Yule Tide Greetings to ye all. Happy Holidays and required well wishing :) I hope you've all spent the Christmas evening and day and Christmas Day Evening (yes steve, I did type that) with loved ones. I am very lucky that I've got so many people I count in that "loved ones" category, so yay to you all.

On a more well, grounded note...I had a relaxing Christmas Eve after some rather interesting experiences in the holiday book selling retail world. I'd just like to say thank you to everyone visiting Barnes and Noble for not asking me where the non-fiction section is, and I hope I was able to help you find satisfactory gifts for your friends/sisters/fathers and grandparents who play Scrabble.

I've watched alot of movies, I've eaten alot of food, I've spent some time with friends and family, all in all, it's been a good break so far, and I'm looking forward to the rest of it!

Which means New Year's Eve in Chicago with Erik, Misa, Pete and one of Erik's friends who is home for the holiday. :):) SOOOO excited!!! Will update again soon, and eventually I'll figure out how to put up some pics on this thing...HTML has failed me thus far in that effort...

River kwai - River Why?

Okay, so I did not find Bridge On the River Kwai (#13) that interesting. I found the history behind the REAL bridge building alot more fascinating and quick-paced than the movie. I get that AFI wanted this on their list for the cultural impact, and the Academy nods. However, military genre films really just don't do it for me. I gave it a valiant effort (in my own estimation) but alas, it couldn't hold my interest. On a good note, my apartment is more clean because of this movie.

"You Provide the Prose, I'll Provide the War" - Charles Foster Kane

Before you believe that I have misquoted William Randolph Hearst, please be advised that his famous quote is: "You provide the pictures and I'll provide the war." Though, if you had believed this title was a misquote, you would be counted initially among brilliant minds like myself (self-editing needed here). As I sat watching Citizen Kane#1 last night, I had the very same thought. This Charles Foster Kane is misquoting a famous journalism man, though this seems somewhat apt, considering he's just taken over the NY Inquirer and "I know nothing about running a newspaper." According to Answers.com, when asked if the film was based on the life of WRH, director/screenwriter Orsen Welles was quoted as saying, "It is not based upon the life of Mr. Hearst or anyone else. On the other hand, had Mr. Hearst and similiar financial barons not lived during the period we discuss, Citizen Kane could not have been made."
So to me it seems as though Welles is tipping his hat to those moguals of yellow journalism, but not formally giving credit for his inspiration for the feature to any one tycoon. Kudos to Welles for trying to remain somewhat vague, probably in an attempt to remain somewhat more diplomatic in the face of Hearst's mission (after having watched the film) to get the film banned and destroy the reputation of its director (again according to Answers.com).
The movie itself moves along at a fairly quick pace, I'm sure everyone has to turn only to the IMDB (a librarian's best friend sometimes) to acquire a plot synopsis and cast list. More importantly, I'm guessing a number of people have seen the movie, or in the very least, know it's famous line of "ROSEBUD." I'm sure that it's not a coincidence that the movie is #1 on the AFI 100 Years 100 Movies list, nor that ROSEBUD is one of the top 100 Quotes (#17).
I'm just happy to report that I've finally gotten back on the track of watching NEW films on this list (i.e. films that I have not seen before - short clips notwithstanding)...thanks to the choice to rent From Here to Eternity last weekend while in Chicago (# 52).
I must also "tip my own hat" to the fact that I am no longer busy with Fall semester of grad school and have a whole week of working and waiting for my car to be fixed, before returning to Iowa...so this leaves a few hours to catch up on the viewing pleasures.





I also rented 39 Steps, to continue my quest to watch all of the Alfred Hitchcock features I can get my hands on.

WARNING: LONG and WINDING Post Ahead

While perusing my normal collection of links to friends’ and friends-of-friends’ blogs last night, I remembered that my brother, during a Thanksgiving phone conversation, told me I should send him the link to mine and he’d do the same. Not to disappoint the potential audience (because we all know how narcissistic I already am) I obliged.

From my brother’s blog came links to blogs of one of his best friends from junior high through today, the best friend’s sister, who graduated high school with me, and the best friend’s father, who, in an interesting “small town Iowa City world moment” was also my junior high school principal a few years back. (Okay more than a few years back, but really, I’m only nearing a quarter of a century here folks.) Regardless, having not so much “stumbled” as “been directed” to these sites of other people I know, who probably have no idea I’m now clued into their journalings, (unless they are also, in turn, via Steve’s site, clued into my OWN postings), I am now convinced that there is at the very least a sense of voyeurism associated with reading the blogs of other people that don’t know you read them, OR with reading blogs of people you’ve never met.

Online journaling, for those of us who maintain sites, and occasionally actually bother to update them (unlike certain Cubs baseball fans), is a really good way to catch a snippet of what other people are recommending and experiencing, on a daily or infrequent basis. For example, the best friend’s sister’s boyfriend (oh ya, we’re talking six degrees of Kevin Bacon here) recently posted about a book that he found worthwhile. While skimming their joint blog, I was intrigued, because the book is also tangentially related to my field of study. His post included enough tidbits about the contents of this monograph that I checked it out while at Barnes and Noble last night. Since my future career will hopefully involve, at least in the minimal sense, the understanding of how people perceive and interpret optical illusions, digital images, and art in general (as either a Visual Resources curator, or an Art librarian) I found it particularly interesting.

Now, the point I’m trying to make –yes there is a point –surprised? is that without actually having ever met this individual, and without knowing much about his personality, his like or dislike of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or his thoughts on God, I still took his reference to a book, and was motivated to scope it out in a bookstore.

How is that for the power of a relatively new phenomenon called bloging?
Consider also that I frequently check my friend’s blog, because he’s a production assistant at a big network news branch – and I check this because he finds and links many blogs that are watchdogs of the media industry. Consider also that I found out one of my fellow SLISARDS had tied the knot, first through a facebook.com name change, and then through reading his blog, long before I ACTUALLY ran into him at SLIS to congratulate him in person. In fact, people with in my program are researching blogs and blog activity and the social aspects of this phenomenon as well. Obviously there is some thing to this form of communication.

I was sitting in class today (my last class of the semester, so one where I’d most often zone out and think with finality on the course and the evaluation) and the speaker is a contemporary art historian here at IUB. He was discussing how his research has taken him all over the country to locate various papers/pamphlets and smatterings of information about an artist he wrote his dissertation on and continues to write about. He was also telling us how the web has made the access to research and information a very different arena. Well, this artist is living, has her own website, and so does a gallery she deals with. He was describing ephemeral documents that he’d located through physical archives, and via pdf files found on the web, such as handbills for protests, exhibit checklists, and personal correspondences.

The thought of personal correspondences made me stop a moment. In this age of blogs, when does the personal correspondence of the intended audience that a “bloger” knows reads their postings, become the public correspondence they have with people whom they’ve never met in person, but that leave comments on their blogs? Or in fact, people who read the blogs of others, and these writers have no idea that the people have read their postings, or have taken their recommendations for books to heart?

My other thought during this lecture was: Are there any contemporary artists that blog about their work? They might contain the problems they are trying to solve, or the statements they are trying to make with each piece, or their manifestos? Because, if this is occurring in the web arena, then who should be responsible for archiving and organizing all of this information? Obviously, these thoughts, mutterings and postings of contemporary artists will be worth preserving for future art historians and scholars. Where would scholars be without the collected letters of Van Gogh to his brother? While most of the archiving falls simply to the artist themselves, and their journal hosting site – why shouldn’t art librarians take on the responsibility of collecting print copies of pertinent and relevant artists’ postings for vertical files? Has anyone bothered to do screen captures of artists’ websites, or pull the information from these sites to include in a vertical file in a library?

Part of my internship this summer focused on the cataloging of artists file folders at the University of Iowa, in order to make these files accessible to students, because, these “ephemera” could be useful for research purposes. The New York Public Library has an extensive collection of artist files that have been microfilmed and distributed for purchase by other libraries, in order to facilitate this type of archival research.

Perhaps, such an endeavor should be done with artists’ blogs also? Maybe, a rudimentary print format, or some web-based archival product or system could accomplish this, and a librarian familiar with authority headings and classification systems could organize the content? So long as these sources of information, which resemble a mix between a self-edited artist DAILY autobiography or “memoirs,” meshed with such basic details as where they went for dinner, or with whom they spoke at a gallery opening, could very quickly become important for future scholars trying to trace inspirations and associations of today’s contemporary artists.

For my part, these are just the musings of a library science student, who spent the last two days mulling over the tip of the iceberg of blog culture and the tip of the vast potential of such technology on future archives and research methods. Talk about a can of worms…
Oh yes, and for those of you interested, I will be buying the book and I will be checking these other blogs regularly, with all manner of voyeurism that I suspect to feel from glimpsing the lives of known and unknown persons.

Lovely Surprise

To whomever sent me the flowers: Thank you! This gesture reminds me that I've got some wonderful friends who support me! They are a great addition to my apartment and brighten up the blah gray snowy Indiana landscape. So, hopefully, since you've decided to remain as simply "a friend" I've got no other choice than to send my thank you through these electronic means. Hopefully you read this blog, or you know someone who does, and they know you sent the flowers and will pass along my message ;)

And for the rest of you out there, thanks also for being my friends and supporting me in the various ways you do!

For the Record

For the record, I do, once again, believe in gravity. Thanks to capillary action. Incidentally, for more information on the Leaning Tower of Pisa, check out: http://torre.duomo.pisa.it/

The Links

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/llama.php

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/banana.php

http://www.familyguyfiles.com/

You HAVEN"T read the book!?!

Dear Indiana, Mom/Dad, Tina's, Waitress, PF. Chang's, Little Tibet, IMA, Residence Inn, B-town Theater, Trac, Erik, Rena, Jon, Steve, Becks, Misa, Aaron, Lenny's, Circle Center Mall,

Thanks for a nice drive to/from Indianapolis on Wednesday to pick up "Alaskaboy." Thanks also for a fine and somewhat windy drive to Indianapolis on Thursday for Thanksgiving festivies with my folks. Thanks also for not being too annoying with traffic or weather and delivering the other travelers safely to your state. Thanks also for not having the police decide that 10 miles over the speed limit was worthy of pulling over the blond in the civic...

