Saphhous

Important.

Important enough to go at the top, instead of at the bottom (the chronological way I do each day's post). Jacob just broke up with me because he feels like he doesn't need to be tied down right now. That's all I can say right now.

Boys.

The more I have to deal with them, the less I like 'em. I used to think girls were fickle and indecisive ... Now I've concluded that it's the male gender that is way more indecisive. I think I'm going insane. Every other day my summer is ruined, and I've yet to figure out what I'll be doing for the four months I'll be off. I have so many good job opps in Florida, but it looks (again) like I'm not going to be able to move down there. If I could just find an apartment somewhere with a four month lease or something ... But no. I have this boyfriend who changes his mind everyday about wanting me down there for the summer. I don't want to live at home, because that'll drive me insane and the jobs aren't as good, but it looks like I don't have a choice.

So what am I going to do?

Update. So now I might not even have my old job at home. This sucks. It sucks hard.

Today's read: Daniel Pearl's widow files appeal for compensation.

G'morning.

It's Monday. I know everyone just loves Mondays. Actually, I think it's going to be a pretty easy week — hopefully I can keep up my routine of doing all my homework for the week over the weekend. It was harder this weekend, because having everyone gone made it easier for me to just hang out across the hall. Once everyone came back, though, it was easy to barricade myself in my room.

And blog style change makes me happy. I'm really itching to take on a web project ... I wish I was back in Kentucky where people were after designers with my level of skill. (Solid pages, minimal flash.) I'll probably just keep redoing my page(s). If it turns out I'm not going to Floriday (oh, btw, that's changed again.), I'll have the money to set up my own site, complete with blog powed by MT.

Today's read: Putting CDs inside fountain drink lids.

This guy's my hero. Take that, Baer.

Congrats ...

To Neal for landing his interview with the frontman of The Long Winters for his profile interview. Everyone else, let me know if you land someone cool.

Hopefully I'm doing Susan Orlean. More on that later.

Ah-hem.

Well. One hour after the return from Montreal, the floor seems twice as loud. All the returnees are on their phones in the hallways, which is one thing I really hate. I don't want to hear stories from anyone, either. (With a solitary exception, but I only half-way want to hear his. More on that in the next graf.) It'll just make me depressed. Fuck off, ya rich fucks. I don't want to hear that you paid for it yourself, because the only way that worked out is because your parents pay for your other stuff. Me, I'm busting my ass so I have enough to pay my bills, which most of you don't even have.

I feel jaded. Depressed. Annoyed.

Yeah, I want to hear stories from A because we're friends and that's the way friends are. But then again, I don't want to hear about your great time because deep down, part of me wants to hear you say it would have been better if I was there, or that you missed me. Which is a silly way for me to feel — so I'll just stay here in my room till it goes away.

Sometimes, I just want to run away from everything.

What's this?

It looks like another re-design. Let me know what you think, and if you have any problems. I'm going to try to make the design relative so different resolutions see the design better (if you're using anything but 1024x768, there's no telling what it looks like. Nor do I really care.), and fix the issues with windows. untill then ...

The poem in the top is by Anna Akhmatova.

Well, well, well.

Half the floor (an aproximate value) is in Montreal. The floor is so quiet. It just seems different. We played poker in the lounge last night with no drunk/loud interruptions and no drunks playing. So peaceful.

This morning I went down to the GSU and got a caramel frappachino (probably my favorite Starbucks drink), because it's 64 degrees out and I needed out of this cinder-block prison cell I live in. My windows and my door are open, so hopefully it'll be really pleasant in here all day. I've no plans for the day, either — getting ready to do some Russian homework, plus I have plenty of other homework to do (actually, it's a pretty light load for once, including working on assignments not due till late in the week). Plus my blog redesign, complete with pictures of yours truly.

On my way back from the GSU, I saw a tour group. Every time I see one, I smile and admire the campus as if I was seeing it for the first time too. But then I think about all the times I've heard people talk about busting up those groups and telling them the "truth" about BU. Or just talking about how much they hate it and can't wait to leave.

I say, "Shut up. If you don't like it, why the fuck are you paying 40-grand to come here?" Stupid fucks. The tour guides should, however, tell prospective students the three worse things about BU: the cost, the grade deflation, the winter. The three best things: the teachers, the class selections, the campus. So fuck off, all ya whiny bitches. It seems to me if you're going to come here, you had better like it. Otherwise, go somewhere else. It costs so much to go here that even I, on almost a full ride, have considered transferring to somewhere cheaper. For one year's tuition here, I could buy my 'Sades.

