My roommate, although I have no pictures of her, is lively and outdoorsy, a Photography major with a wicked sense of humor, and oddly shares my glasses prescription! Whodathunkit?

This week will definitely be more intense. However, Julia’s father recently gave me five professional grade Olympus compatible  Tamron/Vivitar/Zuiko lenses for my 35mm SLR OM-20, which I’m so excited to try! There is a “shift” lens, which is quite fun, along with a wide angle lens- already having a blast experimenting! I shall do my best to spend some time playing around with them and show you all the results!