Thanks to mom and dad for driving Thanksgiving food across three "I" states and sending me home with ALL of the leftovers. Thanks to Tina's in Bloomington for delivering a scrumptous pie. Thanks to the waitress at the Hilton hotel resturaunt for carding me and taking a long time to find my date of birth. Serves her right, haha. No thanks to P.F. Chang's mushrooms, though depositing them on other people's plates was a tad entertaining and the pin noddle soup made up for this slight problem with fungus. Thanks to Little Tibet for still serving their Iced Thai tea..sooo yummy.

Thanks to the IMA for having a real Norman Rockwell painting, which my dad found worthwhile and interesting to see (as so often I feel I drag him to art museums and subject him to lots of cultural things he could care less about.)

Thanks to the Residence Inn for having a hot tub! SCORE! :)

Thanks to the B-town theater for hosting a lovely and interesting affair called a matinee of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Thanks to Trac for pointing out things that are different between the movie and the book, since no, I HAVEN"T actually read this one (grad school got in the way). Thanks to Erik AND Trac for the combined effort to engrain the words "It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time" in my brain probably until I die. Thanks to Erik for attending some after movie dinner beer time at Lenny's. Thanks to Rena for letting us bug her afterwards.

Thanks to those I talked to on the phone: Jon, Steve, Becks, Misa, Aaron

No thanks are in order for Lenny's being out of my newly discovered Ruby beer. No thanks are allowed for the Friday morning 6 am wake up call for Circle Center Mall shopping, and no thanks for the fact that it was the record low for the past 16 or some odd years at 17 degrees upon the 4
block walk to said venue.

But THANKS overall for a good break.

Signed,
one of your visiting students from Iowa


PS: According to Trac - I should also thank Martha and her Baking Handbook something. :)

PPS: Faraji wants me to thank him also, even though I technically didn't talk to him over Thanksgiving weekend, but this evening - so thanks Faraji 11/30/05

Hey look, a post. Wow. I'm amazed at myself...could it be I've finally got a bit of free time and can write something brilliant, witty, or earth-shaking? Nope...well, the first part is corrent...a bit of free time, the later, well you're expectations far exceed my own if you think I'll be writing brilliant, witty or earth shaking things. More aptly, this is what you'll be getting, so you'll need to be satisfied.

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate it, and happy Thursday off of work/school for those of you who don't. :) May you enjoy it with family, friends or fun of some sort.

For myself, I'll be here in Indy, celebrating with my parents, who are driving over from Iowa. It will be a MUCH needed break from the academia. I am only responsible for a bottle of wine from the Butler Winery and a trippple berry pie from Tina's...both of which I'll yay or nay after the festivities...

Perhaps seeing Harry Potter this weekend, very exciting. ;) and yes, SOME people who see it in IMAX theaters first might find the whole experience somewhat lacking, but my guess is at least the company will be worthwhile...

What's Your Signature City?
S, your signature city is New York

Whether you like to have lots of options at your fingertips or you like to be in a metropolitan environment that's buzzing with energy, the Big Apple is the perfect place for you. Maybe you like to mix and mingle at some of the edgiest restaurants, shops, and clubs in the world. Or maybe you like to be in the middle of it all — in the bright lights and big city.One night could be dinner and a show on Broadway, a stroll through Central Park the next, or a trip to the Met the next. From Grand Central Station to Greenwich Village, New York's got some of the biggest and edgiest things to see and do anywhere in the world. No wonder a trendsetter like you would be right at home in the Big Apple.

take the test: http://web.tickle.com/

Cosmic Forces and Something More

My Horoscope from Monday: You have information and the ability to express yourself with grace and creative power today. Your words can move others to powerful feelings of awakening and awareness. Those close to you can have their eyes opened by what you have to say. Expand your mind by spending time with intelligent people, particularly those who are very different than you.

Well, now that it is Tuesday evening, I can reflect on how true this horoscope prediction was for yesterday. I did indeed expand my mind by spending time with some very intelligent people, and conversed over the use of vocabulary. I had information to share. I'm not sure I was up with the grace and creative power, but I do hope my words will move others and help them see what is out there for them, especially those with differing viewpoints from my own.

There is an interesting dicotomy to my thought process about superstition, horoscopes, karma and the whole "something out there" in some ways belonging to the qualification as "destiny" or a "higher power."
It's very easy for me to sit here now and apply what fits from yesterday into my horoscope, which was a prediction, that I didn't read until five minutes ago. Had I read this horoscope on Sunday night, well, perhaps I would have felt the same way about occurances yesterday. But perhaps not. I guess it's interesting to think that we all live our lives with a sense of "knowing" what is around the corner or what we plan to do with ourselves or others, in say, the span of 24 hours, or what we'll have for lunch, or what we'll want to be doing 20 years from now.
Truth is, no body knows with 100% certainty what lies ahead, in the next minute, or the next 20 years. We can plot out our course and chart out our lives with a sense of purpose and plan, and still we have to allow for, excuse the expression, the inkblots of life. Or perhaps, I feel as many friends my age feel, that even though we've got a direction, or have some sort of idea of where we're heading, or want to go, we don't know for sure that it is the RIGHT way to go, the path we are meant to be on. Maybe one of these "inkblots" will make us change our minds about that direction, and we'll veer toward a new one. But are we really the ones in control of those moments, or is there something more powerful that guides us to make the choices we make? Is there really something so vast and influential that can be summed up in a simple word like "Fate"? I don't claim to believe in organized religion as an outlet for myself, but I do believe that there is something out there that acts upon us, and causes us to have impulses and thoughts at defining moments. Sometimes we dont' even know that those moments are defining ones until much later.
So, when I ask myself, would I have believed that my horoscope came true at the end of yesterday, I have to also admit that hindsight is 20/20, and that the best I can do is live my life with an attempt toward being kind to everyone and everything, to hope that I make good choices with positive results, and to know that, inevitably the "plans we've made will give way to the reality of today and quickly become recollections of the past." If they come to fruition, all the better. and if they don't...well then, there's always tomorrow's horoscope to read the day after.

Writer's block...

Borrowed from Trac:
If I were a month, I'd be June...no school and sunny. If I were a day of the week, I'd be Saturday because you still have a day left to do everything else...If I were a color, I'd be blue...because, I'm vain and I look good in it. If I were an animal I'd be a turtle, because I'd be able to hide my head if needed. If I were a movie, I'd be Garden State, because waking up to feeling life is most important. If I were a class, I'd be Art, Law and Ethics, thought provoking and relevant. If I were a shoe, I'd be indoor soccer shoes, or my "Blowme" boots. If I were an ice cream flavor, I'd be mint chocolate chip. If I were a place, I'd be Okoboji. If I were an element, I'd be iron..because I can remember the symbol for it. If I were a perfume, I'd be Halo by Victoria's Secret, because it smells good on me. If I were a state, I'd be one I haven't visited yet...unfair to judge what state I'd be, since i haven't been to all yet. If I were a country, again same problem. If I were an instrument, are we talking like musical or torture or something else? I'd be a french horn then..If I were a season, I'd be fall...If I were a body part, I'd be a mouth. If I were a flavor, I'd be cinnimon and sugar a mixture...If I were an alcoholic drink, I'd be an alabama slammer...If I were a shape, I'd be a rhombus! If I were a number, I'd be 27 If I were a president, I'd be a damn good one and still a woman. If I were a beauty product, I'd be flavored lipgloss. If I were a book, I'd be Me Talk Pretty One Day. If I were a letter of the alphabet, I'd be an ampersand, but that's not really a letter...If I were a word, I'd be the word word. If I were a store, I'd be Target. If I were a song, I'd be anything by Guster. If I were an item of clothing, I'd be a oversized comfy sweatshirt. If I were a clothing line, um, no idea here...fashion? If I were a facial feature, I'd be a smile. If I were an emotion, I'd be love. If I were a sound, I'd be laughter. If I were a scent, I'd be lilac. If I were a car, I'd be a Civic. If I were a fruit, I'd be a blueberry. If I were a planet, I'd be Earth. If I were a feeling, I'd be calm. If I were a bone, I'd be a collarbone (cause I've broken mine) If I were a flower, I'd be a dandilion, not really a flower, but alot of fun to pick up. If I were jewelry, I'd be my necklace. If I were a show, I'd be Everwood. If I were you, I'd be thanking god this post is over.

First, congratulations go out to the happy couples that were recently married. Both those that I witnessed in person, and those I've heard about through the SLIS grapevine ;) may you all attain the happiness and dreams that come from sharing your lives with another!
Second, this week was just a crazy and strange one in my book. I must amend the earlier post through this supplemental addition (oh ya, librarian terms). Other highlights included: trying Lennies for the first time, and actually drinking a beer other than Killians. The GnR cover band at Axis. Japanese curry and omelettes. My knee finally feeling slightly less out of whack. Comic book nerdness at the Lilly. And lastly, kudos to the Chi-town Sox on the victory tonight. Myself, not really a baseball fan in the past, being a semi-converted "jump-on-the-bandwagon" type now. having been to one CR minor league game last summer (thanks jon and kik) I understood the 7th inning stretch. Now, thanks to another avid baseball fan, I know terminology like "knuckle ball" and "RBI." If this new found knowledge wins me a Trivial Pursuit game in the future, so much the better!

What a strange and wild week has passed before me. There were some major highs, and some major lows. Highlights definately included cutting off most of my hair then going out with some friends who didn't even recognize me, Jaime's wedding, Iowa FB's win, a lovely wine party hosted by a good friend. yay for visits from Iowa friends to B-town as well :)
The downsides? well, we'll see what happens with those. ... hope all is well with everyone else...and I'm out.

The worst week in my life so far at SLIS this semester. I HATE when i let other people down!!!!! I must learn to just get over it I guess. pathfinder is done...it's done. that's what counts. I need to get my ass into school gear more though...going home to iowa this weekend...like the stream of consciencousness?...it's jaimes wedding...taking a Chi-town folk...will party much with friends at home...destress...
okay, im done with that. I"m totally over it, as trac would say.
grr. arrrggg. hope IA is worth it. I need to let out some of this tension, so anyone that reads this blog and is in IC this weekend, FAC will be happening ;) and the bars after that.

