Just Like a Happy Accident

I'm back in the Burgh. Christmas is over, the New Year is ready to begin, and I have been reunited with CLRG. I left Michigan yesterday, tearfully, but am very happy to be back in a place where I am not living out of a suitcase.

Christmas was relatively eventful. My grandmother was in a mood while we were there, so it made for some tense moments. I had a good time visiting with my parents and Pookie, though. We also got to see some cousins and my dad's younger sister and meet our first-ever cousin on that side of the family. Super cute. My dad reached a milestone birthday on the 25th. There were two cakes on two separate occasions, and lots of celebrating. Overall, it turned out well.

Tonight, I am going to CLRG's to ring in 2009. Elle is coming over and her friend is in town, so she will come as well. It should be a good time.

Classes start up next week. I didn't realize it was so soon. I hope that my books arrive in time. Yikes! I can't believe break is almost over. I go back to work on Saturday. Back to reality... Rawr.

I need to go get ready for tonight.

Happy New Year!

It's Our God-Forsaken Right to be Loved, Loved, Loved

We were supposed to go to my grandparents' house today, but there is... a blizzard. Rawr. So, the parents, Pookie and I are hunkered down at my godmother's house until morning. Joyful times. I can tell already that the family time is going to be an interesting one. Especially because my uncle, aunt and cousins are going to be there as well and my grandma doesn't seem to be super enthusiastic about anything. Oh boy.

I am having an issue coming up with a Christmas gift for CLRG. He has been scheming for weeks now. Consulting Elle, consulting Wifers. Now, he is consulting Pookie, too, and none of them will breathe a word of it to me. It's making me sort of crazy. I know that it will be something immeasurably more impressive than whatever I end up giving him. *sigh* AHH!! Pooks gave me a good idea, though, so maybe I will follow through with that and the one idea that he gave me a few weeks ago.

I got a tattoo on Friday! It didn't really hurt as much as I had been anticipating. I just have to keep lotion on it now until it totally heals, which will be in a couple of weeks. Here is a picture of the process:

I won't have the internet until the 26th, when we travel to Mt. P. to Pookie's apartment, so I hope everyone has a delightful holiday. Merry Christmas!!

But I Won't Hesitate No More, No More

Greetings from the Ville. I arrived here a few hours ago, after a long afternoon of travel. I am exhausted. I didn't get to leave when I wanted to, because of some snafus with the gas company and whatnot. Rawr. That stressed me out. I gave CLRG my key to my house so that he could check on things for me while we are absent. I walked down to his office to give him the key and say goodbye for real, and I felt so, so sad. I had been trying to prepare myself for this for a while, but it didn't work so well. I felt like I was going to cry. I don't know if he could tell, but looking at me with a sad face (puppy eyes and all) didn't really make it easier to contain myself. I think I have separation anxiety. It seems crazy to be feeling this way, given the length of time we've known one another, but I can't help it. I really, really like him. Several consecutive days apart are going to be so hard to handle. When I got here, I saw Pooks, as well as Oldface and JNH and Wifers, which was happy. Wifers was taking care of her evening responsibilities, so Oldface and JNH and I decorated D7. Paper snowflakes, Trey on a tree, ornaments hung with paper clips, etc. It's so festive.

Tomorrow, I am getting a tattoo. It is supposed to snow, but I'll be damned if that's going to stop me. Rawr! I will get it. I am also going to the doctor, getting my hair cut, and having a holiday shindig with the three listed above. There will be champagne, food, Love Actually and presents involved. I am very excited. These things make my absence from PGH seem not so sad.

There is so much snow here, FYI. I can't get over it. Pennsylvania is seriously lacking in the winter precipitation. Michigan could share. Ohio, too. Speaking of Ohio, today I was driving along I-80 and a thought occurred to me: over these next four days, my family is covering almost all of I-80. The parents are going West to East, and I just came East to West. Weird, right? Yes.