Well, it's back to Tom Waits and Russian homework. But I'll leave with a picture I shot yesterday of myself:

Finders keepers.

Look what I found! Not of much interest to anyone but me, but it's the most endearing thing I've ever read. Some time in the past year this guy became really jaded, but maybe I can bring him back. I try my best. (All my love, kiddo.)

Sex.

How's that for attention-getting, eh? This is, however, a sex-related post. Last night, my friend Adam IMs me, telling me about his Christian aquaintance from back home who wouldn't leave him alone. He told her about the trip to Montreal he's about to embark upon, and she said for him to "behave himself": No drinking or sex.

"That's ridiculous," I thought to myself. I wrote back: "Be like, 'I have to go take some shots now, b/c this hot girl is begging me to come get drunk with her. I'll talk to you tomorrow b/c i'm proably sleeping at her place tonight.'" Adam added sex to the message somewhere and sent it. The girl replied with something about unprotected, promiscuous sex.

Promiscuous? What a word to use. For having sex with one person? Yeah, right. It's an arbitrarily assigned word — used for individuals who could have had sex with two to two hundred people.

But assigning it to a person who's had sex with, let's say, under five people (in a lifetime, or in a year, month ... that many in a week or less is pushing it for this example) seems like it would ruin the word. You take away the force that goes with it. In that case, nearly everyone's having promiscuous sex.

Oh, except for the Christians, who are the one's most likely to tag someone with this term. But let me tell you all a little story about Christians, since I grew up with a school chock full of them. They either have sex, usually while dating the person they're sleeping with (and when the relationship is over, they repeat the situation with a new partner), or they're "waiting till marriage." Um, sure.

What I've noticed actually happens is this: Guy meets girl. They like eachother. They date, hold hands, kiss. Kissing evolves into long make-out sessions, then to masturbation of the other person, then to oral sex. (Of course, those three can happen in any order nowadays. But back in my day ...) One day, guy is lusting after girl. He realizes he "loves" her. He tells her that. He either talks about them getting married, or she just assumes they will since he loves her. And then, BAM, sex. The relationship either really results in marriage later, or it falls apart and both realize waiting is a load of shit. Anyone who's ever had good sex can attest to that — people should have good sex as often as possible, I think.

Now, I'm sure there are plenty of goody-two-shoes, Bible-thumping, heartland-living Christians out there about ready to bite my head off for this post. But then again, what the hell are they doing reading my blog anyways? Hey! You! Shoo! This blog belongs to a pagan, a practicing Wiccan at that. I think reading this buys you a first-class ticket to hell. Save yourself! Click here!

Yes, I'm laughing at myself again.

Predictament.

Furniture. Oh man. I'm going to spend my summer sleeping on the floor.

In other contemplative cognitive events ... It's been a shoddy day. I realized earlier that, just like high school, I'm not part of a group of friends. I just tag along — people don't mind hanging out with me if I'm around, but they're not inclined to hang out with me. It's unreciprocated friendship, or something. If I decided to not leave my room to hang out with people, I don't think anyone would ever come to see me. I don't know why this is, and I'd like to say I don't care, but I do. However, trying to make people like me obviously doesn't work, so I think I'll just be hermit.

I saw a lady today with an umbrella. It was neither raining or sunny (so she couldn't have been using it as a parasol). It upset me, but I'm not sure why. I've seen other weird things today too, but I've let many of them slip away while contemplating my housing situation for the summer and my perpetual lack of friends.

For now, though, I have to go sit in logic. Then it's off to work, which is even worse.

More problems.

What about the internet! Cable modems are expensive! Oh no! Without the internet, it'll be hard for me to freelance, too.

I can't find any 18+ strip clubs in Boston. So much for that plan, I guess.

Also, I don't trust people with duffle bags.

---

I'm glad I know funny people. For example.

Pagan.

I love her blog ... Not to mention she's an incredible photographer and absolutely beautiful. Proof:

Bill Maher.

I'm tumbling around thoughts of new writing assignments for CO201, but while I'm doing that, I'm (of course) browsing. I'm thinking about using Movable Type for my blog, and I found the link to Bill Maher's blog on their page. It is imperative everyone click this link. It's really the funniest thing I've seen in a while, discounting the bunny-meets-racecar video.

Growing up.