Exploding Eyes and Pumpkins

Location: apartment
Listening to: Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Mood: Owww! (Is that passable as a mood?)

Mommy, my head hurts. Blast this darn storm front moving through today. My sinuses are going crazy! all this pressure built up behind my eyes. stupid headaches, and darnit modern medicine hasn't fixed this one yet.

On a brighter note. Food for the next two weeks has been bought, and that includes potattos, so I can try to make dad's famous mashed potattos. And Rena is going to make me dinner tomorrow night, so yummy and hooray for friends feeding me! (especially friends like Rena and Traci who can really cook!) I will treat them to my lasagne soon. Nobody died from eating it at my dinner party this summer...the boys even went back for second helpings, so I'm pretty confident I can recreate the experience here at IU (though the stores here are significantly lacking compared to Hy-Vee.)

Oh, for those interested, that both read this blog and have a desire for some adventurous behavior, PUMPKIN CARVING!!! We'll be doing it again this year, some afternoon, at my apartment here on campus...invitations extended via this blog (if you read it, you're invited) just tell me you are interested in joining the fun.

all right that's it. I must go now, before my eyes explode all over the screen.

Coming to you Live...

Location: Reference Room - Wells library
Listening to: Lauryn Hill, Miseducation Of,
Why?: Testing out the wireless card, AND working on my philosophy resources guide for class Wednesday.

Props to my friends for joining the blogger bandwagon. I must also give props to Faraji for having a blog that actually keeps up with current events and isn't just a rambling mass like mine. Go you Scandalous sexy almost "21" year old.

This weekend was an entire blast. I have to say, after the blah week I had, Friday night was just what was needed. I did my first client interview for L570 at noon, and the woman is really nice and very energetic and fun, so I think this project is off on the correct foot. Then Traci and I worked on Dialog almost all afternoon (due to her cataloging class being cancelled) We also attended a very short ALA-SC meeting, where candy was involved. We headed back to my apartment and got ready for the shin-dig. Neither of us went last year, and we didn't know we were goin to this year until Suzanne mentioned it the other day, and i'm really glad we decided to go. it was a total blast. the food was good, the socializing was actually a lot of fun...normally I'm not too big on huge group affairs where I know only a couple people and feel like small talk is the order of the day, but this event came off surprisingly well. After the reception a group of us, a LARGE and massive group at that, went to the vid. (one of the local bars) Traci got to let her hair down a bit, so to speak, and we had a really good time. I played some crappy pool, but more, it was just about getting to know people in my program that I've always thought would be fun to get to know, but haven't had the chance. It was also fun to see the professors in another environment besides the classroom.

I must apologize to Erik for essentially falling asleep while talkin to him online when I got home...ya know when you think you were just blinking, and then you realize it's two and half hours later? Oh ya, I know I'm just a rock star.

Saturday was spent with my nose in the books, and dishes, and laundry. Well not actually having my nose in the dishes...ewww, but you get the idea. I also have started investigating possible halloween costumes...

Sunday, well this is Sunday, and I'm doing homework in the reference room, then going to work in like ten minutes from now, then it's home to watch Family Guy and surprise...do more homework...

at least I got out on Friday night. That was fantastic, oh, and traci might say we "broke in" to Woodburn house after ten minutes of waiting outside...I prefer the term "snuck in" afterall, we future librarian types are not heathens, drinkers, or pool players, no sir-e.

Listening to: Streaming Itunes Music One
Mood: eh, whatever

So, this weekend was pretty fun, despite my hawks losing to ISU. Blah! Oh well, at least it doesn't count for the Big Ten Season, and really, I think we'd have played better if Tate was in the whole game. Friday I ran errands with Rena, and I was proud of myself. I cooked parmesan ranch chicken and steamed veggies and ate grapes. So very good and healthy of me right? Then I met Christa at Ashton and we went to see the Hitchcock double feature at IUB City lights. That was alot of fun. We say Strangers on a Train and Shadow of a Doubt. I have to say, that old school hitchcock, ala 1940's style, has a romantic quality about it, even though the sound was not synced well to the movement of the mouths. It slightly resembled badly dubed japanese movies. However, I was still entertained. Perhaps the most interesting portion of the evening was when Christa, who always gets very invovled in movies while she's watching them, shouted out "JERK" very loudly at one of the characters, who, in deed, was acting like a jerk. I just laughed a little though, because she's usually so amicable and peaceful, so to hear her get animated about anything, much less a movie, and to shout, in an auditorium where other people were present, was pretty funny. Yesterday I tackled my first assignment for Info in the Humanities...it did not go well. I did finish the rough draft by 3 am though. I had such a case of writer's block, it was quite horrible. This was not helped by the fact that some of the IC friends were watching pirates and hanging out together. At least they talked to me online for awhile, and the phone was passed around some. Still, I think that's the hardest part about being in grad school right now in another state. It's knowing they are doing something that's fun, when I'm not. Course I did have my fun moments for the weekend too, so I can't complain too much. I also stayed up way too late on thursday night, and did nothing productive, even though i'd had coffee in order to stay up and be productive, but, instead, I talked online, and then read Tuttle's latest play. I love that he still sends me the rough drafts. I hope he didn't find my comments to punchy, as I finished reading about 3 am, and then read Rule of 4 for another two hours. Went to bed at 5 am. I really need to get out of that habit and start paying attention to school and school reading. I have to revise my paper, I have to start these long term projects, and I have to really start my exercise and diet program to keep me sane before heading home for jaime's wedding in October. We hope to have a game night soon too. :) We've got a few slis kids that are board game players, so that will be exciting if it can happen. I also would still like to go into Chicago some weekend with Traci to visit Erik, so her around Chicago (she's not been downtown yet) and perhaps go clubbing with some Iowa friends who can make the drive over. I must send a bday shout out to the bride to be, Jaime will turn 25 tomorrow. ;) HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Tonight after family guy, i will go to starbucks and try to really concentrate and get some studying done. Then tomorrow morning, another week will start again. Hopefully things will go better at work, and my topic ideas will pan out for all of my projects.
that's the update folks. BTW, certain people need to send me an email. It is LONG overdue. No matter how busy you are at a new job, that is no excuse to not keep in touch and drop me a line and tell me about what the job entails, your life, and your thoughts. This means you Will!!! (and yes, I'm doing this in the blog, on the chance you still read it every once in awhile)
peace out

Mood: somber
Listening to: CNN
Classes are done for the first week. I am looking forward to the weekend and having some fun. My headache is finally gone. I've had fun catching up with the friends back home this week. Happy birthday shout out to Aaron is in order. I think it's funny that Cassi called to ask me if she could go to my parents house and borrow season four of buffy, which I forgot there, when I moved back to B-town. Call is out to the parents for a nice time that she can stop by and do that...will be interesting to hear their reactions - as Cas was like the 2nd daughter there this summer anyways. I'm somewhat apprehensive about other things related to school, but i think that stuff will all get worked out when I've got topics picked for all of these projects and start to get the time management in place. I'd like to schedule exercise time at least half an hour every day. I'll work up to that though, as I am lacking the "in shape" factor that i had last semester at IU. I like that they offer free classes in kickboxing and dance here, and will partake I hope. I am looking forward to visiting the Trojan Horse tomorrow night with Erik. Hooray for actually experiencing decent ethnic food. I have decided that I CAN actually cook some stuff successfully at my apartment, but that I am lazy about doing so. The apartment is also looking more "lived in" mostly because there are dishes in the sink, and I did actually hang the posters and a few pics are on the fridge now. I couldn't go to Sandusky with Misa and Lis this weekend (cause i work sunday night and monday morning) blah...but, on the good note Erik will visit and that'll make it okay I think.
I am feeling somber though, as I listen to and see pictures of the aftermath of katrina. I went to New Orleans the summer after my freshman year of college and really enjoyed myself down there. Even met some people at Cafe du monde that were from the Iowa Writer's Workshop. (small world iowa moments happen almost everywhere I go it seems) It is hard to think that the coast is now under water. My thoughts are with Kamber and her boyfriend (who was to start med school at Tulane now) I hope that you guys are safe and sound and doing all right. My hope is that everybody can recover quickly and the town will be able to rebuild as soon as possible, and I am sure that will be the case, as resiliance is the only real retaliation against such a disaster.
I was happy today though, because I got to speak some "art history-eze" with Aaron, who is preping to spend next summer in Spain. I have learned about so many famous paintings and monuments, and been so fortunate to see a number of them in my short 24 years of life (and have a much longer list of ones I hope to see before I die). At any rate, it was nice to show my dorky and over zealous "art history" side to another of the friends. BTW, he says he'll attempt to teach me the rules of cricket, or at least what he can understand of them at some point. And I will close this by saying, I enjoy watching the History Channel and am currently watching Modern Marvels: Paint.
So ya, summation: i can't watch more about katrina, and instead need to just be dorky for awhile.,

listening to: Goo Goo Dolls Iris
Well, on the countdown to a new semester of graduate school, I've decided to write again. Imagine that. I think this will hopefully be a good semester to follow a wonderful summer. I had such a fabulous time hanging out with the friends back home, I miss you guys! It was a jam-packed three months, full of lots of work at a bookstore and a library, some nights out drinking and socializing, a few movies, and alot of Burnout III. That will now be replaced with 4 months of work at a library, some socializing and alot of homework/reading. I am excited though, as friends from IC and elsewhere have promised to come and visit this time around. I am also enjoying the decorating process of my apartment. Hopefully people will likely come and hang out here throughout the semester as well. My trip to Ohio on Wednesday was a blast. Went to the Columbus zoo, hung out with a friend i hadn't seen in almost two years, drank a smoothie, ate chinese buffet, it was like old times ;) I am hoping to swing a trip to Sandusky to Cedar Point with Lis and Mees, though it doesn't seem like that will happen :( since i have to work on labor day, and the sunday night before, plus i can't really spend $ on more trips now that i've got the aprt to pay for, I'd like to see them again though. Hopefully misa is in the category of those coming to visit me through out the semester, as is Erik, and perhaps Cassi. :) others are always welcome too ya know :)
okay, well this is a short entry, and not too informative, but I'm gonna go and work out now instead. so happy semester's beginning and happy friday to folks!

listening to: Counting Crows August and Everything After

Kind of fitting to be listening to an album titled August and Everything After, while I contemplate just what might be out there for me after this August. What lies in store for me at what I've started to call my adoptive home that is three states away?
This is such a rough sort of transitional time for me I think, mostly because I feel so disjointed about where I am in my life, and where I want to be, or if I even really think I know where I want to be. Case and point - I have my life scattered in three places. A storage unit in Indiana, a storage unit in Iowa, and then at my parent's home here. It's just strange to use the term scattered, but I think in a way, my head feels that it's also somewhat scattered now.

