Actually, it's a comfortable 76F outside here in Orlando, and I'm comfortably snuggled up on the couch in my parents' house.
I haven't done too much lately: finished the semester, turned everything in, came home, cooked and cleaned, then had a fantastic Christmas party before sleeping for two days. Now I'm working on my grad school applications so I can get them off my back, and then I'm going to have some fun by doing NOTHING at all.
That is all :)
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
That's Cold
So last night I couldn't sleep...it was SO freaking cold. It was 38F outside, and for some reason my heater doesn't turn on unless it's set to 75F so I was huddled in bed in my sweats, a robe, my throw, and my coverlet and I still couldn't sleep.
It finally warmed up around 5 or 6 am and I consequently slept until 11:30 am. Fortunately, I didn't have much in the way of grocery needs so I just walked to the store and bought my milk and cheese (...and candy canes...) and walked back. I can't believe I fly out in 10 days!
Anyway, I refuse to spend another night like that, so this morning when I was brushing my teeth I had a brilliant idea. Instead of spending $20 I don't have on another throw, I just got my sleeping bag out of the top of my closet, unzipped it, and it's now lying on my bed as an extra blanket. It's a very warm sleeping bag, so hopefully it'll keep me warm. I might have to put it under the coverlet to work best, but anything is better than spending $100 on my gas bill to keep my apartment at a reasonable temperature.
I've been pretty stressed lately...so much to do and it's so difficult. Applying to grad school is tough...my thesis is tough...focusing in general is tough! And it's cold.
Brrrr!
It finally warmed up around 5 or 6 am and I consequently slept until 11:30 am. Fortunately, I didn't have much in the way of grocery needs so I just walked to the store and bought my milk and cheese (...and candy canes...) and walked back. I can't believe I fly out in 10 days!
Anyway, I refuse to spend another night like that, so this morning when I was brushing my teeth I had a brilliant idea. Instead of spending $20 I don't have on another throw, I just got my sleeping bag out of the top of my closet, unzipped it, and it's now lying on my bed as an extra blanket. It's a very warm sleeping bag, so hopefully it'll keep me warm. I might have to put it under the coverlet to work best, but anything is better than spending $100 on my gas bill to keep my apartment at a reasonable temperature.
I've been pretty stressed lately...so much to do and it's so difficult. Applying to grad school is tough...my thesis is tough...focusing in general is tough! And it's cold.
Brrrr!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
little tidbit
I walked outside this morning to run down and get the mail, and also to double-check the make of my car (I'm scheduling a slightly overdue service appointment). When I opened the door I was hit with a waft of fresh air that smelled surprisingly like my grandfather's home: sweet foliage, the rich dark smell of freshly-turned earth, and the oaky, woodsy smell of freshly chopped logs stacked by a brick bake oven.
I don't know how all those scents happened to mix together, but they say that scent is the strongest memory trigger out of all the senses. I have opened all the doors and windows in my apartment, because when I returned to it, it smelled rather sickly sweet (candles...) and I decided it would be healthy to get some air circulating.
Oh well, back to work.
I don't know how all those scents happened to mix together, but they say that scent is the strongest memory trigger out of all the senses. I have opened all the doors and windows in my apartment, because when I returned to it, it smelled rather sickly sweet (candles...) and I decided it would be healthy to get some air circulating.
Oh well, back to work.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Ring of Fire
This weekend has been INCREDIBLY difficult so I'm calling it the ring of fire because it was three days of circular insanity.
Thanksgiving was lovely, I spent it with my cousins and some of their extended family in Irvine - we sat around, listened to music, drank wine, and ate a lovely dinner. Very relaxed, no stress, no snippiness or anything negative. Just a nice afternoon/evening with family.
Friday, on the other hand, I spent at work, and it was just waves of people, then a slow spell...then waves of people and then a slow spell. All. Day.
Rick says it's always like that Thanksgiving weekend because people have their family over for the whole weekend and need something to do. And there I was thinking it'd be empty because everyone would be shopping or sleeping!
Suffice it to say, I got home Friday and went right to bed (after microwaving the Thanksgiving leftovers Aunt Anne was kind enough to give me - she legitimately gave me half the meal!!) and stayed there for a couple hours before getting up and working on my novels for a few hours.
Saturday was a hideously busy day too, I'm not used to two busy days in a row there (that really doesn't seem to happen much), so I was pretty grumpy. It's really hard to smile at people when they ask questions like, "Why does your exhibit go from 200 CE to 600 CE? That's a really big jump!"
Dude, I'm a security guard. It's my job to make sure you don't steal anything.
However, I did not say that. I smiled as best I could, and said, "Well, it's a four-room exhibit, with approximately 200 pieces, so there are only so many dynasties they can cover."
The person who asked me the question was all, "Oh, what a good point" and wandered off. It was so hard to NOT facepalm. But I managed it, so I'm a little proud of myself. I'll be prouder when I stop stuttering.
I don't know why my stupid stutter had to come back, but there's something about wandering around in Bowers (weather eye always on the alert for camera flashes), thinking about money/my thesis/football/food, and being interrupted by some question I could never have anticipated that just brings my stutter to the surface.
Today was slower, but I was exhausted so it felt longer, and more difficult. Today my first shift was in the terra cotta exhibit, and I was walking around in the pit (the middle rooms of the four) and a gentleman approached me and asked, "Where are the large terra cotta warriors?"
I suppose I first should explain that there are four rooms in terra cotta (officially known as Tombs and Temples):
1) The "front room" - containing four life-sized warriors, a life-sized horse, and other artifacts from the Qin Dynasty
2) The "pit" - the Han Dynasty room with about a dozen miniature warriors, miniature farm animals, a set of weights and measures, and a tomb door.
3) the "pit" - the Tang Dynasty (I think) with pottery, grave goods, and lots of beautiful metal objects that were the heritage of metalworking skills and trade resulting from the Silk Road
4) the "back" - the last room, focusing on Buddha and Chinese Buddhists, with items like an alms bowl, a large Buddha sitting on a lotus flower (I'd say 2/3 life-size ish), and the four reliquary boxes that held Buddha's fingerbone. (The bone is now touring Buddhist countries as an item of reverence.)
We were in room 2. There is a large window between room 1 and room 2. The couple had come from room 1.
I just stood there, completely dumbfounded. Somehow I gathered enough of my wits together to point to room one and say, "In that room there." I hoped they had come from room 4 (some people do wander through that way, somehow completely bypassing both security and visitor services, although it doesn't happen often) and my hopes were dashed when the wife said, "We just saw them!" and he looks back through the window and says, "Oh, I must have missed them!"
They walk off, and I just stand there. Room 1 is a rectangular room with one giant platform that is the best-lit thing in the room, easily some 20 feet by 10, with four life-size terracotta men and a life-size terra cotta horse. There are four other cases in the room, all smaller than 3X3. How, and I say this with every drop of kindness I can wring from my soul...HOW DO YOU MISS THE SOLDIERS?!
That incident is pretty much representative of the day; I found two girls taking pictures with flash in the second room and when I went over and politely informed them that no flash was allowed the girl said, "I know, I just forgot."
I just shook my head and walked away; turns out they'd been informed by the guard in the front room to not use flash earlier. I saw them two hours later in the permanent Chinese exhibit (called 5,000 Years of China) and they were using flash AGAIN - one of the docents reprimanded them as I was walking over to do it. I wish I were allowed to throw people like that out. I refuse to believe a teenager with a camera they've owned more than two hours doesn't know how to turn off the flash. It was just general lack of respect. And that deserves being thrown out on your bum, in my opinion. Unfortunately, I don't get to do that. Please, Parents of the World - teach your children to respect museums/schools/knowledge in general, if you teach them nothing else.
Okay, I want to kick back with some popcorn and The Big Bang Theory now. Hooray for mindless zoning!
Thanksgiving was lovely, I spent it with my cousins and some of their extended family in Irvine - we sat around, listened to music, drank wine, and ate a lovely dinner. Very relaxed, no stress, no snippiness or anything negative. Just a nice afternoon/evening with family.
Friday, on the other hand, I spent at work, and it was just waves of people, then a slow spell...then waves of people and then a slow spell. All. Day.
Rick says it's always like that Thanksgiving weekend because people have their family over for the whole weekend and need something to do. And there I was thinking it'd be empty because everyone would be shopping or sleeping!
Suffice it to say, I got home Friday and went right to bed (after microwaving the Thanksgiving leftovers Aunt Anne was kind enough to give me - she legitimately gave me half the meal!!) and stayed there for a couple hours before getting up and working on my novels for a few hours.
Saturday was a hideously busy day too, I'm not used to two busy days in a row there (that really doesn't seem to happen much), so I was pretty grumpy. It's really hard to smile at people when they ask questions like, "Why does your exhibit go from 200 CE to 600 CE? That's a really big jump!"
Dude, I'm a security guard. It's my job to make sure you don't steal anything.
However, I did not say that. I smiled as best I could, and said, "Well, it's a four-room exhibit, with approximately 200 pieces, so there are only so many dynasties they can cover."
The person who asked me the question was all, "Oh, what a good point" and wandered off. It was so hard to NOT facepalm. But I managed it, so I'm a little proud of myself. I'll be prouder when I stop stuttering.
I don't know why my stupid stutter had to come back, but there's something about wandering around in Bowers (weather eye always on the alert for camera flashes), thinking about money/my thesis/football/food, and being interrupted by some question I could never have anticipated that just brings my stutter to the surface.
Today was slower, but I was exhausted so it felt longer, and more difficult. Today my first shift was in the terra cotta exhibit, and I was walking around in the pit (the middle rooms of the four) and a gentleman approached me and asked, "Where are the large terra cotta warriors?"
I suppose I first should explain that there are four rooms in terra cotta (officially known as Tombs and Temples):
1) The "front room" - containing four life-sized warriors, a life-sized horse, and other artifacts from the Qin Dynasty
2) The "pit" - the Han Dynasty room with about a dozen miniature warriors, miniature farm animals, a set of weights and measures, and a tomb door.
3) the "pit" - the Tang Dynasty (I think) with pottery, grave goods, and lots of beautiful metal objects that were the heritage of metalworking skills and trade resulting from the Silk Road
4) the "back" - the last room, focusing on Buddha and Chinese Buddhists, with items like an alms bowl, a large Buddha sitting on a lotus flower (I'd say 2/3 life-size ish), and the four reliquary boxes that held Buddha's fingerbone. (The bone is now touring Buddhist countries as an item of reverence.)
We were in room 2. There is a large window between room 1 and room 2. The couple had come from room 1.
I just stood there, completely dumbfounded. Somehow I gathered enough of my wits together to point to room one and say, "In that room there." I hoped they had come from room 4 (some people do wander through that way, somehow completely bypassing both security and visitor services, although it doesn't happen often) and my hopes were dashed when the wife said, "We just saw them!" and he looks back through the window and says, "Oh, I must have missed them!"
They walk off, and I just stand there. Room 1 is a rectangular room with one giant platform that is the best-lit thing in the room, easily some 20 feet by 10, with four life-size terracotta men and a life-size terra cotta horse. There are four other cases in the room, all smaller than 3X3. How, and I say this with every drop of kindness I can wring from my soul...HOW DO YOU MISS THE SOLDIERS?!
That incident is pretty much representative of the day; I found two girls taking pictures with flash in the second room and when I went over and politely informed them that no flash was allowed the girl said, "I know, I just forgot."
I just shook my head and walked away; turns out they'd been informed by the guard in the front room to not use flash earlier. I saw them two hours later in the permanent Chinese exhibit (called 5,000 Years of China) and they were using flash AGAIN - one of the docents reprimanded them as I was walking over to do it. I wish I were allowed to throw people like that out. I refuse to believe a teenager with a camera they've owned more than two hours doesn't know how to turn off the flash. It was just general lack of respect. And that deserves being thrown out on your bum, in my opinion. Unfortunately, I don't get to do that. Please, Parents of the World - teach your children to respect museums/schools/knowledge in general, if you teach them nothing else.
Okay, I want to kick back with some popcorn and The Big Bang Theory now. Hooray for mindless zoning!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Grad School 2.0
Well, I have officially started my graduate school applications. I should've started months ago - technically I did, contacting some professors that I was particularly interested in working with in October. But those programs turned out to be not what I was looking for, and between my new job and the AGSA and my thesis somehow my applications got pushed to one side.
Two weeks ago I messaged six universities through GradSchools.com, but when they hadn't emailed me back by Monday I decided it was a dead end and started sending off emails on my own. As of today, I have contacted Texas A&M, Stony Brook, Bryn Mawr, Durham, The Cyprus Institute, and the University of Virginia. Haven't heard back from any of them yet, but I'm going to go ahead and start applications at all of them, particularly Virginia and TAMU because their deadlines are earliest. That is, TAMU's official deadline is January 1st, but to be considered for funding you have to apply by December 1st...which I didn't know because when I was looking over their website two weeks ago I didn't scroll down to the bottom and read that fine print. Major fail on my part!
I was also interested in Brown, but when I looked more closely at their website it's clear that they're a classically based department and you need two classical languages and two modern languages before you can advance to candidacy; although I do (did) have a grasp on both Latin and German, re-learning those two and learning two new languages in two years is a little much for me. Plus I'm not super-duper interested in classically based departments; I prefer a scientific approach.
I've also emailed my professors here about advancing to candidacy, but they all seem to be busy too, so next Monday I need to send off more emails asking when we can meet and discuss my options in person. Stupid budget cuts, making my life difficult!! Universities should be the LAST thing to get cut...well okay, maybe social security and healthcare should be cut last, but they're all top three.
Tomorrow I have to go and look for a nice plate because I'm baking cookies to take to my cousins' place on Thanksgiving, and of course they need a decorative plate to sit on. And then, I need to bake the cookies. But that shouldn't be so bad, although I am worried about baking in this oven, which I've never actually done beyond meat, potatoes, and the occasional broiled seafood.
I am SO excited for Christmas - and the holidays. Oh well...time to cook dinner!
Two weeks ago I messaged six universities through GradSchools.com, but when they hadn't emailed me back by Monday I decided it was a dead end and started sending off emails on my own. As of today, I have contacted Texas A&M, Stony Brook, Bryn Mawr, Durham, The Cyprus Institute, and the University of Virginia. Haven't heard back from any of them yet, but I'm going to go ahead and start applications at all of them, particularly Virginia and TAMU because their deadlines are earliest. That is, TAMU's official deadline is January 1st, but to be considered for funding you have to apply by December 1st...which I didn't know because when I was looking over their website two weeks ago I didn't scroll down to the bottom and read that fine print. Major fail on my part!
I was also interested in Brown, but when I looked more closely at their website it's clear that they're a classically based department and you need two classical languages and two modern languages before you can advance to candidacy; although I do (did) have a grasp on both Latin and German, re-learning those two and learning two new languages in two years is a little much for me. Plus I'm not super-duper interested in classically based departments; I prefer a scientific approach.
I've also emailed my professors here about advancing to candidacy, but they all seem to be busy too, so next Monday I need to send off more emails asking when we can meet and discuss my options in person. Stupid budget cuts, making my life difficult!! Universities should be the LAST thing to get cut...well okay, maybe social security and healthcare should be cut last, but they're all top three.
Tomorrow I have to go and look for a nice plate because I'm baking cookies to take to my cousins' place on Thanksgiving, and of course they need a decorative plate to sit on. And then, I need to bake the cookies. But that shouldn't be so bad, although I am worried about baking in this oven, which I've never actually done beyond meat, potatoes, and the occasional broiled seafood.
I am SO excited for Christmas - and the holidays. Oh well...time to cook dinner!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Sunday Night Football
Where on earth has all the time gone? How has it been 2 weeks since I updated this blog? This is ridiculous!
I am currently sitting at my desk, watching the Patriots - Jets game out of one eye and keeping another eye on my fantasy football games while keeping two eyes on the screen while I write up this blog. Yes, I am that awesome.
I've just been so ridiculously tired and busy lately. I always have tests the same week in both of my classes it seems; and studying for both at the same time is exhausting, and it totally derails my graduate school applications and my thesis. Although, I got a 96 on my Remote Sensing test (yesssss!) and when I asked Dr. Lee about a point I missed (because the page just said -1, there was no red line or red writing anywhere) he said, "Well with tests as excellent as yours I just get a little bit nitpicky!" He did explain what I missed, but I was concentrating on being rather swelled up with my test being described as "excellent" because that class is HARD!
My thesis is not going well...I get more stressed whenever I think about it. Last night I was lying in bed (utterly exhausted after having spent a long and stressful shift organizing the setup for the gala/charity auction at Bowers in addition to my regular duties) and I started thinking about my thesis and I got so stressed I nearly threw up. I didn't sleep at all well either; kept waking up and tossing and turning and getting some water or going to the bathroom or stretching and turning over...I felt like an underdone loaf of bread at work today, and was so relieved that it was a slow day and I didn't have to dash about constantly.
Yesterday I had to throw out THREE weddings! The thing about Bowers is that we have a really beautiful courtyard and if you fill out ONE sheet of paper and put down a $30 deposit then you have an official reservation to take pictures there - and it's really popular. The problem is, there are a lot of cheapskate, idiotic photographers who think they can photograph in our courtyard any time they want without paying. So we have to kick them out and it really upsets the brides. (Which is very understandable.) But that's why you shouldn't go with the cheapest photographer, in my humble opinion.
Well, the first wedding decided to fill out the paperwork and pay the deposit - although they seemed a little annoyed they didn't get a copy, which I found ludicrous considering the circumstances.
The second wedding I had to kick out twice. The bride and some of her attendants came in to use the bathroom (which is allowed; anyone can use our bathrooms as long as they don't wander around and look at the exhibits, or trash the bathrooms) as I was walking past, so I went out to the courtyard and tried to explain they'd need to be outside the walls to take photographs, but unfortunately all the people left out there only spoke Spanish, and my Spanish is limited to, "No hablo Espanol" and "Buenos dias"
So I warily went back inside, but I got a call on my radio three minutes later saying, "Carla, go kick that wedding out!"
I stormed back to the courtyard (and it was starting to rain too and they were still taking pictures!) and go up to the photographer (who spoke English, thank goodness) and said, "Excuse me, but I've already told your group that you must leave the courtyard if you're going to take pictures."
And he said, "Oh yes, we're just leaving." and I think "Yeah, and I'm Courtney Cox," right as he says, "I can take this last picture, right?"
And I am SO pissed at this point (wet, tired, and thinking of all the work I had to leave undone inside to go kick this party out) I just say sweetly and poisonously, "No, I'm sorry, if you haven't paid I simply can't allow that."
And I stood there in the rain, arms folded, scowling portentously until every last one of them vacated the premises.
I kid you not, not even an hour later there was ANOTHER party - not quite sure if this was a wedding, because the center of attention was in a pink dress, but you never know - and I stormed out again and politely asked them to vacate the property immediately. Which they did, but clearly they lacked common sense as a party, because all the women walked across the soaking wet grass in their pale satin stiletto heels, totally ignoring the wide, dirt-free pathways! I just stood and stared; I would never treat satin shoes in that manner.