I feel like I'm always a little ahead of the game ... Like I'm living my life in a hurry, as if it will be over soon. In a way, I guess it will be. Of course, there's a reason for this post. Jacob and I are getting an apartment. (We think.) We're pretty sure the budget will work out right, and we're planning on moving into a one-bedroom in Lakeland around June 1. When I go down in April we're going to go hunting for real; today we just checked out prices. He wanted to move into this furninshed house on a lake, for $650/month. It'd be wonderful, if we could afford it — especially since I'll only be there summers.

I must admit that it's a little scary. I can't wait, but it's a little stressful. It's the one last thing I have to do before I'm really an adult, I guess. Hopefully I can make good money ... and if it doesn't work out at first, there's always stripping.

As for working, I have a few options. I'm for sure freelancing for The Orlando Weekly and Axis. For a regular part-time gig, my fall-back option is Barnes and Noble, which I was actually looking forward to until Jacob said Lakeland has it's own paper and he's friends with a guy whose girlfriend works there. So hopefully I can get a spot at The Lakeland Ledger. They have a couple of spots open right now, so maybe they'll be interested in taking me on to fill the space for the summer, thus cutting down on their stress.

Oh, and about stress: I'm feeling pretty free of it right now. I thought it was going to be a hectic week, so I did all the homework I could over the weekend. Now I'm done with all my work for the rest of the week. Only worry is my Russian quiz on Friday, but I don't feel too stressed about that, which I guess makes it not a worry.

However, I've felt so stressed out about how stressed out Adam's been that it makes up for a lack of my own stress. It sucks when people are stressing out and I can't help get any of that pressure off them.

I found a site with lots of cool CSS examples, so expect more site changes soon. That reminds me that I should start including a brief technology thing for all the non-dorks on 11C. Maybe that should just read for everyone on 11C, because non-dorks makes it redundant. But don't worry guys, it's okay to be techno-illterate. It guarantees I have a better shot at your job! Bwa-ha-ha! (Sorry, that was uncalled for and I didn't really mean it. I'm just hoping to spur you all to action.)

A last note: The longer I'm out of Kentucky, the more like a Kentuckian I act. I brought back my accent yesterday for fun, and today I pulled my straw out of my empty cup and walked down the street chewing on it. (A plastic straws is a high-tech replacement for plant straw ... weird. I wonder if that's how straws got their name.)

And some lyrics, from old-school country band Alabama:

I'm in a hurry to get things done
Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why

Today's read: A Chinese Girl's Diary Builds a Bridge Out of Rural Poverty.

Prof. Panich sent me this story, relaying that she was mesmirized by the story, and that it had an interesting ethical issue as well. I read it immediately, knowing she wouldn't send me something not worthwhile. The story damn near made me cry.

What a life.

Not just mine, but Belle de Jour's, too:

"Wasn't it Tallulah Bankhead who said only good girls keep diaries and bad girls haven't the time? I'm setting out to prove her wrong.

Today is my logic midterm, which I'm not too worried about. Then I have to go out and get my phone fixed, because things (like usual) got kind of crazy yesterday with moya semya (my family).

So it's Russian homework, logic discussion, lunch, study, logic midterm, phone, dinner. Then from dinner on, it's homework and ANTM time. It's the last episode. I don't know what I'm going to do with my life once it's over. Rest assured, though, that I will not turn to Forever Eden to make myself feel better. That show sucks.

Anyway ... I promise an interesting, intellectual piece in the next few days.

Mildly thoughtful.

Maybe it's the number of papers I've written in the past week, but writing something creative and interesting just seems so hard right now.

After I got my phone fixed today, I bought two new pairs of flip-flops. My first for the season. It seems if I buy new flip-flops, the weather will have to comply with my wishes and give me warm enough weather to wear them. And now, since I haven't looked at the weather all day ... it seems I'm right. It's going to warm up all week, with a high of 60 on Friday. Oh, Friday. You seem so far away, yet I know my waking hours are few before you're back again.

I'm discovering I cannot write — or barely think — once it is dark out. So much for the typical college schedule. All-nighter my ass. If faced with that much work, I'd be much more inclined to get up with the sun after catching some shut-eye. Maybe I should do that sometime soon. Go to bed really early, then wake up at 6 a.m. and do my work.

But that plan will have to wait. Today is only Tuesday, and while that means the week is half-over tomorrow, the week still looms ahead of me. So much to do, it seems, though it's probably not as bad as I think.