I should probably try to sleep...

It's a Marshmallow World in the Winter

I took my last exam tonight. I am officially done with the first quarter of my graduate school career. It's scary, but I am so glad I made it. I was seriously losing steam by the end of the semester. Whew. The exam tonight was actually pretty decent, especially when compared with the midterm. Yikes. I returned all of my library books, picked up a gift at the bookstore and was out of there an hour after I arrived. Woohoo!

I don't have very much to say tonight. CLRG is busy right now and, even though I want to see him, I may not. It makes me so sad. Thursday is coming too quickly.

Open My Eyes, I See Sky

You know how it is when you have a friend that you love dearly but you never, ever get to see them even though they may live in the same metropolis in which you reside? Yeah... My friend, Cupcake, lives like 20 minutes away from me and I haven't seen her since August. AUGUST!! I call her almost once a week and leave a voicemail to say that I love and miss her and hope that she is well. She never calls me back. We had two dinner dates scheduled for Septemberish and, both times, work forced her to cancel at the last minute. I know she's alive, at least, because she occasionally makes contact with Kins and I got a reply to a text a few weeks ago. I know that work is pretty much solely to blame for us not seeing or talking to each other, but is really starting to frustrate me. I want my Cupcake back!

You Always Dress in Yellow When You Wanna Dress in Gold

So I am supposed to be writing a 15 page paper for my African-American History class right now and I am more unmotivated than I can even express. Thank goodness I had to write a rough draft a couple of weeks ago, otherwise I would have nothing to build on. Oh man. I will be so happy when it's just turned in and I can concentrate on decimating my Archives final. :o)

On my way to or from work today or yesterday, I noticed that the dress shop had new dresses up. I was displeased to notice that they recycled a dress! They totally had that green one up a few weeks ago. I feel hurt. Don't put expensive dresses that I have already seen in the window. Put up new ones. I need to imagine I could afford one. Rawr.

Last night, Elle and I went to CLRG's. I worked on my paper a little bit and Elle and I played guitar hero with his roommate. There was a Pens game on, so CLRG had some work people over and we all wore jerseys and it was festive. Haha. There is one jersey in particular that I am required to wear because it was from his middle school days or something and I am small enough for it. I can always tell when he is going to get them when we are sitting there, hockey has just started and he leaps up without warning and runs into his bedroom. It kills me.

I suspect I should not avoid this paper anymore. Rawr.

Skip All the Drinks, Head to the Floor

Last night, my Intro class had its last meeting. It was, perhaps, the best session of that class we've had all semester. Dr. R was really funny and kept saying crazy things (even more than normal) and almost swore once or twice. We were going through one of the books we were assigned and it pretty much turned into a lecture about how much the author sucked at describing what was happening in photographs. I got a kick out of it. After class, we went to the bar and I had a larger beer than I normally do, so I was feeling it a little bit by the time I made it to the bowling alley, where I had another beer. Then, I was missing CLRG and, even though we hadn't planned on seeing each other, he came and picked me up and we went to his place. All in all, it was a good evening. Thank goodness I do not work today. :o)

I am very hungry.

I Glimpsed a Bat With Butterfly Wings; Oh, What Marvelous Things

We got a Christmas tree! Though only about as tall as Elle, it is beautiful and perfect for our corner. We went out yesterday, on a roommate date, to see Four Christmases. Following the movie, we rejoiced in the snow that was (finally!) accumulating and went to Target to get the perfect decorations for our tree. Then, we went to Lowe's, found the tree, put it in my car, and drove it home. Elle and I spent some time throwing tinsel on, and placing the ornaments. It looks fabulous.

Later in the evening, I went ice skating with CLRG. I was really nervous about it, but I didn't fall down once! He explained a few things about it and I ended up going pretty fast. He used to play hockey, you see, and he knows things. In fact, I believe that his journey onto the ice yesterday inspired him to play again. I would go watch the games. I may have also promised a sign. Haha.

