hermionesviolin: (prophecy girl)
Over coffee this morning, Greg asked how I was -- in a tone which made me suspect he was asking re: grief topics, but I'd already started responding as per usual (what kind of a morning I was having work-wise) before I'd processed that.

He reaffirmed that we've established if I really were miserable I'd at least give a hint.  I said yeah, said I would love to hear from my friend Terry, but his father just died a week ago, so....  Greg said he didn't remember the name, but yeah, he was wondering about that.  [He and Katie both got the story of my weekend over coffee on Monday -- I love that Greg's m.o. is that if he asks how you are he's actually interested in an answer, and if you ask how he is he'll actually give you a real answer.]

I said I was trying to figure out if I were in the position of an adult whose father had died, when I would be ready to talk to people again.  I e-mailed the day I found out, but I don't even know when he'll check that.  When I visited this past weekend, my mom mentioned her work's bereavement policy, so this morning I Googled Town employee bereavement leave.  [Unrelatedly, today I learned that here at HBS the Dean's Office "send[s] a gift to any faculty or staff who has a baby."]

Greg said he would err on the side of earlier than he might intuit -- that sometimes people don't even realize they wanna talk until someone talks to them (which I hadn't thought of but which is totally true -- and given the person in question is so very likely to be accurate) and worst case, they don't wanna talk to you, and you say "I was just calling to see how you're doing" and they say "I don't wanna talk" and you hang up.

He said he remembers times when he was "mold" [in terms of functionality] and people persisted, and he recalls that fondly.

I said he made good points and etc., said it had been only a week, so Terry was probably still wrapped up in funeral plans and whatnot.  Greg said yeah, a week, in Judaism... and I said "Yeah, sitting shiva," and said I kind of wished Christianity had that... people bringing you food and all that.  He also said it has a clearly defined beginning and end, that after a week, you're still grieving, but you can pick up McDonald's on your own . . . grieving the whole way there and back.

So I'm thinking of calling mid next week.  And am trying not to obsess about waiting versus not.  But if you have input, feel free to share.
hermionesviolin: (that which IT has not [fox1013])
I'm feeling better, having spent much of Saturday processing, but to spare me the trouble of retelling the story umpteen times, the story of how my weekend wasn't what I had expected )

So yeah, if anyone wants to call some other evening just to say hi (I have extension school class on Mondays until 7:30, and Thursday is CAUMC small group from 7-10, but otherwise...), that would probably be lovely.  (Prayers are also appreciated, if you are so inclined.)

-----

Happy things:

* Stephen Colbert wants a sign he should run for President. [via [livejournal.com profile] kita0610]

* After a Grade 9 male student at a Canadian high school is bullied (including being called a homosexual) for wearing a pink tank shirt, two Grade 12 students (also male) distribute pink tank tops and other pink items for students to wear. [via [livejournal.com profile] kita0610]

* "The youngest 'Hero' suits up" -- Noah Gray-Cabey goes shopping for the Emmys (though I checked IMDb, and the girl who plays Molly Walker is a year younger than him) [via [livejournal.com profile] maechi]

P.S. [livejournal.com profile] fox1013 wrote Micah and Molly fic for [livejournal.com profile] heroes_bigboom.

Also, Ari came to CWM with me tonight (observing churches being a requirement for one of her classes), and due to train schedules we also got about an hour and a half to hang out beforehand.  (And we bumped into Layna on the way to church.)

Oh, and Jessie, I think I am lame and never thanked you for the collage you made for me, but it is lovely.

And [livejournal.com profile] worth_the_trip informs me that "YA author Lee Wind has recently launched his own blog about LGBTQ teen lit called I’m Here. I’m Queer. What the Hell Do I Read?"
hermionesviolin: black and white photo of Emma Watson as Hermione, with text "hermionesviolin" (hermione by oatmilk)
me: "I kinda wanna just go home and take a nap, but I'm gonna go to the gym after work."
Katie: "You're hardcore."
me: "Well, I haven't been to the gym in 4 days."
Katie: "The fact that you pay attention to that and use that as ammo for your next gym-going experience..."
me: "Well I worked here for a year before I joined the gym and then was a member for three months before I actually started going."

Earlier today I was thinking I would do the rowing machine and then the track, but I tiredness meant I opted for just the track.  Various people suggested I should run outside due to the beautiful weather, which is valid.  I was really desirous to get a baseline for how fast I can run a mile, though, which is easiest to do on an indoor track.  So I did a mile (and definitely cannot run the whole way -- most laps I alternated running and walking half-and-half) with time 10:20.  I was seriously impressed and almost wonder if that's accurate.  I walked two laps after and then went home.  I wasn't feeling up to running (even half-and-half) another twenty minutes, though I felt lame that I exercised for such a short time.  My defense is that I hadn't been to the gym in four days (plus the fact that I've been getting less than ideal amounts of sleep for at least as long).

