Thursday is the new Saturday

Because of my wacky schedule, I have a super-booked Wednesday and nothing on Thursdays. Originally, this was supposed to allow me a whole day for research, reading and writing. What it has devolved into is trashy TV with Smokin' Fairy and little else. And while part of me feels bad for not doing work, the rest of me feels just fine since I have busted ass all week, including the weekend.

Last night after another craptacular film class, I was totally wiped. Usually, I watch a little mindlessness to make up for the arty awfulness to which I was just subjected (and I usually LIKE art films). But last night was really bad. Afterwards, I couldn't even get off the couch. Too tired to read. Too tired to focus on another "film". So I ended up curled up in the penguin blanket watching Grey's Anatomy before dragging myself to bed. And today, I woke up late and tired and generally unmotivated. About the most productive thing I did was yoga and some pancake making.

The rest of the night is not looking any more promising. Oh well.

on Pandora: "Girl Sailor" - The Shins

Chicken puppet

That was possibly the funniest thing I have done all week. Although Guy Smiley's reading of Beatrice was a couple different flavors of special.

I just had my hand up a chicken. And it took everything I had not to turn it into my own personal poultry puppet show. Mostly because there would be no way for me to take pictures. Whole chicken is on sale, which goes well, since I have a few packs of mom's Sticky Chicken mix in my cabinet. So I figured I would try my hand at this. Heh. So I pulled out innards (eww!), discovered that the chicken has two holes, as opposed to just shoving an onion up one. (It's like watching the Domestic God put a chicken on his roaster, which is a combination of obscene and hilarious. That chicken will never walk the same way again.

I don't know if I am cooking this tomorrow for people before Lost or just bring it to Fives. Since apparently I have a big chicken. Lesson 1. If I am going to do this again, I will put the plastic marinating bag in the sink first to catch the chicken and spices. Lesson 2. Make sure someone else is home to take pictures of the puppet show. Maybe I should get two....

on iTunes: "Turn Me Up" - Ben Benassi

Vampire hours

Since my cold last weekend, I have been back on vampire hours. At first I thought it was the sudafed getting out of my system, or just my schedule working itself out. Apparently, my schedule has worked itself out, but it has decided against "normal business hours", opting instead for vampire hours. Whereas I used to head to bed around 1 and get up at 8.30, I am now wide-awake and impressively productive till at least 3AM, if not later. And given the chance, I sleep till noon, and maybe take a little nap around twilight. When I have to be at a 9AM class, I usually come home and take a nap till noon. Getting back from class at 3 or 6 or 10, I still feel like I have plenty of time to get stuff done. Maybe this is my body's way of laughing at long winter nights and SAD.

It's amazing how much better I feel when I keep the vampire hours. I can live on less sleep, feel more focused, and generally just a happier camper. Last night, I finished the Merleau-Ponty, read all of Servant of Two Masters, and did some writing and 2AM yoga. Now I just need to find a way to maintain this!

Brain storm

In the middle of a murky wade through Merleau-Ponty, I was overwhelmed by a brainstorm. I barely got a bookmark on the page before furiously writing ideas for my thesis and possible conference presentation. It was so cool!

Because dance scholarship is fairly new to academia, methodologies have not been established in the same way the scientific method or argument-based essay has been. How do you textually describe movement? Or even worse, how do you describe the emotional/psychological/visceral experiences movement produces?

So in terms of a conference presentation, I would definitely rely on the visual - using 2 volunteers to explore the "sexiness" of relative position (standing together vs. standing apart, etc). In both a presentation and my thesis, I want to have some sort of compilation of examples of tango in pop culture = movies. And the first example is The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, which is a silent movie from 1921, starring Rudolph Valentino. And it is nearly impossible to find. But I found a distributor that not only has it, but has it for cheap and with free shipping! Ah retail research.

on iTunes: "Failure" - Ian Ball

PhD freak-out

It's taken almost 2 days to process it, and even get excited about it.

I got an email from UCSB, saying that the committee had met, and they REALLY liked my application. They want to find a date for me to come out there. And they threw out the word "fellowship."

Holy crap!

I was flabbergasted. Partly because I got the email after Martini Night. Partly because it's only January. Partly because I know they are still missing one of the letters. And partly because the whole grad process has always been so dicey that good news never comes so soon. Basically, I know my work, and while it's good, I never really thought of myself as all that.