My birthday was a huge success by all accounts of the attendees who cared to share their thoughts on the event. I am blessed with some absolutely wonderful and thoughtful friends and family, not only those that attended the little fete I threw here at my folks, but the many friends and family that sent well wishes via phone calls and emails. Perhaps that's what leads me to feel so connected and distant at the same time. I can not tell you the immense pleasure I get from having people remember me, and remembering to call or contact me, even if it's only one day a year for my birthday. I pride myself in being able to keep in touch with the friends of the past, so that I can continue to keep them as friends in the present and future. So finding e-cards from friends in Nebraska that I haven't seen in probably three years, or talked to at least since christmas is really nice and surprising. realizing that I've gained a whole new group of people who care about me and what goes on in my life and how I'm feeling and what I'll be doing to celebrate also makes me feel so loved and such love for the Bloomington crew.

At the same time, it's going to be really really really hard to go back there. It's nothing against my friends at school, because they are fantastic, and I am really looking forward to my one bedroom place, and many movie nights and japanese food. But, at the same time, I think I harken back to an earlier post from the summer. Upon initially coming home, i was apprehensive about how much I've changed, how much my friends from IC have changed, and also, to some extent how well I'd fit back into this life I used to have. Well, it's interesting, because I see now how my life could continue to be here in Iowa City. Also an earlier post was relating to my sense of comfortable friendships here, and there is something really great about people who simply have alot of ammunition with which to make fun of you, and you know they aren't judging you, but just enjoy your company. It's really quite bittersweet. I am going to miss my friends so terribly when i move back, as well as my parents. I'm not taking for granted the last few days I have to spend here with them. And hopefully many of them will take me up on my invitation to come and visit me in B-town and explore the campus/brown county/indy with me.
I know a part of me is reluctant to go back simply because it will be a switch from calling about 20 ppl to see what they are doing each night, to calling one for a study session. My grad school life and my "summer" me life are on such opposite ends of the spectrum. Here, I am going out each night or staying up late, playing video games, or watching movies with friends, then working in the mornings (or whatever random hours at barnes and noble) and then doing it all again the next day. it's become such a comfortable existence so quickly. It's hard to believe that almost three whole months have gone by already. At IU my life also consists of working, but my nights are also filled with working and studying and everything school-related. And only a few choice ppl to call, so I guess I know what is in store for me for this August and Everything After.

I just hope there are good things on the horizon back in B-town to help me get back into the swing of things quickly, because I don't want to be homesick for Iowa all over again. It's soo easy to fall back into a comfortable pattern with the people that know you best, it's like you pick up where you left off and nothing has changed. I realized the other night that I actually came back to Iowa 5 times while i was technically living in Indiana. I don't know if that's alot or a little for a recently turned 24 year old who was spending her first real year away from her hometown. Looking back on the year as a whole there were many moments that I'd wished I'd stayed in Iowa. It's sort of sad to admit, but at the same time I think somewhat healthy. these were of course times when i was dealing with rougher issues and drama at schoool, that of course, make you want to "run home to mommy" - but ya know, in the grand scheme of things, I survived. That is most important I think. Survival. So perhaps all that August and Everything After will hold for me this time around in a hope for survival and for better things ahead. Or if nothing else at least a few phonecalls from friends are around the bend.

Because Storyhill played in CR this past Spring, to my surprise and enjoyment, I was at B & N in CR to find some cd's...because the IC store doesn't, and I get my employee discount on cd's at B & N, I discovered the "regional artists" section, and peppermint records has a few artists getting some local promotion. So hooray for that, I got Dovetail for cheap :)
Saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Sunday night with Adam and Cassi (after watching the new episode of Family Guy AND pimp my ride) - we've decided that Pimp My Ride should totally do an episode where they pimp a cambus....all of you IC ppl that read this - or U of I students should start a write in campaign for this...
To my dismay, while the movie was really great, and very much the Tim Burton style I've come to expect, and love, and a great performance by Johnny Dep, and not so frightening Umpa Lumpas, my co-worker still kept calling the movie "Willy Wonka's House of Chocolate"
I went and found the orig. book on the shelves that very evening, and produced it, for him to notice, and yet, still, I was unsuccessful in my attempt to make the point. The movie, while very different from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (ala Gene Wilder - also a great film) was still very enjoyable. ;) so it gets a thumb's up.
The Changing Book conference was this weekend, also was fun, though somewhat disorganized as far as my volunteer position was concerned. Suburban driving anyone? I can totally tell I will not fit the soccer mom role any time soon....quite scary that I can drive that big ass attempt at a school bus in training.
okay, that's the update.
peace.

Happy After 4th to all of you! I hope you all got to take in some really good fireworks and had a special day. Coralville's 4th fest was as good as usual (which is better than IC. yes, i said it. that's right Coralville Townie Pride!) Not too much else to report. Life here in the land of corn is just about par for the course as summers in iowa go. Working at B & N and the art library. SOOO excited cause I just bought some new dvds to support my 10 dollar or less dvd habbit. I had to stop myself when I was compelled to buy one simply b.c it was only 5 bucks, and it was a really really horrible movie. Normally I'm much more selective in my tastes. American Pie and Nat'l Lampoons Animal House will now grace my dvd shelves..and yes, in proper librarian form they are all org. alpha. and I've dropped leading words like, the, a, and. :)
I'm kinda excited for the Harry Potter party at b & n too, cause I get to be a runner - which means I don't actually have to ring sales, and instead I get to run to the back and grab more boxes of the book to bring to the front....I now have the ISBN memorized though - for the # of pre-orders we've gotten at the Info desk and cashwraps that i've done. I've also had fun discovering other "If You like Harry Potter" materials that we've got on sale for the summer while ppl are anticapating HP they can read these others - so inquire if you dare. :) I also will be getting a harry potter prize of some sort to reward me for being able to work from 7:30pm until 4am (that's closing time so actually after straighting shelves and cleaning up leftover wizzard tattoos will be more like 4:30 or 5 I'm sure)
all right, well I'm out. that's a wrap.

listening to: itunes streaming radio - blues station
So Will reminded me that this blog exists and that sometimes people actually read what i write here, sooo, whoops that i don't have anything fun to say. :)

Mad. At myself. Grrr. That is all there is to express per this moment.

we're into june now people. are you all enjoying your summer and noticing how fast it is flying by? i'm enjoying mine. the internship is fun, and hanging out with friends is fun, and i'm tackling a giant project of organizing a scrapbook of pictures from my undergrad days, and have realized i've taken an awful lot of pictures over 5 years!!! especially with the advent of the digital camera. so ya, oh and barnes and noble will have orrientation tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes, but i'm gald they've hired me, and i might be able to transfer to the b-town store after the move back there. okay, that's all from me folks! night

Well, I have been back in Iowa for almost two full weeks now. It has been a very good experience to readjust to life over here. I am loving my internship so far, Rijn is awesome and I am learning some really cool things, and I just got a call to interview at Barnes and Noble on Wed. so everyone wish me luck with that! (how totally awesome would it be to work with books and get paid? haha, oh wait...that's what my REAL career is going to be anyways! hehe, perhaps that's why I'm worthy of an interview. Hopefully they won't care that i"m only going to be around in the summer, and only want part time...well keep your fingers crossed anyways okay?). Let's see...other things....readjustment...well it has been really nice to see the Iowa friends again. There is something quite wonderful in the simple pleasure I take in hanging out with certain people that i have great chemistry with, so that we can spend an entire evening hanging out and in a very Seinfeldian sort of way, conduct a "show about nothing." Seriously, I hadn't laughed sooo hard in ages, as I did last week at perkins. It felt so good to just gel with them again. :) I miss my b-town girls and boys already too, because they are awesome as well, but there is something to be said for hanging out with people that, for all practical purposes have all sorts of "ammo" against you from previous knowledge to make fun of you with. Ah, the joys of being able to laugh at yourself. Particularly, from the bowling alley, the first night of my return, when I was dead tired and dragged my butt over because it was MY idea to go bowling earlier in the day, for when I got back to town, but soo tired I barely knew what was going on. Needless to say my comment of "I left the deathstars in the other duffelbag" is now living in infamy. Not to mention "what happens when you step on a dead cow?" (from the perkins evening) to which I replied "It stays dead?"
Not all of this homeward venture has been rosy though, as I've realized a few more things about myself that i need to work on. Like jealousy. I've always thought it such a stupid emotion, but I am beginning to understand the complexities and different types of jealousy that exist, and hopefully will discover how to better deal with them from an internal standpoint. But for the most part, life is fairly coposetic..(and I STILL can't spell for anything) So that's the newest update. peace!

Listening to: John Stweart and Daily Show - I love that man.
Helped move ppl out today, and some of my stuff to the car, feeling rather lazy now because of all this physical activity earlier. about to go to dinner. aren't you happy that you know this information now? yes? well look forward to more posts like this over the summer, because I will not be all that interesting I"m sure :) A certain someone who reads this should call me back and tell me how their new job is going...really!!!! pay attention it's important that I know how montana is. okay!?!
bye folks...