*

I went grocery shopping.  I was gonna get cranberry juice, but they only had it in concentrate.  Guess a trip to Shaw's is in my future.

I saw bananas when I walked in and thought about how whenever I buy bananas I don't finish eating the bunch before they start to go off but the warm weather makes my appetite like zero and smoothies could be v. good for that.  Anyone have blender recommendations? 'cause ours is rly laem.  --  Speaking of, our can openers are a bit shite as well, so suggestions for a new one of those as well would be lovely.

*

When Terry and I talked last Tuesday, he said he'd called me on Saturday.  I have evening commitments for the rest of the week, so I decided to go for a walk in the beautiful weather and give him a call.  He said he was actually gonna call me later tonight, was apologetic, and even had a valid excuse for Saturday.  We talked briefly before he had to go, and he said he'd call me tomorrow.
hermionesviolin: (hipster me)
Let's recap my post-work to-do list:

* go to the gym
I ended up talking to people for some time after work, so I didn't get to the gym until 5:30.  Both rowing machines and all the ellipticals save one were in use.  The one I got sounded like there was a piece out of whack, but it didn't break under me, so that's good.  As I said, I did the interval program, switching pedaling direction each mile.  (mile markers: 11:05, 22:44, just after 35; 2.62mi at 30-minute mark)
By the time I finished, the rowing machines were free, so I did a half hour on there.
I have a weird relationship with the gym.  I don't feel that endorphin high after/during a workout, but after only a week or two of going I found myself wanting to go to the gym when I was in a bad mood.  I would really like to be able to do an hour at the gym every day, but I'm not sure I can make that work with my schedule.  It would probably be best if I went in the morning before work, but even leaving aside the difficulty of hauling myself out of bed, I don't like functioning before I've had my shower (I feel gross) but I think the headband pulling my hair out of my face would mess up my hair for the rest of the day (especially if it were still wet when I started, which is highly likely).  Grr, I feel so shallow.  Yes, I could take another quick shower at the gym after, but that feels inefficient -- plus, is it gonna make my hair hate me?

* go to B&J for Free Cone Day
Wait-time: ~15min.
Flavor: Bananas on the Rum
I approve.  I wasn't even particularly craving ice cream, but who turns down free yummy food?  Especially since I walk by the Garage on my way home.  There were people in line getting their second free cone, which I disapproved of, but so it goes.

* buy groceries
Mission accomplished.
Bonus: Saw Will on the way back.

* call my fake boyfriend
The comments on my last entry?  Yeah, I don't even know.  I'm surrounded by crazy people.

You know I’m thinking of you
In the bookstore, in the laundromat
Guess how much I love you
Much more, more than that
More than that

-The Lucksmiths


***

I was telling Ari last night that I wasn't sure how one did an ALM in Religion at Harvard Extension.  The ALM requires 10 courses, and there are only 12 listed in the whole department for 2006-2007.  Additionally, the course offerings seem to fall into two major categories: religion&politics, Buddhism -- neither of which are exactly my areas of interest (though I wouldn't mind taking a class or two in each).  There are also cross-listed classes that look interesting (though browsing the cross-listings also sucks me back in to interest in English classes).  [Okay, reading the details, it looks more like you're effectively required to take six courses in your field, one of which must be a seminar.]

The biggest problem is that really I wanna learn about Christian theology, and that's not what this program does.  So now of course I'm browsing HDS and ANTS and BU.  I'm undecided as to how I feel about these programs, in large part because apparently I can't decide what it is that I'm actually interested in engaging with in depth.

I'm not taking any classes this summer, so I think I'm gonna try to make a conscious effort to do a lot of reading, 'cause it frustrates me that my knowledge is so piecemeal.

***

I have umpteen social/event possibilities this weekend, including Safe Colleges.  Which I was so underwhelmed by, but which is so tempting since it's right down the street.  Do I wanna go to the "Understanding Bisexuality" session?  Is "Accepting God: Finding an Inclusive Religious Community" gonna make me wanna kill myself?  Do I wanna go to "In a Box to the Left: Queer Cultures and Identity Politics" to point out that being queer doesn't require being a lefty?  Do I wanna go to "Family Values: Envisioning Alternative Queer Families"?  Decisions, decisions.

I've also started browsing theatre stuff again.
     from BostonTheatreScene.com:
* Confessions of a Mormon Boy (4/25/2007 – 5/19/2007) Boston Theatre Works, BCA Plaza Theatre
* La Boheme (4/19/2007 – 4/22/2007) Boston University College of Fine Arts, BU Theatre - Mainstage
     from ArtsBoston.org (which does not lend itself to permalinks):
* The Wild Party (04/24/07 To 05/20/07) New Repertory Theatre, Arsenal Center for the Arts
* Children of Eden (05/11/07 To 05/20/07) Riverside Theatre Works
* Giselle (05/10/07 To 05/13/07) Citi Wang Theatre
hermionesviolin: (older Cordelia)
Friday

Prof.B. working from home is both good and bad.