Spent most of yesterday in a Billy Elliot state of shock. The idea of actually doing PhD in a real way, couple with the idea of doing it across the country is kinda wild. Sitting in the IART seminar, I kinda lost the train of logic. Lots of big, meaningless words. Yesterday, I rocked theory, actually sort of understanding and parsing phenomenology. Ironically, it was the coldest morning so far, as I climbed up the hill in 2F. And scraping ice off the car made the idea of living at the beach sound better and better.

I am not 100% sold on UCSB (or them on me). I still have applications out at Wisconsin and Oregon. Still might apply to Ohio.

Portable Happy Place

Although I have learned bits and pieces of this over time, this week it all congealed to make my portable happy place. New hat + iPod (on Zero7 playlist) = portable happy place. It is so delightfully isolating. It cuts off some of the overstimulation (yes, I am a 2 year old like that). I can close my eyes and just do my yoga breathing, listening to my music, getting a moment of peace to myself. Did this on Wednesday in the Baker. Back row just chillin'.

Part of why I like my iPod is that it is a visible signal to other people that I am separate and don't want to be disturbed. This was extra helpful on the CTA when, after a day at work, I really didn't feeling like dealing with some chatty tourist. Also, there is something about wearing a hood that makes me feel safer. Like the amazing deep hood on my big sweater that Cheese Fiend made me. I remember diving into that, pulling up the hood, putting on the headphones and kicking back for one of the most peaceful flights (all 10 hours of it). I'm sure the benadryl didn't hurt, but it's the hood I remember.

on iTunes: "Nikita" - Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band

Chicken calendar

As I was leaving for yoga today, the UPS man knocked on my door. I dropped my mat, and hustled on over. He had two boxes from Barnes & Noble, one book size box and one big size box. The only person who would send something from Barnes & Noble is the Cheese Fiend! My birthday/Christmas presents had arrived! I told myself that I could open them when I got home, but I just couldn't wait. A box of that size had just too much potential.

I ripped off the tape faster than a band-aid, pulled out all the inflato-stuffing and found one item at the bottom. It was a Chicken calendar. Pulled out the invoice which didn't have the Cheese Fiend's name on it, but it did have her address, the price, the order date and the fact that she had in fact deliberately ordered me a Chicken calendar. WTF?

I hate to sound ungrateful, but really? A chicken calendar? Because nothing says generic, afterthought, "I really couldn't care less" than a discount calendar with something random, ordered almost a week after my birthday. I could forgive the discountness, the calendar and even the lateness. But I am just befuddled by the chickens. I mean, Cheese Fiend and I had lived and traveled together, joking about many animals, but chickens were never one of them. There weren't ANY other subjects that might be even remotely my taste?

Another kicker - the other package wasn't even for me. Misaddressed.

Went to yoga, which was nice. Then I had a good sulk through the snow to pick up the laundry I accidentally abandoned in a machine on Monday (of course it would be my favorite pants, my favorite towel and my W&M sweatshirt). The squeaking of the snow worked nicely with the sulk, but it just wasn't sufficient. I mean, Cheese Fiend managed to make/find gift for all the rest of her friends BEFORE Christmas. She was on a hat making kick, and I had told her I wanted a hat.

To top off an already severely crappy mood, I get an email from one of my grad schools saying that they can't process my application (due in early January) until a third letter is received. From the same person who hasn't submitted my letter to the other school either (I checked). I emailed my recommender a couple weeks ago as a friendly reminder, but right now, I am alotta screwed, since I have a 3rd app out there, and a 4th on the way.

Oh well. I just sit and try to remember the glowing things my absurdism professor said about me, and be glad it's Martini Night. So I can drink girly drinks with people who actually seem to give a shit about me.

on Pandora: "Over Our Heads" - Zero 7

Film snobs get on my nerves

Experimental and Silent Film was a serious misnomer. And I clearly didn't learn my lesson from last quarter, but film classes just seem to get on my nerves. I transfered out of Transnational Gaze, because the only thing we were gazing at was Thai films. And while Chang was interesting, the scope of the class seemed rather limited and not useful to me.