I left a little after 4:30, when the gala was entirely set up except for small things like glasses on the tables, and the models wearing all the gorgeous jewelry Christie's had donated for the auction were still in the dressing room. That bit stings; I desperately wanted to see that jewelry! If I'm ever a rich person, you can bet just about anything that if there's a gala where I can go bid on jewelry to benefit some charity, I will do it!
Today was simpler, the gala was over, and the night shift and the early shift cleaned it up between them, and it was a nice, slow day so I wasn't rushed off my feet. I had hoped to get on the roster for the National Geographic filming at the museum tomorrow (when it's closed to the public, as it is on all Mondays) but the shifts are 6 am - 3:30 pm and 3:30 pm - 9 pm, and I have class at 3:30 pm so I couldn't take either. Oh well...I'll just have to get onto a NatGeo special some other way!
When I was in the Spirits and Headhunters gallery I ran into one of our docents: she's being interviewed by NatGeo tomorrow and had to choose 15 pieces to talk about, so she wanted to know which pieces I liked most, so we spent nearly an hour in the exhibit looking at everything and talking about Papua New Guinea and the Pacific rim cultures and all that sort of thing. We also started talking to this one gentleman and it turns out he's a conservator (for a living!!) who mostly works with metals and he's had an absolutely fascinating lifetime.
I know my life is nothing to sneeze at; born in South Africa, live in the United States, have traveled to England, France, Portugal, Canada and Ethiopia as well as returning to South Africa several times...I've been on safari, ridden an ostrich, and taken an elephant for a walk; I've eaten lunch in a Parisian patisserie, drunk Madeira wine in Madeira and witnessed an Ethiopian coffee ceremony; I've seen fantastic paintings by Monet, Hopper, O'Keefe, and so many others in real life; I've been to ballets and plays and concerts, I've dug up an archeological site in a volcano perched on the Afar rift; I can flintknap stone tools, cook almost anything you'd care to mention, spent 7 years learning to sing from a maestro, and I know the basics of silversmithing.
But the man we met - we didn't get his name - spent 9 months traveling from Saudi Arabia to Nepal in the 1960s by bus, train, and the occasional small airplane ride. He made silver-plated miniatures for mosques in Mecca and Medina, and met a sheik and stayed in his palace.
In some ways it's frustrating that there are so many things I haven't yet experienced...in some ways it's challenging...and very, very exciting! There are so many interesting and wonderful things out there in the world. One gentleman I met at the museum (he and his wife had questions about the scrimshaw exhibit that I was only partially able to answer) told me sternly that I should make the most of my young life, and when I replied that I had a very long bucket list he said I was too young for one of those. I said I just wanted to be sure I did everything in plenty of time - because I'm sure I'll think of new things to do by the time I'm old.
Some of the things on my bucket list are very silly - like wear an itsy bitsy, teeny weeny, yellow polka dot bikini and eat a Philly cheese steak in Philadelphia - and some of them are very awesome - like float in a gondola in Venice and see Much Ado About Nothing in either the Royal Shakespeare Theatre OR the Globe Theatre.
But then, it wouldn't really be my bucket list if it didn't have silly and serious hand-in-hand, would it?
I am currently sitting at my desk, watching the Patriots - Jets game out of one eye and keeping another eye on my fantasy football games while keeping two eyes on the screen while I write up this blog. Yes, I am that awesome.
I've just been so ridiculously tired and busy lately. I always have tests the same week in both of my classes it seems; and studying for both at the same time is exhausting, and it totally derails my graduate school applications and my thesis. Although, I got a 96 on my Remote Sensing test (yesssss!) and when I asked Dr. Lee about a point I missed (because the page just said -1, there was no red line or red writing anywhere) he said, "Well with tests as excellent as yours I just get a little bit nitpicky!" He did explain what I missed, but I was concentrating on being rather swelled up with my test being described as "excellent" because that class is HARD!
My thesis is not going well...I get more stressed whenever I think about it. Last night I was lying in bed (utterly exhausted after having spent a long and stressful shift organizing the setup for the gala/charity auction at Bowers in addition to my regular duties) and I started thinking about my thesis and I got so stressed I nearly threw up. I didn't sleep at all well either; kept waking up and tossing and turning and getting some water or going to the bathroom or stretching and turning over...I felt like an underdone loaf of bread at work today, and was so relieved that it was a slow day and I didn't have to dash about constantly.
Yesterday I had to throw out THREE weddings! The thing about Bowers is that we have a really beautiful courtyard and if you fill out ONE sheet of paper and put down a $30 deposit then you have an official reservation to take pictures there - and it's really popular. The problem is, there are a lot of cheapskate, idiotic photographers who think they can photograph in our courtyard any time they want without paying. So we have to kick them out and it really upsets the brides. (Which is very understandable.) But that's why you shouldn't go with the cheapest photographer, in my humble opinion.
Well, the first wedding decided to fill out the paperwork and pay the deposit - although they seemed a little annoyed they didn't get a copy, which I found ludicrous considering the circumstances.
The second wedding I had to kick out twice. The bride and some of her attendants came in to use the bathroom (which is allowed; anyone can use our bathrooms as long as they don't wander around and look at the exhibits, or trash the bathrooms) as I was walking past, so I went out to the courtyard and tried to explain they'd need to be outside the walls to take photographs, but unfortunately all the people left out there only spoke Spanish, and my Spanish is limited to, "No hablo Espanol" and "Buenos dias"
So I warily went back inside, but I got a call on my radio three minutes later saying, "Carla, go kick that wedding out!"
I stormed back to the courtyard (and it was starting to rain too and they were still taking pictures!) and go up to the photographer (who spoke English, thank goodness) and said, "Excuse me, but I've already told your group that you must leave the courtyard if you're going to take pictures."
And he said, "Oh yes, we're just leaving." and I think "Yeah, and I'm Courtney Cox," right as he says, "I can take this last picture, right?"
And I am SO pissed at this point (wet, tired, and thinking of all the work I had to leave undone inside to go kick this party out) I just say sweetly and poisonously, "No, I'm sorry, if you haven't paid I simply can't allow that."
And I stood there in the rain, arms folded, scowling portentously until every last one of them vacated the premises.
I kid you not, not even an hour later there was ANOTHER party - not quite sure if this was a wedding, because the center of attention was in a pink dress, but you never know - and I stormed out again and politely asked them to vacate the property immediately. Which they did, but clearly they lacked common sense as a party, because all the women walked across the soaking wet grass in their pale satin stiletto heels, totally ignoring the wide, dirt-free pathways! I just stood and stared; I would never treat satin shoes in that manner.
I left a little after 4:30, when the gala was entirely set up except for small things like glasses on the tables, and the models wearing all the gorgeous jewelry Christie's had donated for the auction were still in the dressing room. That bit stings; I desperately wanted to see that jewelry! If I'm ever a rich person, you can bet just about anything that if there's a gala where I can go bid on jewelry to benefit some charity, I will do it!
Today was simpler, the gala was over, and the night shift and the early shift cleaned it up between them, and it was a nice, slow day so I wasn't rushed off my feet. I had hoped to get on the roster for the National Geographic filming at the museum tomorrow (when it's closed to the public, as it is on all Mondays) but the shifts are 6 am - 3:30 pm and 3:30 pm - 9 pm, and I have class at 3:30 pm so I couldn't take either. Oh well...I'll just have to get onto a NatGeo special some other way!
When I was in the Spirits and Headhunters gallery I ran into one of our docents: she's being interviewed by NatGeo tomorrow and had to choose 15 pieces to talk about, so she wanted to know which pieces I liked most, so we spent nearly an hour in the exhibit looking at everything and talking about Papua New Guinea and the Pacific rim cultures and all that sort of thing. We also started talking to this one gentleman and it turns out he's a conservator (for a living!!) who mostly works with metals and he's had an absolutely fascinating lifetime.
I know my life is nothing to sneeze at; born in South Africa, live in the United States, have traveled to England, France, Portugal, Canada and Ethiopia as well as returning to South Africa several times...I've been on safari, ridden an ostrich, and taken an elephant for a walk; I've eaten lunch in a Parisian patisserie, drunk Madeira wine in Madeira and witnessed an Ethiopian coffee ceremony; I've seen fantastic paintings by Monet, Hopper, O'Keefe, and so many others in real life; I've been to ballets and plays and concerts, I've dug up an archeological site in a volcano perched on the Afar rift; I can flintknap stone tools, cook almost anything you'd care to mention, spent 7 years learning to sing from a maestro, and I know the basics of silversmithing.
But the man we met - we didn't get his name - spent 9 months traveling from Saudi Arabia to Nepal in the 1960s by bus, train, and the occasional small airplane ride. He made silver-plated miniatures for mosques in Mecca and Medina, and met a sheik and stayed in his palace.
In some ways it's frustrating that there are so many things I haven't yet experienced...in some ways it's challenging...and very, very exciting! There are so many interesting and wonderful things out there in the world. One gentleman I met at the museum (he and his wife had questions about the scrimshaw exhibit that I was only partially able to answer) told me sternly that I should make the most of my young life, and when I replied that I had a very long bucket list he said I was too young for one of those. I said I just wanted to be sure I did everything in plenty of time - because I'm sure I'll think of new things to do by the time I'm old.
Some of the things on my bucket list are very silly - like wear an itsy bitsy, teeny weeny, yellow polka dot bikini and eat a Philly cheese steak in Philadelphia - and some of them are very awesome - like float in a gondola in Venice and see Much Ado About Nothing in either the Royal Shakespeare Theatre OR the Globe Theatre.
But then, it wouldn't really be my bucket list if it didn't have silly and serious hand-in-hand, would it?
Monday, October 31, 2011
Pumpkin Carving 2011
Another picture post!
My awesome pumpkin:
My cyclops design:
Carved cyclops, the saved seeds, and the guts destined for the trash. I DID find a recipe for pumpkin gut cupcakes, but I don't eat cupcakes nor do I have all the ingredients so I decided to bin them.
Lots and lots of seeds!
Testing him out in the kitchen:
Setting him outside:
Isn't he a cute lil cyclops?! He is now facing the street so I hope passersby can see him. I should really go down and take a look.
Plus the pumpkin was only $3 so I don't have to feel remotely guilty about buying it, especially since I'm going to roast the seeds for a healthy and nutritious snack.
I LOVE Halloween so much! Happy Halloween everyone!
My cyclops design:
Carved cyclops, the saved seeds, and the guts destined for the trash. I DID find a recipe for pumpkin gut cupcakes, but I don't eat cupcakes nor do I have all the ingredients so I decided to bin them.
Lots and lots of seeds!
Testing him out in the kitchen:
Setting him outside:
Isn't he a cute lil cyclops?! He is now facing the street so I hope passersby can see him. I should really go down and take a look.
Plus the pumpkin was only $3 so I don't have to feel remotely guilty about buying it, especially since I'm going to roast the seeds for a healthy and nutritious snack.
I LOVE Halloween so much! Happy Halloween everyone!
Halloween Weekend
Ow. Ow. Ow. I am in PAIN. Before I get into that, here's the story of how this weekend went down:
So this has been a crazy weekend.
Friday I worked from 9:30 am - 4:30 pm (which means I get up at 8 am) and the
"tire low pressure" light was on in my car so I drove to work in fear and trembling one of my tires would go but I got there fine.
Work hurt my feet per usual.
I get out, go get my tires filled at some tire place my gps directed me to, and finally get home (normally a 14-20 minute drive) an hour and ten minutes after I left.
I went home and passed out, woke up at 8, ate, put on makeup, get dressed and went to my girlfriend's Halloween party (my first time out since the last date I had in August), partied til 2 am, got home at 2:30 am, went to bed at three and was stuck in a non-REM vegetative state ALL NIGHT so I wasn't rested at all, and was consequently feeling very ill Saturday morning.
Here's my costume:
The party was a LOT of fun, I talked to a lot of people, ate a lot of candy, ate Judy's delicious tacquitos, drank some beer, and even had a Sexy Lady Nerd teach me how to dance. Everyone said I did a really good job, and I'm quite proud I didn't trip and fall considering my sari kept slipping. I have to give Indian ladies a hand, how they can wear saris every day and get stuff done is beyond me. Well done ladies, well done!
Saturday morning I felt like hell, so I took dayquil, dragged myself to work, suffered through 7 hours of directing people to the bathroom and to turn the flash off of their cameras, rushed home, took off my uniform and went straight to bed. I had to get up again at 6:30 so I could eat dinner and put on some makeup so I could go see War of the Worlds (the Orson Wells radio version) at the Richard Goad theatre.
Their website:
http://www.lbshakespeare.org/
I went to see it last year and loved it so much I decided I had to do it again this year. This year was a little different though; for one thing they accidentally oversold the theatre so there was a huge scramble to get seats for everyone (it like comfortably fits thirty, I guess at least 40 people showed up), and also this year they had an expert on Mars come in (he used to work for CSULB, and now works for the Planetary Society - and is friends with/works for Bill Nye the Science guy!!) and give a little lecturette on what people have known about Mars through the ages.
Then there was the actual performance of Orson Wells' radio rendition of The War of the Worlds, which was even better than last year with more actors portraying the voice characters, and live sound effects (it was so cool seeing them do it live) and one of them was playing the piano too...I loved it. I got chills - ones totally unrelated to the fact that I was sitting under an air conditioning vent.
But if you guys follow that LB Shakespeare link they're going to broadcast the performance live on the internet at 7 pm PST on Monday night (they've actually done it for every performance - I hope they keep it up even when I move away, because I LOVE it so much!). I think you'll like it :)
So I got home, utterly exhausted, took off my makeup (I looked SO pretty and I'd spent two seconds putting my makeup on! What does it say about me that the more time I spend on makeup, the worse I look?) and showered before collapsing into bed.
I had work today, and my right foot was so sore I finally took a good look at it and I have a GIANT blister right on the end of my pinky toe which Dave (one of the heads of security) helped me bind up with a supersized band aid to provide some padding. I was in so much pain though, I had to keep stopping and crouching to take the pressure off my foot (I was in the TerraCotta exhibit from 2-4 pm, and you really can't sit down in there, which sucks), and then my muscles were so tight from the fact I didn't work Monday-Thursday but I DID work Friday-Sunday that I managed to pull a muscle in my knee and THAT is why I am in so much pain right now.
Sitting down and standing up are NOT comfortable right now. That is the ACTIONS of sitting and standing are not comfortable, being in either state is okay. And my toe still has that honking blister on it.
I'm going to get up earlier than I want to tomorrow (read: before noon) so I can go shoe shopping. I'm going to get squooshy skateboard shoes at least a half-size too big so I can wear big socks and won't get blisters!!!!
I have a lot of stuff to do tomorrow...yuck. I emailed Dr. Lipo tonight about my thesis proposal. I'm praying I have finally absorbed the finer points of theory so my proposal can be approved, I can get my measurements, run my statistics, and get down to writing my thesis and miraculously be able to turn it all in February and defend in March and graduate in spring and go on to a PhD program that I still need to start applying to (but that costs so much money argh!) and just everything needs to fall into place so I don't freak out and go crawl under a rock and just stay there until someone drags me out.
I think it's bedtime...night all!
So this has been a crazy weekend.
Friday I worked from 9:30 am - 4:30 pm (which means I get up at 8 am) and the
"tire low pressure" light was on in my car so I drove to work in fear and trembling one of my tires would go but I got there fine.
Work hurt my feet per usual.
I get out, go get my tires filled at some tire place my gps directed me to, and finally get home (normally a 14-20 minute drive) an hour and ten minutes after I left.
I went home and passed out, woke up at 8, ate, put on makeup, get dressed and went to my girlfriend's Halloween party (my first time out since the last date I had in August), partied til 2 am, got home at 2:30 am, went to bed at three and was stuck in a non-REM vegetative state ALL NIGHT so I wasn't rested at all, and was consequently feeling very ill Saturday morning.
Here's my costume:
The party was a LOT of fun, I talked to a lot of people, ate a lot of candy, ate Judy's delicious tacquitos, drank some beer, and even had a Sexy Lady Nerd teach me how to dance. Everyone said I did a really good job, and I'm quite proud I didn't trip and fall considering my sari kept slipping. I have to give Indian ladies a hand, how they can wear saris every day and get stuff done is beyond me. Well done ladies, well done!
Saturday morning I felt like hell, so I took dayquil, dragged myself to work, suffered through 7 hours of directing people to the bathroom and to turn the flash off of their cameras, rushed home, took off my uniform and went straight to bed. I had to get up again at 6:30 so I could eat dinner and put on some makeup so I could go see War of the Worlds (the Orson Wells radio version) at the Richard Goad theatre.
Their website:
http://www.lbshakespeare.org/
I went to see it last year and loved it so much I decided I had to do it again this year. This year was a little different though; for one thing they accidentally oversold the theatre so there was a huge scramble to get seats for everyone (it like comfortably fits thirty, I guess at least 40 people showed up), and also this year they had an expert on Mars come in (he used to work for CSULB, and now works for the Planetary Society - and is friends with/works for Bill Nye the Science guy!!) and give a little lecturette on what people have known about Mars through the ages.
Then there was the actual performance of Orson Wells' radio rendition of The War of the Worlds, which was even better than last year with more actors portraying the voice characters, and live sound effects (it was so cool seeing them do it live) and one of them was playing the piano too...I loved it. I got chills - ones totally unrelated to the fact that I was sitting under an air conditioning vent.
But if you guys follow that LB Shakespeare link they're going to broadcast the performance live on the internet at 7 pm PST on Monday night (they've actually done it for every performance - I hope they keep it up even when I move away, because I LOVE it so much!). I think you'll like it :)
So I got home, utterly exhausted, took off my makeup (I looked SO pretty and I'd spent two seconds putting my makeup on! What does it say about me that the more time I spend on makeup, the worse I look?) and showered before collapsing into bed.
I had work today, and my right foot was so sore I finally took a good look at it and I have a GIANT blister right on the end of my pinky toe which Dave (one of the heads of security) helped me bind up with a supersized band aid to provide some padding. I was in so much pain though, I had to keep stopping and crouching to take the pressure off my foot (I was in the TerraCotta exhibit from 2-4 pm, and you really can't sit down in there, which sucks), and then my muscles were so tight from the fact I didn't work Monday-Thursday but I DID work Friday-Sunday that I managed to pull a muscle in my knee and THAT is why I am in so much pain right now.
Sitting down and standing up are NOT comfortable right now. That is the ACTIONS of sitting and standing are not comfortable, being in either state is okay. And my toe still has that honking blister on it.
I'm going to get up earlier than I want to tomorrow (read: before noon) so I can go shoe shopping. I'm going to get squooshy skateboard shoes at least a half-size too big so I can wear big socks and won't get blisters!!!!
I have a lot of stuff to do tomorrow...yuck. I emailed Dr. Lipo tonight about my thesis proposal. I'm praying I have finally absorbed the finer points of theory so my proposal can be approved, I can get my measurements, run my statistics, and get down to writing my thesis and miraculously be able to turn it all in February and defend in March and graduate in spring and go on to a PhD program that I still need to start applying to (but that costs so much money argh!) and just everything needs to fall into place so I don't freak out and go crawl under a rock and just stay there until someone drags me out.
