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Monday, May 5th, 2003
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11:34 am
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Ugh. Why does a cold always come at the end of the semester? Doesn't my body realize that the lack of sleep for the past week was because I had to finish that damn project? Why are we being so unreasonable here? Grr...
I've got a bit of the Phoebe "sticky shoes" voice. Oh, well. It should help the reading from my thesis that I have to give at the "We can't believe you actually finished your theses" reception this afternoon for the graduating English people.
current mood:  awake
current music: Fuel - Shimmer
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(blow)
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| Sunday, May 4th, 2003
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2:40 pm
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Oh, and I almost forgot about another amusing thing from yesterday: the wine carafe that Allison and Matt got for me is an exact replica of the ones we bought on the last night in Vegas. But if Allison thinks she's getting another picture of me STUPIDLY agreeing to try to fit the rim in my mouth, she's sorely mistaken. :)
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(blow)
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1:15 pm
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Yesterday was quite the good birthday, keeping the streak at 22 good ones and 0 bad ones.
*I slept late, not even setting my alarm, and then went to brunch with the usual crew. Oh, how I'm going to miss the brunch ritual on weekends. The actual meal is beside the point. It's the "Guess what you did last night" games, and the jokes, and the atmosphere.
*The afternoon was quiet, mostly hanging around and cleaning a bit and reading a little. I had time for all those girly luxury rituals, which is always nice.
*My parents and Sam came up to take me out to dinner. Everyone was in a great mood, and they brought all sorts of fun comfort stuff, like Manhattan bagels, tropical-flavored Sprite (since my beloved Canadian Tropical Splash 7-Up is nowhere to be found stateside yet), presents, my free Madonna CD, and a homemade pineapple-upside-down-birthday-cake. Dinner at the Willimantic Brewing Company was great...I like that place a lot.
*The little birthday messages and phone calls totally brightened my day even further, so thanks to all who did that. :)
*Later on, after the familial unit went home, it was a somewhat quiet, but very pleasant night. We watched some of my new Insomniac DVD (courtesy of Lisa & Myles), drank a little, and had what escalated into a huge water fight that culminated in several of us running around the quad screaming like little kids at 1 in the morning. Props to Allison's mom for buying a whole bunch of squirt guns. For a group obsessed with James Bond/Halo-type games, guns of any kind are dangerous, but they'll make the next two weeks interesting.
Anyway, being the Birthday Buddy was fun, but today it's back to the norm--my paper for Art, Truth, and Politics awaits, as does studying for the Asian American Lit exam.
current mood:  content
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(blow)
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| Friday, May 2nd, 2003
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12:35 pm
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It's done! It's done it's done it's done it's done it's done!
All 53 pages of fried brain cells, despairing tears, hours spent staring at Microsoft Word, revision after revision after revision...My honors thesis is written!
Adios, protagonist issues and narrative structures in serial children's fantasy literature. I knew you well, and I'm glad to be rid of you.
Now can I turn 22 in peace and get on with the rest of my life?
current mood:  jubilant
current music: Stone Temple Pilots - Sour Girl
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(blow)
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| Tuesday, April 29th, 2003
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6:26 pm
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The writing part is done! Now all I have to do is tweak the conclusion and edit like crazy.
But yaaaaaaaay regardless!
current mood:  accomplished
current music: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Can't Stop
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(blow)
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| Monday, April 28th, 2003
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3:41 pm
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The thesis is plugging along decently. I will be finishing tonight. WILL BE. I know the other deadlines didn't take so well, but this one is it. I'm just so tired of talking about narrative structures in children's serial fantasy literature. So tired. Luckily enough, though, I'm not disenchanted with the books themselves. Just all the mucky theory involved.
And now I feel dumb after talking to Corinna this weekend. She's doing a hugely complicated thesis about lit crit, and all I can say about mine is, "Umm, I'm doing it on children's books. Narrative structures." Jeez. Could I BE any more vague? It's hard to explain, though, without going into paragraphs' worth of details and boring everyone in the vicinity to tears.
It's only going to be a little over forty pages, so you're probably thinking, "That's it? That's what she's been whining about all of this time?" But honestly, these are the hardest-fought forty pages I've ever written. I've never agonized this much over every sentence before, and as a consequence there's never been so much of a love-hate relationship that I've had with a project or paper.