So I transfered into Film History 3 with all the other theatre kids. There is alot more incentive to go to class when there are 5 other people to give you crap for missing. On the flip side, there are more people to fill you in on what you missed. I think we should start going in shifts, because so far, this is just a waste of time. The professor decided he wanted to look at New German Cinema and other films from the 60s and 70s. Meh. Like I get it, the Germans had post-War angst. Last week we were subjected to Marianne and Juliane, which was possibly the single most annoying movie I have ever seen, even more than A.I.! It's a movie about a doormat.

Today we got to discuss the most annoying movie and watch more German Angst. There was a scene with a "doctor" holding a newborn by the hands. It just made me cring because he wasn't supporting the baby's head. That was before walking over to a guest lecturer who has done Hollywood editing. Who pretty much just showed us a really poorly produced interview with the Academy Award Nominated editors from last year. Part of it was kinda interesting, but not enough to hold my fascination for 2 hours. Because really, when it all comes down, I really don't care.

Perhaps I would be more inspired to care if film people weren't such snots towards theatre people, who they consider beneath them and totally irrelevant to film. It's frustrating, because I appreciate film and the fact that it is a separate art form. But I also appreciate that theatre lead to film, and that I feel that all the arts are interconnected. I love talking to other artists, dancers, sculptors whatnot. But somehow, film people just get on my nerves.

As an antidote to the "high art" films, I am watching Project Runway.

Ear-flap hat

After coveting one for months, I finally broke down and bought one. Met up with Woolly Willy to get a second opinion on my chapeau shopping at the Gallery. Really, he was more entertaining than the hats themselves, because a) he tried on everything and b) he has a large head. I briefly toyed with one of the giant fur hats, but I just couldn't go hipster. (Seriously, it was a look in Wicker Park, along with skinny jeans, cloves and a general air of disaffectation.) Ended up with a knit hat with a fleece lining and a dangly tassel, which I suspect will cause me many problems.

Today, I pretty much spent all day in it. I don't know what it is about the hat. It certainly doesn't make me look very adult or professional (neither do the glittens). Maybe it just conveys my general fashion apathy or irony. Or the fact that it both keeps my ears warm and hides the Snape hair. I had pretty much committed to wearing it to yoga, but I was prevented by a phone call to pick up sourcebooks from the Ridges for Drive's first rehearsal.

I did take it off for rehearsal, mostly because the Socks room was pretty toasty. And because it gave me a better view of the expressions on actors faces as I passed out a spiral-bound books of about 100 pages of research. Ah.

Will post a picture as soon as I get someone to snap it.

on Pandora: "Simplesmente (Tom Middleton remix)" - Bebel Gilberto

Ohio Vampires

It was such a brilliant plan. I did my homework, scoped out the scene, even recruited buddies. But apparently Ohio is not as desperate for my blood products as Virginia was. I mean, I was STALKED by Virginia Blood Services after donating ONCE. Like, I had to tell them to stop calling me. They called me even before the 56 days before I could donate again. Grr. And now, Athens has a place where they will actually give me MONEY for my blood products. But after jumping through flaming hoops and eating like 3 packets of oatmeal to get my hematocrit high enough, they won't take me until I have been on my prescription for a month! GRR!!

Oh well. It freed up my Monday to do $15 worth of laundry, which remains in piles on the bed I am clearly NOT sleeping on tonight. And it frees up my Thursdays for more trashy TV, which is good, since Smokin' Fairy just procured Greys 3 for me.

on iTunes: "Heart of Glass" - Puppini Sisters

Surfing the Productivity Wave

I don't know if it's the cold weather or the sudafed, but I have been inspired to bust some butt and do work. It's weird, but I have decided to ride it out.

Friday afternoon, I took a nap, woke up, took some decongestant and ended up burning through a whole book for my dramaturgy. I didn't even realize that I had missed Fives. Oh well. I can always hang out for a couple of hours till Madness. But around Madness-time, I had a head full of gunk again. I was pretty much only functional in 4-6 hour intervals. Suddenly, it was 6AM, I had gotten a pile of work done and eaten my way through a cherry pie, and realised I had watched a bunch of DVDs in the background.

The productivity went well with my odd anti-social mood. Stay in. Read The Rover. Go to the library on a Saturday night. Actually understand Foucault. (Believe me, I was in a state of shock myself.)