Temporary.

I promise to write a better entry as soon as I have time. A few quick things really quick, just to help me out.

My phone's broken. My phone bill is way to high, and supposedly it's being adjusted, but my 'rents can't tell me by how much — and I can't call because my phone's broken.

My mom, in a typical move, freaked out and took my questions about the phone bill and turned them into this giant "you only call us when you need something" lecture, which isn't true and I proved it and made her take it back. But that didn't really help.

Yesterday.

For two hours yesterday, I felt like I was in heaven. (I took a nap.) I worry, though, what the consequences of that action may be — I may have done myself a disfavor. But it was so nice.

Still no time.

I want to write at least half of my six-eight page paper in the next hour. But, a poem:

.waking.UP.

	here,alone.

new possibilities–struck(

		down)

everythingcrashes 

	to...a...halt.

problems propagate; tears fall.

still here,alone.

Hmmmm ...

... being productive sucks. I've busted some tail today (and yesterday) and have plans to continue tomorrow. After Kris's performance, I'm going to watch Rounders, then maybe go ahead and write my film review tonight instead of tomorrow. I need to talk to Alana for my Ventura article and get that sent out, too. Other than that, I need to study for my logic midterm and my Russian quiz. So I guess it worked out better than I expected.

Since I don't have much to say, I'll just link to some more family pictures. These are from the zoo:

Shelbie, Missy and me on some weird balance beam that seems to have no purpose.

All four of us on some wilderbeast statues. Or at least that's what we think they are.

Us, with Dad, who is trying to look as unhappy as he possibly can.

It's over.

"It" refers to the week, for any grammarians out there. Even though it makes me think of people who speak in AOL-isms, TGIF. Even better is that my 10 a.m. class was cancelled today, so all I had was my hour of Russian — don't get me wrong, that was enough. Of course, having class cancelled made my hard work yesterday seem pointless. I had to go to the library and then skip logic so I could do research and write my one-page summary, thesis and works (to be) cited page for my upcoming paper. It was a trick when she said we had a one-page assignment, because in order to do it, I had to do my research first.

But now it's all done with, even though I have quite the plateful this weekend. Fortunately, my anti-socialite stance is paying off — I have only one plan for the weekend, so I have ample time to do my work.

That work, as a reminder to myself, includes a film review, memoir revisions, Ventura profile corrections, Russian homework, six-page paper on Zoshchenko's satire ... Clean my room, fax out applications (so I can spend my summer in Florida, hopefully) ... Is that all? I hope so.

Today's read:ACES Headline competition.

This year's award-winning headlines.

---

If you need a new hot girl for your desktop, I recommend this one.

Fun stuff.

Namely, more pictures. Today's really hectic, so I don't have time to write anything. But here's a new pic of me, from "family picture day" over winter break. Here's the one of me with all three sisters. The youngest is my half-sister Shelbie. The one with really long, dark hair is Melissa (who will be coming up here in April), and the other is Robin.

As a quick aside: the picture of me alone is the one for which I had a foot-tall column stuck between my thighs. It was awkward.

Also, since I've been doing research for the past three hours today, I'd like to highly recommend JSTOR. It's a database of scholarly publications. Great for literary criticism. It's free, and has a lot of nice features. The search allows you to save whichever articles you want for later, and then you can view the saved items, print them or export them to a text file.

Today's read: "A personal journey in Mosow," about newspaper design in Russia.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

"If you're lucky enough to be Irish, then you're lucky enough!"

I was hoping to go do something fun today to celebrate, but I way too much stuff today. But I'm Irish and I'm in Boston — it's so unfair! Why do I have so much to do this week?

I'm tired and feeling stressed out. I don't want to go to any of my classes today, but I can't really miss any of them. Damn, damn, damn. I need some breakfast and a sweet phone call.

I'm going to study.

Today's reading: Miracle: The BU connection

Awesome if you go to Boston University ... cool if you like hockey or the movie.

Also, check out this sometime. It generates random quotes from The Big Lebowski.

And I really want one of these. I'm so buying one ASAP. And here is my Amazon.com wish list. Someone should buy me the cheap Susan Orlean book as a late birthday present. Especially since she's supposedly coming here to speak.

Pictures!

Jacob and me at Epcot, sporting our 3-D glasses from "Honey, I shrunk the audience."

Me with the statue lady. Yes, that's a real person. She's incredible.