I went to the gym after work.  Did a half-hour on the elliptical (interval program), pedaled backwards for second half.  (mile 1 - 11:17, mile 2 - 22:52)  Then I did a half hour on the rowing machine.

*

Mike&Meredith hosted a Game Night.  I only ever seem to be able to attend the ones they host :)

Michelle's been talking about how she read Anton LaVey's The Satanic Bible, and I'm starting to want to read it 'cause she talks about how LaVey is such a good writer.
Michelle recommended Elaine Pagels' The Origin of Satan to Sue.  Anyone have thoughts?  I remember being unimpressed by Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas, and I seem to recall that I've heard mixed things about Elaine Pagels.
She also explained the difference between a pentacle and a pentagram, which was news to me.

At one point during the night, Michelle said approvingly, "I'm getting my back rubbed by a cute girl."  (I was sitting behind her on a piano bench.)  She hadn't heard from her boyfriend since Tuesday and next time she talks to him she's gonna tell him: "There are plenty of people happy to take me off your hands, if calling me once a week is too back-breaking for you" and totally namedrop me :)

Michelle was telling me about this online survey that had as one of its questions: "Who would you HIGH-FIVE right now?"
She said she cracked up laughing, and thought of me.

At one point she said she (we?) needed to get psyched up... that the jazz music in the other room just wasn't doing it for her.  I knew what was coming, but when she busted out with, "Shot through the heart!" I  still nearly died laughing.  [ref.]

At one point, Sue asked, "Were you two separated at birth?"
I said normally Michelle prompts a lot of "This is my tolerant face" from me, but that we happened to be focusing on the stuff we mutually geek out about.

Michelle says next time we marathon HIMYM we're inviting Sue and Catherine.  I pointed out we're most of the way through S1; she said we'll start over, she's happy to rewatch.

We played Apples to Apples.
I got intense (Black Holes - Mike) and corrupt (My Love Life - Michelle).
The last hand we played before people had to start getting home (it was like midnight) was "spunky" and the final choices were "Rock & Roll" or "Girlfriends" -- my card and Trelawney's, respectively.  Trelawney enlisted peer pressure, and not actually wanting to be spunky, I was ok with forfeiting to her.

Saturday

I was gonna go to the gym but ended up sleeping for an eternity.  ::confused::

[livejournal.com profile] collegecate and I went to see Titus Andronicus, with dinner at Tamarind Bay beforehand, and dessert at Finale afterward.

I had Nezami Handi ("Mix Vegetables with spinach in almond sauce.")  It very much wasn't what I was expecting, but I liked it, and though I was surprised at the apparent small amount of food, I was full at the end.

Anyway, Titus Andronicus.  That was a very disturbing play.
Back when we watched The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover and Emma couldn't stomach it, I said, "But you love Titus," never having seen or read the play myself.  Now that I've seen it, I stand by that statement more strongly.
Also: there was a moment wherein a character gagged another by stuffing a piece of paper in his mouth.

Yeah, that a dessert place has a buy-one-get-one-free promotion with a production of Titus Andronicus is a bit disturbing :)  I'd actually never been to finale before.  I ordered a Manjari Mousse.  Not to die for, but that was okay.

The company that did Titus Andronicus... their 2007-2008 season is: Macbeth, Henry V, The Tempest, King John; and the coda to the 2006-2007 season is Love's Labour's Lost.
I am undecided.

Cate lives near Coolidge Corner.  Good to know for future midnight showings.  [midnight showings permalink]  I wouldn't have gone to the prom thing anyway -- though because '"Everything's funnier when seminarians do it," I will be at ANTS next Friday :)

Sunday

I dreamt that I happened to visit the library and I saw Terry in the old children's room with a young daughter.  Awake, I have decided this was Tallessyn's daughters, whom I see at Cambridge Welcoming every Sunday (especially since my dream self seemed to think Terry had two daughters) but it was very bizarre since that is not how he normally shows up in my dreams.

Last night I was telling Cate that I was considering taking an Intro to Islam course at the extension school next year.  However, trying to come up with a bibliography and thesis for my 15-page research paper for my Medieval Church class is making me wanna drop out of school.  I also dislike that I've been in a poor mood all day because of it.
hermionesviolin: black and white photo of Emma Watson as Hermione, with text "hermionesviolin" (hermione by oatmilk)
I've come down with a cold (for at least the second time this winter; I do not approve), was too tired to post an update entry last night but was planning to use as my Subject line: Greg: "I no longer support Daylight Savings Time."  Having to drag two grade schoolers out of bed?  Yeah.  I actually wasn't tired so much because of the DST switch, but still.