But a text message from one of the "cool kid" designers, and I inhaled my pancakes and headed out to the Gypsy-Pirate party. Which involved some festive punch, bandannas and Gogol Bordello. Even the cat was blinged out in gypsy beads, fighting off the foam sword.

Now I am working on more Foucault and Drive prep. And it's a long weekend!

Pantless CTA

I only wish I had been in town for this one, because I frequently ride the red line. And if I thought I could keep a straight face would totally join in.

"O Brother Where Art Trou?" - Chicago Tribune

My poor plant

After 4 months together, I think Norman and I are parting ways. Unfortunately, I think Norman has succumbed to that post-holiday depression. That one week over Christmas/New Years was just too much for one little guy, all alone, with no little plant friends with Chinese food and the Grinch DVD to amuse him. Now he is all wilted and yellow. Besides watering him, I have tried moving him around, added a touch of caffeine (apparently it perks plants too), and talked to it, in the psycho-therapy approach to treatment.

I know it's a little early, but I am thinking about my next plant. I know it'll just be a rebound plant, but I need that little green guy to sit on my windowsill against the red wall. Then again, I have also put myself on the list to foster cats. Which might not be as conducive to plants.

R. recommended a bonsai, which are alot harder to kill, because they are woody. Cacti are also indestructible, but they are so aloof and prickly. Then again, because I keep moving, I don't know if I'm ready for a long-term relationship.

Bad minion

It sounded pretty cool that I would get a minion of my own, to work on How I Learned to Drive. I was so wrong.

The girl is a junior, who should be old enough to understand deadlines, meetings and such. If we schedule a meeting, you have to show up. Prepared. With your information in hand. I saw her idea of sourcebook, which is littered with unanswered questions and comments that are outside the purview of dramaturge. Music choices are made by the sound designer. Some of these things are actor decisions. I feel like I have to cross out half of her stuff because it isn't dramaturgical. It's really frustrating that only now, the weekend before the first rehearsal, that it becomes so clear that she just can't cut it, so I will have to do this one on the fly. And the fact that she is annoying as hell really doesn't help.

Usually I really like working one on one with people, but this girl is a real challenge, since she lacks talent AND focus. She has had 8 weeks to work on this, now is not the time for screwing around.

Meal plan

In a vain attempt at eating better, and finding better access to salad, I got a meal plan. Not the every-meal-of-every-day plan or anything, but a block 20. Today was my first foray into a dining hall. And it is weird. And carpeted.

At OU, all of the dining halls are located in dorms. It seems to be on the first floor, with dorm access off to the side. Reminiscent of the house system, but alien to me. I am surrounded by weird 70s decor and undergrads. And instead of making me feel like an undergrad again, I just feel conspicuous. It's like being the awkward kid all over again. Like I don't know where the silverware is, not sure what the traffic patterns are.

But I had a salad and they have my pumpkin cappuccino here. It means I don't spend cash; I do eat vegetables; I get internet; and, best of all, I don't have to hike up the damn hill.

Next I head to my PhD level class, after dealing with my teaching responsibilities over lunch. Oh the irony.

A very good birthday

Until I get more writing oriented, here are some pictures.

Throughout the day, my phone beeped with happy messages. My facebook wall was covered in birthday comments. I got to talk to a bunch of people. It snowed. Got stuck in rehearsal, but there was party afterwards. Smokin' Fairy gave me crap about the 30-vortex, the Chicago designer ordered shots. And the other MA and I stayed up till 4 eating pancakes and watching Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. So much fun!

I haven't had that kind of birthday in a long time. In college, my birthday always fell before the start of classes. My Charlottesville birthdays were always very nice, but not crazy and photogenic. I'm back in school, with a crazy posse, and bars within walking distance.

Soft Power Yoga

In an attempt to incorporate physical activity and structure into my life, I decided to try a yoga class today. I have been curious about "Soft Power Yoga" for a while, and today, I finally made it out the door.

It's been a while since I did yoga, which I only ever did sparingly. It was a warm-up in my audition class, which gave me a new appreciation for AM yoga. Learned some doing Bakkhai, took the occasional 206 class. Because I am a dancer, I don't look totally silly doing it, and I have a certain confidence and comfort-level with my body.