Speaking of CLRG... on Friday night, he set this song by The Postal Service as the ringtone for when I call. It made me smile. He usually does, though, so I shouldn't be surprised.

I Can't Remember When the Earth Turned Slowly

Christmas is going to be so complicated. Half of me will be super excited to get out of here and see my family (Mom! Dad! Pooks! Jack!) and friends, but the other half will be super sad to leave CLRG behind for two weeks.

And Quarterlife (especially Elle!).

And the Factory (yes, I just admitted that).

And school (yes, I know).

*sigh*

It will be really interesting. I do so wish that CLRG and I could work something out so that he could come visit when I am there. I want him to meet my friends and my family and see more of Michigan than Livonia or wherever he went with his band a zillion years ago. I want to not be apart for so long. I'm having separation anxiety already and we still have like 2.5 weeks until I leave. Oh man.

On the bright side, I am getting my haircut when I am in the Ville. I am getting a tattoo! I will get to see some of my dearest friends. We'll go to Bert's. We'll go to Jack's. We will go to the beach, even if it's cold. I will get to see my parents and my puppy. We will visit my grandparents and will snuggle in pajamas. We will watch movies and sit around and I can sleep a lot and maybe detox myself of this caffeine business for a while.

See? It's going to be really, really complicated.

Can't Write My Words When I Ain't Got You

I probably should not be writing right now. I am a tad tipsy, which means that I am going to be more honest than I usually am, but I am thinking that that is not a bad thing.

Tonight, Elle and I skipped on bowling to go out to the bar. We ate and drank at Silky's before going to the Cage to meet K. CLRG was supposed to come meet us, because we can, apparently, not function without seeing one another at least once every 8 hours. But he had been drinking with Egg & Cheese Guy and it was snowing, so he called and said he couldn't come. Elle and K would not hear of this and decided to drive me to his house to say goodnight. I felt silly, but it was lovely. They are fabulous friends.

I am definitely that girl. I can not open my mouth without talking about him. I can not go 8 hours without seeing him. He said the other day that he was falling pretty hard. I agree, but I think I might just be crashing. In a good way. Crashing. Oh dear.

Not Now But Soon

Elle and I just had a dance party to Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You." It was amazing and perfect. We called Buddy to come in and dance with us, but she just kind of gaped at us and said we couldn't be listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving and closed my bedroom door. We continued dancing.

Girl We're Flying on the G5, G5

My ponytail is kind of fluffy today and it is bumming me out. Rawr. I need to have nice hair all of the time. Does it not understand that? *sigh*

Wifers came to visit me this past weekend! We went out on Friday night and she was able to meet Elle, Buddy, K, CLRG (plus his friends). I may have had too much to drink, but I had a grand old time. We started the evening out at Hemingway's and, in accordance with tradition, were suitably drunk by the time we moved on to Silky's. I saw a guy that used to work with me when we were leaving and it made me laugh so hard. On Saturday, the wife and I went walking around my neighborhood. We ate at G's, went to the record store, got cupcakes, etc. Then, we went to see Duquesne and went to the Waterfront to get a few things. We spent the evening in one of our favorite ways. We got a frozen pizza, an Oreo pie, and watched Bowfinger and Empire Records. It was so fabulous. On Sunday, we went with Elle and Buddy to Pamela's for breakfast and then hung out until CLRG and I took her back to the airport. It was a very successful visit, and I am so grateful that she was able to come.

It is almost Thanksgiving, as you know, and I am quite excited about our dinner. Elle's family is coming, as well as K and B. We are going to have a quality time. I am also getting increasingly excited about Christmas and am constantly contemplating the perfect gift for everyone. It snowed last week and I was pretty thrilled about that. Today it has been raining. Not so great.