Listening to: Counting Crows - August and Everything After
Oh ya, so this is a huge record, three entries in one day - well technically one day/evening. I forgot to mention in the earlier entries how totally stoaked I was that traci and I went to see David Sedaris at the IU Auditorium the other week. Can I just say that if I wind up with even a small amount of his enormous wit/abilities by the time I'm 50, i'll be pretty happy (also wouldn't mind being considered a "successful" writer- because let's face it that's a pretty huge feat in itself.) I really enjoyed it, so I"m also really glad that Traci and I actually became friends, because well, it was a leap of faith that I asked if she'd like to go and hear him way back when we purchased the tickets in september and we barely knew each other. :) Good thing we click so well. I must take a moment to thank these great friends here at IU that are my new found support system. I love you all dearly and just wanted to say so again, especially for all your help in the past couple of months. It has in fact been a very rough end to the semester here at IU, and I look forward to the end of the academia for a few.
I hope that aunt mary is recovering from the surgery and can continue her life as normally as possible. I know it may seem very "high and mighty" or whatever to say that I am really truly blessed in many ways, and that I'm glad I stop to take the moments to remember that. For a switch to introspection: On a personal level I am too hard on myself when it comes to the potential for failure. I'm not sure where i picked up this trait along the way in my life, it's totally self-inflicted, and also detremental. It's not as if I haven't flunked things in my life time, and survived. It's not as if I haven't had disappointments academically, I'm not a straight A student. I never got a 4 pt in undergrad. I was an honors student, sure, but I didn't belong to many extracuriculars, so I wasn't an "overachiever" or anything, and I enjoyed learning. But I can't lie to myself that I garner a certain satisfaction from getting A's. It's weird to, because I know that B's are good, and that if I get B's I most likely deserve them, and I"m not one to argue for more points or anything, and especially in grad school. But for some realize I have a parallizing fear of failure that is self-imposed. It's not an outside pressure on me to be outstanding, it's only my own want and desire for that. Really, it's stupid and I need to learn to cope with this better. It is something I will be working on over the summer I hope. Obviously it will be on my mind some, as this summer I won't have a class that is based on "grades" but rather on learning on the job. So hopefully that will help me out there.
I am going to miss you IU and the stempel crew. at least some of them will be returning next year, and I will still keep in touch with the others -
there is already talk of a cocktail party at my new apartment for those returning to IU, slis folks and others :) so keep that in mind all you returning folks.
okay, enough for tonight. my brain is fried from all this analyzation. Reading back over some of the first entries I wrote, I was alot more clear, had better word choices, tighter essays with some good punchlines, closing sentences...and now...well now...I firmily believe my writing style has reverted back to the 3rd grade.

Listening to: Lifehouse - You and Me
Can I just tell everyone how much I LOVE music, and how much I LOVE music from my favorite bands, especially NEW music from my favorite bands? I am really saddened that I missed not only Guster TWICE this semester, as they came to both Purdue AND UI, *sigh* (and I heard the UI concert was fabulous from Misa, my former roomie who went at my urging, though she has Guster's first album and none of the newer stuff - that will be remedied as soon as I get back to IC of course) I also missed Storyhill whom I have come to rely on as my "mellow downtime" contemplative mood music - and yes, surprising to some of you, I DO have moments when I contemplate my life, the lives around me, and what it all means. They came to Chicago and they played in Cedar Rapids, which I found quite interesting. It makes me realize how many bands out there that I've discovered through friends over the years, and have come to throughly enjoy listening to, and have probably missed countless performances by them in the past simply because I hadn't been introduced to them yet. It was sad that Tuttle introduced me to Chamberlain too late to see them perform live, as they've broken up since then. At least these other bands, lifehouse, storyhill and guster are still together and going strong, and even more awesome that they have been coming to areas in my neck of the woods...however, I have not seen them live yet! This saddens me, and I renew my resolve to see these bands before I'm out of my twenties! Academics be damned next time, i will drive the two hrs to purdue to see Guster play. I should have done it this time.
Honestly, sometimes I let my academic success drive rule my life, I'm such an idiot to let that happen. Truly. If I learn the information, that is what is important, not the grade I get after the fact. And, as I found myself thinking the other day, when I look back on my time in grad school - what am I going to be able to say? Well, I have at least met quite a few interesting and great people that have become my fantastic support system here at IU. I have lived away from iowa for a time, and generally it has been a good year. But next year, I will go to the concerts.

Well, almost done with the semester - meaning still don't know my grades, but i'm done with everything, it's all turned in, and now i must wait for the grades. I hope everyone else has had a great end to their semester as well! and good luck with all your summer plans. I'll update at some point soon, but for now, i'm basking in the fact that i'm done by watching t.v. and being a bum for a few hours :)
lata

um ya

okay, so I realize I've been rather "bad mood-ish" and projecting on this blog lately. sorry folks. honestly I"m really not that bad to hang around with these days...truly, it's just school is difficult and annoying right now, and i"m suffering a severe case of doubt about the papers and such...but it's almost done almost done, then it's back home to do more stuff in Iowa. I will miss my b-town buddies though :(
okay, that's all,
bye bye

Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!
I want the semester over, and the projects to be done...i'm seriously not in the right mood to do things anymore.
people i care about are having issues, and i will pray for them instead of writin this confusing paper. blah!

Some Random Odds and Evens

Well, this will be a short entry, but I do like to keep those of you out there informed, especially since it probably seems as if I've dropped off the face of the Earth. Rest assured my fine readers, I have not. Proving that the Earth is round is one thing, dropping off I"m sure is just as complicated. I am sorry to have been out of touch, but plan to be for the next 4 weeks or so anyways, as I am in the midst of writing THREE, yes, that's THREE graduate school papers...yelp! However, one of the papers is fairly intuitive, which means it will get done this weekend, another, more complicated, and the last and of course, most important is the MOST complicated and taxing on my brain capacity. But, I digress (of course) . this is all my life has consisted of, since getting back to B-town. So I miss the finer things. I am however, excited to sign my lease for my apartment for next year, to start my internship in Iowa city over the summer, to come back and visit the fine b-town friends still here, and orchestrate a number of weekend visits to other locales. I look forward to teaching myself vi. because i am a huge dork and as steve would say, I belong in the "pink ghetto" (or traditionally small group of women that find computer science programming languages interesting and fun) So next semester i will take information architecture for the web (a class i couldn't take this semester b.c of scheduling conflicts). I look forward to the family reunion at okoboji, and a 24th birthday sure to make me realize i have to grow up now and look for a real job soon - which i'm almost entirely ready for after this semester.
oh yes, I must mention, before I close this (ya, no seguway there) that my parents are awesome. They sent me a plant! yes, a truly live plant...haha, an azalia plant that is now sitting in my window, but i think it doesn't really like the sun allt hat much, as it looks more "awake" at night - and i was informed they are a night blooming plant. fun huh? it brightens up the room, and i think they knew I was stressed about things here, so wanted to make me feel a lill better about my chosen higher degree and that whole "where am i going, what am i doing with my life" discussion. so thanks folks!
okay, it's off to read about fund-raising in libraries and how that relates to their management for my 10 pager!
happy trails to all and good luck to those of you also finishing your semesters!

Back to the Grind

Well, Spring Break was a welcome change from IUB and the humdrum life of sus the grad student. Instead I was Sus the traveler, Sus the MLS student with librarians to interview, Sus the friend back from out of town (this last one I find especially appealing).
So the first is great because well, let's face it, I LOVE to travel, and also, I'm fortunate enough that for xmas my parents bought me a ticket to visit Steve in San Fran (and they came along which meant things got paid for not out of my own pocket...hooray) Can I just say how great my parents are? I love them so much, and not because they pay for me to take exciting vacations, but because they are actually *gasp* quite cool to hang out with and converse with. I think even if I had to pay for my own ticket i would have jumped at the chance to spend some quality time with the rents. For that matter, I'd say the same about Steve now to. We've worked hard on our relationship over the past years, alot of growing up and communication, and now I"m happy to say I would even enjoy spending time visiting him regardless of the parents being along, or probably even the awesome locations he seems to pick to live in :) And let me say San Fran was an awesome choice for living - Well done Steve :) I had a BLAST out there...and enjoyed pretty much every minute of my journey out there. (plane flights not withstanding) Saw the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay, the SFMOMA (see below), Yeurba Buena Gardens (our hotel was right near it), the SF Aquarium, Hard Rock Cafe, tall ships, Monteray Bay, the M. Bay Aquarium, Seaside, Calif., Carmel, Calif, San Jose, some of Stanford Campus, Sunnyvale (and YES< it made me think of Sunnydale and Buffy the V.Slayer.) and the PACIFIC Ocean - both in San Fran side, and also from the 17 mile drive - which kicked, and also means I saw spy glass, pebble beach and some other golf courses, and houses I can hope to dream to own someday!
The SFMOMA provided me the op to be studious and a good student and inquisitive and interview the librarian at the SFMOMA about her position, library etc etc, it was well worth the time and will hopefully also help w. the paper i'm writing (ACK!) Plus the exhibitions were way cool,a nd I felt all professional and grown-up for setting up the tour/interview and exploring.
But, let me tell you why this last is the best. Now that I am no longer in Iowa City, I have gained this awesome status as the out-of-town friend that all of the IC friends should make it a priority to see while she's back. This is a great thing to me. Because I absolutely adore my friends back home, and love them to death, so it is only natural that when I am back in town I want to see all of them that I can and spend as much time as possible hanging out with them. I am happy to report that it was reciprical in most cases. Dude, totally just spelled that wrong - spell check didn't rescue me there. So first, thanks to all of you who made yourselves available to me, even for the smallest amount of time, it was much appreciated and I will see you all again soon (ACK!!! not much time left before I finish the first year of grad school - well hopefully finish)
Speaking of friends....secondly, SOOO many upcoming birthdays to send shout outs. Christa and Traci, this month, Rena, Q and Becks next month...happy birthdays folks!
all right, that said, I really should get a move on...I am wet from soaking rain, and soaked from wet rain..(and kickboxing) so must dry off and begin the process of trying to get ALL these things done...ACK! (back to the stress!)