I think it's bedtime...night all!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Phone Home
I'm really glad I called home tonight. Even when my day really stinks and I'm tired and I don't feel like I've done anything worthwhile, calling home makes me feel better.
I really miss being home. Is it Christmas yet?
I really miss being home. Is it Christmas yet?
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Picture Post!
Picture number one:
Now that is what I call a sunset! Sometimes there are compensations, even in California.
Picture number two:
Picture number three:
Picture number four:
Beef. It's what's for dinner.
Now that is what I call a sunset! Sometimes there are compensations, even in California.
Picture number two:
Picture number three:
Picture number four:
Beef. It's what's for dinner.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
A Sneeze In Time
So time is still rushing by violently - great big dollops like the Edy's Double Fudge Brownie ice cream I no longer buy :(
I don't know what I've even done in the past week...I've gone to class and read and done assignments, I've cooked dinners and cleaned and gone to work...I will say that my eyes have been itching abominably and I'm really getting worried because the last time I had my eyes checked Dr. Pearson said to monitor my left eye very carefully because the pressure was rising in it and glaucoma runs in the family anyway. Itching isn't a symptom of glaucoma, is it? I hope not :(
I now seem to work Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the museum which really sucks in one way because I was hoping for one day of grace when I didn't have class or work. On the other hand, I'm freaking out about money and everyone has had to take a cut at work (I was working 4 days a week when I started) so I'm VERY glad I get the number of hours I have.
I made a to-do list today and I actually did about half of it, which is unprecedentedly productive of me...I normally just stare and my computer and grouse and groan about how incredibly STUPID my thesis looks. I'm not working on it tonight - wrestling with BeachSync (which took hours) completely exhausted my mental resources. I'll go to bed early and work on it tomorrow morning before class.
Does anyone know the way to the Wizard of Oz? I need some high-quality Concentration Potion...or perhaps Brilliance Pills, or a Solution Salve. If only I knew a real witch who could provide me with such daily necessities!
I have been sneezing all over the place for the past few days, and have been hit with some serious headaches out of nowhere. I really hope I'm not badly ill. I can't afford to be sick!
On that note...night all :)
I don't know what I've even done in the past week...I've gone to class and read and done assignments, I've cooked dinners and cleaned and gone to work...I will say that my eyes have been itching abominably and I'm really getting worried because the last time I had my eyes checked Dr. Pearson said to monitor my left eye very carefully because the pressure was rising in it and glaucoma runs in the family anyway. Itching isn't a symptom of glaucoma, is it? I hope not :(
I now seem to work Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the museum which really sucks in one way because I was hoping for one day of grace when I didn't have class or work. On the other hand, I'm freaking out about money and everyone has had to take a cut at work (I was working 4 days a week when I started) so I'm VERY glad I get the number of hours I have.
I made a to-do list today and I actually did about half of it, which is unprecedentedly productive of me...I normally just stare and my computer and grouse and groan about how incredibly STUPID my thesis looks. I'm not working on it tonight - wrestling with BeachSync (which took hours) completely exhausted my mental resources. I'll go to bed early and work on it tomorrow morning before class.
Does anyone know the way to the Wizard of Oz? I need some high-quality Concentration Potion...or perhaps Brilliance Pills, or a Solution Salve. If only I knew a real witch who could provide me with such daily necessities!
I have been sneezing all over the place for the past few days, and have been hit with some serious headaches out of nowhere. I really hope I'm not badly ill. I can't afford to be sick!
On that note...night all :)
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Where has all the time gone?!
I can't imagine what happened to it; there used to be plenty to go around!
So my big toe is still extremely displeased with my shifts at the museum and is visibly protesting my involvement like so:
Luckily, it hurts a lot less, although my lower half in general (and my back too, sometimes) still get really sore at the end of a 6 1/2 hour shift. Mom says when she starts teaching again after a summer off she's in pain too, and it just takes time to get back into shape. I'm jealous of her, she at least gets to sit down and take attendance every class period!
Classes have been going a little better: my first remote sensing test didn't go so well (I got an 82, le sigh) but I blasted through two labs today so I'm now ahead of the game and am very excited about that.
Naturally, I got an excellent score in my Anthro test (a 95), even though I was convinced Dr. Lipo wouldn't test on the sites at all and therefore barely glanced at them; I'm sure you can imagine my horror when I found there were three sites on the exam! Fortunately, I pay attention in class so I got two of them, although one was from the textbook, and just glancing at site data once does NOT qualify anyone other than a genius/flypaper memory to get that question correct on a test.
Apparently everyone else in the class did really badly - the average score was a 60 or something awful like that. It's slightly reassuring that my Cum Laude BA really did teach me something.
One of the things on the test that made me really laugh was that we were tested on prehistoric environments and one of them has "Riparian" in the name. If you're a fan of Keeping Up Appearances, you'll know that Hyacinth invites some "select" friends to a "Riparrrrrrian Dining and Entertainment" also known as a "riverside picnic".
It came up on the test as well as in the study guide, and it took all of my self-control to not bust up laughing. A vision of Hyacinth on the telephone calling Elizabeth to inform her of the Riparrrrrian Entertainment, and Elizabeth and Emmit's faces when they realize it's a riverside picnic...well I'm giggling now, and I'm sure you can appreciate how HARD it was to NOT laugh.
I think I was sniggering though.
The thesis is still kicking my ass. I'm making dinner now (that is, it's in the oven and almost ready), and watching the news, but once BBC World News is over, it's time to get back to the grindstone.
One day, I will be retired and sit back and think, "Yes. It is now time to relax." and I will immediately begin writing a new book. Or something!
So my big toe is still extremely displeased with my shifts at the museum and is visibly protesting my involvement like so:
Luckily, it hurts a lot less, although my lower half in general (and my back too, sometimes) still get really sore at the end of a 6 1/2 hour shift. Mom says when she starts teaching again after a summer off she's in pain too, and it just takes time to get back into shape. I'm jealous of her, she at least gets to sit down and take attendance every class period!
Classes have been going a little better: my first remote sensing test didn't go so well (I got an 82, le sigh) but I blasted through two labs today so I'm now ahead of the game and am very excited about that.
Naturally, I got an excellent score in my Anthro test (a 95), even though I was convinced Dr. Lipo wouldn't test on the sites at all and therefore barely glanced at them; I'm sure you can imagine my horror when I found there were three sites on the exam! Fortunately, I pay attention in class so I got two of them, although one was from the textbook, and just glancing at site data once does NOT qualify anyone other than a genius/flypaper memory to get that question correct on a test.
Apparently everyone else in the class did really badly - the average score was a 60 or something awful like that. It's slightly reassuring that my Cum Laude BA really did teach me something.
One of the things on the test that made me really laugh was that we were tested on prehistoric environments and one of them has "Riparian" in the name. If you're a fan of Keeping Up Appearances, you'll know that Hyacinth invites some "select" friends to a "Riparrrrrrian Dining and Entertainment" also known as a "riverside picnic".
It came up on the test as well as in the study guide, and it took all of my self-control to not bust up laughing. A vision of Hyacinth on the telephone calling Elizabeth to inform her of the Riparrrrrian Entertainment, and Elizabeth and Emmit's faces when they realize it's a riverside picnic...well I'm giggling now, and I'm sure you can appreciate how HARD it was to NOT laugh.
I think I was sniggering though.
The thesis is still kicking my ass. I'm making dinner now (that is, it's in the oven and almost ready), and watching the news, but once BBC World News is over, it's time to get back to the grindstone.
One day, I will be retired and sit back and think, "Yes. It is now time to relax." and I will immediately begin writing a new book. Or something!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
New Photosynth!
So a few days ago Mom sent me a box full of my magazines, some Halloween candy, and a couple of murder mysteries to peruse when I have time. (I have an awesome mommy!) The box ALSO had a Halloween window cling thing in it, which is now hanging in my window, like so:
Hehe...I LOVE Halloween! I'm dying to go to the dollar store and load up on spooky stuff, but it's just silly when I have to move soon.
I also finally figured out why my left big toe has been KILLING me ever since my marathon stand-a-thon at the museum this weekend: I had a blister UNDER the nail! I figured this out when I accidentally popped it while cleaning my nails. I was just cleaning the toenail and suddenly my hand was all wet and I was like..."Don't I normally bleed red, not clear?"
Then I realized it was a blister hiding under my nail - I had no idea that was possible!
Now that the blister is popped, my nail/toe is hurting a lot less, but I had to wear sneakers today because of the rain, and it hurt a LOT...I'm now a little afraid of work this weekend!
The lovely bruise now under my nail...I really hope it doesn't fall off!
Anyway.
I woke up this morning and it was raining AGAIN! It was so nice, and I opened the windows so I could really smell the nice fresh air smell. Then I grabbed my camera and took a bunch of photos of the rainy day.
Then I had to stop because I had to study for the test I had this afternoon, but now that I'm home and fed, I turned them into a photosynth.
http://photosynth.net/edit.aspx?cid=8a0f8fed-7aca-483f-9d14-b90c5aceb776
It's pretty cool...not as synthy as I aimed for, but you still have a good idea what it looks like, standing in my doorway.
I'm taking tonight off - I've had SUCH a busy week. So, it's time to work on my novel!
Heh...a woman's work is never done!
Hehe...I LOVE Halloween! I'm dying to go to the dollar store and load up on spooky stuff, but it's just silly when I have to move soon.
I also finally figured out why my left big toe has been KILLING me ever since my marathon stand-a-thon at the museum this weekend: I had a blister UNDER the nail! I figured this out when I accidentally popped it while cleaning my nails. I was just cleaning the toenail and suddenly my hand was all wet and I was like..."Don't I normally bleed red, not clear?"
Then I realized it was a blister hiding under my nail - I had no idea that was possible!
Now that the blister is popped, my nail/toe is hurting a lot less, but I had to wear sneakers today because of the rain, and it hurt a LOT...I'm now a little afraid of work this weekend!
The lovely bruise now under my nail...I really hope it doesn't fall off!
Anyway.
I woke up this morning and it was raining AGAIN! It was so nice, and I opened the windows so I could really smell the nice fresh air smell. Then I grabbed my camera and took a bunch of photos of the rainy day.
Then I had to stop because I had to study for the test I had this afternoon, but now that I'm home and fed, I turned them into a photosynth.
http://photosynth.net/edit.aspx?cid=8a0f8fed-7aca-483f-9d14-b90c5aceb776
It's pretty cool...not as synthy as I aimed for, but you still have a good idea what it looks like, standing in my doorway.
I'm taking tonight off - I've had SUCH a busy week. So, it's time to work on my novel!
Heh...a woman's work is never done!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Oh the weather outside is frightful...
When I woke up this morning (at 6 am) I realized it was RAINING outside! When I lived in Florida I took the rain for granted, and I took hearing it for granted. The roof here is made somehow that I can't hear the rain pitter-patter on it, which I find very sad.
But anyway, I was so excited I bounced out of bed and stood at my door in the rainy chill for a few minutes, until I got too cold and went back into bed until 9 am, luxuriating in the fact that I COULD stay in bed that late.
Then I got up, showered, and started studying for my remote sensing test this afternoon. I read my notecards on the way to class, and took the test...I'm not sure how I did. I really didn't study enough for it - between everything that went down Friday, and all the hours at work on Saturday and Sunday, plus all the AGSA stuff I had to get done, the test kind of got pushed to the bottom of the pile.
I have another test tomorrow, in Dr. Lipo's Native American cultures class, so I'll have to stop writing soon and get back to studying for that, but I wanted a little break.
The morning was very gray and cloudy, which I liked, it makes me think of England. It cleared up some and got sunny in the afternoon, so it was warm walking to and from class. When I got home I opened my windows to air out the apartment (something STILL smells funny, no matter how much I febreeze everything), and now the tall windows facing the street are open, but the rest are closed, except my kitchen window which I keep open all day.
Now it's very dark and chilly outside, with a few clouds scudding along the skyline; the traffic noises outside are familiar now, and I can see the tree branches waving in the wind through my kitchen window. It's the sort of night where a copper moon should rise above the trees, and a witch should whisk by on her broom, where goblins should peep from their caves, and black cats with great golden eyes should slink silently among the shadows.
Did I mention that I LOVE Halloween? And Thanksgiving? And holidays in general? I love cooking, and family celebrations, and parties and casual gatherings with friends...something about nutmeg and cloves and the warm smells of baking and roasting...
Speaking of, it's time for me to start thinking about what I'm doing for Thanksgiving dinner. Mom wants me to invite people over, but my table is for two so I don't know how that would work unless I bought a second table and some extra chairs...goodwill?
Anyway, we'll see about that.
But planning my menu is one of my favorite things to do all year...it's so much fun, even if I don't do one hundreth of all the recipes I look at! I think this year I really have to make bread. Do I make Ovo's recipe? Do I make cornbread? Do I make muffins? Do I make a baguette and make my own garlic bread? Or maybe I should do garlic rolls?
I love cooking! I love holidays!
But for now, it's time to get my butt back to work...le sigh.
But anyway, I was so excited I bounced out of bed and stood at my door in the rainy chill for a few minutes, until I got too cold and went back into bed until 9 am, luxuriating in the fact that I COULD stay in bed that late.
Then I got up, showered, and started studying for my remote sensing test this afternoon. I read my notecards on the way to class, and took the test...I'm not sure how I did. I really didn't study enough for it - between everything that went down Friday, and all the hours at work on Saturday and Sunday, plus all the AGSA stuff I had to get done, the test kind of got pushed to the bottom of the pile.
I have another test tomorrow, in Dr. Lipo's Native American cultures class, so I'll have to stop writing soon and get back to studying for that, but I wanted a little break.
The morning was very gray and cloudy, which I liked, it makes me think of England. It cleared up some and got sunny in the afternoon, so it was warm walking to and from class. When I got home I opened my windows to air out the apartment (something STILL smells funny, no matter how much I febreeze everything), and now the tall windows facing the street are open, but the rest are closed, except my kitchen window which I keep open all day.
Now it's very dark and chilly outside, with a few clouds scudding along the skyline; the traffic noises outside are familiar now, and I can see the tree branches waving in the wind through my kitchen window. It's the sort of night where a copper moon should rise above the trees, and a witch should whisk by on her broom, where goblins should peep from their caves, and black cats with great golden eyes should slink silently among the shadows.
Did I mention that I LOVE Halloween? And Thanksgiving? And holidays in general? I love cooking, and family celebrations, and parties and casual gatherings with friends...something about nutmeg and cloves and the warm smells of baking and roasting...
Speaking of, it's time for me to start thinking about what I'm doing for Thanksgiving dinner. Mom wants me to invite people over, but my table is for two so I don't know how that would work unless I bought a second table and some extra chairs...goodwill?
Anyway, we'll see about that.
But planning my menu is one of my favorite things to do all year...it's so much fun, even if I don't do one hundreth of all the recipes I look at! I think this year I really have to make bread. Do I make Ovo's recipe? Do I make cornbread? Do I make muffins? Do I make a baguette and make my own garlic bread? Or maybe I should do garlic rolls?
I love cooking! I love holidays!
But for now, it's time to get my butt back to work...le sigh.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Day at the Museum
So I don't know if I mentioned this, but I did get a job! I am officially a security guard for the Bowers Museum! It is SUCH a relief - I should get enough work to pay my rent, my bills, and maybe even have a little money left over for shoes and sushi. In case I don't get enough hours for fun money though, I am still searching for agents for my novels...I have to catch a break in that department eventually, right?!
I got the phone call from Kathy on Thursday afternoon, saying that I'd gotten the job, and could I please come in on Friday morning to sign the papers. I totally meant to, but when I woke up on Friday I remembered I had the mandatory "classes" - orientation and fiscal - that I need since I'm president of the AGSA at 10 am til noon.
So I showered, walked to campus, yawned through the sessions (I've taken them before, so I know what's in them, but you have to take them every year), then rushed home and microwaved a quick bowl of chow mein before jumping into my car and rushing down to the museum. I signed all my paperwork, took a quick tour, and then started off on a crazy shopping trip trying to get all the pieces I'd need for my uniform.
Security guards at Bowers wear:
- gray pants
- black shoes (comfortable)
- black belt
- white shirt with a collar
- red tie
- blue blazer
I pulled out my trusty Garmin (Seriously, Dad, thank you. That was a brilliant gift!) and found the nearest Ross, and drove on over where I acquired pants, shoes, belt and tie with no trouble - they reimburse us for the purchases too, so that was a huge relief. I also, in a separate transaction, got myself a cute new purse in a deep rusty red to replace the white purse I've carried for the past five months because it's starting to tear and I can't figure out how to repair it.
Plus this new purse has TWO pockets with zippers (and two without) so I will finally be able to keep my makeup separate from my wallet/Garmin/pens/pad! It may not sound like much to you, but it's a wonderful thing for my OCD.
My next stop was a mall so I could check out Macy's, JC Penny, and Forever XXI for the shirt and blazer, but would you believe it, there wasn't anything decent at any of them for anything under $100!!! I meant to get some extra white undershirts at Forever XXI because I only have the one here, but I totally forgot. I should go to the one near here sometime this week to get a couple, because I really can't wear a black or bright pink undershirt with my uniform!!
After that I was starting to get a little worried so I called Mom, and came up with the idea of checking out Burlington Coat Factory. Garmin to the rescue again, and I headed on over as fast as rush-hour Friday traffic allowed. (I hate traffic. I hate traffic. I HATE TRAFFIC!)
But the Burlington I went to was a real disappointment - they had some cute things, but they were all expensive, and they didn't have a blue blazer for women in that entire store. I was desperate so I went to the mens' department but all of THOSE blue blazers were not only ten sizes too big for me, but they were all $300 too. I did get a white button-up shirt there, which was a relief, because most womens' shirts stop buttoning way below the collar and you can't wear a tie with those...at least not that I've seen.
Finally, tired, feeling desperate, and freaking out over the fact it was getting later and the stores would start closing soon, I went to the Ross near my apartment, and heaven bless them, they had two blue blazers (the same, but different sizes) that were absolutely perfect. I tried them both on, got the one that fit me better, paid, and headed on home.
Once home I realized I didn't have anything for lunch at work, so I walked to Ralph's and bought some yoghurt and sundry portable eatables for the purpose.
Saturday I was up bright and early (which I seriously dislike, I am the Princess of Night Owls), got dressed, and drove to the museum. I ended up being 7 minutes late (although I was coming in half an hour early) because of an awful traffic jam 1.7 miles short of my exit (everyone was gawping at some road workers...really?!), and then I took the wrong route off my exit (whoever planned that exit was either stupid or diabolical) and had to rely on my Garmin to find me another way there.
Once I was there, however, things went better. I was given my headset and sorted out where to clip all the bits and pieces (I am not cut out for the Secret Service or anything like that - that ear piece is the bane of my existence), and given a quick rundown of my duties.