However, I'm feeling better, and the warmer&sunnier weather seems to have put everyone in better moods, which is nice.  [When I left work today, the tables outside Shay's were nearly full.]

Monday:
* I got an e-mail reply from mt, who is adorable as always.
* I learned that Eric has all 4 seasons of ALF on DVD.  I totally need to steal them at some point.
* After I handed in my Medieval Church paper a couple weeks ago and the prof actually talked about the material we'd written on, I felt like my paper was a total failure, but we got them back and I actually got a really good grade.
* The first slide the prof had up was a color map of Europe c. 700, with the Frankish Kingdoms in purple.  He talked for a while and then moved to one c. 800, commenting, "There are far fewer colors, and particularly the purple blob seems to have done quite well for itself."  Hee.

Tuesday:
* Hee, FormerUnitHead e-mailed me with Subject line "por favor"
* Emma, I thought of you -- I had two cups of lemon tea with honey this morning.
* I was talking to FormerUnitHead, and his younger daughter's going to Rice next year.  He was pre-emptively bemoaning empty nest, and I snarked that it's not like he sees her much now anyway.  Actually, "Hilary and I make dinner together most nights, while we wait for Lauren to get home."  Adorable.
* I'd called Terry on Saturday to say hi and was pouty that I got his voicemail.  He called me this afternoon while doing deliveries, said he'd actually had the day off on Saturday but had come down with a nasty bug that's going around.  Which is unfortunate, but I was pleased that there was a good reason.  Plus, yay for (albeit brief) phone call.
* I'd e-mailed Skarda, mentioning, "Reunion packet came in the mail recently, reminding  me of how horrible I've been at keeping in touch with professors from Smith.  I'm thrilled that you're doing a telling&retelling  "read with us" session -- though I'm not all that into Little Women, so I may well pass on that option." Her reply included: "You might be surprised at the resonance among LITTLE WOMEN, MARCH, and THE LITTLE WOMEN for Alumnae College in the spring.  It would be fun to have you back in class.  But let's try to have a meal together while you are here."
She's doing both sessions, so I could swap either mt's Kyrie or SVD's Alias Grace.  I don't think I will, but I haven't yet sent in my registration, so here's your opportunity to try to convince me otherwise.
BTW, are any other '05ers going to Reunion?  ([livejournal.com profile] thistlerose, 5-year is the weekend after, so if you go to that I won't see you on campus, but I'd love to get coffee or something when you're in Boston.)
* Cailin wants to get together to catch up since she's been MIA.  Of course, it's not like I've done anything in the past month, but she's sweet.
* I made dinner for myself tonight, so good on me for that.
hermionesviolin: black and white photo of Emma Watson as Hermione, with text "hermionesviolin" (hermione by oatmilk)
Whee, I came home last night and found the the dust that accumulates on our bathroom floor had been cleaned off.  Usually I'm the only person who ever does that.

I called Emma last night.  1:22:37; rock on.
She mentioned birthday plannage.  I endorse July as month of parties -- though I imagine it's too early for [livejournal.com profile] antheia to have started planning ;)

I think I've decided on book sessions for Reunion: Kyrie & Alias Grace.

Boo, summer session Beginning Portuguese is an eight-week session: June 25–August 17.  That would pretty well kibosh a two-week tour of Europe, and clearly travel trumps my whim to learn a third language.

I did laundry today, and it was fucking gorgeous out.  [11:25am - 50F feels like 44F.  Seemed warmer than that.]

I keep having coughing fits today, which pisses me off.  (Yeah, I've consumed close to 60oz. of water so far today.)

NewRoomie asked me if I was planning to still live here next year.  We agreed that, "The thought of moving makes me wanna die."  Her best friend lives around the corner, but her program only lasts another year so she'll have to move in a year anyway.  "Why do I even have possessions?" she asked, joking that she should just live in the library.  She's not gonna be here this summer [will be working in the Sudan or Palestine], so she needs to talk to Mark about subletting.

Calling people I expect to be around and getting their voicemail makes me pouty :(

I finished all my Medieval Church reading.  I'm really not retaining much of this (hi, I fail at history classes) but at least that's something.

I need to remember to move my clocks ahead tonight.  [If you're gonna mess with DST, why not just get rid of it, rather than moving it a few weeks?]  Tomorrow I'm going home for a 90th-birthday party for my grandma.  (Which is so awkward to tell people 'cause they're all, "Oh, that's so great," and I'm like, "She's been seriously declining since she fell five years ago, and I think it would be a blessing for all involved if she had died."  Hi, I'm an impatient pro-death bitch.)