Thoughts

Okay, so, because spring break is just a few days away, my mind is totally already on ADD MTV generation mindset, so I'm just writing in this journal cause it's something else to do..yay, doesn't that make you happy kind readers.
Traci and I were discussing the future of libraries the other day (not jsut out of the blue, but it was part of a paper we had to write) and we were elaborating on what we see as technology of the future and guess what we decided?
Does everybody remember Back to the Future? Come on, admit it,despite how much the third one really dived, those first two caught your interest...well, libraries of the future will have the librarians traverse the reference floor on hovercrafts. You know you thought it was cool when Michael J,. Fox was playing the hero on that train with the hovercraft to save him....you know you wanna see an older woman with a bun and glasses tooling around on one of those things - course our version is superquiet, like your superquiet vacumn cleaner, so as not to disturb the serious reading patrons.
Remember the last time you used the drive up window at the bank, you put your check or whatever into that little container and it gets sucked up into the bank by a secret power of physics? well, libraries of the future will have those to deliver books to patrons that have been held for them :) wouldn't that be neat - our version would be padded though - so as to minimize the impact ot the book - or as christa warns (from jake's preservation class) undue stress on a book spine will NOT help the book to stay in good condition.
as for other thoughts on the library of the future stay tunned...
in a galaxy far far away...

It is March now. just an update for those of you paying attention to how fast the semester flies by. I am looking forward to my trip next week to cincinatti to the art museum library for class, and perhaps to Indy to go clubbing that night, then driving back to IA in the morning, and hoping to see some of the ic friends that night, then flying out sunday for san fran. then meeting w .the head librarian at the sfmoma library on tuesday for an interview and library tour - oh ya, BIG library dork here!!! then fisherman's warf, eating really great food, sunny days, the asian art museum, riding a cable car, setting foot in the ocean (since i haven't been to the west coast ever before!) so ya,fun times ahead. also have to homework over break...reading and studying for a midterm, and researching for papers...blah...but yes, very fun options ahead....
so that's the update...have to work at 8 am tomorrow morning, so this one is short and sweet..unusual for me...well at least the short part.

blahblah blah blarg grrr and arg. I don't like pressure. I don't like assignments. I don't like school at the moment. blah. sigh...

Listening to: Guster - Keep It Together
Hey all,
just finished the first film in our AFI 100 adventure mission - our film choice tonight? North By Northwest, classic Hitchcock and number 40. I know, we didn't really follow the conventions of doing the list either in backwards order (as originally thought) or from 1 - 100 like the REAL conventional folks. Oh well though right? This way at least we aren't competing with other folks that are doing the same thing we are - and I KNOW a set of folks that are! So yay.
It's about 3:30 am Indiana time and I'm still up, mostly that's because i've been staying up so late the past couple of nights - going to bed at 2:30 or 3 am and getting up at 8 or 8:30, so this afternoon it finally caught up with me and I went to work at 8 am til about 4 pm and then CRASHED for a good three hour nap or so....bad for the homework and school stress, but good for my sleep-deprived body - alas though - i COULD have done school work tonight - and I did do a lill, but felt fairly unproductive about it - and I"m nervous about the art paper still because I STILL have to find some librarians/museum curators/publishers to interview for that darn thing! blah! THEN maybe I won't feel QUITE so under the gun for that paper...which isn't due til the end of the sem which SURPRISE isn't really that far away! yikes!
anyways, otherwise life is life, and i've got three other papers to worry about, plus other assignments so all my energy is concentrated there right now, and I need to buckle down even more than I was starting to...keep the pace keep the pace...
so anyways that's what's up with me. for those of you that bother to read this, write me emails :) I like to get them. I can at least read them, and I won't really have much time to post in the next couple of weeks, so that would be better ;)
okies, me out.

Mundane Moments Matter

Listening to: Kings of Convenience, Quiet is the New Loud

It was a rough week for other reasons as well. I know that people appreciate the fact that I tend to follow a few of the LEO traits, in that I"m fun to be around most times and enjoy the simple things in life, like laughing with friends. However, there was more to worry and empathize about this week than to laugh about. I try to be there for my friends and family, the people that mean the most to me, Itry not to burden them too much with my own issues, but also to let them in, I try not to make many mistakes and I try to take a good moral road of right and wrong most times...I hope that people can see me for who I am, someone that is trying to get along in the world just like them, who does make mistakes, and isn't any better than anyone else, who doesn't always have the energy to laugh instead of cry (though her general mechanism of coping is usually to crack jokes and smiles instead of tears), but can always be there for a hug or a kind word and to let people know she's thinking about them. I often wonder if other people spend as much time thinking about their friends/family going through rough spots as much as I do..it's not that I think it's unhealthy to feel bad for other people and what they go through - but is there a point when you do too much sympathy for them and not enough concentrating on your own issues? I find it's better for me to cope with my own improvement or crappy life things, by reminding myself that at least I'm not going through such and such, or dealing with something like that. Is that wrong of me? Is that like a cop-out of some kind, where it means I spend less time on myself and more time on a fruitless endeavor, when I know I can't help them more than I already have? One of the worst feelings in the world for me is feeling like I can't help someone in need...strangers or familiar faces...I don't like feeling helpless. Helpless in the sense ofhelping others, and helpless in the sense of not letting other people help me. It's a strange dicotomy. I'll pray for you guys though, who are going through so much right now that seems so much more insurmountable than my own problems.
I sometimes wonder if little details remind people of me, the way silly or often strange things remind me of them. People from my past that I'll randomly muss "Gee, I wonder how So and So is doing now..." and "wow, that would totally be something that Blank would love" Or remembering events that might have seemed totally mundane and uninteresting to those folks which actually had a profound effect on me or stick out in my mind with this insane intense impact. I'm reminded right now, in fact, of learning what someone's first impressions of me where, that I was unaware of until MUCH MUCH later...and, with a fond sense of how interesting those impressions can be, he said he thought of me as "the girl who complained alot about another class, and liked to talk alot(to my friend in the class), but seemed smart, cause you raised your hand and had intelligent answers" Or, the other impression I often get when people meet me for the first time "sweet and likable, can't understand why she doesn't have a boyfriend..."
I realize tomorrow is a day in which everyone normally says "I Love You" and does the whole mushy romantic thing for their significant other (which I personally think you should do randomly when the mood strikes you and not because one day out of the year dictates it)- and the single people of the world usuallly grumble about how much the day is for candy companies and greeting card factories and are jealous of what the relationship folks have. I should know, I've been in the later category on most Valentine's Days before...though, a few years ago a wise and deer friend - whom I actually haven't talked to in almost 3 months now said "You may not like Valentine's Day and protest it and everything, but I enjoy any day where I have an excuse to tell people that they mean something to me, regardless of their status as a friend, family member, or significant other" (I think that was the gist of his message, though not copied here word for word) Well he's right ya know. And this journal entry has made me think of him and the many many great memories of our friendship. I wonder if he thinks of me every now and again too...
Ya know what? It's nice to know you've had a positive effect on someone else's life, in either a small way or a larger one. My eyes welled up the other night, after I'd sent an email to Christa, in which I told her that I was sorry our talk ended abruptly and I'd wanted to give her a hug and tell her she'd be in my thoughts - for what she's dealing with family-wise right now - she wrote back to say it was one of the nicest emails and she was touched I'd sent it. That was important.
So, I'd like to tell Cassi thank you for her email response recently - it was much needed and appreciated and had profound words of encouragement to inspire me to continue on my path. And to the rest of the friends, thank you for being there for me as my support system, in the good moments, bad moments, and mundane moments, because you truly do impact my life in ways I can't imagine living without. Thanks for accepting this crazy blonde with all her faults and quarky behavior in to your hearts. Now, for my two cents, I don't think a greeting card or box of candy would have said it any better - but Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!

Grover on Ecstasy

You're funny, you're loveable, you're entertaining,
you like to call yourself "Super
Grover!"--You're obviously on ecstasy.
But that's why we love you. Be careful, ok?
http://quizilla.com/users/atotalblamblam/quizzes/Which%20Sesame%20Street%20Muppet's%20Dark%20Secret%20Are%20You%3F/

What Sesame Street Character's Dark Secret are you?

Curses

So, I reread the previous posting about everything seemingly calm, and now I"m laughing with sense of impending stress and hopefully surmountable number of tasks. I think this semester is going to contain a violent level of mood swings related to the awesome nature of learning so much that will help me with my career and is interesting, withthe sheer amount of learning and reading to get to that level. So far, I'm feeling WAY behind already in all 4 of the classes I'm taking - not to sound like the big complainer though -cause yes, I realize I set myself up for this sort of thing. so on to happier things
Jaime called tonight - wedding plans are coasting along nicely it seems...misa called last night, good to hear from her as she destresses from her busy week at work...jon and chai called the other night to inform me that our basketball team star is a moron, and will no longer be on the team (good for alford, he FINALLY gets a few points in my book for that - though not many cause he's still a jerk) I got emails from friends in far away places, though I'm still waiting for one particular friend on teh east coast to let me know he's still alive...though since he's in grad school he's probably got a bit of an excuse, - more so than me even...
mardi gras this year might be the first one I haven't gone out on in AGES, since starting college in fact! I hope to make it out to play a little billards at least, so I can say I still did go out at least, just no drinking and no late night - hve too much to do and no desire to drink before doing homework this time around...
okies, that's all for now, I'm out. case study to write.

all calm on the western front

For some reason tonight, I feel very calm and peaceful and happy with where I am at in life, and the pursuit of my happiness. I'm not sure what exactly has changed from the last few entries about my busy busy life and the massive amount of time spent reading for classes and NOT really loving that - (still don't really love all that - but at least I know it's useful and will help me with the career - so it's not like learning how to graph parabalas back in Algebra and Precalc, when all I could think was "Oh, yea, I'm REALLY going to need this in my job later in life" ) But tonight, I'm really just happy. Coposetic even...should i know how to actually SPELL that word...I'd use it properly. True, I still have much headway to make in my life and my self-improvement missions and all of the things I wisht o accomplish - and they linger and float through my head...as does the realization that I've got projects and assignments to do and everything else...but tonight, i guess, they've just really been pushed into that backyard area of my brain rather than running through..um..the kitchen?.. (okay, I realize I SUCK at metaphors and I SUCK even more at metaphors that I've attempted in "on the spot" situations...but I figure the Kitchen is the most likely place for all of my "daily tasks and my more long term projects" to rumminate normally. This is because the kitchen is normally where you start your day, as you eat your cereal or whatever and think over your daily tasks.) It's as if they've all decided to take a holiday though, or at least, want to play in the backyard on the swingset for awhile. Affording me enough time to walk from the kitchen, into the living room, where I do my BEST relaxing. Can I just say now that I am sooo happy I have so many great and wonderful people in my life that I get to converse with often either through phonecalls, emails or actually see! Thank you all for being such wonderful and great mood-altering drugs for me. :) Perhaps i"m also excited to give myself a "dramatic" make over change of some sort that's in the works and to see peoples' reactions - most obviously my OWN. I haven't had short "boycut" hair since i was in Elementry school, and I"m thinking of returning to that look for awhile...could be interesting...Valentine's Day will hopefully be the day for the deal to occur....so I can do something fun and interesting on that day!
other than that, I leave you with Traci's parting words from this evening's study session at Starbucks. "libraries are the diva deal"