First, I went over the whole museum with Bea, who showed me how to turn on and set up various audiovisual media around the exhibits (my museology course from undergrad made me look at the whole process in a totally different way than I might have otherwise) and turn on lights and open doors and things.
Once guests started arriving at 10 am (when the doors opened) I was stationed at the "bridge" or the exit from the special Terracotta Warriors of China exhibit, making sure no one entered that way (you need tickets and can only enter that exhibit from the front), and directing people who needed to know where the bathrooms were.
For the second rota (we switch around every two hours or so, so no one goes insane) I was in the middle room of the exhibit (which gets boring after the first hour, not one glittery thing in there), and after that rota I got to have a lunch break - and I was so ready for lunch!!!
Then, since it was a very quiet day, Dave (one of the security heads) took me on a tour of the museum, telling me about parts of it, when it was built, where security needs to be careful, and where the best air-conditioned spots are. We shut down the museum at 4 (when it closes) and I went home and threw my clothes off, put on the loosest, most comfortable and soft dress I own, and watched football half-asleep until 11 pm when I went to bed.
I have to say, I'm heartbroken over the Gators' loss...but with Brantley hurt...I'm sure this isn't the last loss of the season. I knew this was a rebuilding year...but still...ouch.
Sunday was much the same as Saturday; I had a better idea where everything was, and my feet got sore a lot quicker, but I was posted in the front room of the exhibit (it has the biggest warriors and a really awesome horse that I want a replica of for when I have a garden of my own), and I got to say sternly every five seconds, "THERE IS NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY IN THIS EXHIBIT!"
What really amused me was that every person under the age of 15 knew this instinctively and not one under-sixteen had a flash go off - not even the three year olds who had cameras!!! - but it felt like a good quarter of the over-sixteens had their flashes go off. One couple was frantically examining their (as it turns out, brand new) camera so I went over, introduced myself as an amateur photographer, and showed them how to switch their flash off. I mentioned it to Dave and he laughed and said that was always the case.
Then I was posted to the bridge, and then I was on roaming duty, and then I was on bridge again.
My feet were SO SORE that at four o clock when everyone was gone I just took the damn things off and helped shut down in my socks. I just couldn't take it anymore.
I don't know what's wrong other than that they were new shoes, but my left big toe is really really sore and I can barely touch the nail without yelping. Of course, I didn't have any vaseline in the apartment, but I remembered the external analgesic Mom gave me, so I ripped the place apart until I found it in my purse (last place I would've thought to look...just looked out of desperation) and put it on and it helped a little. My toe was still throbbing like crazy when I went to bed last night and it made sleeping a little difficult. I also have a huge blister on my right pinky toe.
I don't know when I work next, but it'll be Thursday at soonest, so my feet have a few days to heal.
Today I got up late on purpose (ah, 10 o clock being late...I'm officially an old person), cleaned, went grocery shopping (worst part of working on Sundays is I can't go to my favorite farmers' market anymore), came home, ate, and went to class. Came home from class, got my purse, went to CVS for some necessary items, ran into Jake and commiserated about graduate student life, before getting back to my apartment, turning on BBC World News, and trying to get everything set up.
And now it is 8:30, my dinner will be ready in a couple minutes, and then I have to get back to studying for my exams Tuesday and Wednesday. I am NOT looking forward to them...terrified of stupid mistakes...
Such is the life of a grad student!
I got the phone call from Kathy on Thursday afternoon, saying that I'd gotten the job, and could I please come in on Friday morning to sign the papers. I totally meant to, but when I woke up on Friday I remembered I had the mandatory "classes" - orientation and fiscal - that I need since I'm president of the AGSA at 10 am til noon.
So I showered, walked to campus, yawned through the sessions (I've taken them before, so I know what's in them, but you have to take them every year), then rushed home and microwaved a quick bowl of chow mein before jumping into my car and rushing down to the museum. I signed all my paperwork, took a quick tour, and then started off on a crazy shopping trip trying to get all the pieces I'd need for my uniform.
Security guards at Bowers wear:
- gray pants
- black shoes (comfortable)
- black belt
- white shirt with a collar
- red tie
- blue blazer
I pulled out my trusty Garmin (Seriously, Dad, thank you. That was a brilliant gift!) and found the nearest Ross, and drove on over where I acquired pants, shoes, belt and tie with no trouble - they reimburse us for the purchases too, so that was a huge relief. I also, in a separate transaction, got myself a cute new purse in a deep rusty red to replace the white purse I've carried for the past five months because it's starting to tear and I can't figure out how to repair it.
Plus this new purse has TWO pockets with zippers (and two without) so I will finally be able to keep my makeup separate from my wallet/Garmin/pens/pad! It may not sound like much to you, but it's a wonderful thing for my OCD.
My next stop was a mall so I could check out Macy's, JC Penny, and Forever XXI for the shirt and blazer, but would you believe it, there wasn't anything decent at any of them for anything under $100!!! I meant to get some extra white undershirts at Forever XXI because I only have the one here, but I totally forgot. I should go to the one near here sometime this week to get a couple, because I really can't wear a black or bright pink undershirt with my uniform!!
After that I was starting to get a little worried so I called Mom, and came up with the idea of checking out Burlington Coat Factory. Garmin to the rescue again, and I headed on over as fast as rush-hour Friday traffic allowed. (I hate traffic. I hate traffic. I HATE TRAFFIC!)
But the Burlington I went to was a real disappointment - they had some cute things, but they were all expensive, and they didn't have a blue blazer for women in that entire store. I was desperate so I went to the mens' department but all of THOSE blue blazers were not only ten sizes too big for me, but they were all $300 too. I did get a white button-up shirt there, which was a relief, because most womens' shirts stop buttoning way below the collar and you can't wear a tie with those...at least not that I've seen.
Finally, tired, feeling desperate, and freaking out over the fact it was getting later and the stores would start closing soon, I went to the Ross near my apartment, and heaven bless them, they had two blue blazers (the same, but different sizes) that were absolutely perfect. I tried them both on, got the one that fit me better, paid, and headed on home.
Once home I realized I didn't have anything for lunch at work, so I walked to Ralph's and bought some yoghurt and sundry portable eatables for the purpose.
Saturday I was up bright and early (which I seriously dislike, I am the Princess of Night Owls), got dressed, and drove to the museum. I ended up being 7 minutes late (although I was coming in half an hour early) because of an awful traffic jam 1.7 miles short of my exit (everyone was gawping at some road workers...really?!), and then I took the wrong route off my exit (whoever planned that exit was either stupid or diabolical) and had to rely on my Garmin to find me another way there.
Once I was there, however, things went better. I was given my headset and sorted out where to clip all the bits and pieces (I am not cut out for the Secret Service or anything like that - that ear piece is the bane of my existence), and given a quick rundown of my duties.
First, I went over the whole museum with Bea, who showed me how to turn on and set up various audiovisual media around the exhibits (my museology course from undergrad made me look at the whole process in a totally different way than I might have otherwise) and turn on lights and open doors and things.
Once guests started arriving at 10 am (when the doors opened) I was stationed at the "bridge" or the exit from the special Terracotta Warriors of China exhibit, making sure no one entered that way (you need tickets and can only enter that exhibit from the front), and directing people who needed to know where the bathrooms were.
For the second rota (we switch around every two hours or so, so no one goes insane) I was in the middle room of the exhibit (which gets boring after the first hour, not one glittery thing in there), and after that rota I got to have a lunch break - and I was so ready for lunch!!!
Then, since it was a very quiet day, Dave (one of the security heads) took me on a tour of the museum, telling me about parts of it, when it was built, where security needs to be careful, and where the best air-conditioned spots are. We shut down the museum at 4 (when it closes) and I went home and threw my clothes off, put on the loosest, most comfortable and soft dress I own, and watched football half-asleep until 11 pm when I went to bed.
I have to say, I'm heartbroken over the Gators' loss...but with Brantley hurt...I'm sure this isn't the last loss of the season. I knew this was a rebuilding year...but still...ouch.
Sunday was much the same as Saturday; I had a better idea where everything was, and my feet got sore a lot quicker, but I was posted in the front room of the exhibit (it has the biggest warriors and a really awesome horse that I want a replica of for when I have a garden of my own), and I got to say sternly every five seconds, "THERE IS NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY IN THIS EXHIBIT!"
What really amused me was that every person under the age of 15 knew this instinctively and not one under-sixteen had a flash go off - not even the three year olds who had cameras!!! - but it felt like a good quarter of the over-sixteens had their flashes go off. One couple was frantically examining their (as it turns out, brand new) camera so I went over, introduced myself as an amateur photographer, and showed them how to switch their flash off. I mentioned it to Dave and he laughed and said that was always the case.
Then I was posted to the bridge, and then I was on roaming duty, and then I was on bridge again.
My feet were SO SORE that at four o clock when everyone was gone I just took the damn things off and helped shut down in my socks. I just couldn't take it anymore.
I don't know what's wrong other than that they were new shoes, but my left big toe is really really sore and I can barely touch the nail without yelping. Of course, I didn't have any vaseline in the apartment, but I remembered the external analgesic Mom gave me, so I ripped the place apart until I found it in my purse (last place I would've thought to look...just looked out of desperation) and put it on and it helped a little. My toe was still throbbing like crazy when I went to bed last night and it made sleeping a little difficult. I also have a huge blister on my right pinky toe.
I don't know when I work next, but it'll be Thursday at soonest, so my feet have a few days to heal.
Today I got up late on purpose (ah, 10 o clock being late...I'm officially an old person), cleaned, went grocery shopping (worst part of working on Sundays is I can't go to my favorite farmers' market anymore), came home, ate, and went to class. Came home from class, got my purse, went to CVS for some necessary items, ran into Jake and commiserated about graduate student life, before getting back to my apartment, turning on BBC World News, and trying to get everything set up.
And now it is 8:30, my dinner will be ready in a couple minutes, and then I have to get back to studying for my exams Tuesday and Wednesday. I am NOT looking forward to them...terrified of stupid mistakes...
Such is the life of a grad student!
Monday, September 26, 2011
A Monday is Just a Monday
But this will be a week that IS a week, I'm sure!
This Friday Dr. LeMaster emailed me saying that CSULB doesn't offer ANTH551 so my transcript can't be changed from ANTH451 to ANTH551. I am confused, and have emailed Dr. Lipo about it. I'm sure it's just some sort of catalogue error or something silly that a few emails and a pound of paperwork can put right.
I spent the weekend eating (yes, I do know that I'm supposed to be on a diet), reading (O'Brien's Cat Monsters is SO interesting!), and working on Rebecca. I need a literary agent! But most of the ones around here seem to be screenplay-Hollywood style agents and that sort wouldn't be interested in a Young Adult Fiction manuscript!
It really was a remarkably uneventful weekend other than the fact I couldn't sleep at all last night and tossed and turned til at least 4:30 am. Mom suggests I try antihistamines and I think I'm going to have to...I just have to get into a routine of early to bed and early to rise, especially if I get that museum job. They're waiting on my background check and then they'll let me know their decision, so I'm thinking that's pretty hopeful. The worst thing on my record is a really awful speeding ticket, and I don't think that's a big deal in a museum employee, is it?
Last week was full of ups and downs; I won't really bother going into it other than saying Remote Sensing is HARD. Luckily, my classmates are really nice and help me a lot (which is encouraged by our prof, thank goodness) - and Mom's strict homework regimen of How To Do Your Math Homework helps a lot too...I caught a MAJOR error in half the class's work because of my math/science background. So that was super awesome.
Tonight I have some remote sensing homework, my thesis proposal, and some reading to do. Right now I'm roasting a chicken and when I go to turn it I'll put the rice on too; I have fresh vegetables from the farmers' market yesterday so I'll have a lovely dinner tonight.
This week is a bit of a mess; I need to organize an AGSA meeting, and I have to attend a CLASC meeting tomorrow and not one single person in the AGSA has told me how they feel about a referendum CLASC is going to vote on tomorrow, so I guess that leaves it up to my conscience.
Oh well, I have work to be doing. That's all for now, folks!
This Friday Dr. LeMaster emailed me saying that CSULB doesn't offer ANTH551 so my transcript can't be changed from ANTH451 to ANTH551. I am confused, and have emailed Dr. Lipo about it. I'm sure it's just some sort of catalogue error or something silly that a few emails and a pound of paperwork can put right.
I spent the weekend eating (yes, I do know that I'm supposed to be on a diet), reading (O'Brien's Cat Monsters is SO interesting!), and working on Rebecca. I need a literary agent! But most of the ones around here seem to be screenplay-Hollywood style agents and that sort wouldn't be interested in a Young Adult Fiction manuscript!
It really was a remarkably uneventful weekend other than the fact I couldn't sleep at all last night and tossed and turned til at least 4:30 am. Mom suggests I try antihistamines and I think I'm going to have to...I just have to get into a routine of early to bed and early to rise, especially if I get that museum job. They're waiting on my background check and then they'll let me know their decision, so I'm thinking that's pretty hopeful. The worst thing on my record is a really awful speeding ticket, and I don't think that's a big deal in a museum employee, is it?
Last week was full of ups and downs; I won't really bother going into it other than saying Remote Sensing is HARD. Luckily, my classmates are really nice and help me a lot (which is encouraged by our prof, thank goodness) - and Mom's strict homework regimen of How To Do Your Math Homework helps a lot too...I caught a MAJOR error in half the class's work because of my math/science background. So that was super awesome.
Tonight I have some remote sensing homework, my thesis proposal, and some reading to do. Right now I'm roasting a chicken and when I go to turn it I'll put the rice on too; I have fresh vegetables from the farmers' market yesterday so I'll have a lovely dinner tonight.
This week is a bit of a mess; I need to organize an AGSA meeting, and I have to attend a CLASC meeting tomorrow and not one single person in the AGSA has told me how they feel about a referendum CLASC is going to vote on tomorrow, so I guess that leaves it up to my conscience.
Oh well, I have work to be doing. That's all for now, folks!
Friday, September 16, 2011
It's Friday Night!
Not really, it's Friday afternoon, but hey, it's night over on the east coast!
So I found out yesterday that if I want to graduate this spring (and believe me, I want to graduate this spring) I need to have my thesis finished by February. My response to this was, ".........hoo boy."
I finally went to the library today and picked up four books Dr. Lipo thinks are essential for my reading:
Cat Monsters and Head Pots: The Archaeology of Missouri's Pemiscot Bayou by Michael J. O'Brien
Pottery Analysis: A Sourcebook by Prudence M. Rice
The Emergence of Pottery: Technology and Innovation in Ancient Societies edited by William K. Barnett and John W. Hoopes
Science, Style and the Study of Community Structure: An Example from the Central Mississippi River Valley by Carl Lipo
And don't accuse him of having an agenda by having me read his book, the collection I'm doing my thesis on is the one he is writing about there, so it really is pretty vital that I read his version!!!
I have determined that I will spend all weekend reading with the exceptions of: eating, sleeping, watching the Gator game, watching the Vikings game (alas, I don't think I'll have time to watch the others), and working on Rebecca a little bit...oh and job hunting. I really need to get this job thing squared away, I'm starting to feel queasy when I think about money.
It was lovely being back in a library again though...I'd forgotten how much I love the smell of books, and the quiet only being interrupted by the scratching of pens on paper, and the clatter of keyboards. I could just sit down on the second floor in some obscure stack and just start reading. Talk about heaven!!
I was also on my way downstairs when I noticed a book called "A History of English and Irish Glass" and it took all my willpower to not take it out too, because I really don't have time to read for fun right now. But I have the call number and the title...one day, I will have time!!
Maybe I will go study in the library after all...there are no beds there that will call to me around the twelfth chapter and seduce me into falling asleep for four hours, waking up at 2 am and realizing my homework isn't done.
Oh, that just reminded me I haven't finished all of my remote sensing homework...I'd better get on that if I want to have a relaxing night!!
So I found out yesterday that if I want to graduate this spring (and believe me, I want to graduate this spring) I need to have my thesis finished by February. My response to this was, ".........hoo boy."
I finally went to the library today and picked up four books Dr. Lipo thinks are essential for my reading:
Cat Monsters and Head Pots: The Archaeology of Missouri's Pemiscot Bayou by Michael J. O'Brien
Pottery Analysis: A Sourcebook by Prudence M. Rice
The Emergence of Pottery: Technology and Innovation in Ancient Societies edited by William K. Barnett and John W. Hoopes
Science, Style and the Study of Community Structure: An Example from the Central Mississippi River Valley by Carl Lipo
And don't accuse him of having an agenda by having me read his book, the collection I'm doing my thesis on is the one he is writing about there, so it really is pretty vital that I read his version!!!
I have determined that I will spend all weekend reading with the exceptions of: eating, sleeping, watching the Gator game, watching the Vikings game (alas, I don't think I'll have time to watch the others), and working on Rebecca a little bit...oh and job hunting. I really need to get this job thing squared away, I'm starting to feel queasy when I think about money.
It was lovely being back in a library again though...I'd forgotten how much I love the smell of books, and the quiet only being interrupted by the scratching of pens on paper, and the clatter of keyboards. I could just sit down on the second floor in some obscure stack and just start reading. Talk about heaven!!
I was also on my way downstairs when I noticed a book called "A History of English and Irish Glass" and it took all my willpower to not take it out too, because I really don't have time to read for fun right now. But I have the call number and the title...one day, I will have time!!
Maybe I will go study in the library after all...there are no beds there that will call to me around the twelfth chapter and seduce me into falling asleep for four hours, waking up at 2 am and realizing my homework isn't done.
Oh, that just reminded me I haven't finished all of my remote sensing homework...I'd better get on that if I want to have a relaxing night!!
The Real Pliocene Hominin
My sister was shown this in her class, and passed it on to me...just had to share!!!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
My Adventures in Cooking!
I've decided I should post more about food, mostly because food is fun, yummy, and doesn't ignore my text messages or calls - or only talk to me when it wants something. So, this is episode one of my cooking adventures!
This Sunday when I was grocery shopping they had Foster Farms chickens on sale as well as beef ribs. I got the chicken for $4 and the rack of beef ribs for $3.50 so I'm quite proud of that, and they were both on sale so I cooked them both at once - just in case they weren't at the "peak of freshness".
My honey-barbecue beef ribs - I just invented the recipe. I think it was so successful because I used raw honey...it's SO delicious that way!
My roast chicken, cooked the way my mommy taught me...and super-duper delicious.
I found these beers for relatively cheap at Trader Joe's and bought them for the hell of it (I can afford $4 for a few months yet...good God I need a job) and when I cracked the first one open my immediate thought was, "How LONG has it been since I've had beer out of a can?" I know I had one in South Africa - a Castle - but BEFORE then...gosh I might've still been in undergrad!!
These aren't bad. No Stella Artois, of course, but still, very drinkable football/afternoon beer.
I also bought beetroot at the farmers' market that day, and made my Harvard beetroot recipe. It's still not like the Aunt Nellie's stuff that I buy in Florida (I can't BELIEVE they don't sell it out here!) but it's pretty good, and I'll just leave the recipe as is until I find another one that's been vouched for.
Me cooking! This stuff TOTALLY spatters so the apron was DEFINITELY necessary.