Elle and I have been watching music videos on our tv this afternoon. Right now, we are viewing a classic Whitney Houston video and it is making me so ridiculously happy. :o)

Monkeys Stand for Honesty, Giraffes are Insincere

It's Saturday! I wasn't scheduled to work today, and I am so grateful for the break. I only just woke up... oops. Kind of late. Oh well. Part of the reason I woke up was because Buddy was vacuuming and banging around in every room of the house. How pleasant. I thought about getting snippy about it, but I figured that it wasn't worth it because she probably didn't consider the fact that I might be still sleeping. Blah.

Wifers will be here in less than a week! I am so excited to see her and spend time with her. I am hoping to get my homework done for this week and next this weekend so that I won't have to be working on stuff when she is here. We'll see how that goes. There is always more than I anticipate.

Elle made a big life decision last week and I am so proud of her. I'm glad that she is doing what makes her happy, and I can understand her feeling of relief after having decided because I felt the same way when I was trying to figure out my life post-graduation.

Maybe I will write a more cohesive entry later. I'm still kind of sleepy...

The Sweetest Things Get Lost in the Static

So, rather than writing the paper or reading the book I have due for class tomorrow night, I have been reading the news a little bit. While on cnn.com, I read this article about Obama. I really enjoyed it. I think the thing I like most about Obama so far is that he creates a feeling of unity that the US was seriously lacking these past few years. He makes me excited about being an American. I appreciate that, as a woman, I have the right to vote, that I voted for him, and that he's going to bring change to Washington. I'm also excited to see what kind of puppy he and his family get. Haha.

I am 99% sure that I want to get married some day. I just feel weird talking about it sometimes because it isn't a viable option right now. Or something. It doesn't really make sense. However, no matter when or if or who I marry, I will want it to be a fabulous affair. In a perfect world, I would have Laura Novak as the photographer. Her stuff is genius, and just bursts with life. I love it. See here:


I was reading Snippet & Ink yesterday, and I saw some of the cutest engagement photos. Bah. I should really probably stop reading things about weddings because it is just making me feel crazy. You know? Anyway, here's one of the photos I mentioned:

Ridiculously cute. *sigh*

I met CLRG's cats last night when I went over to his place. They are super cute and, even though I tend not to like cats, I liked these. One of them liked me, too, and sat next to me on the couch when I was doing homework. Having that cat next to me made me miss Miles and all of his crazy antics. And then seeing the cats interacting with CLRG made me miss Jack. I can't wait for Christmas, because the parents are bringing the dog with them when they come. Can it please just be Christmas now?!

all we are, we are

Mars Ain't the Kind of Place to Raise Your Kids...

Wow, what a week. I mean it. I know it's still happening, but it has been jam-packed with some interesting times. Overall, everything has made me look forward a great deal more to Friendwifecoach's visit (13 days to go!) and Thanksgiving, and Christmas. *sigh* I can't even wait.

Tuesday, though, was a phenomenally wonderful day. I was so anxious to see results from the election that I stalked cnn.com constantly. I was in class in the evening when results started coming in. I cried during the Grant Park speech. Everytime I think about the fact that it is true that Obama was elected, I get all smiley and happy because it was about time. You know what I mean? So awesome.

The rest of the week was pretty standard. I had class, work, homework, no time, etc. Chuck came to visit and it didn't go so well, especially at the end. I don't really feel like going into details right now but, as my mom says, "everything happens for a reason." I believe that. I hope he does, too.

I don't have to work tomorrow and I am sooooo excited. I might sleep until 7am. You know, if I'm feeling adventurous. I have to finish my 10 page research design paper and read The Midwife's Tale for Monday, so that'll be fun. I have a rough draft of another paper due on Thursday, too. Good times. I'm really psyched.

Blah. This was not an entertaining entry. Next time, maybe.

This Gun's for Hire, Even if We're Just Dancing in the Dark...

There are so many what if's flying through my head right now. I seriously hope that I am not fucking everything up. Shit.

The weather is driving me crazy. One day it's snowing and the next, it's warm enough for no coat. Dear Pennsylvania, what is up with you?