Well this week went by pretty fast. I feel sort of as if so much of the semester has already past and that there are soo many things i should have already started relating to school work that i haven't gotten to yet. Oh well, there's only so much you can do each day before you go insane. Grad school has really made me notice my ADD MTV generation attention span. I can't go for more than two hours of reading without having to take a break, and either bounce off the walls for awhile or have some other distraction around. Plus, while reading my mind wanders so much, to thinking about so many other things, it's like i'm trying to tell myself with my consciousness that ANYTHING is more worthwhile than learning and reading whatever is in front of me. So much so, that today, while reading about structures and theories of organizational learning and scapegoats and whistle-blowers for compannies, I was instead recalling an experience from elementry school - ya, that far back, so I really have NO idea what i was trying to read. Damnit, I hate when you end a paragraph and have no idea what it said, but yay for the memory, because it was a sweet one :).
I've had a decent weekend too. I screwed up something at worktoday - at least I think I did, which I'll probably have to try and correct later this week, but only one probably correctable mistake so far isn't horrible I guess. Traci and I investigated a bit of Brown County, we've decided it will be majorly fun to go back there in the Spring time, it reminds me of the Res and the drive out there, but it's actually way cooler, with these gorgeous rolling Southern Indiana hills and trees and these houses that look like quaint little cottages and some log cabins. I could really tell where all the flooding has happened too, since all the trees were basically burried in ice. Seemed a lill desolate, but the warm smoke coming from the cabins made me feel warm too. Nashville is a small sorta spread out town with a wedding chapel, plenty of bed and breakfasts and an artists' colony and a county library. Of course Traci and I went to the library to check that out :) not much was there though....a kewl building nonetheless. We went into a couple of the shops, one where the woman made handmade paper, another for doll house minatures. I thought about the boys back home too, because in one "box" they had a miniature old time bar set up, and I totally thought the boys would LOVE the little mini bottles of Jack Daniels, (for will of course), and beer cans (for Q). We went into a book store as well, but quickly realized we needed to get back to B-town for Traci to get a monroe co public library card, so back we went. I will have to take a picture of the sign for the car place here...it def tops Kum and Go, for the signage and the hilarious dirty-ness of it. Perhaps I will get a chance to do that soon. Friday night I stayed in and did homework, and I watched Charade, an Audrey Hepburn Carry Grant movie with the Stempel Three girls . and then went to bed, I was exhausted, having woken up at 5 am and not being able to get back to sleep. I also felt a little pang of missing home, because not only did I get emails from many of the old friends - including one from heather hall - whom I saw in Germany last summer and sarah buschelman whom I haven't seen since third year at UI, but because many of them were going out on the town last night, and/or drinking together. While I didn't really drink much during the semesters I would still have probably gone and hung out and socialized, so i do miss that aspect...more now than last semester too, because I haven't met anybody else to go to the bars with here in Indy yet. Today has been really boring during the day, homework/reading the whole time...did watch the hawks kick indy ass...no surprise there. I had a great time watching Dial M for Murder with Christa, Dimah and Julie though - classic older movies are great! We went to main and were just purusing the shelves of movies there. I realized I have not seen many of the "classics" I've now resolved to watch all of the movies on the AFI's 100 years 100 movies list that I have not already seen. I've not seen many - and some I've only seen a few scenes from - like Casablanca, and the Godfather (Thanks ALOT jon and Q!!! I will fastforward through that scene next time!!!!) so before the end of summer I will try to see all of them that I haven't. another zealous behind the scene type project...
right now it's 1 am, and I"m not really feeling sleepy, but again, not feeling like doing any more reading tonight. so hence the longer entry in this online journal thang. I'm feeling like writing some poetry, but also not feeling motivated to write it, becaue it would be crappy. Tomorrow will be spent doing homework most of the day, then going to kickboxing in the early evening, then to Barnes and Noble with Traci for more homework time, but at least in a different place. The "e" cover on my keyboard has fallen off of the laptop. This is not good. Not only because it is more difficult to use the "E" key, and my realization that the e is in quite a few words in zee english language, but also because it's not my laptop, it's dad's. I'm sure he will be none too happy to hear this.
I am looking forward to Valentine's Day this year...which is odd. The last time I had a good valentine's day was junior year of college, when I made protest shirts with Christy, Jon gave all the girls roses (so he could be a pimp ya..) and Tuttle wrote me a poem. That was the last good V-day I had. Senior year, I got my teeth cleanned, that was the highlight. 5th year I dogsat for Fritz, the cutest Schnauzer in the world, and had to field phone calls from weird stalkerboy #2 who wanted to come over to keep me company. This year might actually be interesting. I've always been single on V-day, and that will not change this time around - so i get to wear my Pink protest shirt - yes, the ONLY pink shirt I own (since i really dislike the color pink) I will go to class...oh joy....and then I may set up an appointment to dye my hair, something drastic, a big change...any suggestions from the online journal readers out there?
I got my first paycheck yesterday too, makes me feel like less of a slacker, as I've spent all of last semester watching the account balance simply dwindle. I bought a scale and some handweights too...to help motivate myself to lift more often.
and that's the boring life of me. If I were to write a screenplay to the movie of my life so far - (since i'm on a movie kick after the AFI list) I think I would have to title chapters - sort of like in Kill Bill - and this one would be called "The Boring life of Me" subtitled the grad school years, and yes, I know now how to do the proper grammer and punctuation for cataloging such a title.
so, that's the scoop here. ...

Just got back from jazz dance class at the HPER. Fun stuff! I like the teacher, and the moves are fun (so far) though I could do without dancing to Britney Spears, - in whatever form it happens to be. Oh well. Guess I'll muddle my way through the moves still and see what happens. I'm starting to feel like these are the only sane moments of my day -when I work out, and I can stop thinking about everything else. It's like I allow myself to concentrate on something else and relax and just enjoy the movement. Otherwise it's usually just my brain that's moving, or rather, racing. It was a good weekend, fun,, saw phantom of the opera (movie) and hung with some gals from my floor...and also lots of reading, surprise surprise. Seems like my life consists mostly of reading. But that's okay. I will accept occasional phone calls from friends to rescue me from that task any time ;) for those of you that read this thing! Now though, i will return to the books...

1. First Name: Susan
2. Were you named after anyone? Not anyone particular, was going to be named Rachel, but my grandmother couldn't spell it.
3. Do you wish on stars? alot, but like that song says "guess i must be wishing on someone else's star"
4. When did you last cry? once last semester, I don't cry too often
5. Do you like your handwriting? it's somewhat unique, in that's it messy and hard to read- I can write lefthanded and backwards too.
6. What is your favorite lunch meat? turkey slices
7. What is your birth date? August 2, 1981 - I'm soo OLD now heh.
8. What is your most embarrassing CD? My CD's aren't very embarrassing - I do own Paula Abdual on tape though I don't listen to it or play it
9. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you? I imagine so, I'm friends with my twin, and that is because she is very similar to me in personality. I'd probably think that I'm too hyper and excitable sometimes though.
10. Are you a daredevil? not in most situations
11. Have you ever told a secret you swore not to tell? once it wasn't a secret anymore, and the person said it was okay for me to share it, then yes.
12. Do looks matter? looks as in the looks you get from people, like expressions? or looks like physical composition, cause I'd say the first matters, so you can "read" people better, and the second is very minimal in my book...except for my own self-estem issues, but that's a whole other paragraph...
13. How do you release anger? vent to other people, write, and if i'm totally at my wits end I'll cry,
14. Where is your second home? Okoboji, IA, it's home away from Home. Home being Iowa City, and Bloomington - cause I've taken to calling both "Home"
15. Do you trust others easily? it depends. usually people have to give me a reason not to trust them, but I generally don't trust guys as much, steming from past experiences
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? I used to play with Barbies and model horses quite a bit.
17. What class in high school do you think was totally useless? I was an overachiever so took all 7 periods every year. I'd have to say homeroom was pretty much a waste of my time....
18. Do you have a journal? yup got a couple, a travel one and one that I jot down quotes stories and secrets in. I'm with Cas on this one - thanks freaky twin thang.
19. Do you use sarcasm a lot? probably too often - but I love dark sarcastic comedies
22. What are your nicknames? Sus, Susie-Sunshine, Crackbaby, Stripping Librarian, Oblivious Blond (the newest)
23. Would you bungee jump? sure
24. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? depends on the pair of shoes
25. Do you think that you are strong? in spirit or physically? cause I'm average on the physical strength, but I think i've got alot of character to make me strong of spirit
26. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby - hands down.
28. Shoe Size? 7-8
29. red or pink? red. I look all right in pink, I just don't like the color all that much unless it's with lots of others...
30. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? physically or personality wise? I've got hangups inboth categories. I talk too much, and I don't like my legs.
31. Who do you miss most? That is alive or passed away? Alive would be my friends in other cities, and passed away would be my grandmother and grandfather (separate sides of the family)
32. Do you want everyone you send this to, to send it back? I'm not sending it, i'm posting it, so they can do as they please
33. What color pants and shoes are you wearing ? blue, and socks that say "slowpoke" and have cute little turtles on them. yay turtles!
34. What are you listening to right now? bourne supremacy movie
35. Last thing you ate? a sub sandwich and some mike and ikes.
36. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? periwinkle (partly cause it's almost my last name, and partly cause i love the color of blue)
37. What is the weather like right now? annoying snow
38. Last person you talked to on the phone? faraji aka scandalous
39. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? eyes and smile (same here cas)
40. Do you like the person who sent this to you? How can I not love the new IC Me?
42. Favorite Drink? Alcoholic: Alabama Slambers or 151 and coke; Non Alc: Diet sprite or rootbeer
43. Favorite Sport? Football and basketball to watch, Soccer, horseback riding and Volley ball to play
44. Hair Color? sort of a golden blond color - though I might dye it soon....
45. Eye Color? blue - though grey-ish in the wintertime
46. Do you wear contacts? no
48. Favorite Food? Italian - I mean REAL Italian too, thin crust legit pizza - as well as americanized Olive Garden etc
49. Last Movie You Watched? well, half paying attention to bourne supremacy - otherwise Kill Bill
50. Favorite Day Of The Year? no idea...whatever day something goes right in my life is a favorite day to me
51. Scary Movies Or Happy Endings? scary movies if i"ve got someone to go with that will make me feel safe afterward, otherwise happy endings
52. Summer Or Winter? I'm a Fall girl at heart - though I'd put Summer way above Winter
53. Hugs OR Kisses? yes please :)
55. What Is Your Favorite Dessert? cherry cheesecake
56. Who Is Most Likely To Respond? no idea.
57. Who Is Least Likely To Respond? no idea.
58. Living Arrangements? single dorm room in a 21 and over dorm.
59. What Books Are You Reading? ack, too many for classes!
60. What's On Your Mouse Pad? it's boring, and my mouse is on it, DUH. (oh ya, that's the sarcasim coming through)
61. What did you watch on TV last night? various background distractions
63. Favorite Smells? Nautica Latitude Longitude, victoria secret halo (what I wear), chocolate chip cookies baking, lilacs
64. Favorite Sounds? laughter,
65. Rolling Stones or Beatles? I listen to both, but more often Beatles
66. Do you believe in Evolution or Creationist?? I think they coexist
67. What's the furthest you've been from home? in the U.S. Hawaii. internationally: Czech Republic