The class was impressively well-populated. The entire studio was filled! I liked the pace, since I don't know all the posture names yet. The instructor offered ways to make the postures easier or more difficult. And it really warmed me up by getting blood moving. Elevated the heart rate a little, but without feeling stressful. The lying down pose - Savasana (which I am a pro at) gave me a whole new awareness of my toes, which was kinda cool.

Results: This is a keeper. I feel very relaxed, but not tired. More focused, and best of all, my hips feel positively chewy. Not loose or malleable, but chewy, since they have alot of play, but you can still feel the pull of sinews. And the idea of chewy makes me think caramel, which has its own sense of luxurious.

Now I want to bust out all of the chill-out music I used to listen to. But sadly, I can't find my Dido, which after so many moves must have gotten lost in the shuffle.

on iTunes: "Breathe 2000" - Afterlife

the Grad Difference

Having sit through another marathon bullshit session, I have become even more aware of the difference between grads and undergrads.

It takes nearly 5 hours to get through 25 pages, because everyone is so eager to put in their two cents and expound on minutia. What I find most frustrating is the fact that most of this should be covered in smaller rehearsals rather than with the full cast. I think I had like 3 dramaturgical questions lobbed our way. So after 5 hours of this, I was annoyed at losing an entire Saturday (and now Monday) that could have been used much more efficiently. And my butt hurt.

But I noticed that the grads came to the table with more. What they said was more concise and specific and interesting. Hanschen had really sat down and thought about his scene, complete with written notes. And they ask interesting questions.

Personally, I realise that somewhere along the line I magically turned into a grad student. For the past few weeks, I have been really looking forward to the Body class through the IARTs department. It covers all kind of theory and how it applies to perceptions of the body, which will be so helpful to my thesis. That said, I have held a healthy fear of the reading load. Once I got the syllabus, I was pleasantly surprised. Don't get me wrong, it's still alot of work, but not as much as I was expecting. I'm not sure if the workload of an MA grad is just less than undergrad, I have become immune to it, or because I am oddly masochistic.

It was fun hanging with the grads last night at the Gator. It was interesting how the grads and undergrads ended up at separate tables, even though they arrived today. I can't say we talked about anything more sophisticated, but the dynamic was different. And even after a few beverages, we still talk like dorks.

(Woolly Willy and the other MA after Madness)

Also grad - staying in on a Saturday night to do work. It's sad, kinda lame, but very comfortable. Me in jammers, my smoothie or coffee, papers strewn, lots of post-its, my retractable highlighters and a stack of books.

First Fives

Another quarter, another round of fives. This week's theme is Drinking Fives. Because who can't get behind that? Also very easy to supply, since you just provided your favorite beverage, instead of coming up with a clever answer to "Kiddie Breakfast" or something. Started off slow as everyone trickled in, getting up to speed on the news. Then the nerf guns came out, I had my first Pink Squirrel, and general mayhem began. Specifically a deliriously complicated drinking game called Bunnies. After every round, more elaborate rules are added, until everyone is making the weirdest gestures and sounds. I was glad to just be the archivist and not a participant, because it seemed to be pretty funny just as a spectator.


But now I am back at home, trying to finish some PhD apps before Madness.

Table work

As co-dramaturge on Spring Awakening, I am obligated to attend the first few rehearsals to participate in table-work, where the cast gets to ask questions and begin to form collective answers. And the dramaturges play with the copier and hole punch and occasionally throw in a fact or two.

On one hand, this is my favorite part. Because it is my job to answer questions. To use research to provide creative options. To know the details of the script as well as the context to be able to pull things together instead of take them apart. I love it as a dramaturge, and I love it as a director. Especially when you throw out a nugget that really launches an actor's thought-process. Tonight that factoid was that allegedly, after 72-hours, you can be declared legally insane. And that you do start experiencing hallucinations. And the actor playing Moritz really ran with it.

On the other hand, it is alot of bullshit and grandstanding and dissecting. I'll go out on a limb and guess that Wedekind did not obsess about all of this stuff. It's like the director puts a horse in the middle of the room, shoots it, then lets everyone beat it with a stick. Given, I got in a couple of good whacks, but really, how much beating of a dead horse does one play need? We didn't even make it halfway through the script!