***

Unrelatedly, I'm still not sure what I think about intercessory prayer, which is frustrating when praying is the only thing I can do.  I like the idea of God knowing better than any of us, but I also like the idea that having people thinking about you actually does something (though if I took that idea to its logical conclusion I would have to feel bad about thinking ill about people, and it would add some serious ethical problems to fantasy life -- yes, I'm very aware that I wanna have it both ways when it comes to how much thoughts "count").  I tend to just pray that the person(s) in question will feel God's presence, but there are times when things are clearly Broken and I want to pray that they get fixed.

[I should probably reread The Celtic Way of Prayer.]

I find myself wondering more and more recently how I reconcile the idea of all-loving God with, well, evidence to the contrary.

On Thursday we did the Alpha chapter on suffering, and their stance is that all suffering is a result of sin (direct: your own or someone else's, or indirect: a result of living in a fallen world) though they do caution against focusing too much on playing the blame game.  I have issues with the idea of a fallen world (along with the concept of us all being born sinners) and don't have a definite stance on it yet.  However, the understanding that makes sense to me is that we live in a world that has been shaped by the sins/mistakes of all of human history that came before us.  I dislike the idea that Adam&Eve's initial sin shifted the cosmos such that the entire world was then "fallen" (though Mark Twain's strawberry-eating tigers... oh The Diaries of Adam & Eve how I love thee).  Anyway, point being that there are bad things which happen which one can't manage to blame on anybody's sins: I'm thinking of mental illness.  [The SVU ep with the sociopathic child also really brought this into question for me, with Huang's "You can't grow a conscience," but I feel uncomfortable talking about that in the same breath as treatable mental illnesses.]  Why does God make people broken?  [And okay, since mental illness doesn't manifest at birth, one could argue environmental factors, but there's still the fact that certain people's brains react in ways that most people's brains don't, so that doesn't entirely hold up for me.]  Yeah, you can argue redemptive suffering, but for all that I'm an ends-justify-means kind of person, the idea of redemptive suffering really rubs me the wrong way.  The Alpha material had some really nice metaphors for that refining/perfecting kind of suffering, but reflecting on that now I can't help thinking, "So does that mean that God isn't all that interested in me, since He hasn't afflicted me?"  Something's not right there.

I was reading the current bathroom book the other day, and the author talks about how belief in Christ guarantees us eternal salvation but God wants to pour blessings upon us in this life as well.  I like this idea.  However she talks about belief/faith being key in getting those earthly blessings, and I haven't read very far so I don't know how (if) she deals with the issue of "when bad things happen to good people" [when "good" matches her criteria] but it rubs me the wrong way.  I mean, I get the idea that we can be wandering in the wilderness because we refuse to listen, because we have made ourselves deaf and blind (cf. the Dwarfs at the end of The Last Battle, though of course that discomfited me), but the idea that you've brought your misfortune on yourself really rubs me the wrong way.

[I'm still working on tagging, and it's tempting to be snarky and tag this "myth of a merciful god."]
hermionesviolin: black and white photo of Emma Watson as Hermione, with text "hermionesviolin" (hermione by oatmilk)
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
-"O Little Town of Bethlehem" (Phillips Brooks)


Friday cold snap, Singspiration, etc. )

Saturday library visit, a poll, shopping, etc. )

Earlier this weekend I was feeling grinchy for not having participated in most anyone's holiday card polls and lo, I picked up my mail when I got home and it included one from [livejournal.com profile] pandorasboxes which filled me with ♥.

I'm feeling somewhat overwhelmed/inadequate. The idea of writing this Joyce paper, of writing an exam, when I have no thoughts; plus the cleaning I should do before I have visitors this holiday, plus etc.

Sunday

I woke up at like 5:45 or something -- or dreamed I did -- but went back to sleep and didn't end up getting up until about 9 (which means ~9hrs of sleep/night two nights in a row).

I also had weird dreams.  Read more... )
hermionesviolin: animated gif of Buffy standing on the balcony of the Bronze, Spike coming up behind her, and Buffy looking turned on, with text "I'm not saying that I'm a saint / I just don't want to live that way / No, I will never be a saint" (not that innocent [purple_smurf])
I saw Mr. Carver on my way to the library this morning; he asked me if I was looking for a place on my own and I said I wasn't eager to move again anytime soon, that I got along with my roommates, and he interrupted and said he hadn't realized I'd moved in to an apartment.  Oops.

Usually I'm visiting MML on a Saturday, so I'm lucky if I see Marcia.  Today was a Friday, however, so I saw Michele, Mary K., Margot, Shelby, Harriet, and Jane.  And Terry, of course.

He walked me down to Perks (where I was meeting Jonah for lunch) and bought me a hot chocolate.  Jonah said we were cute together.  ::smiles::

Lunch didn't last as long as I'd expected, so I went back to the library to hang out with Terry some more.