It kills me that sometimes I think that I am off the hook with my schoolwork, that I have an hour to chill out and watch tv, and then I remember that I have a rough draft due on Thursday, two books to read by then, a 10 page paper due next Monday and a book to read for then and I cry a little inside. Whose idea was this, anyway?

Yay for Daylight Savings! I almost forgot about it!

Let's Get Rich and Buy Our Parents Homes in the South of France

Yesterday, I took the bus to school, as usual. When K and I got off at our stop, I heard Barack Obama's voice. It was surprising, because it sounded like it was just coming out of the sky, a la the voice of God or something. I quickly remembered that he was having a rally at the arena and then everything made sense. It was so awesome. I was really sad that I had to go to class and could not attend. I did find some photos online from the rally, so I can pretend that I was there.



I can't wait for next week.

Cross Your Fingers, Hold Your Toes

Um... I am currently obsessed with the extreme levels of adorableness happening in the following photograph:


Seriously. Is that not one of the cutest pictures you have ever seen? Apparently, they were in a GAP campaign last winter, but I missed that memo. I saw the photo yesterday when I read that Amy had the baby. A baby! Hooray!

City Sidewalks, Busy Sidewalks

It is almost November! This means that Thanksgiving is a month away, and Christmas is right on its heels. The weather today is making me hungry for holiday cheer. I am presently listening to a holiday compilation, though I am told that that is not allowed until after Thanksgiving. Poppycock. I will do it now. In moderation, though. I swear. Things I love about the Christmas season include:

-finding the perfect gift for everyone
-mittens
-cookies
-Christmas trees
-decorations
-rosy cheeks
-ice skating
-egg nog
-Christmas music
-spending time with my family and friends
-snuggling in pajamas
-snowflakes
-sliding on streets
-snowmen
-fire in the fireplace
-baking my dad a birthday cake

I could probably go on and on about this, but I will refrain. I don't generally love the coldness and sometimes grossness about winter, but the season is not without its charms. I try to be optimistic. This Christmas will be exciting, because the parental units and Jack are driving from Idaho to Michigan, Jenna will be home, and I will get to see everyone I love. And get a tattoo. Huzzah. I just have to work on being successful, yet frugal, in my gift shopping. I already have a little something for Pooks and an idea of what to get my mom, but I am clueless about everyone else. Hmmmmmm.

This weekend has been fairly consumed with homework. I have, as always, a lot to do and not very much motivation. I have been impressed with my work ethic, though, so here's hoping that I can finish the semester without too much stress in my life. *sigh*

I've been thinking about marriage and children a lot lately. Not necessarily because I want to get married or have children right now, but because there is a lot of it happening around me. Elle's cousin is having a baby soon, and I am excited for her. My uncle confirmed my aunt's pregnancy to me on the phone the other day. They couldn't stop by, but I hope to see them at Christmas. Anyway, there have been lots of cute babies and small children coming to the Factory lately. I generally don't think babies are cute when they are very tiny, but these ones have been. And... I really like shopping for baby clothes. I can't help it. I think probably the reason I have been thinking of marriage is that when you get married, you get a ton of sweet things. I want to register at excellent stores and get things that I want. It would be awesome, no? Maybe.

The Only Steps That Matter...

I feel like I keep letting him down.

Meg White, You're Alright

I am at school right now, hunkered down in the 'Brary with K, attempting to research for a paper I have due in a few weeks. This library seems impressive to me. I was nervous about studying here, but I actually like it now. We traveled on one of the most packed buses I have ever been on and trekked from the bus stop to campus in the rain. Thankfully, we rewarded ourselves with chai lattes, blueberry coffeecake and a fudge brownie. The thing that I like about libraries is that they all have a similar feeling about them. I feel the same quiet atmosphere here as I did at Albion. There are the same kind of people scattered on these designated quiet floors, studying and trying not to laugh at each other. K and I have been IMing one another from across the table and it reminds me of that one time, the all-nighter, in the Ferguson computer lab. I guess the kid at the table behind me smacked his face on his table and I am really sad to have missed it. In any case, some days I am really glad that I am in grad school, still a student, still writing what I want to write about, having assignments to keep me structured, and other days I just wish that I was back in Idaho, working at a job that kept me from 8-5 and allowed me to mostly forget about it when I was at home. I'm not sure how I will feel when it's 2010 and I really have to figure out my life. For real this time. Oh man.