I was also on a Mexican kick a couple of weeks ago and made this:
Vegetarian nachos!
It's insanely simple and insanely yummy:
1. Spread tortilla chips on plate
2. Stir some water into canned refried beans until smooth, dollop over tortilla chips
3. Sprinkle with grated cheese
4. Microwave for two minutes
5. Sprinkle with more grated cheese, chopped onion and dollop lots of delicious sour cream over all.
It's surprisingly yummy and 100% vegetarian, and super quick and easy. I kind of want to make it again, but having tortilla chips and sour cream and cheese in the house is just generally a terrible thing for my diet.
I also made tacos recently but unfortunately I don't have pictures of that. They were really yummy though, I put a ton of sour cream on them and lots of cheese and onion and lots of beef...yum!!!
And now I'm hungry again. Damn, I'm already over my limit today. I want nachos so much! But I'm broke and overweight so I'll have to resist temptation.
Anyway, yay food!
This Sunday when I was grocery shopping they had Foster Farms chickens on sale as well as beef ribs. I got the chicken for $4 and the rack of beef ribs for $3.50 so I'm quite proud of that, and they were both on sale so I cooked them both at once - just in case they weren't at the "peak of freshness".
My honey-barbecue beef ribs - I just invented the recipe. I think it was so successful because I used raw honey...it's SO delicious that way!
My roast chicken, cooked the way my mommy taught me...and super-duper delicious.
I found these beers for relatively cheap at Trader Joe's and bought them for the hell of it (I can afford $4 for a few months yet...good God I need a job) and when I cracked the first one open my immediate thought was, "How LONG has it been since I've had beer out of a can?" I know I had one in South Africa - a Castle - but BEFORE then...gosh I might've still been in undergrad!!
These aren't bad. No Stella Artois, of course, but still, very drinkable football/afternoon beer.
I also bought beetroot at the farmers' market that day, and made my Harvard beetroot recipe. It's still not like the Aunt Nellie's stuff that I buy in Florida (I can't BELIEVE they don't sell it out here!) but it's pretty good, and I'll just leave the recipe as is until I find another one that's been vouched for.
Me cooking! This stuff TOTALLY spatters so the apron was DEFINITELY necessary.
I was also on a Mexican kick a couple of weeks ago and made this:
Vegetarian nachos!
It's insanely simple and insanely yummy:
1. Spread tortilla chips on plate
2. Stir some water into canned refried beans until smooth, dollop over tortilla chips
3. Sprinkle with grated cheese
4. Microwave for two minutes
5. Sprinkle with more grated cheese, chopped onion and dollop lots of delicious sour cream over all.
It's surprisingly yummy and 100% vegetarian, and super quick and easy. I kind of want to make it again, but having tortilla chips and sour cream and cheese in the house is just generally a terrible thing for my diet.
I also made tacos recently but unfortunately I don't have pictures of that. They were really yummy though, I put a ton of sour cream on them and lots of cheese and onion and lots of beef...yum!!!
And now I'm hungry again. Damn, I'm already over my limit today. I want nachos so much! But I'm broke and overweight so I'll have to resist temptation.
Anyway, yay food!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Tortoise and the Hare
Some days I don't know which I am!
Today I got up late on purpose, I was so tired and so sneezy I stayed in bed til ten o clock. In my defense, I did only fall asleep around four a.m., I was too keyed up to sleep even though I went to bed at 1 a.m.
Class was pretty awesome, we actually sat down and did a lot of work on our labs today, and I was working in a pair with this guy Dave (we're allowed to work in pairs, it was totally kosher) and he's taken a lot of GIS before so he was really really helpful. Plus we made some really funny discoveries (including our extreme tunnel vision) so we got to laugh about it which is definitely a bonus in ANY class. Now I just have to finish up part one at home, and the last bit of part 3 in lab on Thursday and I should be golden. Maybe if I have a lot of energy tomorrow I can go do it in the geography lab.
I really like Dr. Lee though. He's not like Dr. Rodrigue, but he's a good lecturer, and he's always willing to explain something we don't understand.
My class schedule still isn't sorted out, what a freaking pain. I have a backup plan and a backup plan for my backup plan...but I want it sorted, I honestly think I'm getting real life heartburn over this. And heartburn is no bueno!
After class I went to the SLD offices and got some of the paperwork for the AGSA, but it turns out there's a whole new online system so I have to set up a meeting with Zion soon and get the rest of it sorted out.
Then I headed on over to the CLASC meeting, which was fairly rowdy - as the first meeting of the semester usually is in any club - and we went through a lot of stuff. The president of the poli sci graduate association is organizing this fundraising week-long carnival for this spring. I talked to him about it, and I think we may be able to integrate the planned spring edition of What To Do With A Degree In Anthropology into his festival. He's a cool guy, he was the one behind that big going-green initiative on campus last year.
Plus, everything he does is successful, so if I can get a ton of people to the What To Do event I will be VERY happy. Because the Margaret Mead Film Festival is in April (at CSULB) and it will be a wonderful advertisement for the festival...I'm DYING to get some real audiences there. I want to expose as many people as I can to what anthropology really is.
Whew, definitely time for bed. I have to get up early tomorrow and do laundry or I won't have anything to wear for Thursday.
Today I got up late on purpose, I was so tired and so sneezy I stayed in bed til ten o clock. In my defense, I did only fall asleep around four a.m., I was too keyed up to sleep even though I went to bed at 1 a.m.
Class was pretty awesome, we actually sat down and did a lot of work on our labs today, and I was working in a pair with this guy Dave (we're allowed to work in pairs, it was totally kosher) and he's taken a lot of GIS before so he was really really helpful. Plus we made some really funny discoveries (including our extreme tunnel vision) so we got to laugh about it which is definitely a bonus in ANY class. Now I just have to finish up part one at home, and the last bit of part 3 in lab on Thursday and I should be golden. Maybe if I have a lot of energy tomorrow I can go do it in the geography lab.
I really like Dr. Lee though. He's not like Dr. Rodrigue, but he's a good lecturer, and he's always willing to explain something we don't understand.
My class schedule still isn't sorted out, what a freaking pain. I have a backup plan and a backup plan for my backup plan...but I want it sorted, I honestly think I'm getting real life heartburn over this. And heartburn is no bueno!
After class I went to the SLD offices and got some of the paperwork for the AGSA, but it turns out there's a whole new online system so I have to set up a meeting with Zion soon and get the rest of it sorted out.
Then I headed on over to the CLASC meeting, which was fairly rowdy - as the first meeting of the semester usually is in any club - and we went through a lot of stuff. The president of the poli sci graduate association is organizing this fundraising week-long carnival for this spring. I talked to him about it, and I think we may be able to integrate the planned spring edition of What To Do With A Degree In Anthropology into his festival. He's a cool guy, he was the one behind that big going-green initiative on campus last year.
Plus, everything he does is successful, so if I can get a ton of people to the What To Do event I will be VERY happy. Because the Margaret Mead Film Festival is in April (at CSULB) and it will be a wonderful advertisement for the festival...I'm DYING to get some real audiences there. I want to expose as many people as I can to what anthropology really is.
Whew, definitely time for bed. I have to get up early tomorrow and do laundry or I won't have anything to wear for Thursday.
Monday...jeez...
Woke up today...studied. And showered. And studied.
Emailed professors about my classes.
Class at 3:30.
Meeting with Dr. Lipo at 4:45.
Went to GEOG585 half an hour late (5:30). Stayed until we were dismissed at 9 pm.
I've sent off my emails...praying that I'll get into GEOG585. If not, and if Dr. Rousso-Schindler can't expand his class to let me in, then I take ANTH560, which will be so difficult because I'm two weeks behind.
You'd think a second-year graduate student would get some precedence in these matters.
I'm tired. I need a job. I need two jobs.
Yuck.
Emailed professors about my classes.
Class at 3:30.
Meeting with Dr. Lipo at 4:45.
Went to GEOG585 half an hour late (5:30). Stayed until we were dismissed at 9 pm.
I've sent off my emails...praying that I'll get into GEOG585. If not, and if Dr. Rousso-Schindler can't expand his class to let me in, then I take ANTH560, which will be so difficult because I'm two weeks behind.
You'd think a second-year graduate student would get some precedence in these matters.
I'm tired. I need a job. I need two jobs.
Yuck.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Thursday Night Football
Watching the Packers-Saints game tonight was weird. I hate the Packers more, but the 'Aints were such jerks to us after that awful loss...yuck. And I seem to have a fair number of Packers and Saints on my fantasy football rosters (all four of them) so I had to hope "my" players would do well so I can win.
So today was weird too...just a very strange day.
Last night I couldn't sleep until at least 3 am, so I slept through my alarm again (really not liking this, being secure in the knowledge that I can wake up on time is important to me) and I missed a phone call from an Orlando hospital.
I freaked out a little bit, and texted Mom, Dad and Lidia but they all texted me back and said they were fine. So I think it must be there are a lot of Carlas with my last name in Orlando, and they called the wrong one.
Then I pottered around the apartment trying to get my papers in order, reading and stuff like that.
Class at 2, some of the software we needed to use was taken offline by the university techs for the weekend (it's THURSDAY!) so we were allowed to leave 20 minutes early. I came home and swam for 20 minutes or so, then showered and put dinner on.
I spent the evening watching football and doing my reading. When Project Runway came on I started cleaning, and by the elimination I had scrubbed my sink, my counter, my stove (just the outside...I don't have the right cleaner for the inside), wiped the walls around the stovetop and some of the woodwork, and had taken out the trash.
Tomorrow I have my job interview and I have to do laundry as well as a lot of reading for homework (this includes reading for my thesis), and I need to start on my GEOG473 lab and study for my anthro quiz.
I STILL haven't heard about GEOG585. If I haven't heard by tomorrow morning, I'll email the professor again. If I haven't heard by Sunday afternoon I'll have to take another class before the drop-add period ends. This waiting game sucks...and not getting the classes I want isn't any cakewalk either.
The Livestrong website is down - that is, it won't let me record what I've eaten or what exercise I've gotten today. I REALLY don't like that...it's gotten to be such a useful resource for me.
I was going to watch Friends in bed, but CSI:NY is on, and I'm going to watch that in bed instead. What can I say, Eddie Cahill is gorgeous!
So today was weird too...just a very strange day.
Last night I couldn't sleep until at least 3 am, so I slept through my alarm again (really not liking this, being secure in the knowledge that I can wake up on time is important to me) and I missed a phone call from an Orlando hospital.
I freaked out a little bit, and texted Mom, Dad and Lidia but they all texted me back and said they were fine. So I think it must be there are a lot of Carlas with my last name in Orlando, and they called the wrong one.
Then I pottered around the apartment trying to get my papers in order, reading and stuff like that.
Class at 2, some of the software we needed to use was taken offline by the university techs for the weekend (it's THURSDAY!) so we were allowed to leave 20 minutes early. I came home and swam for 20 minutes or so, then showered and put dinner on.
I spent the evening watching football and doing my reading. When Project Runway came on I started cleaning, and by the elimination I had scrubbed my sink, my counter, my stove (just the outside...I don't have the right cleaner for the inside), wiped the walls around the stovetop and some of the woodwork, and had taken out the trash.
Tomorrow I have my job interview and I have to do laundry as well as a lot of reading for homework (this includes reading for my thesis), and I need to start on my GEOG473 lab and study for my anthro quiz.
I STILL haven't heard about GEOG585. If I haven't heard by tomorrow morning, I'll email the professor again. If I haven't heard by Sunday afternoon I'll have to take another class before the drop-add period ends. This waiting game sucks...and not getting the classes I want isn't any cakewalk either.
The Livestrong website is down - that is, it won't let me record what I've eaten or what exercise I've gotten today. I REALLY don't like that...it's gotten to be such a useful resource for me.
I was going to watch Friends in bed, but CSI:NY is on, and I'm going to watch that in bed instead. What can I say, Eddie Cahill is gorgeous!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Beat the Heat
Today it was 93F OUTSIDE - when I got home after remote sensing I don't even know what the temperature was in here (my thermometer only goes to 90) so I just threw my stuff on my bed, changed into a bikini and went downstairs and jumped in the pool.
I had a nice 20 minute swim (no creepers today, hooray!) and came upstairs and showered before I started dinner.
This afternoon I have registered for the SLD workshops necessary for me to be president of the AGSA, cursed over the fact my job interview is during the mandatory CLASC retreat and have emailed my other officers asking them if they can go. If not I hope an email explaining how desperately I need a job will get them to let us continue in good standing.
I also need to figure out how to get that ORC card and fill it out and turn it in. SAA abstracts are due in like a week (eek!) and I really have to sort out my accounts tomorrow...just don't have the energy to do them tonight, plus I still have reading left, and some studying.
I haven't heard about GEOG585 yet...I am getting SO nervous. It's been over a week, why isn't that long enough?!
Okay, time to get back to studying!!!
I had a nice 20 minute swim (no creepers today, hooray!) and came upstairs and showered before I started dinner.
This afternoon I have registered for the SLD workshops necessary for me to be president of the AGSA, cursed over the fact my job interview is during the mandatory CLASC retreat and have emailed my other officers asking them if they can go. If not I hope an email explaining how desperately I need a job will get them to let us continue in good standing.
I also need to figure out how to get that ORC card and fill it out and turn it in. SAA abstracts are due in like a week (eek!) and I really have to sort out my accounts tomorrow...just don't have the energy to do them tonight, plus I still have reading left, and some studying.
I haven't heard about GEOG585 yet...I am getting SO nervous. It's been over a week, why isn't that long enough?!
Okay, time to get back to studying!!!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Behind a Cloud
This past week has not been good. I still don't know if I can get into GEOG585 - although I am hoping for news tomorrow - I lost part of one of my favorite navel rings, and I also found out that Dr. Lipo hired someone else for my (former) position.
I was shocked to discover this, all the more so because at the end of last semester he told me to "keep your keys for the fall" which made me assume that I would have my job back. I wish he had said so explicitly earlier, because I had a chance at a decent job earlier this summer that is now closed, which I didn't even interview for because I thought I didn't need it.
Luckily I already have an interview scheduled for this Friday for - get this - a security position at a museum. When I told Dad he asked me how my kung-fu was! It would only be 12-15 hours a week (and on weekends, which sucks) so I'd still need a second job. Tomorrow before class I'm going to skip swimming and go job-hunting.
Speaking of swimming, today I was trying to relax in the pool, doing leisurely laps of breast stroke when I realized an old man was peering through the holes in the fence at me. I said loudly and clearly, "I can see you, please stop staring at me!"
He moved away but a minute later I saw him peering through another hole so I said again, "I can still see you, please go away!" This performance repeated a few times and I was starting to wonder if he spoke no English (which is totally possible in this area) or if he were senile, when he seemed to disappear.
I relaxed a little and continued doing my laps, but then a minute later I saw a flash of his white shirt through a different hole that was partially blocked by a large palm tree. That did it. If he knew enough to try and hide, then he knew he was making me uncomfortable AND that he had no right to ogle me like that.
I got out of the pool, wrapped myself tightly in my large beach towel, gathered my belongings and came up to my apartment. I'm now showered and dinner is in the oven but I'm still upset. I was having such a lovely swim, my knee wasn't hurting, the sun was out casting gorgeous afternoon light everywhere and making little rainbow rills in the pool. And then that horrid old man had to go spoil it. I don't know if I'll ever feel comfortable in the pool again, but what can I do? I doubt the police department has the time or manpower to watch the pool for creepers (especially with all these budget cuts) and I don't think my landlord could exactly do anything either.
I wish there were laws against Peeping Toms. What the punishment would be, I'm not quite sure, but there should be some. Why should I have to hide in my apartment away from dirty old men? Haven't I just as much right as anyone to be in a pool my rent pays for? Shouldn't I be able to walk down the street without wishing I were wearing a burqa to stop them LOOKING at me?
I'm feeling exceptionally down. Mom encourages me and tells me to just find an agent for Rebecca, and try and sell both it and Night Toll (which I intend to do), and also says not to worry and she'll manage to cover my rent if I can't. But I have to - not just cover my rent, but my bills. And earn some extra money for things like Swiffer wet cloths, and new candles when mine burn out, and maybe even some sushi now and again.
And I MUST graduate this spring. I can't stand this betwixt-and-between state, where I'm a grad student but I have to take two jobs just to survive. Real grad students have stipends that allow them to pay rent and bills and get some cheap beer. Speaking of, I'll have to start the application process soon and that'll cost more money again. Well, I'll just have to use my loan money for that. Loan money is for educational purposes, and what is applying to grad school if not educational?
At least the Gators won this Saturday. Maybe they'll have a good football season and be a small space once a week when I can be happy and forget my cares. I try to escape in books, but I have less and less time to read for pleasure, and come Saturday I don't feel like reading anything anymore unless I absolutely have to.
I think I'll go lie down until dinner. I'm having TWO roast potatoes - one with what's left of my sour cream and cheese, and one with butter.
Diet? What diet?
I was shocked to discover this, all the more so because at the end of last semester he told me to "keep your keys for the fall" which made me assume that I would have my job back. I wish he had said so explicitly earlier, because I had a chance at a decent job earlier this summer that is now closed, which I didn't even interview for because I thought I didn't need it.
Luckily I already have an interview scheduled for this Friday for - get this - a security position at a museum. When I told Dad he asked me how my kung-fu was! It would only be 12-15 hours a week (and on weekends, which sucks) so I'd still need a second job. Tomorrow before class I'm going to skip swimming and go job-hunting.
Speaking of swimming, today I was trying to relax in the pool, doing leisurely laps of breast stroke when I realized an old man was peering through the holes in the fence at me. I said loudly and clearly, "I can see you, please stop staring at me!"
He moved away but a minute later I saw him peering through another hole so I said again, "I can still see you, please go away!" This performance repeated a few times and I was starting to wonder if he spoke no English (which is totally possible in this area) or if he were senile, when he seemed to disappear.
I relaxed a little and continued doing my laps, but then a minute later I saw a flash of his white shirt through a different hole that was partially blocked by a large palm tree. That did it. If he knew enough to try and hide, then he knew he was making me uncomfortable AND that he had no right to ogle me like that.
I got out of the pool, wrapped myself tightly in my large beach towel, gathered my belongings and came up to my apartment. I'm now showered and dinner is in the oven but I'm still upset. I was having such a lovely swim, my knee wasn't hurting, the sun was out casting gorgeous afternoon light everywhere and making little rainbow rills in the pool. And then that horrid old man had to go spoil it. I don't know if I'll ever feel comfortable in the pool again, but what can I do? I doubt the police department has the time or manpower to watch the pool for creepers (especially with all these budget cuts) and I don't think my landlord could exactly do anything either.
I wish there were laws against Peeping Toms. What the punishment would be, I'm not quite sure, but there should be some. Why should I have to hide in my apartment away from dirty old men? Haven't I just as much right as anyone to be in a pool my rent pays for? Shouldn't I be able to walk down the street without wishing I were wearing a burqa to stop them LOOKING at me?