well i've confirmed that this semester will involve much reading and some serious intellectual challenges. joy. hopefully i'll still have a life outside of the library stacks....

The recap catchup

Well, I am back in the swing of things here in indiana. Enjoying the nice 62 degree weather today, though it was rainy, at least it wasn't icy, like back in IC. I hope you've all stayed indoors or gotten home safely over there! The two classes I've had so far will be good I think, both with professors I had last semester, yay for them! I'm more nervous for the seminar in art librarianship which will be on Thursday - because I haven't taken the prereq and it's a class of only 9 people. I already have reading assignments and *gasp* had PRE-reading assignments too...publishing syllabi on the web has it's advantages for the profs, and disadvantages for the students I guess. It's hard to push my brain back into school mode though. I did get over to the SRSC today to work out a bit, which will be a good habit to get into. I'll recap the last few days in IC and here, in order to catch folks up, and close this quickly, because I've got massive reading to do for Thursday...
I spent Thurs night by hanging out a bit w. Jon, who CRUSHED me at NCAA Football on xbox. I thought it rather comical - for someone that usually learns what the buttons do by creating random schemes of pushing all at once or all in a row - that he handed me the MANUAL, I was thinking to myself, what kind of messed up game is this, and I quickly learned that I would do well to memorize that manual. So ya, I'll learn what all those buttons do, and then, Jon, you better look out, cause it'll be GO TIME! After some xbox adventures, we went and picked up Ashley, Kath, and Chai and went to the women's bball game. I LOVE watching basketball - I have a lead on Yogi's as the place to watch the Hawk Men this weekend (bummer that they are 0-2 in the big ten now). After the game, we went back to Jon's, where Chai and I played some Burnout Three, - my FAV xbox game (out of the 4 I've played). Then we headed to pick up folks and go to MugClub. It was quite fun for the most part. I think the people i was with know like every single person that lives in the town of iowa city, cause they were all running into people they knew. Besides my friends, I only ran into one other person that I know myself. It was good times though. Then i went home and crashed! I met with Rijn at 10 am to discuss the internship this summer - I'm hoping to keep myself super busy with working ALOT so as to make ALOT of money - which means, after internship meeting I went out to ACT to interview. I must fill out many other appl. as well, when I"m back in IC - if anybody knows someone looking for summer help...please pass along my name ;) ...Then I joined Misa and Ax for lunch at the hospital, which was fun, and i headed over to Hardin and visited with Hope (my old boss) She's so cool. Couldn't talk for long though - cause i met pete at house of aromas for coffee (or in my case, Orange tea) that was a great convo :) I was happy he wanted to go. I also met Jaime for dinner at the mall, and that was fun to. wedding plans seem to be coming along nicely. After that, Misa and I headed up to CR for the girls night! Sorry to my boys out there, I love you guys, - but sometimes, the gals just need a night to have some fun with their own kind :)....we had a total blast! It was a group of about 10 of us, including some of hte Mt. Mercy girls that i haven't seen in Ages! We went to a new place called "element".
My one funny story from the night, just proves that I will always remain the oblivious "blond". When Misa and I walked in, I was wearing a zip-up sweatshirt over my "goingout" tank top. For thoseo f you that don't know I have a set of "goingout" tanks, which, to various degrees are mostly designated as such because I can get them smoky and wash them easily. Well, as I paid to get in, the bouncer told me to unzip my sweatshirt top, - no worries, I thought, this is probably just to check for concealed weapons or something. Well, after, rezipping my sweatshirt back up, the bouncer informs me that I will need to check my sweatshirt. I was thinking, "huh? what? that makes no sense" and I think he saw the look on my face conveying my thoughts. He responded by saying the coat check was free. I nodded, paid and walked in. It was FREEZING in the bar, so there was NO WAY I was going to check my shirt! I asked Misa, who was wearing a zip-up fleace over her tanktop "Did he tell you to check that?" and she gave me this weird look. "No, why?" "Because he told me to check mine. Which is soo stupid, it's way to cold in here. jeesh" and misa gave me another look, that clearly conveyed I'd been the "oblivious blond" as usual...the bouncer was totally interested in seeing me wearing my tanktop all night, instead of my zip-up sweatshirt. In other words, he'd been trying to hit on me. *shakes head* In the end, it's more annoying than endearing for bouncers to hit on you when you walk into a bar, but, in my case, I guess I won't notice anyway.
The rest of the night went really well, lots of fun dancing, and the drive home was nice, because misa and I got to catch up. I left IC early on Sat morning, and drove back to B-town, which just a lill bit of snow and icky weather right outside Indianapolis, so no big. Settled back in, and did dinner and a movie with Traci...yay! She's such a good cook, and a regular martha stewart without the jail time. :) We watched Eternal Sunshine. Sunday I lounged around and got my textbooks and finished unloading. So that's it...it's back to the exciting life of a grad student. - I am looking forward to starting work on Friday though. Art Libraries RAWK!
hope you are all well!

Loyalties and Parties

All day today my away message varied from "I hate snow" "I despise snow" "Snow sucks" and "When I'm grown up, I want to live somewhere warm" mostly this is due to my cabin fever of sorts, because I was stuck inside the house for the ENTIRE day. Blah. There was this huge storm that's moved through Iowa (will not be done until tomorrow afternoon) and it started with sleet and ice, and now is snowing. So the grounds are not only icy, but snowy to. Just the kind of weather I really LOVE being around. *ahem* cough, sarcasm. I also hate when the weather means my plans get cancelled. Just proves Mother Nature really does rule our lives, and rightly so - as we've recently seen how powerful it can be, and sadly at that. But tonight we were going to make ghetto gingerbread houses, and it was going to be fun, I just know it. We did it a few years ago and I thought it was a blast. I like being creative, and I especially like when I can be creative at the same time as other people and we can share the creative vibes. OH well, only a few more days in Iowa, until back in Indy I will not have time to do anything but study, attend classes, study, read for classes, hopefully work out occasionally, figure out housing for next year, and maybe do dinner a few times with some friends. That will suck...means to an end, means to an end. I'll just keep telling myself that. I meet with my internship advisor in the morning (if I can get OUT and drive on the roads) I hope that she doesn't think I'm a total moron, and that I have no business being an art librarian. I'm worried she'll think I'm not ready for it...
This past weekend was a total blast. I haven't been out to party that consistantly in FOREVER. Firstly we went out for Eben's bday on Thurs night, fun times. At least my hair looked really spiff and cute. Was a small West high Reunion, and Jana and Pete got to come along as well. Then on Friday night we did the new year's styles. All the pics are up on the web. it was a blast...I love those folks, thanks for celebrating with me you guys! Sat I was on full recovery mode. I did almost nothing the whole day. I fell asleep at like 10:30 that night too. Sunday night we went to Jakes for Kimi's 21st. That was also quite fun, took me back a ways to last year and many years previous when we'd go there to dance and have a good time just grooving the night away. Jakes is also the bar that is somewhat known as the "hook up" bar, though Sunday night, during break, there weren't too many ppl out. We did have a few guys that danced with kimi and me for a bit, but mostly it was just the group on the floor. Then Monday night we went to the Field House to help her celebrate with Pitchers, I drove though, and was bummed that they didn't have the dance floor open that night, but it was okay, it was a very relaxed and chill evening to help Kimi reach official legal age. Tonight I've stayed in, due to the weather...tomorrow night, I'll watch the hawk men open their big ten season. I am definately a hawkeye at heart, having spent 22 years of my life cheering on my black and gold. - so when I'm in Indy I will have to find a sportsbar that'll show the bball games so I can stay on top of things, and go IU basketball too - I watched the IU women take on the UI women the other night, and had my Iowa sweatshirt on, especially because I went with my mom, and she's also a UI grad. I cheered for the IU girls when they made good plays, but ultimately, I find my loyalty sports wise must rest with the hawks still - not to mention that after the hailmary pass to end the Capital One Bowl, I'm pretty impressed with how lucky my Hawk football team was, with the end of their season. Only 3 more days in Iowa...hopefully the weather will be good for the drive back on Sat. night folks.