My aunt and uncle and baby cousin might be stopping by this week sometime. They called me on Saturday to say that they were going to Hershey and could they come on Sunday to see me? I said that I would prefer them to come on their way back, because I was pretty consumed with that presentation until last night. I think they might call me tomorrow or Thursday. I hope they do. I've only seen my cousin once ever, during my grandma's surprise birthday party this summer. He's super cute and apparently just got his hair cut, so I will be the first to see that. He had massive, wild curls when I saw him but he turned one this month, so I suppose that it is time to get rid of that. Lame, I think. There is a chance that my aunt is pregnant, which would be really exciting, but both my mom and grandma told me and then instructed me to act surprised when the aunt and uncle actually tell me. I hope I am good at acting surprised. I also hope that they're having a girl.

Reason Why

This weekend, I made my triumphant (okay, maybe not quite triumphant) return to the great state of Michigan. I arrived at Chuck's house on Friday and spent the evening hanging out with he, Pookie, Claudio, and RJ. We carved pumpkins, I made applesauce, we watched The Nightmare Before Christmas, ate some pizza. It was a glorious evening. Saturday, Chuck and I went to the wedding of his uncle's stepson. It was held in a beautiful Catholic church, and they had a full Mass. I was kind of excited, because I haven't been to church in a while and it was nice to go. The bride was gorgeous and they looked so happy together, which made me smile. The reception was a lot of fun. The food was amazing. I want to eat it every day. Every. Day. Sunday, I did some homework and then came back to the Burgh in the evening. All in all, it was a good weekend.

I gave a presentation last night in my Intro class and it went 600 times better than I was expecting it to go. I did not sing any of my words, I did not throw my notes across the room and I didn't shake until after I was finished. I'm glad it is over, though. That's just one more thing off the list. Thank goodness. I just marked off the first weeks of October on the calendar that is taped to the wall in front of me. I figured that it would help me to visualize the end of the semester. And, um, it made me realize that there are like 7 weeks (not including this one) until finals week. Awesome?

All We Can Do Is Keep Breathing

Oh my word. Today I felt like crying pretty much all day. I hate that I let it get this bad, but the stress I am feeling about getting all of my work done, getting it done on time, and doing it well is seriously crushing me. I will be very grateful to see December, let me just tell you that.

In happier news, Elle and I went to Boston Market today for the first time. It was delightful. I had a pot pie and a side of macaroni and cheese and I loved it. Mmm. It was a good kind of meal to have on a gloomy, rainy, sad day like this one. We went to the Factory afterward, since they are practically next door to one another, to chat with our people.

This weekend, I am going to the Detroit area for the weekend. I am going to a wedding with Chuck on Saturday, so Pookie and Claudio and maybe some unconfirmed others are rendezvousing (can that word become a gerund, even though it is French? I've always wondered) with me at his house. It will be fabulous, I am sure, despite the feeling of anxiety I currently have concerning the meeting of the parents of Chuck. Yikes. It won't be that bad. I will not make a fool of myself. I will not make a fool of myself. I will not make a fool of myself. (Does saying it three times help?) I will become the bearer of gifts upon my arrival, which makes me happy. I bought, as requested, twelve bottles of beer for Claudio that he can not get in Michigan. I have a few other things, including one very silly, pointless item, and some sweet things that should not be named, for fear that Pooks reads this and discovers my plan.