I'm feeling exceptionally down. Mom encourages me and tells me to just find an agent for Rebecca, and try and sell both it and Night Toll (which I intend to do), and also says not to worry and she'll manage to cover my rent if I can't. But I have to - not just cover my rent, but my bills. And earn some extra money for things like Swiffer wet cloths, and new candles when mine burn out, and maybe even some sushi now and again.
And I MUST graduate this spring. I can't stand this betwixt-and-between state, where I'm a grad student but I have to take two jobs just to survive. Real grad students have stipends that allow them to pay rent and bills and get some cheap beer. Speaking of, I'll have to start the application process soon and that'll cost more money again. Well, I'll just have to use my loan money for that. Loan money is for educational purposes, and what is applying to grad school if not educational?
At least the Gators won this Saturday. Maybe they'll have a good football season and be a small space once a week when I can be happy and forget my cares. I try to escape in books, but I have less and less time to read for pleasure, and come Saturday I don't feel like reading anything anymore unless I absolutely have to.
I think I'll go lie down until dinner. I'm having TWO roast potatoes - one with what's left of my sour cream and cheese, and one with butter.
Diet? What diet?
Monday, August 29, 2011
Deep, Healing Breaths
Okay. If people drop GEOG585 I'll be able to get in. If that happens, I can take six credits of thesis writing (will have to do six credits anyway, it's a requirement) and another GEOG 500-level next semester and will be able to graduate in good standing if my grades and thesis are up to par. Which they damn well ought be.
If people don't drop GEOG585 (Why is it only one section? Why only 24 seats?) then Judy will try to get me into a GEOG 500-level...and if THAT doesn't happen...well I guess it's Intro to Ethnographic Filmmaking for me.
But I'm going to work it out. This is my future we're talking about here.
If people don't drop GEOG585 (Why is it only one section? Why only 24 seats?) then Judy will try to get me into a GEOG 500-level...and if THAT doesn't happen...well I guess it's Intro to Ethnographic Filmmaking for me.
But I'm going to work it out. This is my future we're talking about here.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Last Saturday Night
So it is the last Saturday night before the semester starts and now I'm sitting here thinking "Oh. Em. Gee."
Yesterday was the first-year orientation with a potluck afterwards. I got there at 5:30, exactly when the orientation was supposed to end and the potluck to begin so I could talk about the AGSA.
Dr. Loewe was still talking when I got there, so I sat quietly in a chair to the side and listened. He was talking about the courses acceptable for your degree and it got me to thinking about how many 500-600 levels I'm going to need to take. I looked up my unofficial transcript today and it looked like this:
ANTH 487 (3 credits) - A
ANTH 501 (3 credits) - A
GEOL 443 (4 credits) - B
ANTH 451 (4 credits) - B
ANTH 510 (3 credits) - A
ANTH 561 (3 credits) - A
GEOG 400 (4 credits) - A
Shock #1: ANTH451. When I took it, I was under the impression it was a 451/551 which means you get the appropriate course number depending on your student status and how much work you do. I did all of the graduate level assignments (the undergrads had fewer assignments) so naturally it was unpleasant to see that it was being counted as an undergraduate course.
You need 21 credits of 500+ level work, so if 451 doesn't get changed to 551, my grad credits go from 13 to 9, which is NOT cool. I've emailed three professors about it, so hopefully this all gets sorted out.
Shock #2: the realization that I might only be granted 9 grad credits. When I registered for classes this summer I didn't even think about the requisite levels (stupid, I know) so I had a 300 level (because Dr. Lipo wants me to take it) and two 400 levels (because I thought they were the best for me).
The 400's I registered for are GEOG classes. So what I think I have to do is drop them and take two 500 GEOG classes...but I really wanted to take the one 400 classes. I think I'm going to email Dr. Rodrigue and ask her if she thinks I could handle the two 500 classes and that 400 class too. The last thing in the world that I want is to take 4 classes again, especially with my job and my promotion to Presidency of the AGSA, but this is my degree and my career and my future here...if I have to do this, I'll figure it out.
I have spent today eating (I'm already 1,000 calories over my limit today...but I also don't care. The semester starts soon and I'll have a lot less time sitting at home thinking about my kitchen.) and watching tv. I watched the original Die Hard movie (which I love), the Vikings game (which was alternately thrilling and dreadful) and a little of the Lions game (which was kinda funny), and now I'm watching Food Network. Three Chopped episodes in a row, and now it's Iron Chef - Battle Figs. I'm just looking at the heaping silver salvers of figs of all kinds and drooling openly.
I have also been reading (for my thesis proposal), working on Rebecca (admittedly not that much), and struggling with a damnably hard puzzle. All the pieces take one of two forms (which makes it harder, almost) and it's a picture of jellybeans. Just a field of jellybeans - all different colors, but nothing else. No edges, no coins, no Where's Waldo, just jellybeans. I got the edge done last night, and I'm slowly filling in the middle. VERY slowly.
Oh well, I should probably email Dr. Rodrigue before I forget yet again, and then I'll get back to Rebecca...or my puzzle...
Yesterday was the first-year orientation with a potluck afterwards. I got there at 5:30, exactly when the orientation was supposed to end and the potluck to begin so I could talk about the AGSA.
Dr. Loewe was still talking when I got there, so I sat quietly in a chair to the side and listened. He was talking about the courses acceptable for your degree and it got me to thinking about how many 500-600 levels I'm going to need to take. I looked up my unofficial transcript today and it looked like this:
ANTH 487 (3 credits) - A
ANTH 501 (3 credits) - A
GEOL 443 (4 credits) - B
ANTH 451 (4 credits) - B
ANTH 510 (3 credits) - A
ANTH 561 (3 credits) - A
GEOG 400 (4 credits) - A
Shock #1: ANTH451. When I took it, I was under the impression it was a 451/551 which means you get the appropriate course number depending on your student status and how much work you do. I did all of the graduate level assignments (the undergrads had fewer assignments) so naturally it was unpleasant to see that it was being counted as an undergraduate course.
You need 21 credits of 500+ level work, so if 451 doesn't get changed to 551, my grad credits go from 13 to 9, which is NOT cool. I've emailed three professors about it, so hopefully this all gets sorted out.
Shock #2: the realization that I might only be granted 9 grad credits. When I registered for classes this summer I didn't even think about the requisite levels (stupid, I know) so I had a 300 level (because Dr. Lipo wants me to take it) and two 400 levels (because I thought they were the best for me).
The 400's I registered for are GEOG classes. So what I think I have to do is drop them and take two 500 GEOG classes...but I really wanted to take the one 400 classes. I think I'm going to email Dr. Rodrigue and ask her if she thinks I could handle the two 500 classes and that 400 class too. The last thing in the world that I want is to take 4 classes again, especially with my job and my promotion to Presidency of the AGSA, but this is my degree and my career and my future here...if I have to do this, I'll figure it out.
I have spent today eating (I'm already 1,000 calories over my limit today...but I also don't care. The semester starts soon and I'll have a lot less time sitting at home thinking about my kitchen.) and watching tv. I watched the original Die Hard movie (which I love), the Vikings game (which was alternately thrilling and dreadful) and a little of the Lions game (which was kinda funny), and now I'm watching Food Network. Three Chopped episodes in a row, and now it's Iron Chef - Battle Figs. I'm just looking at the heaping silver salvers of figs of all kinds and drooling openly.
I have also been reading (for my thesis proposal), working on Rebecca (admittedly not that much), and struggling with a damnably hard puzzle. All the pieces take one of two forms (which makes it harder, almost) and it's a picture of jellybeans. Just a field of jellybeans - all different colors, but nothing else. No edges, no coins, no Where's Waldo, just jellybeans. I got the edge done last night, and I'm slowly filling in the middle. VERY slowly.
Oh well, I should probably email Dr. Rodrigue before I forget yet again, and then I'll get back to Rebecca...or my puzzle...
Monday, August 22, 2011
August, I barely knew ye
Seriously, where on earth has August gone?!
Right at this moment I should be writing a to-do list, taking out the trash, doing my accounts and cleaning my kitchen, but I noticed I hadn't updated here in weeks and decided that my blog was more important...haha
Yesterday was grocery shopping, and I was extremely pleased that I kept both my Sam's Club and Ralph's totals under $20! Ralph's was especially fun for almost every single item I purchased was on sale, not the least of which was a whole fryer chicken for $2.06! You can usually only get prices like that at Costco.
I was too tired to cook last night (I had a mango and some egg rolls for dinner instead) so I will roast the chicken today. I was tempted to buy tortillas, cheese, sour cream, and lettuce so I could make burritos out of the leftover chicken, but then I thought about how many calories over my limit I've consumed in the past couple weeks and sensibly decided not to. Why is a single tortilla 200 calories?! WHY??
Even if I haven't progressed much on my thesis proposal (grr) in the last couple weeks, I have been reading a great deal and just finished re-reading Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I forgot how much I hate the soppish, unsatisfying ending. I keep meaning to read Around the World in 80 Days, but every time I read 20,000 Leagues I hate the ending so much I can't bring myself to start reading Around the World.
I've come to something of a standstill on Rebecca; the first book is almost complete except for two or three chapters are a little short and one is only half-written. I did write some very important scenes for the third book, and I'm very happy with how they look right now. I'm leaving the third book severely alone for awhile, and am currently focusing on the second book, although I really should just finish the first one and find an agent. Actually, I really just need to find an agent.
On the bad news front my leg has been hurting a lot lately and I've taken to wearing my knee brace for sitting around and doing nothing. I haven't put it on yet today, but I think I might for when I actually start taking the garbage out. I also want to walk to campus and look up some more papers (Dr. Lipo wants a complete reading list ASAP, and while I'm sure I can add to my list for my actual thesis, I would like to present a well-researched thesis proposal) on the campus internet since remotely logging on to the campus library doesn't grant me access to all the publications I can get on the campus wifi.
I also need to find the gym and figure out how to register because their old office is gone and I don't know if the registration I did last year still counts for this year. Not that I'm sure my knee can hold up, but it's something to have on the back burner for when my leg feels better.
A few weeks ago Ralphs once again had t-bones on sale and I got two for ten dollars (part of me thinks I should've shelled out another $10 and gotten four) and tweaked my pan-fried recipe a little bit. This was the result:
Doesn't it look delicious?! Oh well, it's nearly 1:30 and I really don't want to spend all evening on campus when all those crazy things are happening in Libya and will be reported live by DW-TV and BBC World News so I really have to get going.
Right at this moment I should be writing a to-do list, taking out the trash, doing my accounts and cleaning my kitchen, but I noticed I hadn't updated here in weeks and decided that my blog was more important...haha
Yesterday was grocery shopping, and I was extremely pleased that I kept both my Sam's Club and Ralph's totals under $20! Ralph's was especially fun for almost every single item I purchased was on sale, not the least of which was a whole fryer chicken for $2.06! You can usually only get prices like that at Costco.
I was too tired to cook last night (I had a mango and some egg rolls for dinner instead) so I will roast the chicken today. I was tempted to buy tortillas, cheese, sour cream, and lettuce so I could make burritos out of the leftover chicken, but then I thought about how many calories over my limit I've consumed in the past couple weeks and sensibly decided not to. Why is a single tortilla 200 calories?! WHY??
Even if I haven't progressed much on my thesis proposal (grr) in the last couple weeks, I have been reading a great deal and just finished re-reading Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I forgot how much I hate the soppish, unsatisfying ending. I keep meaning to read Around the World in 80 Days, but every time I read 20,000 Leagues I hate the ending so much I can't bring myself to start reading Around the World.
I've come to something of a standstill on Rebecca; the first book is almost complete except for two or three chapters are a little short and one is only half-written. I did write some very important scenes for the third book, and I'm very happy with how they look right now. I'm leaving the third book severely alone for awhile, and am currently focusing on the second book, although I really should just finish the first one and find an agent. Actually, I really just need to find an agent.
On the bad news front my leg has been hurting a lot lately and I've taken to wearing my knee brace for sitting around and doing nothing. I haven't put it on yet today, but I think I might for when I actually start taking the garbage out. I also want to walk to campus and look up some more papers (Dr. Lipo wants a complete reading list ASAP, and while I'm sure I can add to my list for my actual thesis, I would like to present a well-researched thesis proposal) on the campus internet since remotely logging on to the campus library doesn't grant me access to all the publications I can get on the campus wifi.
I also need to find the gym and figure out how to register because their old office is gone and I don't know if the registration I did last year still counts for this year. Not that I'm sure my knee can hold up, but it's something to have on the back burner for when my leg feels better.
A few weeks ago Ralphs once again had t-bones on sale and I got two for ten dollars (part of me thinks I should've shelled out another $10 and gotten four) and tweaked my pan-fried recipe a little bit. This was the result:
Doesn't it look delicious?! Oh well, it's nearly 1:30 and I really don't want to spend all evening on campus when all those crazy things are happening in Libya and will be reported live by DW-TV and BBC World News so I really have to get going.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Nightmares again
More nightmares last night. This one involved forged gold coins, a seaside dramatic society that was a front for a mobster money-laundering operation, and an artist who seemed to be all up in everyone's business.
Luke is right. I should totally turn my nightmares into movie scripts.
Luke is right. I should totally turn my nightmares into movie scripts.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Headphones
Went to Big Lots today looking for cheap school supplies - I didn't find anything worthwhile in that department but I did find large noise-cancelling headphones for $10. I figured they'd be a worthwhile buy.
When I got home I realized not only are they headphones for mp3 players but they are ALSO wireless headphones that pick up radio and can plug into my computer while I walk around the apartment.
So I tried them out and I can go anywhere in my apartment and STILL hear what my computer is saying! I could be in bed and watching tv across the room! So that was a very fun $10 purchase.
Oh well, back to the to-do list!
When I got home I realized not only are they headphones for mp3 players but they are ALSO wireless headphones that pick up radio and can plug into my computer while I walk around the apartment.
So I tried them out and I can go anywhere in my apartment and STILL hear what my computer is saying! I could be in bed and watching tv across the room! So that was a very fun $10 purchase.
Oh well, back to the to-do list!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Californians Can't Drive
I went out to Staples today to get some school supplies (their planners cost $16 each!! I'm going to look for one at Target) and when I got home I found some crazy Infiniti parked so badly I was afraid I wouldn't even be able to get into my spot.
Mine is the blue car, which I, by the grace of god and my father's intensive driving lessons, managed to park. Although I had two inches on the driver side of my car so I had to get out of my passenger side.
I left a note on their car saying if they parked like that again I'd call the cops, and warned them I'd written down their license plate number and taken photographs as evidence. Hopefully that'll prevent any retaliation if they're the road rage type.
At least I don't live in New Jersey!
Mine is the blue car, which I, by the grace of god and my father's intensive driving lessons, managed to park. Although I had two inches on the driver side of my car so I had to get out of my passenger side.
I left a note on their car saying if they parked like that again I'd call the cops, and warned them I'd written down their license plate number and taken photographs as evidence. Hopefully that'll prevent any retaliation if they're the road rage type.
At least I don't live in New Jersey!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
What day is it again?
I have been pretty out of it lately. I've been writing and deleting (mostly deleting) and am realizing at some point I have to write something down and leave it instead of deleting it but I'm not willing to be downgraded from "crapola" to something even worse. I'm not even trying to work today. That will happen tomorrow after I've done my shopping and errands and things. Maybe Mike Holmes will inspire me to Make It Right...haha
I even forgot that Benfica was playing Arsenal until I saw it on Twitter so I only managed to catch the last twenty minutes of the game. Still, we won! And I love that Benfica was trending on twitter when it happened - as you can tell from my last post. Just look under trends on the right hand side of the screenshot and you'll see it.
I finally caved and got speakers for my laptop, but they had good reviews and they certainly seem good so far. I love watching netflix on my netbook and actually getting to hear it because the speakers on my netbook are underneath the computer and really hard to hear.
My head hurts a little again...time to relax for a bit!
I even forgot that Benfica was playing Arsenal until I saw it on Twitter so I only managed to catch the last twenty minutes of the game. Still, we won! And I love that Benfica was trending on twitter when it happened - as you can tell from my last post. Just look under trends on the right hand side of the screenshot and you'll see it.
I finally caved and got speakers for my laptop, but they had good reviews and they certainly seem good so far. I love watching netflix on my netbook and actually getting to hear it because the speakers on my netbook are underneath the computer and really hard to hear.
My head hurts a little again...time to relax for a bit!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Vacation? What vacation?
I've been in California a week and already my vacation seems like a brief and dreamy memory. Dr. Lipo informed me that I couldn't collect any more raw data for my thesis before I produce certain parts of my thesis proposal (he didn't like my original proposal so I have to write a whole new one) at an appropriate standard.
So, I'm trying...but man, I'm frustrated. I wanted to get all those 2,100 photographs taken BEFORE the semester started - I'm taking two GIS classes so I'm going to spend a lot of time learning a whole lot of new stuff, plus I'm taking one of Dr. Lipo's classes, and his classes are a lot of work.
Today, for example, I decided to leave the proposal proper alone for a bit and start on my protocol, but none of the papers I have (for my literature review) have a protocol along the lines of what I think he wants (they have paragraph-style research statements, which I'm sure are not what he wants) so I emailed my coworker and asked for his protocol from one of his old projects so I can use it as a template. He's out with his family today - his father and stepmother are visiting him, and his sister lives in LA - so I emailed him so he can get back to me in his own time...which means I have to wait. Patience is a virtue, right?
So I started reading Systematics in Prehistory again (Dr. Lipo recommended I start with that, so I put aside Style and Function to get on with it) and fell asleep. I woke up with a dreadful headache so I haven't been able to read properly all this afternoon. I'm wearing my new glasses but it hasn't helped much. I'm wondering if it's the dry heat combining with my fan to dry my eyes out. I keep turning my fan off to give my eyes a chance to relax, then I start sweating again. In case you're wondering, I've been rocking shorts and tank tops all week. It seems ridiculous to think of how bloody cold I was in South Africa just a couple weeks ago - that I couldn't sleep in Drakensberg because it was too cold and I couldn't get the fire going.
I think tomorrow I might try and read while sitting in the pool. I've been reluctant to do this so far, because that pool is SO cold and it's a long book and I don't want to get sunburned, but my summer is ticking away and I'm starting to freak out. I MUST defend my thesis before the fall semester starts. I'm only taking three classes (thank goodness) but I'm president of the AGSA and that's going to be a ton of work and responsibility.
Now dinner is cooking - I'm roasting a piece of chicken so I don't have to stand over a hot stove in this weather - and I'm watching Newsline, who are enlivening the airwaves with a report on the nuclear crisis in that damaged plant in Japan. I STILL can't spell it, despite having seen news reports on it constantly since March. I'm a little ashamed of that, but no one ever put money on me as a spelling bee champion.
It's only 82 degrees outside but it's over 90 degrees in my apartment because I can't see the temperature marker in my thermostat (which goes up to 90F). Time to put the fan back on...whew!
So, I'm trying...but man, I'm frustrated. I wanted to get all those 2,100 photographs taken BEFORE the semester started - I'm taking two GIS classes so I'm going to spend a lot of time learning a whole lot of new stuff, plus I'm taking one of Dr. Lipo's classes, and his classes are a lot of work.