When I was working on my previous post, I was thinking about what I would say as Affirmations for people who don't read this, and I was thinking that one of my favorite things about Terry is that I can ask him anything and he'll answer me, and be very matter-of-fact about it, and I don't feel awkward in the asking.

I was thinking about how much I value honesty and wondering if that's part of the appeal of people like Eric -- their bluntness even when obnoxious is a form of honesty (and openness), which I so value.  Of course, saying obnoxious shit one doesn't really believe grates on me.

Eric once complained that all we do (in human interactions) is tell each other stories, and while I could argue that statement (though one could argue that any discourse is a form of story-telling), my primary reaction was to not see this as a bad thing at all.

I'm sure a part of this is that I'm so nosy and also so into telling people about myself, but isn't learning each other's stories so core?  Last week's Ulysses chapter included the Nausicaa chapter, and a good chunk of class was spent on the parallels in it to other lit (ways to make me happy), so now I have The Odyssey in my head and want to say something here about the tradition of inviting strangers into one's home and asking them to share their stories, but Homeric-type lit isn't my strongest subject.

I was looking up the full Evelyn Torton Beck quote I have in my LJ Profile that I'd been trying to quote from memory to Jonah ("Why is the possibility of 'passing' so insistently viewed as a great privilege [...] and not understood as a terrible degradation and denial?"), and on the preceding page she writes, "In order to feel fully safe I need to feel known."  I think I may edit the quotation in my UserInfo to include that bit (though of course it's complicated; and in thinking further, part of the safety of my relationship with some of my close friends is knowing that they love and accept me without having to know all the details of my life/history/etc.).

***

<cryptic> I have some memory of winning an argument last time, but I definitely won the argument this time.  This actually makes me sad, because if you believe something is "not okay" then why do it?

I really dislike the "men can't help themselves" defense -- primarily because it's so insulting to men, though of course it's also problematic in placing all the responsibility on women.

So we were having this conversation and I didn't have a dataset on hand but obviously I thought of LJ.  Poll answers viewable only to me.  I'm not screening comments, but anon commenting is on (as always) if you want to utilize that.
[Poll #874847]
Terry rejected my "It depends" answer, hence it is denied to you for the purposes of this poll.  I know I'm also being unfair in making you pick a gender binary identification; just work with me here.  (Or leave a comment instead of a poll answer if you must.)
hermionesviolin: Boston skyline at sunset with the word "Boston" at the top (Boston)
It feels a little like '04 redux 'cause I'm around the same sorts of people (and in some ways literally the same people, thanks to the magic of LJ), but it's a completely different feel, of course.  (And wow, who would have thought the Senate would come down to Virginia, and Montana?)

state stuff )
hermionesviolin: animated gif of Buffy standing on the balcony of the Bronze, Spike coming up behind her, and Buffy looking turned on, with text "I'm not saying that I'm a saint / I just don't want to live that way / No, I will never be a saint" (not that innocent [purple_smurf])
Ways in which today was made of win:
+ I was significantly less sick today than I was yesterday.
+ I caught up on [livejournal.com profile] heroes_icons and picked out some new icons. [I love this icon but can't think of a keyword for it yet.] I still need a Ravenclaw icon, and a few other ones.
+ My illiterate fake boyfriend called me on his way into work. (This was ten minutes to one, but conveniently we were late lunching today.) "Hi, beautiful." Have I mentioned (recently) that the absolute way to win be is just to, y'know, think of me?
+ I met Nicole's mom (who lives in California but is visiting this week) -- who recalled that I was the one who sent Nicole flowers that day she was so miserable :) I had honestly completely forgotten about that. Definitely one of my shining moments, though.


I read [livejournal.com profile] marketsquare sometimes, and so tonight after class I'm wandering over to Memorial Church for one of the Noble Lectures with N. T. Wright. Tomorrow's actually interests me more than tonight's, but I figure I'll likely attend both. I can't remember where I recognize Wright's name from and am remembering that I think the last time I went to a religion lecture was Brueggemann. Ah, memories.
hermionesviolin: image of Numfar with animated text "Dance of Joy!" (dance of joy [kibarika])
So, I had productivity at work today, and I feel like I'm getting back into the groove of actually doing my job (cf. an earlier post about not letting unstressedness slide into actual laziness), and I'm making myself real dinner, and there are lots of other happy items from today (which will be included in another post) but point of this entry is:

I was in the kitchen starting to prep for dinner shortly after I got home and I heard my phone ring from my room.  I didn't recognize the number, but figured I'd answer it anyway.  Voice I totally did not expect to hear from an unknown number: Terry!  Apparently he lost his cell phone on Aug. 6 and is still waiting for his replacement, but my apartment-warming invite arrived at the library today, cunningly containing my phone number.  He was surprised I didn't recognize the number, but I pointed out that how many times do I use the library phone number, and I certainly don't expect it to show up calling my phone.  Apparently my party conflicts with his son's birthday party.  Le sigh.  He asked when I was gonna be in Norwood next.  Ha ha.  I was dreadfully pleased that he called, though.  ::dances::
hermionesviolin: (professional me)
I don't have living room furniture.  I had been lax about getting back to Rachel both because I suck and because I wasn't super-excited about the furniture.  I knew it would be in v. good condition -- which was a major seller -- but I just wasn't feeling highly motivated to jump on the furniture (er, figuratively speaking).  So now I have to go find a real couch.  Building 19 had some ones that really interested me, so maybe I'll arrange a trip home for next week.  (And I have every intention of roping Terry and his truck into helping the following week when he's on vacation.)