I feel like this post is not making very much sense. I am losing my thoughts before I can type them. That is always a problem. It wasn't always that way. So sad. I need to go to bed so I can wake up at a reasonable time and do homework before my shift at the Factory at 11am. Joy of joys.

All We Are, We Are

It's getting to the point in the semester that I hate most. The point where everything is suddenly due very soon and I have very little time to get it done without stringing myself out on caffeine and little sleep. I didn't want to have to do that, but I guess I should prepare myself, just in case things come to it.

Also, I haven't really found that one good place to do my work here yet. At Albion, senior year, I would sometimes spend a long time in the conference room on the second floor of Robinson. I would lurk in the library at our table, marked with Black Feminist Theory and Ralph Nader books, for days at a time. I don't have that place here yet. I can get stuff done in my bedroom, but it takes a little while. I have no idea where I would even begin looking for the place, either.

I thought I lost my bus pass today, but it was, thankfully, hidden under some clothes on my floor. I would have been very, very sad to have to buy a new one.

Do You Wanna Be My Sidedish Friend?

Factory bowling last night was sooo much fun. There were more people there than I have ever seen before. I think there were 10 of us present. I don't even remember my scores, because it was more fun to just hang out and talk to people, especially BFF 4-E! I can't wait for friendship bracelets, boxed wine pong and pancakes with he and Elle. Good times, good times.

I spent most of the day on campus yesterday. K and I went there to find "The Grapes of Wrath" video that was supposed to be on reserve in the library. Our intro class is supposed to have it watched by Monday. When we got there, though, we couldn't get the video drawers open (we felt kind of stupid) and even when we did, the video was not there. The reserve librarian could not find it anywhere. So, we invoked the aid of Laura, the department secretary. She called our professor at home and he called the library and the video was soon relocated. We spent two hours watching it in the viewing room. Then, we went to Subway for some food before going back to Laura's office. We ended up talking to her for an hour before going to the library again to get ready for class. I was so prepared for class yesterday, in terms of dealing with the frigid temperature of the archives, but then we got there and found out that the archivist had turned up the heat for us. Huzzah!

Today, I have a HUGE to-do list, but it is after 11 and I haven't really done that much. I wanted to get up earlier than I did (at, like, 8am) but I couldn't wake up. Ah, well. Now I will just have to work harder and faster to get everything done when I want it to be done. Story of my life, really. Now, I must remember to breathe. And eat. Those are probably important. Yikes.

Crazy Is The Forecast All Week

It's funny how things can go back to the way they were so quickly. When I started grad school, I was worried about whether or not I would be able to get back into scholar mode. Now here I am, procrastinating just as I was before. Excellent. It turns out I don't have to be in Albion to want to put all of my reading and writing off until the last minute. The difference this time is that I actually chose to be here. I didn't have to go to grad school, but I worked hard for it and now I'm taking classes in subjects that actually interest me. And I am, even though it doesn't seem that way, a little more dedicated and organized than I was during undergrad. I swear.

Anyway, back to real life. Last week Wednesday, Buddy, Elle and I went to see Matt Nathanson in concert. It was, in a word, amazing. I had high hopes for the show, given the number of live albums and concerts I have listened to, and was worried that he wouldn't be as dynamic in person as he seems in my ipod. I was proven wrong. I had soooo much fun. I can't wait to see him again. I had a big stupid happy face when we left and didn't even care that we had to wait for a bus in the cold rain for half an hour to get home.

Chuck came to visit this weekend. We didn't do anything too exciting. Mostly just did homework together when I was not at the Factory. It was very nice to see him. We watched SNL last night and I was laughing so hard. I really loved the Laurence Welk Show sketch. And, after watching the Digital Short for this week, he and I decided to have an Extreme Activities Challenge. He thinks he can beat me in the hat balance, which may be true, but I will definitely school him in the walking. Ha!

Buddy and I are going together to get Elle from the airport tonight. I'm sure it will be quite interesting.