Catching Up

I know I keep saying that I'll post more often, but I continually forget how difficult it is to find the time to sit down with my computer and write something up.  Actually, the hardest part about it is sitting down at school with my computer, which is still the only place I have internet access.  However, armed with a new computer (with a screen that works!) and a wealth of free time now that I am done with school, I have high hopes for a blog revival.  Really, I do.

I thought I would take today to catch you all up on things that have been going on around these parts and then in my next post I'll jump back on the fiber train with some new spinning and knitting.  Yes, knitting.  I'm doing it! And oh, does it feel good to be back with the needles and yarn.

So here I present you with a collection of photos and commentary about what I've been up to these past few months.  Most of these are random photos I've taken on my phone or "borrowed" from Facebook.

With the year coming to a close, my friends and I took some time to hang out before we all move our separate ways.  One night we spent some time gazing at the Supermoon (whenever that was.  Probably forever ago.)

And then once we were all (mostly) done writing out term papers, we took a day off to go hiking at Ohiopyle State Park in southern PA.  It turned out to be a beautiful day.

I also went to a Scottish festival with the Carnegie Mellon bagpipe band.

There was, in fact, an army of pipers.  I now fully understand how intimidating it must have been to have a whole brigade of pipers marching in the front lines of battle.  We marched onto the field in such a way that half the pipers marched on first - right at me - and holy crap it made me want to turn and run the other way.  I totally get it now.

Our band competed in the piping competition and won!

And then the next day I graduated!  I cannot express in words how freaking excited I am about this.  I now officially have a Master's degree and what's more, I'm done with academia forever!  Or at least for the foreseeable future.  I don't currently plan to get a DMA so for the time being, I'm done!  I'm educated and ready to go out into the real world!  19 years in the making and my (formal) education is finally done and man does it feel good.  Naturally I played pipes at the ceremony.

And that about sums up what I've been up to.  Mostly finishing my Master's degree with a bit of fun on the side.  The trip to Carnegie Hall was really fun, my graduate recital went really well, and I also played a concerto on my school's last orchestra concert.  Hopefully I'll be back next week with some more exciting news, but I'm not going to jinx myself, so I'll wait to tell you about that.

I hope you're all enjoying the wonderful holiday weekend!  Take care...     ~Master Peter