glimpses of spring

This weekend was lovely but surreal, hours spent backstage in the darkness moving set pieces and finding props bookended with glorious springtime sunshine, green grass and flowers and budding trees, on meal breaks. At one point I had to help move the Freeze Ray around the back of the auditorium; because of how the hall is set up (not for theater productions), this involves going out on the colonnade, where one proceeds down a brick and carved-stone hall with lovely windows on both sides, a dark auditorium to your left and the beautiful spring day on the other. Disorienting, but also one of those nice interstitial places, not quite one thing or the other.

There were longer breaks, too, though, times when we got to emerge completely. I made dandelion crowns with friends and bestowed dandelions on cast and crew when I returned from lunch break on Saturday; at the end of the last show on Sunday, the techies borrowed extra mustaches from the Bad Horse Chorus and leaped out to take bows at curtain.

I spent both days dressed entirely in black, and consequently have deliberately worn nothing black today. I own quite a few black t-shirts, which I enjoy, but wholly black clothes disorient me somehow--I'm not sure if it's the color or the monochromatic part. Monochromatic more, I suspect.

Anyway, so I didn't get any homework done this weekend. Between that and a commitment being abruptly over, suddenly the end of the semester seems so near. Really it's just a few more weeks, and then exams, and home.

And all the ancillary things attendant on that:

I haven't heard anything back from the physics research people--I'm not sure at what point I say "well, whatever" and tell Minneapolis Central that I'll volunteer with them this summer. Probably some point this week, I'm thinking.

Registration for next semester, dorm choosing, room choosing, et cetera. (Financial aid forms for next year!)

Details of how I'll get back, how/where I'll store my stuff out here for the summer--probably most vital when it comes to my plant. My plant is a papyrus plant, large and glorious and demanding constant care (well, mostly just keeping a water bowl filled). I really do not want to just abandon it or throw it out; I've liked having it, this year. But I have no idea what I'll do with it. I have a couple of friends who live around the area, but I'm not sure if any of them would be up for caretaking a plant over the summer.

And, possibly the most difficult, there's coming to terms with the fact that I won't see any of these people for several months. College has been fantastic so far. I love Mount Holyoke; I love the people that I know here; I love living here. I am looking forward to seeing Minnesota and my family and friends there again, but I just don't want to leave.