Dearest Forsaken

This is my *drumroll* 600th post to this blog. Sweet cracker sandwich, that is a lot of useless typing. I am starting to sour on the whole idea of this thing, partly because my life is boring, partly because only six people read this anymore, and partly because NONE OF YOU COMMENT ON ANYTHING. I am reaching Raedy-level frustration with this situation.

I type and type and type and tell you all sorts of boring trivia about my daily life, and no one makes a peep. Sigh. Only when I offer to send you presents does anyone comment. Boo.

Anyway, I ain't that mad atcha.

I went to a yoga class last night with a couple of my friends. Sweet cracker sandwich, the instructor was a drill sargeant. I am in so much pain today it's not even funny. So this quarter my workout schedule is going to be stepped up a notch, thanks to that ridiculously intense yoga class. I'm taking two diffferent ones with the girls, and then JD and I go cardio/lift three times a week. So we'll see how long that lasts. If I feel as totally sore and stiff after every workout as I do right now, I may have to crap out on one of the yogas. (yogis?)

Al Franken's show on the Sundance Channel is freaking hilarious. Peas and carrots, peas and carrots.

I've had all my classes now, they're going to be HARD. Hopefully I'll manage it. Yesterday I had a three hour stats class then I had to go to happy hour then to yoga, bam bam bam, so that blew. It's hot as fuck here, too, the Devil winds are back for fall. Everyone is gasping for air, it's so dry. Instant dehydration. It's really like being in an oven, I swear.

JD rented Danger Mouse from netflix. That's awesome.

We both got really into Sudoku in the last month, as it's in the LA times that we get on weekends, and I was at a bookstore looking for sudoku books (it's fucking addictive) and I finally found one, and was proud of myself, and then realized there was an entire display table chock full of them, with this sign about how it's the newest "gaming craze sweeping the nation." And now I don't want to like it anymore. I didn't buy the book. You can download them for free. JD is working on one right now and I'm itching to help him with it. I like reading over his shoulder, it pisses him off. His other biggest pet peeve? When you go to a fast food place and he drives and then you (I) start eating fries or nachos or whatever loose side item you ordered out of the bag on the way home. He flips out. It's totally weird.

What's going to make you people comment? Dick jokes? Just let me know, in the comments section, and I will get on it. For fuck's sake.

Tangled Too Tight And Too Long To Fight

I had a nice weekend. I went with my household to see a fab ballet called Raise the Red Lantern. Google it. It's a story by the people/guy who came up with Hero and House of Flying Daggers and it was probably the best infusion of classical ballet and authentic, culture-driven tradition that I've ever seen a company pull off (here). But then again, how hard are the Russians really trying to infuse ballet with Russian culture. Ballet is Russian culture. It was great. They destroyed a goodly portion of the set (tearing up paper lanterns, paper screeens, etc.), which impressed all of us. It ended with everyone dying (come on, you knew when I said it was like "hero" that everyone dies) and lots of snow falling, which is fucking awesome.

Also hung out with my neighbors/friends Cachel and Riss last night. We dragged them to a vegan restaurant and then we went to see Corpse Bride. If you were planning on wasting your money, don't. I'm a huge fan of that type of thing, but it's just not very good. It's maybe a six, six point five. If it moved to California for grad school it would probably be about a 5. ha.

So i had a good time. Roomie got herself a job at the mall with a fizzat discount at all the stores owned by whoever owns bathh and bohdy wirks. She will be doing my shopping from now on, as well as ya'll's Xmas present buying. I am glad she now has another job and that she's so excited about the free shit. and the discount.

I just got out of my First department-wide activity for the year. I don't remember thinking it was cute to go, "uhm, uhm, i'm like, whatever! I don't know! teehee" when asked to introduce myself as a fledgling. But fuck, my memory is so bad, I very well may have done just that. I have a twisted way of remembering things completely wrong.

There are new comps on the way to the vast majority of people I know. Pretty safe to say that everyone reading this is getting something in the mail. Woot. The shit thing (one) is that JD made me a comp the other day with the best song I've ever heard on it. And not in time for me to update your cds with this song. So go find it yourselves. It's off the Iron & Wine/Calexico spilt ep and it's called "He Lays In The Reins." Cant' stop listening to it. It's so damn good.

I'm glad to be back in the swing of things. I can talk in front of groups like a big girl. I can proactively approach my advisor about meeting to discuss a new idea I had before she can ask me what the fuck I've been doing with my time other than work. I can put enough effort into a first impression (for once) that two people whose hair I totally admire independently tell me my hair looks fantastic today. i cannot stop smiling the whole time we are introducing ourselves, the whole time my beloved faculty and older students are awkwardly scooting their chairs back to stand and espouse brilliance. I am shooting knowing smiles and winks at the people here who have become my surrogate family, the people I love to see and hang out with, the people who know every damn thing I feel because they have either felt it or are feeling it right along with me. There is such community here. I am so goddamn relieved to be done with the first two years. I am so goddamned relieved to feel like I'm coming home to these people and these buildings, instead of biding my time to escape it. I am a total dork. I love it here. I love what I'm doing. jenny said it best the other day, while insulting me and my delight in school-supply shopping: I love school. I admit it.

It's kind of a relief. I liked the freedom of summer, but there was also too much independence for me to stay on top of myself. I'm too lazy. I need structure. Sigh. i need things to keep me busy. I need reasons to drink whole pots of coffee.

Maybe, just maybe, I will start considering a more traditional academic career.

Another Tear In The Sea

My mom sent me photos of her two cats, jazzy and tinky. (I feel bad for them too). I just realized that she replaced her two daughters with two cats. I think she got tinky when I moved away, and she just got jazzy this summer. That is hysterical. She has also given both the cats eating disorders, and in the photos you can see that they look a weensie bit...terrified of everything. Nice.