Today I chatted with [livejournal.com profile] soundingsea (via LJ comments) about Spike/Dawn, River/Jayne, and Rogue/Wolverine.  I also read her Con writeup and I, who am so disinclined to dance, got namechecked for my dancing stamina :)

Florian said he thought it was drier today than yesterday, and when I left work I found I thought he was right.  I took myself out to dinner at Qdoba again.  The MFA is open 10 am-9:45 pm Wednesday-Friday, so that was my original plan for the night, but I was hanging out on those benches on the way from Northeastern while on the phone and there was a breeze and the sky was that impending-storm dark and it was really very lovely.  I knew it wouldn't be as nice back in my apartment, but I had forgotten to bring a book and was getting antsy to get stuff done and so I came home.  And it's really not that bad, now that I've had some time to cool down and am sitting in front of a fan wearing just a nightshirt.

I had a less than fifteen-minute phone conversation with Terry tonight, and nothing of import was said (is there ever?) and given the background noise it was often a frustrating (for me) conversation because I couldn't make out what he was saying, and yet after we hung up I was just filled with joy.  I am so easy.

I took the Curtis Street route home tonight, and I may do that more often because it's so lovely and residential.  (And who knew there's a Presbyterian church so nearby?  I'll have to check that out some Sunday.)
hermionesviolin: (moon house)
I walked like 5 miles today.

First apartment: $800 studio, utilities (except electric) included; coin-op laundry in basement
~20min. walk from Davis Square (down Highland).  On the 2nd floor.  You enter into the kitchen.  This whole the-kitchen-is-its-own-room is a definite step up from yesterday.  The bedroom is good-sized.  (And I actually enjoy seeing a place while it still has the previous tenant's furniture in it 'cause it helps with the visualizing of how my stuff would fit.)

Second apartment: the one people liked -- $533 for 1of3BRs, electric and utilities not included; laundromat a 5min. walk away
Walk back on Highland to Davis Square, then head onto Holland and walk ~15min.
2nd floor again.  Large living room, and what I imagine is intended as a dining room (it has the lack of doorway that my parents' place has).  The "dining room" is basically wholly empty.  Good-sized kitchen -- lacking any table or chairs.  Apparently a folding table is in storage.  It's a 3BR and the one person who is staying is very much an open-space person, and grew up eating in front of the TV.  She's big on change, though, and seems amenable to compromise -- certainly says bringing the folding table back in to the kitchen wouldn't be a problem.
I said I was gonna sleep on it, but I think I'm gonna take this place.

On my way back, I got out at Harvard.  The spray paint artist is back.  I also bumped into Susan N. and we caught up for a bit.  I got a strawberry-banana smoothie from OlderSmoothieGuy and it was zyum.

I stopped at the library on the way home to pick up books for my mom.  Told Terry about my drunken hit-ons.  'Twas amusing.

Picked up Rieslings for tomorrow's Easter dinner.  They were having a free wine-tasting, so I got a sample of a Pinot Gris and a Pinot Noir.

My mom and I were gonna go to Easter Vigil tonight, but today neither of us were feeling all that into going, so we're staying home.
hermionesviolin: black and white photo of Emma Watson as Hermione, with text "hermionesviolin" (hermione by oatmilk)
HBS Announcements
·      Bloggership: How Blogs are Transforming Legal Scholaship: Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet & Society invites you to attend a Blogging Event on April 28. Click here for more information. (4/10/06)
April 28 is a Friday.  It's not a teaching day, though . . . .

Edit: Oops. The PDF is an intranet link. I poked a bit and found basically the same info here, though it doesn't have the address (1587 Massachusetts Avenue • Baker House 102). I uploaded the PDF to my site. /edit


Waiting for the Red Line at South Station this morning there was a blond woman in black (turtleneck and knee-length skirt) playing violin (no music stand).  This is why I should carry change (read: quarters -- not the dimes&pennies I often have).  Also, I need a violin icon.

Walking to HBS I was behind possibly the tallest woman I have ever seen (and usually I don't notice when people are a few inches taller than me); red (orange) hair about to her shoulders, black coat like mine but only about to her knees.

Last night, Eric went to see Marisol (by Jose Rivera) at Emerson.