Ugh. Just want it to be over soon, so I can write my ten-page paper due next week and study for finals.
On the bright side, though, secluding myself in the South computer lab has done wonders for my productivity. No distractions, except for entirely welcome random visits with Matt and Tim. I've come to the conclusion that my suitemates are just too damn interesting, and that's why I haven't been able to work there. Yeah. Sounds right. :)
current mood:  stressed
current music: computer-y humming noises
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(2 bubbles | blow)
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| Sunday, April 27th, 2003
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4:34 pm - Bloody Buddy, that's what they call me.
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Last year on Spring Weekend, I kissed a guy in a Whalers jersey. This year, I walked away with stitches. Oh, the memories that will live on from the college experience...
Here's the story: after a fun night of a classic 301 party, a large group of us decided to head over to X-Lot, the phenomenon which can be explained thusly: lots of drunk people crammed into a huge parking lot. It sounds so much lamer than it is...there's something strangely enjoyable about seeing and being part of a huge sea of people, even if they're reduced to the most basic components of proper human behavior. Shortly after we got there, Allison and I decided to find a restroom-ish type place, and ended up cutting through the woods between X-Lot and F-Lot. While navigating a slope, I tripped over an exposed root and fell down a small hill, smashing my chin on a log. Smooooooth. The sad thing is, even if I hadn't had any drinks whatsoever, the same thing would have happened. Anyway, I didn't think it was that bad (it just felt like a nasty scrape), but when she saw me, Allison started freaking out because there was blood everywhere. Apparently it was all over my hands, face, and chest. After some rudimentary blood-stopping techniques and some more of Allison apologizing for some strange reason, we met up with everyone else. Again, everyone else was more worried than I was. Even though I protested, they made me go to the makeshift medical tent, where the staff told me that I'd have to go to the 24-hour part of the infirmary for stitches or risk infections and scarring. Swell. So I went, accompanied by Sandra (whom I barely even know, but she was nice enough to volunteer to come with me anyway), got stitches and a tetanus shot, signed all sorts of releases, was loaded up with ibuprofen, and was sent on my merry way. After that, everyone was pretty much ready to go back to South, so that was that. But I can now say I have a permanent reminder of X-Lot. :)
This morning I discovered other fallout from the accident: bruised hip, bruised shin, sore wrist, semi-damaged ego. No biggie.
More details about Spring Weekend will follow later, I just thought it might be best to clear things up after I made that post last night about spending time in the emergency room.
current mood: damaged
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(2 bubbles | blow)
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2:27 am
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i spent the duration of x-lot in the emergency room. what a bummer. so am not looking forward to explainging to my parents what happened and why they'll be getting an insurance bill.
current mood:  drunk
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(blow)
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| Friday, April 25th, 2003
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12:49 pm
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You remember that deadline I set for myself to have the thesis done by this afternoon? Well, it's not done (surprise freakin' surprise). Buuuuut: I'm off duty anyway. My weekend afternoons will be work-ful, but I refuse to let it dominate my Friday. Not after the craptastic week I just had.
So I'm going outside to play on this lovely Spring Weekend!
current mood:  cheerful
current music: Snoop Dogg - Beautiful
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(blow)
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| Thursday, April 24th, 2003
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9:16 pm
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The campus is now on lockdown...there are State Police cruisers everywhere. You know it's Spring Weekend when the riot gear comes out.
Though to be fair, there hasn't actually been a riot per se since 1999. Y'know, "Years since cars have been set on fire: 4." It's not so bad. :)
Still can't believe Cornell sets up a beer garden for its students while UConn basically threatens to hand our heads to us on a platter if the idiots who get drunk and destructive touch anything.
current mood:  chipper
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(blow)
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7:07 pm
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Okay, so the rather hellish Week O'Work is just about over. All novels and short stories have been read. My presentation has been given (though how well it was given remains debatable). I'm a little behind on the thesis work, but some good hours of intense work should rectify that. By late afternoon tomorrow, the writing will be done. That's non-negotiable.
I shall celebrate the lessening of the burden by consuming the head of the Dove bunny left over from Easter.
Then...Spring Weekend! Woo hoo! Delayed, but not gone.
current mood: accomplished
current music: Boomkat - The Wreckoning
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(blow)
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| Monday, April 21st, 2003
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10:11 pm - Deadline: Weekend.