Then again, this was the only genuinely productive thing I did all day. I have no classes on Thursdays, so I slept in, walked to the post office to pick up a package, made pancakes and watched Grey's Anatomy with Smokin' Fairy, who would like to remind the reading audience that he is NOT gay despite the fairy moniker I have bestowed upon him. AND I live on "Street of the Week" which means that all of Papa John's is half off! I see lots of pizza in my near future!

Lightning

It combines two of my favorite things - lightning and the Chicago skyline.


Lightning Strikes on the John Hancock Building from cshimala on Vimeo.

Bio-Modd

After my all-Thai-all-the-time film class, I met up with some of the theater people to check out the opening of Bio-Modd at the Union Gallery.

OU invited a guest artist to assemble an original work here that began last quarter. The culmination is a self-cooling computer game. 5 people can play a Tron-like video game which heats algae, which feeds goldfish in cool water, which is pumped up to cool the larger computer. Or something like that. It's all very symbiotic, green and nifty. The setting doesn't so much lend itself to art, looking more like some geek's basement.

Afterwards, we headed across the street to the Union bar for the opening "reception" and DJs. Mostly us crowded around a wonky table with our beverages while Smokin' Fairy played Name That Video Game Theme, which is this artist's mix-in of choice.

I felt a little bad for staying out on a school night, but it's art.

on iTunes: "Touch Me with Your Love" - Beth Orton

Me and the FSB

This quarter I am dramaturging for 2 shows. Both deal with some interesting issues, but the directors are totally different. Fortunately, the first rehearsals are two weeks apart. So over break and into the wee hours, I was wrestling with what I affectionately call the FSB - Freakin' SourceBook.

Spring Awakening was written in 1890-something by Frank Wedekind, a German, and translated by a Brit. This already can be problematic. There are alot of little references and details that beg for explanation. Apparently 16 pages worth of little references. But it was fun to look up all the diseases, explain some of the Victorian customs and such. It works out well that the other MA and I are collaborating on this because a) it's such a big project and b) the director is a pain. She doesn't have a concept or apparent reason for doing this play, which makes it hard to really support her with my research.

That said, I feel really cool now that the FSB is mostly done. The director and other dramaturge are looking over it now. Guy Smiley joked that he could give me my degree based just on this document. Brought to you by the letter C and Google.

It's good practice for my thesis. You put alot of work into a project that you love and only like 4 people actually read.

on Pandora: "Carrion" - British Sea Power

January Monday?

This isn't right. It almost hit 70F today, still 62F at 10PM. On a January Monday!

It at least made the first day of classes alot easier. Me and a hoodie in the morning, which promptly when in the bag after my meeting.

Unfortunately, this has prompted 40 drunk people to watch the OSU-LSU game projected against their garage. Across from my apartment. On a Monday night when the rest of us who are NOT here for the football are trying to work, or at least not have their house vibrate. There are fireworks and beer cans all over my stoop. I called the police who really don't care.

Funny enough this is Ohio University and NOT Ohio STATE University.

It's moments like this that make me wistful for 20F that would have these idiots indoors.

on Pandora: "Perhaps Vampires is a Bit Strong But..." - Arctic Monkeys

Buzzy

Yesterday I finally managed to procure something with which to clean my floors and a new toothbrush head from my hand-me-down electro-brush. Domestic God recently upgraded, and recommended that I try the wonder that is Sonicare Elite. Why not. I like toys and generally don't like dentists.

After everyone headed home last night after some late night beer and pizza, I busted out the new toy. And it was one of the weirdest sensations EVER! Fired it up and it just made my entire face buzz. I never knew my teeth were ticklish!

on iTunes: "Night Sight" - Air

Pancake party

How many flavors of awesome is it to feel the posse reassembling after 7 weeks of text messages and facebooking? The feeling of cool you get when you start running into people in town. After a 2AM phone call from one grad while iChatting with another, I started a fun-filled posse day at Shiny Diner to eat a nicely bloody cheeseburger and oreo milkshake. While I was chowing down and laughing my ass off, I get a phone call from Posse member #3 trying to set up a pancake date. Instead of trying to pack pancakes on top of a cheeseburger platter, I offered to host a pancake party later.

In exchange for lunch, I helped Woolly Willy move back into his apartment, complete with the local beer stash. While walking back to his place, we ran into Posse member #4.