Today, for example, I decided to leave the proposal proper alone for a bit and start on my protocol, but none of the papers I have (for my literature review) have a protocol along the lines of what I think he wants (they have paragraph-style research statements, which I'm sure are not what he wants) so I emailed my coworker and asked for his protocol from one of his old projects so I can use it as a template. He's out with his family today - his father and stepmother are visiting him, and his sister lives in LA - so I emailed him so he can get back to me in his own time...which means I have to wait. Patience is a virtue, right?
So I started reading Systematics in Prehistory again (Dr. Lipo recommended I start with that, so I put aside Style and Function to get on with it) and fell asleep. I woke up with a dreadful headache so I haven't been able to read properly all this afternoon. I'm wearing my new glasses but it hasn't helped much. I'm wondering if it's the dry heat combining with my fan to dry my eyes out. I keep turning my fan off to give my eyes a chance to relax, then I start sweating again. In case you're wondering, I've been rocking shorts and tank tops all week. It seems ridiculous to think of how bloody cold I was in South Africa just a couple weeks ago - that I couldn't sleep in Drakensberg because it was too cold and I couldn't get the fire going.
I think tomorrow I might try and read while sitting in the pool. I've been reluctant to do this so far, because that pool is SO cold and it's a long book and I don't want to get sunburned, but my summer is ticking away and I'm starting to freak out. I MUST defend my thesis before the fall semester starts. I'm only taking three classes (thank goodness) but I'm president of the AGSA and that's going to be a ton of work and responsibility.
Now dinner is cooking - I'm roasting a piece of chicken so I don't have to stand over a hot stove in this weather - and I'm watching Newsline, who are enlivening the airwaves with a report on the nuclear crisis in that damaged plant in Japan. I STILL can't spell it, despite having seen news reports on it constantly since March. I'm a little ashamed of that, but no one ever put money on me as a spelling bee champion.
It's only 82 degrees outside but it's over 90 degrees in my apartment because I can't see the temperature marker in my thermostat (which goes up to 90F). Time to put the fan back on...whew!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
She's baaack
And tooootally exhausted. Will actually update later, with stories about family, friends, airplanes, refrigerator magnets and penguins.
Very tired of flying. Very glad I get a few days on solid land before flying back to California and getting back into harness.
I'll also post pictures, but later. I have nearly 1,000 of them to upload and edit so that might take awhile, especially when I intend to dedicate part of my time to learning to play the vuvuzela I bought :)
Very tired of flying. Very glad I get a few days on solid land before flying back to California and getting back into harness.
I'll also post pictures, but later. I have nearly 1,000 of them to upload and edit so that might take awhile, especially when I intend to dedicate part of my time to learning to play the vuvuzela I bought :)
Saturday, May 28, 2011
I'm going to have me some fun
I'd say this has been a pretty good weekend.
Friday I sent some vital emails and things, called the bank and tried to get as much of my errand-y stuff out of the way. Then I went to Ross and got two new pairs of capris and a racerback bra to replace the one that broke over a year ago. When I got home I did laundry, and tidied up between load changes.
So I've called the bank, done my laundry, I'm leaving clean sheets on my bed for my return, I have my account details written down and printed out for my carryon...I need to go shopping for a TSA lock for my bag tomorrow, and pack everything up and I think I'm good. I still have no idea what I'm wearing on the plane and if I'm going to wear makeup or not. I think I will wear makeup, mostly because I'm being picked up by a car service. Gotta look like I belong!
Friday night my neighbor was throwing a party (he lives downstairs) so I went there after I ate dinner and showered and ended up eating a second dinner (he was barbecuing) and staying there until the party fizzled out at 5 am.
Mom called me early Saturday morning, which I didn't see until 11:30 am when I roused up a little. I called her back and she asked if I had only just woken up, and I said yes, I'd been at a party til 5 am - and she just said, oh that's nice, did you have fun? You can see how much her education has advanced since I started at UF five years ago :) Of course, it's pretty awesome to go to a party downstairs where all you have to do when you're drunk and tired and want to go home is climb some stairs, wash your face, drink some water and pass out in your own soft cuddly bed.
I stayed in bed until about 2 when I got up and showered and got dressed. I left for my friend Adam's party at 3 (had to stop by Trader Joe's first so I could bring some cookies as a host gift) and stayed there til 7:30. It was a fun party, Adam grilled a ton of meat for tacos (the chicken was really really good) and we all drank beer and talked nonsense all afternoon. I also got directions to a local Chinese restaurant that apparently has some of the best duck in town for an affordable price, so I'm checking that out the second I get back in town.
I left at 7:30 to go to a play - Mandragola by Machiavelli - that's being put on by the Long Beach Shakespeare Company. The playhouse is only a few miles from Adam's place so I got there in plenty of time before the play started at 8.
I'm a purist (aka total snob) about old plays and I really resent any liberties or rewriting, which is probably why I wasn't crazy about this. It certainly had its moments, and was much better than that appalling rendition of Eurydice that I saw in Gainesville...but at the same time the rewritten dialogue was more Modern Family than Machiavelli, and the musical numbers really got up my nose.
I did appreciate the almost Puckish irreverence that characterized the interactions of the male members of the cast... The three female members (one of which was made up as a man, and played a male character, but was clearly classed as a woman during the musical numbers) had less face time and weren't really given much chance to establish themselves as anything the male characters didn't say about them.
I still enjoyed myself, although I'm starting to think I'll never see the ancient plays the way I want to see them.
I got a chickenburger and fries on the way home for dinner (I only have two eggs, yoghurt, carrots, some rice, and shrimp left in my fridge, which are going to be my breakfast, lunch and dinner tomorrow) and I'm now comfortably ensconced in my chair. I think I'm going to take off my makeup and curl up with my kindle for a little while before I go to bed.
Tomorrow is going to be a really busy day, with last minute-errands and packing and all that...and then I get to go home Monday!! There's no place like home :)
Friday I sent some vital emails and things, called the bank and tried to get as much of my errand-y stuff out of the way. Then I went to Ross and got two new pairs of capris and a racerback bra to replace the one that broke over a year ago. When I got home I did laundry, and tidied up between load changes.
So I've called the bank, done my laundry, I'm leaving clean sheets on my bed for my return, I have my account details written down and printed out for my carryon...I need to go shopping for a TSA lock for my bag tomorrow, and pack everything up and I think I'm good. I still have no idea what I'm wearing on the plane and if I'm going to wear makeup or not. I think I will wear makeup, mostly because I'm being picked up by a car service. Gotta look like I belong!
Friday night my neighbor was throwing a party (he lives downstairs) so I went there after I ate dinner and showered and ended up eating a second dinner (he was barbecuing) and staying there until the party fizzled out at 5 am.
Mom called me early Saturday morning, which I didn't see until 11:30 am when I roused up a little. I called her back and she asked if I had only just woken up, and I said yes, I'd been at a party til 5 am - and she just said, oh that's nice, did you have fun? You can see how much her education has advanced since I started at UF five years ago :) Of course, it's pretty awesome to go to a party downstairs where all you have to do when you're drunk and tired and want to go home is climb some stairs, wash your face, drink some water and pass out in your own soft cuddly bed.
I stayed in bed until about 2 when I got up and showered and got dressed. I left for my friend Adam's party at 3 (had to stop by Trader Joe's first so I could bring some cookies as a host gift) and stayed there til 7:30. It was a fun party, Adam grilled a ton of meat for tacos (the chicken was really really good) and we all drank beer and talked nonsense all afternoon. I also got directions to a local Chinese restaurant that apparently has some of the best duck in town for an affordable price, so I'm checking that out the second I get back in town.
I left at 7:30 to go to a play - Mandragola by Machiavelli - that's being put on by the Long Beach Shakespeare Company. The playhouse is only a few miles from Adam's place so I got there in plenty of time before the play started at 8.
I'm a purist (aka total snob) about old plays and I really resent any liberties or rewriting, which is probably why I wasn't crazy about this. It certainly had its moments, and was much better than that appalling rendition of Eurydice that I saw in Gainesville...but at the same time the rewritten dialogue was more Modern Family than Machiavelli, and the musical numbers really got up my nose.
I did appreciate the almost Puckish irreverence that characterized the interactions of the male members of the cast... The three female members (one of which was made up as a man, and played a male character, but was clearly classed as a woman during the musical numbers) had less face time and weren't really given much chance to establish themselves as anything the male characters didn't say about them.
I still enjoyed myself, although I'm starting to think I'll never see the ancient plays the way I want to see them.
I got a chickenburger and fries on the way home for dinner (I only have two eggs, yoghurt, carrots, some rice, and shrimp left in my fridge, which are going to be my breakfast, lunch and dinner tomorrow) and I'm now comfortably ensconced in my chair. I think I'm going to take off my makeup and curl up with my kindle for a little while before I go to bed.
Tomorrow is going to be a really busy day, with last minute-errands and packing and all that...and then I get to go home Monday!! There's no place like home :)
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
So close, and yet so far
So I haven't posted in awhile.
The past few days have been me slowly acclimating to a slower pace, getting work done for my boss, and trying to organize my summer. My mail is officially getting forwarded for a few weeks, so now I just have to call and warn the bank, start packing, pay two months' rent, and put together a travel folder so I can pay all my bills even though I'll be away.
Oh, and I've finally been catching up on sleep.
The bad news is that the uni group that's supposed to award travel refunds to students who presented at conferences have delayed their award announcements - and until you've gotten your announcement that you're being awarded a refund, you can't turn in your receipts. And if you don't turn in your receipts, they won't give you the money. I leave May 30th, and pretty much all of my coworkers/classmates leave between May 27th and June 1st for work and field school, so unless those people get back to us by, like, yesterday...we're kinda screwed.
Why tell us you're going to refund us a portion of the hundreds of dollars we spent (you don't get any money back for food - just gas/taxi/hotel/parking sort of thing) if you're going to wimp out and not do it?
I would LOVE there to be some sort of academic court where you can hold universities accountable for their promises. Of course, they'd just make the fine print even longer and more obstructive than they already do, because of the prevailing negative opinions towards graduate students, but still. It's a lovely dream!
I have a lot of mending to do and I haven't done any of it. I have a lot of dieting to do and haven't been following it. I have been sleeping and eating and writing and reading and talking and listening and watching tv...
Yeah, haven't really got anything left to say.
The past few days have been me slowly acclimating to a slower pace, getting work done for my boss, and trying to organize my summer. My mail is officially getting forwarded for a few weeks, so now I just have to call and warn the bank, start packing, pay two months' rent, and put together a travel folder so I can pay all my bills even though I'll be away.
Oh, and I've finally been catching up on sleep.
The bad news is that the uni group that's supposed to award travel refunds to students who presented at conferences have delayed their award announcements - and until you've gotten your announcement that you're being awarded a refund, you can't turn in your receipts. And if you don't turn in your receipts, they won't give you the money. I leave May 30th, and pretty much all of my coworkers/classmates leave between May 27th and June 1st for work and field school, so unless those people get back to us by, like, yesterday...we're kinda screwed.
Why tell us you're going to refund us a portion of the hundreds of dollars we spent (you don't get any money back for food - just gas/taxi/hotel/parking sort of thing) if you're going to wimp out and not do it?
I would LOVE there to be some sort of academic court where you can hold universities accountable for their promises. Of course, they'd just make the fine print even longer and more obstructive than they already do, because of the prevailing negative opinions towards graduate students, but still. It's a lovely dream!
I have a lot of mending to do and I haven't done any of it. I have a lot of dieting to do and haven't been following it. I have been sleeping and eating and writing and reading and talking and listening and watching tv...
Yeah, haven't really got anything left to say.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
California skies and Mississippi mud
I woke up this morning to the pitter-patter of raindrops streaming down my windows. I got up to admire it, but soon retired to bed again where, aided and abetted by my kindle, I stayed until noon. It reminded me of The Egg and I when Betty MacDonald said staying in bed late on her chicken farm made her feel like "a cross between a boll-weevil and a slut." Personally, I just felt like a cat, getting to do exactly as I pleased. If I get to be reincarnated I'm coming back as a cat, preferably one belonging to someone particularly indulgent in regards to tuna and cream.
When I finally got up and had lunch (chow mein) I got dressed and tidied up the apartment a little before going to CVS and getting a bunch of pre-strung flossers (I don't like them, they break all the time, but I can't find one of those heavy-duty reusable flossers there), a pair of toothbrush traveling cases, and a tooth-whitening kit. I nearly got the cheaper kit with dissolving strips, but I really don't like the idea of dissolving strips, especially as you're not supposed to touch your teeth with your tongue for 15 minutes after they've dissolved. Anyone who knows me knows I'd forget and that'd be a total waste of my precious money!
I haven't whitened my teeth for a year and I'm going to give the (non-dissolving) strips a try, since my dentist said they're more effective than the trays (which I tried previously) and irritate peoples' gums less. When I used the trays I had to take a 3 day break in the middle because my gums were so irritated and sore.
So now I'm sitting here in my armchair, feet up on my deskchair, listening to jazz and blues and swing (thank you, internet radio)while admiring the view of the tree outside my window and the brilliantly blue California sky beyond it.
I thought about going to the beach, but that would require taking my car out and I'm trying to use as little gas as possible, so I won't have to fill up before I leave for Orlando. Which reminds me, I need to book the car service to to drop me off at the airport when I leave and pick me up when I return.
Being grown-up and going on vacation is stressful in itself. If you're going to a far-away airport and your friends are all out of town, do you risk a taxi or book a car service? How do you ensure your bills will be paid on time? (I was going to send them extra money to give me a positive balance to deduct from while I was away, but I couldn't contact them about it, so I'm just writing down their internet paying methods and will pay over the internet, extra fees be damned!) What do you bring with you? How do you protect what you leave behind?
Of course I have it a little easier than most because I'm taking everything valuable with me, but still. It's a pain.
My place is still a little messy but I'm feeling disinclined to clean it further, although I do have the windows open to let out the smell of stale Chinese food, and the fan whirring lazily overhead.
Tomorrow I have to get back to work on my 510 final and my job, so I am enjoying today with all my might. Do I read more books? Do I work on my manuscripts? Or should I just sit here with my feet up and do absolutely nothing?
When I finally got up and had lunch (chow mein) I got dressed and tidied up the apartment a little before going to CVS and getting a bunch of pre-strung flossers (I don't like them, they break all the time, but I can't find one of those heavy-duty reusable flossers there), a pair of toothbrush traveling cases, and a tooth-whitening kit. I nearly got the cheaper kit with dissolving strips, but I really don't like the idea of dissolving strips, especially as you're not supposed to touch your teeth with your tongue for 15 minutes after they've dissolved. Anyone who knows me knows I'd forget and that'd be a total waste of my precious money!
I haven't whitened my teeth for a year and I'm going to give the (non-dissolving) strips a try, since my dentist said they're more effective than the trays (which I tried previously) and irritate peoples' gums less. When I used the trays I had to take a 3 day break in the middle because my gums were so irritated and sore.
So now I'm sitting here in my armchair, feet up on my deskchair, listening to jazz and blues and swing (thank you, internet radio)while admiring the view of the tree outside my window and the brilliantly blue California sky beyond it.
I thought about going to the beach, but that would require taking my car out and I'm trying to use as little gas as possible, so I won't have to fill up before I leave for Orlando. Which reminds me, I need to book the car service to to drop me off at the airport when I leave and pick me up when I return.
Being grown-up and going on vacation is stressful in itself. If you're going to a far-away airport and your friends are all out of town, do you risk a taxi or book a car service? How do you ensure your bills will be paid on time? (I was going to send them extra money to give me a positive balance to deduct from while I was away, but I couldn't contact them about it, so I'm just writing down their internet paying methods and will pay over the internet, extra fees be damned!) What do you bring with you? How do you protect what you leave behind?
Of course I have it a little easier than most because I'm taking everything valuable with me, but still. It's a pain.
My place is still a little messy but I'm feeling disinclined to clean it further, although I do have the windows open to let out the smell of stale Chinese food, and the fan whirring lazily overhead.
Tomorrow I have to get back to work on my 510 final and my job, so I am enjoying today with all my might. Do I read more books? Do I work on my manuscripts? Or should I just sit here with my feet up and do absolutely nothing?
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Welcome to the Hotel California
Today is one of those sticky, overcast days I associate with the tropics: not those lush, balmy tropics with white sands and turquoise water you see in the travel bureau commercials, but the real tropics, where light-painted houses have beads of sweat dripping down their walls, geckos clinging tenaciously to ceilings, and banana trees rustling lazily in the faint breeze.
Not, of course, that LA or even Long Beach is actually humid or sticky (not compared to Florida), but today does actually have an element of humidity which is endearingly homelike. I have three windows open: my kitchen window, my street-facing window, and the louvered window next to my door. Through all three I see the low-lying swaths of grey cloud, and various types of greenery, mostly palms and that strange tree outside my window which I haven't yet identified yet.
Downstairs someone is rolling around a garbage bin, and the rumble of the plastic wheels on the pebbled walk makes me think of thunder, which I miss in a way I could never have imagined before I moved to this lush and deceptive desert.
Long Beach is much too windy to be tropical though. Whenever I picture the tropics it's always with slow, sultry air with only faint stirrings of breeze - until there's a hurricane anyway.
I'm sorry I haven't written lately, but I've been overworked to the point of rebellion. Earlier today (a Saturday, mind you) I turned in two final projects (they aren't late, they were due today). I have since rewritten one lab and have 7 left, plus two essays left to rewrite, an extra credit essay, and an extra credit lab (that I don't think I'll have time to do, sadly) and a final (which is almost done, I just have to write the discussion - I've already written the conclusion) all due Monday.
I am taking Tuesday off. Only inexorable forces of nature or my boss will make me do anything but nothing on Tuesday.
Earlier today, I texted a classmate to complain about our workload, saying, "I don't feel like dying of nervous prostration like those ladies in Victorian novels." He replied, "You're tougher than those dried up broads," which made me giggle, to think of those fair ladies with their beautiful complexions that 7 dermatologists and hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars' worth of modern cosmetics can't give me described as "dried up".
The rest of the week will be spent on my job and my last final which is due Friday, and then I'm taking the weekend off too (it's been a hard semester) before settling down to intensive work on my job the week after that. Then I fly home on May 30th for a wonderful vacation.
I also have to do laundry tomorrow, what a pain. One of my friends from high school bragged how she had forty pairs of underwear so she only had to do laundry once a month (I assume she had several pairs of jeans and forty shirts as well), but I don't think buying 365 pairs of underwear would solve my laundry problems.
Oh well...guess I should get back to work. Heigh ho...
Not, of course, that LA or even Long Beach is actually humid or sticky (not compared to Florida), but today does actually have an element of humidity which is endearingly homelike. I have three windows open: my kitchen window, my street-facing window, and the louvered window next to my door. Through all three I see the low-lying swaths of grey cloud, and various types of greenery, mostly palms and that strange tree outside my window which I haven't yet identified yet.