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Tonia and I have decided that we will both have our theses finished by the end of the week. This will coincide with the commencement of Spring Weekend, a.k.a. Last Stop for Condoned Hedonism. Coincidence? Methinks not.
current mood:  optimistic
current music: James Taylor - Limousine Driver
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(blow)
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5:40 pm
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Today isn't a bad day...there have been some rumblings of potential "bad day" omens (a very near car accident where a guy in an SUV decided he wanted to suddenly get out of his right lane, whip horizontally through mine so he could get into the left-turn lane at the far left without caring that there was a poor old little Volvo in the way;, utter lack of parking anywhere resembling campus; and a general tiredness and apathy towards doing more writing). But there have been positive things too. For instance, feeling jittery and upset after Mr. Durango nearly smashed into the only side of my car that hasn't received reconstructive surgery, I randomly decided to call in to one of those radio contests. I'd been channel flipping and didn't even know what Q105 was giving away. And when I got through to the station and the guy told me I was caller fifteen, I asked him, "Is that good?" (I had no idea how many callers they needed). Indeed it was, and I will soon be the owner of Madonna's new CD. Score. I'd been debating whether I'd buy it anyway. Problem solved. And bonus: I sounded fine on the radio: no babbling, nothing embarrassing. That's always the fear in pressure situations.
Anyway, now it's back to the usual, plus the reading for the week, and figuring out what the hell I'm going to use to fill ten minutes worth of presentation time on Thursday.
current mood:  tired
current music: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Can't Stop
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(blow)
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1:07 am
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As a way of not crying about the hellish week coming up and maintaining sanity so I can do proper work, I've been doing some pleasure reading. Yeah, I know, a huge no-no during the semester, but fuck it. Graduation is in four weeks anyway. Screw the rule.
So, in a seemingly random selection, I picked up Wendy Wasserstein's The Heidi Chronicles and Other Plays, which I've always loved and haven't read in a couple of years. All three plays dovetail so nicely with what's been going on in my life...it's one of those things (in that category with The Big Chill and Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises) that I never really understood (or maybe empathized is a better word) properly before. From "Uncommon Women and Others," about a group of close-knit college friends several years after graduating, to the idea of being an emotional idiot about someone who probably doesn't deserve it in "The Heidi Chronicles", to "Isn't It Romantic," about a woman who doesn't know what she wants to do with her life, there probably isn't a better time to have picked up this volume. I loved it in high school, but I see it now. And it may enable me to sleep properly in the knowledge that I don't have to kill myself writing about narrative structures in children's literature or feel unhappy that I don't have a boyfriend who loves me or have a permanent career lined up in the next four weeks.
Anyway, here are some of my favorite passages:
Peter (jokingly punching himself in the arm): And that's for my decision to treat sick children rather than shepherd radical sheep. [hits himself again] And that's for being paternal. And caustic.
Heidi: Correct. [Begins hitting him on her own] And that's for being so goddamn...
Peter: Narcissistic? Supercilious?
Heidi: No, umm...
Peter: Sounds like...
Heidi: Oh, I give up. [punches him] And that's for liking to sleep with men more than women. And that's for not being desperately and hopelessly in love with me.
Peter: That hurts!
Heidi: Suffer.
Peter [hits Heidi] And that's for making me feel guilty.
(from "The Heidi Chronicles")
Janie: Marty, I think I should tell you that the fact that you don't like women doctors extremely disturbing and discriminatory. I support the concept of Israel and would probably be a much happier, healthier person if I could go out into the desert and build a forest, but I am far too lazy and self-involved. I have very fat thighs, and I want very badly to be someone else without going through the effort of actually changing myself into someone else. I have very little courage, but I'm highly critical of those who don't.
Marty, sweetly: Is that it?
Janie: And I want you to like me very much.
(from "Isn't It Romantic")
current mood:  sleepy
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(blow)
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| Sunday, April 20th, 2003
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3:17 pm
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Happy Easter, for those who celebrate. Happy Sunday for those who don't.
Things are pretty low-key around here. Given the declining religiosity around here, church wasn't an issue, but chocolate was. My newly obtained hoard of sugar is going to keep me up and motivated and ready to work, I can just feel it. Candy and Coldplay are going to get me through the next week. Who needs real food and real sleep? *insert scoffing noise*
In other news, Sam taught me a new dance thing called "the Crip." There's so much to be learned from that boy. It's amazing, the things he'll do when he's consumed half an Easter basket full of candy in a very short amount of time--and let's face it, it just wouldn't be Easter without a hopped-up Sam. It reminds me of Easters past when he'd have consumed all of his candy by that evening, and would be buzzing for the next day and a half. Nice to see he's learned some moderation in his old age.