In order to prep for the pancake party, and horde my personal stash of honey wheat mix, I headed to the Kro where I ended up chatting up a 3 year old in froggie boots trying to keep her from getting hit by a car. Then Smokin' Fairy came up and started making fun of me.

Pancake party went brilliantly. Fun, easy and cheap. There was a healthy dose of hilarious inappropriateness as I flipped pancakes on my new griddle. There was freshly tapped maple syrup and general yumminess. After pancakes, we headed out to National Treasure 2 to meet up with some of the 2nd years. And we pretty much had the theatre to ourselves to snark and throw stuff at each other. The movie itself was fun, but the dramaturge detailist in me got kinda twitchy. But that's ok, because I was surrounded by other people with the same thoughts.

The night was still young, so we headed to Tony's for what ended up being 3 pitchers of Killians and an attempt to explode the other MA's cell phone. Closed the place out and divided into 2 parties - the Grey's and the Firefly viewers. It was wonderful to be surrounded by my posse, by a bunch of people just as dorky as I am.

BackBlog: My preference is steak

As a poor graduate student with minimal cooking skills (it's done when the smoke detector goes off), it had been several months since I had last enjoyed steak. I am a big fan of the red-meat, which I usually take in cheeseburger size doses. That said, having been spoiled by pub burgers in Chicago (Lion's Head, Fizz), I have found myself in Cheeseburger Exile back in Athens. There are cheeseburgers to be had, but they just don't compare.

One of the priorities before I left became to feed me steak. And who am I to argue. There was some debate of Outback vs. Malibu Grill, as well as 8 people worth of scheduling conflicts, but on Saturday, we all convened at Outback. While Brazilian-style sounds yummy, I am out of practice for what is basically competitive eating without the prize. Besides, there is only so much room in my pants.

Steak wonderful steak. I had a nice, bloody, fatty and extra-delicious ribeye. Shared appetizers and desserts with everyone, and generally enjoyed some family snark. AND I walked away with all the leftovers! This was like 2 extra meals! Happy tummy!

(me in beef bliss)

Now I return to the world of ramen, coffee, and clementines. But for one brief moment, my inner carnivore was a very happy camper.

on Pandora: "June's Foreign Spell" - Spoon

Full security cheese

I have never put that much effort into cheese in my life. The authentic Mexican Queso Fresco was freakin' childproof. But you need to open it if you are going to eat cheesy tacos with green sauce (damn you Kallisti!)

Although I haven't gotten too much further on my academic work, I feel that I have been pretty damn productive today. Didn't wake up until noon (went to bed after 3AM), confirmed all of my transcript requests. I have now submitted 2 applications, although I still need to get my personal packets out. Hit the grocery. Hard. Like $50 hard. Then again, massive tray o'chicken was on sale, and I was out of all my perishables. Checked on books to buy, talked to the bursar to clear up things so I can get my loan dispersement on time this quarter. And I spent the better part of the hour excavating my bed from under the mountain of clothes that resulted from 3 pack/unpack/repack cycles with minimal turn-around time. I have too many clothes, but I love them, and I don't care what Stacy and Clinton think.

on iTunes: "Ruby Blue" - Roisin Murphy

Happy New Years

Bumming in Charlottesville a bit longer before heading back to Athens/normal. And I have the distinct New Years pleasure of NOT being depressed or hungover. It's sunny, warmish, and I have a nice long to-do list to keep me busy.

Last night was rather subdued. Basically me and the Domestic God in jammies watching Grey's Anatomy till our eyes bugged out. Criticizing the "realities" and whiny-ness. Only noticed that it was midnight when the rowdy rednecks downstairs started whooping and screaming (and mercifully NOT firing shots). The cat finally started to get used to me enough that I could pet him.

It's been a pretty chill past couple of days. Got to go to church at my Cville church, which is much more inclusive and less pomp-tastic than NoVA. Met up with Domestic God and a friend for dinner and BN browsing. Camped out in the living room in Scottsville. Yesterday involved another mass, a nap, and general ho-hummed-ness.

I haven't made any firm resolutions, other than maybe keeping a journal of all the shows I see. The generic "live healthier", but right now, I am pretty happy with just rolling with things.

on NRN: newer Jack Johnson