Downstairs someone is rolling around a garbage bin, and the rumble of the plastic wheels on the pebbled walk makes me think of thunder, which I miss in a way I could never have imagined before I moved to this lush and deceptive desert.
Long Beach is much too windy to be tropical though. Whenever I picture the tropics it's always with slow, sultry air with only faint stirrings of breeze - until there's a hurricane anyway.
I'm sorry I haven't written lately, but I've been overworked to the point of rebellion. Earlier today (a Saturday, mind you) I turned in two final projects (they aren't late, they were due today). I have since rewritten one lab and have 7 left, plus two essays left to rewrite, an extra credit essay, and an extra credit lab (that I don't think I'll have time to do, sadly) and a final (which is almost done, I just have to write the discussion - I've already written the conclusion) all due Monday.
I am taking Tuesday off. Only inexorable forces of nature or my boss will make me do anything but nothing on Tuesday.
Earlier today, I texted a classmate to complain about our workload, saying, "I don't feel like dying of nervous prostration like those ladies in Victorian novels." He replied, "You're tougher than those dried up broads," which made me giggle, to think of those fair ladies with their beautiful complexions that 7 dermatologists and hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars' worth of modern cosmetics can't give me described as "dried up".
The rest of the week will be spent on my job and my last final which is due Friday, and then I'm taking the weekend off too (it's been a hard semester) before settling down to intensive work on my job the week after that. Then I fly home on May 30th for a wonderful vacation.
I also have to do laundry tomorrow, what a pain. One of my friends from high school bragged how she had forty pairs of underwear so she only had to do laundry once a month (I assume she had several pairs of jeans and forty shirts as well), but I don't think buying 365 pairs of underwear would solve my laundry problems.
Oh well...guess I should get back to work. Heigh ho...
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Sick
This week has been horrendous. Work, work and more work.
Friday I worked all day and then cooked all evening when I should have been working.
Today I worked through the morning and went to a barbecue at my friend Jake's place at one and stayed there til six when I came home because I wasn't feeling good. When I got home I felt dizzy and decided to lie down for a few minutes...woke up an hour later very, very ill. Luckily I didn't throw up, but I couldn't stand up for more than a few minutes without feeling horrible...my chest is full of phlegm and I'm coughing and my head hurts and all of me hurts and when I stand up I get all dizzy and things go round and round.
Needless to say I haven't been working which is really bad since I have SO MUCH work to do. But being in bed for the past three hours seems to have helped so hopefully a good night's sleep will restore me to health so I can get as much work done as possible.
Okay it's time to go to bed...so not feeling good.
Friday I worked all day and then cooked all evening when I should have been working.
Today I worked through the morning and went to a barbecue at my friend Jake's place at one and stayed there til six when I came home because I wasn't feeling good. When I got home I felt dizzy and decided to lie down for a few minutes...woke up an hour later very, very ill. Luckily I didn't throw up, but I couldn't stand up for more than a few minutes without feeling horrible...my chest is full of phlegm and I'm coughing and my head hurts and all of me hurts and when I stand up I get all dizzy and things go round and round.
Needless to say I haven't been working which is really bad since I have SO MUCH work to do. But being in bed for the past three hours seems to have helped so hopefully a good night's sleep will restore me to health so I can get as much work done as possible.
Okay it's time to go to bed...so not feeling good.
Friday, April 29, 2011
SAA's again
So I totally just realized I never finished posting about our SAA adventures!
Saturday morning Anne and I were presenting at 10:30 am and got up around 8 am and made it to the hotel around 9:45 am. We left Judy at the hotel because she stayed out partying with the others and only got back at six in the morning - it would've been pretty mean to drag her out to the conference after a night like that.
We were pretty nervous but went and sat on the large patio outside the poster hall and quizzed each other on what we were going to say until it was time for our session and we hung up our posters.
My poster session was GREAT! I talked to so many people - I gave away what felt like dozens of business cards and received a dozen in return. I talked to a lot of people, and got some really wonderful advice and commentary. At one point I had TEN PEOPLE gathered around my poster, and I was rarely left alone for long (this is partially thanks to my wonderful friends Steven, Mike, Rich, Scott and Ginger - Anne was by her poster and Judy was in bed) but really I did have a lot of people talk to me.
At one point I was all fluttery because JAMES FEATHERS came by and talked to me. In case you don't know, James Feathers is a big deal and has written some serious papers, some of which we've read in Dr. Lipo's class. He asked some seriously tough questions, but as I explained my work he seemed interested and (dare I hope it?) pleased with my explanations. I'm VERY proud of Anne though - Dr. Feathers was so interested in her work he gave her his email address so that he could get a copy of her poster and discuss her work properly.
I also talked to Dr. Fraser D. Neiman who is the director of archaeology at Monticello who was VERY interested in my work. In fact he wants to use my techniques on his Caribbean plainware, and we've already corresponded about it. Is it rude to email him and ask how it's going? I'm dying to know!
The poster session was supposed to end at 12:30, but just as I was about to take my poster down a woman approached me and started asking me about my work and I was very happy to discuss it with her (I was having SO much fun, I didn't want to take my poster down), and then another woman came by and we ended up talking too, so it was nearly 1:30 by the time I finally finished up and took my poster down. Anne and I returned our posters to the car and then a whole party of us went to Sapphoro's for lunch. That time I got spicy chicken teriyaki and tempura mix (veggies and shrimp) and it was also very very delicious. Since we were all in such high spirits over the presentations we all got beers as well, except for Mike. Since he's half Japanese he went all ethnic on us and got hot sake and we made all sorts of stupid jokes about "how to drink" in other countries.
My sole drinking joke goes thusly:
An Englishman, a Welshman and an Irishman were drinking in a bar. Suddenly a fly lands in each of their beers. The Englishman pushes his beer away in disgust; the Welshman picks out the fly and keeps drinking. The Irishman grabs his fly by one leg and starts yelling, "SPIT IT OUT YOU BASTARD, SPIT IT OUT!!"
As you may have guessed, I don't have the best joke repertoire out there. But I like that one :)
After lunch we went to the CRM (cultural resource management) Expo and hobnobbed with the companies there. I've been corresponding with one and I'm going to apply and see if I get a summer job with them. That would be SO awesome.
We hit up a couple symposia before 5 and then we all separated to our hotels again. This time Matthew (a vegan) picked the restaurant and we headed out to this little Korean place we only found by the grace of my GPS unit (thanks again Dad, that was a great birthday present!) and we all trooped in - twelve of us in this tiny little hole in the wall! The food was pretty good for a vegan place. I had curried rice with tofu chunks (thank goodness I couldn't taste the tofu...I HATE tofu - the menu conveniently didn't mention that tofu was in there) and everyone tried all this exotic stuff.
There was some weird channel broadcasting on the tv and it was about food and the master or something like that and Matthew whispered to us it was some sort of Korean cult where all the followers keep vegan. I have no idea if he was serious or not, but we did make a lot of awful mobster and/or scientology jokes after that.
Then we drove to a BevMo and got booze - Anne and I got champagne to celebrate our poster session, and I also got a Golden Pheasant (shh, I love that beer!) and the others picked up more wine and beer before we all headed back to Anne, my and Judy's hotel room.
For awhile we watched Transformers, and then we switched to a Robin Hood movie and then I can't remember what after that. For awhile we just relaxed and talked but then Ginger and Judy wanted to go hula hooping and then that turned into everyone going out and walking to this park down by the river (and it was COLD) outside and hula-hooping there. I was too cold and grumpy to hula-hoop so I crouched on the ground with my back to the wind, watching the river rush past - it was really pretty.
We FINALLY went back to our nice warm hotel room and everyone left a little after one and I passed out.
Sunday we all got up late and went to hear the closing lectures at the conference. After lunch we were relaxing in the hotel room working on papers when Anne's friend Caleb called and asked if she wanted to hang out, and she did, so they left and Judy and I kept working. I admit it, I fell asleep and had a really nice nap.
At four o clock I got an email from Dr. Lipo saying for Jake, Judy, Anne and I to bring our posters for our 11 am class Monday morning so we could present to the class. So I immediately emailed back saying that as we had explained before we left for the conference that we were driving back Monday morning and would miss our 11 am class but Judy and I would certainly be there for the 7 pm class (Anne doesn't take that one).
At six o clock I checked my email again and there was another email from Dr. Lipo saying simply, "Leave early. Be in class."
There was no help for it, so I texted Anne and Judy and I started packing. Luckily we didn't have that much to pack, and then we walked over to the Mexican restaurant next door to have dinner. I had these AMAZING nachos (so ridiculously cheesy and yummy) and I forget what Judy ordered but we both had strawberry margaritas (I still prefer daiquiris) as well.
We were back in the hotel room when Anne came in and she was obviously totally unaware of the text so we had to break the news to her in person and her reaction was exactly the same as ours.
We were all packed up a little after eight and loaded up my car and settled our hotel bill before driving to the gas station across the street to fill up. I invested in two five-hour-energy shots as well as $7 of gummi sharks, jawbreakers, tic tacs and lollipops.
We got on the highway at 9:15 pm and arrived in Garden Grove (400 miles away) at 3:05 am. And I wasn't even speeding (I could've gotten there much faster if I had been, bud I didn't dare), I just hugged that speed limit for dear life, even in the grapevine, which is one of the most awful roads I have ever been on in my life, with the sole exception of those godawful cliff roads in Madeira that were one lane but two ways and nothing but solid granite cliff on one side and smooth drop to the ocean on the other.
After I dropped Judy and Anne off I made it home at about 3:30 am and it took two trips to haul everything upstairs. I did some rudimentary unpacking - I had to charge my phone and my computer and get the perishables we'd bought into the fridge and all that - before falling into bed at around 4. Unfortunately, between the sugar and the stress and the insane adrenaline high of driving 400 miles in six hours I just lay there, and saw I5 speeding past imprinted in moving pictures on my eyelids.
I did finally fall asleep and slept until 9 am, when I got up for class and somehow made it there through the haze and the sugar hangover. I was so out of it that during my presentation I was not only standing at an angle, but I was shaking and so discombobulated Dr. Lipo practically had to prompt every other sentence out of me. He wasn't too harsh on me and seemed genuinely pleased that I had driven us back like that. I think it was obvious that I was 100% out of it, and it was probably lucky that I had my pants on my bum and not on my head.
Somehow I got through the day - which I had to spend on campus - not falling asleep in my geographical statistics class (which is hard on the best days because it's from 2-4:20 which is when I naturally start sagging) and eating dinner at Panda Express (when I was longing for a home-cooked meal) and somehow focusing during my AGSA meeting. I took my second 5-hour-energy shot at 5pm and it worked for awhile, but I had class from 7 pm til 10 pm and we were learning GIS and I was so frustrated and tired and shaky I could barely do anything right. Brian was sitting next to me, and like an angel he patiently helped me and helped me until I got everything right. Even with Brian's help I was nearly crying from frustration, and when I got home that night I just got down on the floor and stayed there for a few minutes so I wouldn't have to do anything.
I was very, very glad to go to sleep that night...and very very glad I didn't have anything in particular to wake up for the next morning.
Well I'm glad I've finally gotten all my SAA adventures written down, but now I really do have to go to bed so that I can get everything squared away tomorrow before it's time for Britcoms and shrimp and salad.
Saturday morning Anne and I were presenting at 10:30 am and got up around 8 am and made it to the hotel around 9:45 am. We left Judy at the hotel because she stayed out partying with the others and only got back at six in the morning - it would've been pretty mean to drag her out to the conference after a night like that.
We were pretty nervous but went and sat on the large patio outside the poster hall and quizzed each other on what we were going to say until it was time for our session and we hung up our posters.
My poster session was GREAT! I talked to so many people - I gave away what felt like dozens of business cards and received a dozen in return. I talked to a lot of people, and got some really wonderful advice and commentary. At one point I had TEN PEOPLE gathered around my poster, and I was rarely left alone for long (this is partially thanks to my wonderful friends Steven, Mike, Rich, Scott and Ginger - Anne was by her poster and Judy was in bed) but really I did have a lot of people talk to me.
At one point I was all fluttery because JAMES FEATHERS came by and talked to me. In case you don't know, James Feathers is a big deal and has written some serious papers, some of which we've read in Dr. Lipo's class. He asked some seriously tough questions, but as I explained my work he seemed interested and (dare I hope it?) pleased with my explanations. I'm VERY proud of Anne though - Dr. Feathers was so interested in her work he gave her his email address so that he could get a copy of her poster and discuss her work properly.
I also talked to Dr. Fraser D. Neiman who is the director of archaeology at Monticello who was VERY interested in my work. In fact he wants to use my techniques on his Caribbean plainware, and we've already corresponded about it. Is it rude to email him and ask how it's going? I'm dying to know!
The poster session was supposed to end at 12:30, but just as I was about to take my poster down a woman approached me and started asking me about my work and I was very happy to discuss it with her (I was having SO much fun, I didn't want to take my poster down), and then another woman came by and we ended up talking too, so it was nearly 1:30 by the time I finally finished up and took my poster down. Anne and I returned our posters to the car and then a whole party of us went to Sapphoro's for lunch. That time I got spicy chicken teriyaki and tempura mix (veggies and shrimp) and it was also very very delicious. Since we were all in such high spirits over the presentations we all got beers as well, except for Mike. Since he's half Japanese he went all ethnic on us and got hot sake and we made all sorts of stupid jokes about "how to drink" in other countries.
My sole drinking joke goes thusly:
An Englishman, a Welshman and an Irishman were drinking in a bar. Suddenly a fly lands in each of their beers. The Englishman pushes his beer away in disgust; the Welshman picks out the fly and keeps drinking. The Irishman grabs his fly by one leg and starts yelling, "SPIT IT OUT YOU BASTARD, SPIT IT OUT!!"
As you may have guessed, I don't have the best joke repertoire out there. But I like that one :)
After lunch we went to the CRM (cultural resource management) Expo and hobnobbed with the companies there. I've been corresponding with one and I'm going to apply and see if I get a summer job with them. That would be SO awesome.
We hit up a couple symposia before 5 and then we all separated to our hotels again. This time Matthew (a vegan) picked the restaurant and we headed out to this little Korean place we only found by the grace of my GPS unit (thanks again Dad, that was a great birthday present!) and we all trooped in - twelve of us in this tiny little hole in the wall! The food was pretty good for a vegan place. I had curried rice with tofu chunks (thank goodness I couldn't taste the tofu...I HATE tofu - the menu conveniently didn't mention that tofu was in there) and everyone tried all this exotic stuff.
There was some weird channel broadcasting on the tv and it was about food and the master or something like that and Matthew whispered to us it was some sort of Korean cult where all the followers keep vegan. I have no idea if he was serious or not, but we did make a lot of awful mobster and/or scientology jokes after that.
Then we drove to a BevMo and got booze - Anne and I got champagne to celebrate our poster session, and I also got a Golden Pheasant (shh, I love that beer!) and the others picked up more wine and beer before we all headed back to Anne, my and Judy's hotel room.
For awhile we watched Transformers, and then we switched to a Robin Hood movie and then I can't remember what after that. For awhile we just relaxed and talked but then Ginger and Judy wanted to go hula hooping and then that turned into everyone going out and walking to this park down by the river (and it was COLD) outside and hula-hooping there. I was too cold and grumpy to hula-hoop so I crouched on the ground with my back to the wind, watching the river rush past - it was really pretty.
We FINALLY went back to our nice warm hotel room and everyone left a little after one and I passed out.
Sunday we all got up late and went to hear the closing lectures at the conference. After lunch we were relaxing in the hotel room working on papers when Anne's friend Caleb called and asked if she wanted to hang out, and she did, so they left and Judy and I kept working. I admit it, I fell asleep and had a really nice nap.
At four o clock I got an email from Dr. Lipo saying for Jake, Judy, Anne and I to bring our posters for our 11 am class Monday morning so we could present to the class. So I immediately emailed back saying that as we had explained before we left for the conference that we were driving back Monday morning and would miss our 11 am class but Judy and I would certainly be there for the 7 pm class (Anne doesn't take that one).
At six o clock I checked my email again and there was another email from Dr. Lipo saying simply, "Leave early. Be in class."
There was no help for it, so I texted Anne and Judy and I started packing. Luckily we didn't have that much to pack, and then we walked over to the Mexican restaurant next door to have dinner. I had these AMAZING nachos (so ridiculously cheesy and yummy) and I forget what Judy ordered but we both had strawberry margaritas (I still prefer daiquiris) as well.
We were back in the hotel room when Anne came in and she was obviously totally unaware of the text so we had to break the news to her in person and her reaction was exactly the same as ours.
We were all packed up a little after eight and loaded up my car and settled our hotel bill before driving to the gas station across the street to fill up. I invested in two five-hour-energy shots as well as $7 of gummi sharks, jawbreakers, tic tacs and lollipops.
We got on the highway at 9:15 pm and arrived in Garden Grove (400 miles away) at 3:05 am. And I wasn't even speeding (I could've gotten there much faster if I had been, bud I didn't dare), I just hugged that speed limit for dear life, even in the grapevine, which is one of the most awful roads I have ever been on in my life, with the sole exception of those godawful cliff roads in Madeira that were one lane but two ways and nothing but solid granite cliff on one side and smooth drop to the ocean on the other.
After I dropped Judy and Anne off I made it home at about 3:30 am and it took two trips to haul everything upstairs. I did some rudimentary unpacking - I had to charge my phone and my computer and get the perishables we'd bought into the fridge and all that - before falling into bed at around 4. Unfortunately, between the sugar and the stress and the insane adrenaline high of driving 400 miles in six hours I just lay there, and saw I5 speeding past imprinted in moving pictures on my eyelids.
I did finally fall asleep and slept until 9 am, when I got up for class and somehow made it there through the haze and the sugar hangover. I was so out of it that during my presentation I was not only standing at an angle, but I was shaking and so discombobulated Dr. Lipo practically had to prompt every other sentence out of me. He wasn't too harsh on me and seemed genuinely pleased that I had driven us back like that. I think it was obvious that I was 100% out of it, and it was probably lucky that I had my pants on my bum and not on my head.
Somehow I got through the day - which I had to spend on campus - not falling asleep in my geographical statistics class (which is hard on the best days because it's from 2-4:20 which is when I naturally start sagging) and eating dinner at Panda Express (when I was longing for a home-cooked meal) and somehow focusing during my AGSA meeting. I took my second 5-hour-energy shot at 5pm and it worked for awhile, but I had class from 7 pm til 10 pm and we were learning GIS and I was so frustrated and tired and shaky I could barely do anything right. Brian was sitting next to me, and like an angel he patiently helped me and helped me until I got everything right. Even with Brian's help I was nearly crying from frustration, and when I got home that night I just got down on the floor and stayed there for a few minutes so I wouldn't have to do anything.
I was very, very glad to go to sleep that night...and very very glad I didn't have anything in particular to wake up for the next morning.
Well I'm glad I've finally gotten all my SAA adventures written down, but now I really do have to go to bed so that I can get everything squared away tomorrow before it's time for Britcoms and shrimp and salad.
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