And my mom officially rocks. Ever since I was young, I loved the Cadbury commercials with the clucking bunnies. And this morning, upon waking up, I found a special edition, stuffed clucking bunny waiting out in the kitchen. Apparently she had to do a lot of hunting to track it down. Yay for mommies. :)
Hmm...looks like my own sugar buzz is kicking in. Must take advantage of artificial energy somehow...
current mood:  energetic
current music: Busta Rhymes - Make It Clap
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(blow)
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| Saturday, April 19th, 2003
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8:37 pm
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The local library is only halfway on my enemies list right now...I was able to spend a few hours there this afternoon in relative peace and quiet. It was highly beneficial, 'cause I was able to finish a problematic section.
Bought some cheerful spring stuff...and heard the new Third Eye Blind song on the radio for the first time. Life is good.
Now it's back to more writing, but now The Big Chill is on too, so there's a choice to make. I adore this movie; it's one that I can't be cynical about. Let's hope the Casablanca thing isn't contagious...
current mood:  peaceful
current music: The Big Chill on TV
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(blow)
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| Friday, April 18th, 2003
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12:22 pm
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Last time I checked, Good Friday was a religious holiday. Y'know, Jesus and all that.
Yet the Groton Public Library, despite being town-funded, is closed for the holiday, cutting off access to things like computers for thesis writing and books for the oral presentation I haven't even started working on.
And UConn Avery Point, part of the same STATE-FUNDED university near and dear to my heart, has closed their computer labs as well.
This puts a severe dent in the plans to spend consecutive hours pounding out large chunks of the thesis in relative quiet and calm. Instead there will be intense negotiations with Sam to use his computer, and distractions will abound.
The library and UConn (just Avery Point this time...it'll take Storrs' normal place for a little while) are SO on my Nixon-esque hit list. Let's throw Carmen Rasmussen in there too for what she did to "And So It Goes." Just for good measure.
Moe: Ah, it's a weird world, Homer. As hard as it is to believe, some people don't care for me, neither.
Homer: No, I won't accept that.
Moe: No, it's true. I got their names written down right here on
what I call my, uh, "enemies list." *takes out list*
Barney: *reading list* Jane Fonda, Daniel Shore, Jack Anderson... Hey! This is Richard Nixon's enemies list. You just crossed out his name and put yours.
Moe: Okay, gimmie that, gimmie it back. *takes list, writes on it* Barney Gumble.
Barney: Oh. My mistake.
current mood:  frustrated
current music: Massive Attack - Angel
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(2 bubbles | blow)
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| Thursday, April 17th, 2003
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3:53 pm
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On my way home for the weekend...hopefully the thesis will be mostly finished by the time I get back. (Don't laugh at me like that!)
I have a really strong urge to watch Sports Night right now...maybe I'll drag the DVDs home with me. Maybe someone will want to watch The Episode with me at some point in the next few days? We'll have to see.
This is the second day in a row of unshakable good mood. Yay!
current mood: optimistic
current music: Neil Finn - She Will Have Her Way
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(blow)
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| Wednesday, April 16th, 2003
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5:18 pm
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Yay for successful small gestures that make people happy!
current mood:  happy
current music: Billy Joel - Allentown (yes, still on the Piano Man kick...)
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(blow)
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11:50 am - Billy Joel on a beautiful day...
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As if Billy Joel songs haven't been stuck in my head all week, last night's American Idol got even more of them firmly implanted. Oh, well.
In honor of The Man himself, I'm posting the lyrics to one of my favorites. Thankfully Clay did a tolerable job of singing it, otherwise I'd have to add his name to the asskicking list that Carmen is already on--bah to her horrible rendition of "And So It Goes" that turned it into a third-rate, sheep-like country song.
( I've been singing this all week... )
Okay. Having gotten that out of my system, I'm off to enjoy the sunshine (since it'll be gone and cold tomorrow), then to Art, Truth and Politics. Yay for sunny days and favorite classes!
current mood: awake
current music: guess...
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(blow)
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