Me in front of the fountain, with the ball in the background. I'm the little person in the purple shirt.

Me again in front of the fountain, but without the ball, and with my hoodie on.

What a week.

Sometimes, I spend my weekend loafing because I don't think I have anything I need to do for class. Sometimes those things really don't exist and sometimes they don't exist until the week begins.

This, of course, is one of those weeks. (Why else would I write about it?) I knew I had some work to do over break, some of which I did. Last night I finished my Russian translations, and I knew I would have to work on the rest of my Russian homework tonight. Then I remembered I have a paper due on Thursday in logic, and no one knows how it's supposed to be written. I have a one-page summary and thesis statement for an upcoming paper due Friday. I have class 3:30-5 p.m. today, then Jeopardy at 5:30, dinner at 6, a meeting at 7, Next Top Model at 9 ... then I can do work. I may have to skip some television watching.

Tonight wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to work 5-11:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. That really eats up all of my homework time. Maybe I should start doing coke so I can stay up later.

Oh, and to Z: I like the editorial idea (see comment to yesterday's post)... But it's your idea, so you should write it. I'll dwell on it, though, and see what happens.

And a new thing I'll try to do everyday: A link to some type of article online that I think people either need to read, or will find interesting.

Today's read: NPPA "Best of Television Photojournalism 2004"

Mostly clips, but if you have any interest in film and/or journalism, it's worth checking out, just to see what's out there.

Who'da thunk?

NASA to Announce Discovery of 10th Planet:: "Astronomy textbooks will become a little more dated this week with the announcement of the 10th planet in the solar system at a distant orbit around the sun for beyond the ninth planet Pluto. "

Update on planet, from NYT:

Sedna's remoteness has inspired scientists to conjecture over how much the discovery could be telling them about the far reaches of the solar system. The planetoid is more than three times as far from the Sun as the current distance of Pluto, normally considered the edge of the planetary system. But it travels a widely eccentric orbit, taking 10,500 years to revolve around the Sun.
Calculations by the researchers show that Sedna, now a relatively close 8 billion miles from Earth, wanders out as far as 84 billion miles, in a region presumably populated with icy bodies too small to be observed by telescopes.

It's the first large object to be discovered since Pluto, in 1930.

Hassles.

So, I check out my cell phone bill online today. It's about $200 more than it should be. I get upset. I call the company (who I'll allow to remain nameless, because they're actually pretty good), who first tell me I'm not an "authorized contact" on the account (which pisses me off since I'm the one who pays the bill on time, but they don't know that), so I hang up, get my mom to authorize me, and call back. After wasting 30 of my precious daytime minutes (I think you should get calls to the company reimbursed), I hang up after being told I'll get a call in 3-7 days and those people will be able to help me.

It turns out the plan I thought I had (the one my mom told me I had, and the one the customer care guy told her I had) is not the one I had. My "free nights and weekends" weren't on the plan. Don't know why, don't really care. But I want them back. Not next month, but now.

So then my mom realizes if that's true, she's not really sure what any of us have. She spends two hours on the phone getting it all straightened out, guaranteeing free minutes for all. We're also getting 100 more minutes for $10/month. And that customer care person seems to think we can get my overage charges taken care of. Apparently, it happens all the time with people who have multiple phones, and they fix it. (They're slogan is "customers first," or something.) I don't mind paying the $70 I actually went over — well, I do — but I don't want to pay the other $110.

Now that my frustration has abated, I need to translate some Pushkin.

Back.

Classes haven't started yet, but I'm already dreading them. My head hurts and I'm tired; I don't feel like doing homework and I think I'm just going to go to sleep (it's 11 p.m.).

But I do want to mention I had a wonderful spring break. I'm already lonely — I get so used to having Jacob around, functioning like a team and being happy. I'm glad I got to go there for break, and I'm glad Omar doesn't mind me being there. (And props to Ilia and Carmen for being great all week, too.)

I really hope I get to spend my summer in Florida. The writing opportunities I have down there are great; I can make money working a day job (probably at a bookstore), which will also keep me occupied while Jacob is working. I'll be with Jacob, which makes me happy — I can't imagine spending the summer without seeing him a bunch (I guess I'm really spoiled from last summer). If I don't go to Florida this summer, I'll be in Kentucky. I'll only get to see Jacob once a month until fall break from school. And that sounds terrible.

And now ... sleep.

Change of mind

I saw this on Catallaxy's blog.

So instead of the Faux shirt, I want this one. Or both. But this one I might actually buy ...

No time ...

To actually write. I went to Epcot today — and it was cool. Tomorrow is Disney World. In other news:



They have that available on a shirt. I want it.

Relief.

Here I am, in sunny Florida. Things are going better than I expected, even though I had to wait for over an hour to be picked up. But I was brought breakfast in bed this morning ...

Things would be grand if the boys had left us a key ... Illia and I are trapped in the apartment. And I really wanted to go get ice cream, or a milkshake, or a rootbeer float.

Being at home went alright; I really didn't do too much. Yesterday all I did was work on my dad's computer for three hours — and now it doesn't work again. Sunday we went to the zoo, which was cool since I haven't been in a number of years. I got to see the gorillas for the first time, including the baby one. They exhibit is somewhat unsettling, because you can press yourself against the glass, and so can the gorillas (even though they can't see you). So I sat beside the glass and watched one of them eat — just like we do.

For now I guess it's back to reading various books for school, and tinkering with my OS theme. I installed "ThemePark" and "ShapeShifter" so I can alter the MacOS X theme. I'm just changing colors for now.

Have you ever had one of those moments when you wondered what the hell was going on with your life? But not really your life, just everyone else around you? When you realize people are awful creatures, full of lies and treachery?

But the worst part has to be the gut-wrenching sobs that follow those moments of realization. They often follow conversations where you've spilled so much to someone you truly care about, and all they say is, "I'll call you in the morning."

I just had one of those. And while it's not my intent for this blog (nor is it in my nature) to write about these things, it occurred to me other people may or may not behave in the same way. I think it would be a boon to my emotional well-being to hear other people feel this way.

As an aside, I always cry first over the cruelty of the world. Then I cry as I wonder what is wrong with me. If I believed in a god capable of such petty things, I would wonder why it hated me so much. I don't understand what I've done in this life — or any one I lived before this one — to warantee so much pain. If suicide didn't create bad karma, I'd kill myself and hope the next life was better. (I guess that's the point of karma, anyway, but that's for a later discussion.)

Plus, I don't know if I can sleep yet anyway. If I turn off the lights and lay down, I'll probably just fall to pieces again. If I can't sleep, I promise a post about karma and my melange of relgious-esque ideas.

Oh, and eventually a post about my weekend at my homes in Kentucky.

Well, well, well.

Here I am, back in Kentucky. It's moderately warm and raining. Today we're taking family pictures, which I thought were at 11 a.m. but are actually at 1 p.m. I found this out after I got up at 8:30 a.m., after five hours of sleep. So now I'm tired, plus we're going to eat at a resturaunt I know isn't vegetarian-friendly ... But oh well. It's not worth the hassle.

On the upside, I'm going to see the Saderholms today, which is always an adventure.

My flights home were pretty uneventful. On the way from Cinncinati, I sat next to this really drunk older gent. He smelled like vodka and kept asking me strange questions. I tried to look out the window and read my book, and give the shortest answers possible. But I felt like he kept staring at me, which was really uncomfortable.

Well, I have another 30 minutes to kill ... I think I'll go watch TLC.

---

I made it through pictures. Unbeknowst to me prior to the shoot, we were taking individuals as well. So there will be a new pic of me in existence ... Yes, I'll put it online somewhere, for anyone who might be interested.

I also spent three hours at the Saderholm's, which means nothing to any of you but so much to me. They're like another family for me, but this one is normal and not dysfunctional. And they eat vegetarian a lot and they're all really intellectual. So that was fun. Then I went to my dad's, and we all watched Lion King 1-1/2. By all of us, I mean (at the beginning), Dad, Allie (my step-mom who's 24), my sisters Missy (16), Robin (14) and Shelbie (almost 3 — my half-sister) — and me. At the end, it was just Dad, Robin and me.

Now I'm back at my mom's, getting ready to go to sleep. The five-hour thing is really getting to me.

Midlight of the day: Finding gas for $1.48, even though it's $1.60+ everywhere else nearby.

Highlight of the day: Hearing the frogs, probably hundreds of them, croak in such a beautiful way ... Seeing all the stars shining above an unpolluted rural Kentucky sky ... And having the full moon hang over my car as I drove along, illuminating the interior of my car and everything around it.

---

What I want really bad at this particular moment: Susan Orlean's The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup: My Encounters with Extraordinary People

Finally.

It's spring break. I have two classes today, then I'm finished. I skipped my logic lecture yesterday, which gave me an hour and a half to do homework for today, work on my Ventura piece, and pack. I finished the Ventura piece last night — it's 1,481 words.

I will be writing over break, but for now I need to stop and get some other things done. I'll leave with one last excerpt from the story:

As he's been quoted as saying many times — and he can't be blamed for doing so — he pointed out the two-part system is "just great."
"It gives us one more choice than Communist Russia."

Since I'm getting ready to travel, as are many of my friends, here's a poem I wrote on the plane once:

The clouds undulate below me,

     churning like

                 a crested sea.

But while I'm defying

             gravity

and soaring          the ground,

              above

                  what makes me smile

are the aquamarine 

                pools,

dappling suburbia 

              like little dots 

of California

Have a safe, enjoyable trip, everyone.

Rain

It's raining outside. It's not too cold, but it's raining. The streets look slick and smooth and the sun isn't out to dry them. The people are armed with umberellas, little dots of color I can see. Without the sun, I lose my inspiration. With the rain, I want to sleep.

It's going to be a long day. I have the Jesse Ventura story to work on, an essay to revise and a Russian quiz at noon. Plus I have to work from 5-11:30 p.m. And I have to do laundry and pack today.

On another note, my aunt (a steadfast Republican) forwarded me yet another "why the Democrats are evil" e-mail. This one was about how Enron gave Clinton money just like it did Bush. Usually I just delete the e-mails, but this time I looked up some information on the 'net and replied to her. I pointed out that the first signs of wrongdoing at Enron did not surface till 1999 — the end of Clinton's term. The reports from the Board of Directions, which are being used as evidence, date no earlier than 2001. I had to remind her, and anyone else who would listen, that it is not the funding anyone is concerned about. It is the fact that Bush did not step in because he received that funding. Who knows, Clinton might have done the same thing.

Then I reminded her I don't like Democrats either. And I certainly don't like special intrests money.

---

Today's motto: Nulla dies sine linea
"Never a day without a line."

Nervous.

Time till interview at time of post: 11 hours. Nervous level, out of 10: 6.

I have so many questions I want to ask, but they're so disjointed. I just hope I can keep my head straight and articulate good questions. (Not to mention take good notes.)

---

it looks (so

gray 

	outside.

like the world's contrast

has been 

,turned,down.

---

Time till interview at time of post: 1.25 hours. Nervous level, out of 10: between a 3-8 (it comes and goes).

Right now I'm really just worried about the photographer being on time. I'm catching a 10 a.m. train and that's that. Once I'm there, in the building, not wandering around lost at Harvard, I think I'll be okay.

When he ran for mayor, the major parties called him the most dangerous person in the city. He's heard from three sources that the White House was scared he'd get into the 2004 election. "I'm two-and-oh," he said, referring to his mayoral and gubernatorial races. He's a threat — an independent candidate who has proven elections can be won without the support of special interests or major party backing.
But who isn't a little scared of Jesse Ventura?

That's my intro, and for now, that's all I'm saying. More details on the interview later, when I'm not spending all my time on the story.

---

I can't resist. Here's Ventura on the Democratic and Republican parties:

"You look at those two and the best comparison is that you're at the grocery and the only drinks are Pepsi and Coke. There's no root beer, no 7-up. Just these two, and they're both sodas."

Awake

Well, at some point this morning I turned off my alarm clock and slept till 9 a.m., which is when my Pilates class starts. So I'm not there (again). I guess my body needed the sleep — although I feel like ass right now.

What a way to start the day. Now, if I could just get a shower (they were all full) and some homework done ...

Oh! I almost forgot. I have an interview with Jesse Ventura tomorrow! It's really strange for me to think about, and I'm pretty nervous.

---

Sometimes, my grandmother knows me way too well. Here's a decently-written story (that's the highest compliment I can give the C-J) on political Web logs.

---

it's a drain to watch the time drip by,

the minutes fall and puddle.

     (a leaky faucet)

Redesigned

Here's the new, updated version of my blog. Isn't it pretty? I'll do the xanga one ASAP.

Peace.

Addendum: I'll work out the IE kinks ASAP. If possible, leave a comment telling me what the problem is, what browser you're using (and version thereof), and what OS you're on. thanks.

As the cars drive by the buildings,

Their windows bounce back headlights,

glimmer-flashes-sparkles

      like

quickly falling shooting stars.