I was talking with RA while she was doing some work on the computer and she's not so much stressed as just tired and I was rubbing her back 'cause it's what I do and she was so pleased and I'd forgotten how soothing it is for me to do that. I miss that.

Yesterday I left work right at 5 and restrained myself from rushing to the T Station 'cause I felt like I should be rushing even though I knew I didn't have to.  I ended up quite a few minutes early.
Today I left at the same time and was more comfortable strolling and ended up at the T Station just a bit later than usual but almost late for my commuter rail connection.
I feel the moral of this is that I should just bloody well hustle.

Walking to the T Station I was behind a woman wearing white stiletto sandals, no stockings.  After a bit she just took off her shoes.  I wanted to say something laudatory to her but couldn't think of how to phrase it.

As I hurried through South Station to get my train I saw the Clothesline Project up (BARCC).  Teh Intarnet tells me it was one day only.

"Make room for the extra passengers from the ballgame," the conductors announced.  I actually felt like there were fewer passengers than usual.  (I didn't have to share my two-seater, for one.)

My college yearbook came today.
Our attempt to deliver the TXT Message notification to your wireless device from Verizon Wireless My Account was unsuccessful.
        You have previously selected to be notified, via Free TXT Message on your VZW wireless phone, of certain account-related activities such as "Bill Ready", "Payment Confirmation", "Change Feature".
        There are a few reasons why your TXT Alert (Message) may have been unsuccessful including the following:
        # Your VZW wireless device was turned off for more than 24 hours
        # Your VZW wireless device has a TXT Messaging block on the Verizon Wireless Network.
Yeah, I don't have my cell phone on at work, and when I nap on the train home I don't turn it on, so I definitely have it off for whole days at a time sometimes.  ('S not like anybody calls me much anyway.  I did get your text the day it snowed, though.)  I always just assumed it stored text messages like it would voicemails, though.  (I also thought my brother and I had tried to stop it sending us text messages since we get e-mail notifications of payment anyhow.)

My workplace has been healthy recently, but plague and injury seems to be, well, plaguing, the flist; and Terry was home with bronchitis last week.  What up, yo?

Also, I am being reminded that I am unusual in actually liking a desk job.

P.S. From my dad, David Kopel (of Volokh Conspiracy) on The Judas Gospel.  Have added it to my original post on the matter. The post also links to intelligent writings from a modern Gnostic.
hermionesviolin: image of the Devil Robot from Futurama, with text "El Diablo Robótico" (which is a phrase from an Angel episode) (diablo robotico [saava])
Thursday night’s CSI and Without a Trace were reruns I’d seen ("Secrets and Flies" 6.06 and "Honor Bound" 4.05, respectively), so I watched Fantastic Four with my mom. When I was at the library last Saturday, Terry asked me if I’d seen it; he’d checked it out but watched it on his lunch so I was free to have it until the next Saturday.

Amusingly, I pulled up amazon.com Monday night it recommended me Fantastic Four because I had purchased Firefly and Serenity. (A while back it recommended Mirrormask to me for the same reason; and recently it also recommended Beast Machines Transformers: The Complete Series to me because I’d bought Gargoyles - The Complete First Season [for a friend, though I have no shame about my enjoyment of that show].)

I always think of Gillian’s ponderments as to why the suddenly superpowered always use their powers for the greater good when I think of this movie. Read more... )
hermionesviolin: (train)
[Seattle Seahwaks] Entrance music: "Bittersweet Symphony" (the Verve) ?  Rock.  I could barely discern that the other team [Pittsburgh Steelers] had music nevermind know what it was.  I realized early on I was rooting for the Seahawks 'cause their outfits were prettier.  Lo I am shallow at times.  Plus, never been to the Super Bowl versus going for fifth?  I grew up in Red Sox country (though my family isn't hardcore about sports); rooting for the underdog is what I do.

Nice touch having musicians from Detroit and NOLA (though I wasn't impressed by the rendition of the national anthem).  And I recalled the criticisms of the lack of mention of NOLA in the SotUA and thought, "The Super Bowl knows how to play it."  As soon as they said they were gonna have a moment of silence I knew one would be for Coretta Scott King but I was trying to remember who would be the other one ('cause I was running through recent deaths and was like "Betty Friedan . . . ") but if Rosa Parks is from Detroit, that would be a duh. [Edit: The Metro confirms my father's suspicion that that was Condoleeza Rice in the stands.]

When I saw Terry on Saturday he said Seattle Seahawk linebacker Lofa Tatupo (51) was friends with his nephew Kevin.  They went to (high?) school together, played football together.  I told my dad and he got all excited and explained the history to me and then they even had a little spiel about him early in the game.

I was mostly interested in watching the commercials (I had my dad call me back for them) but I ended up seeing most of the highlights anyway.

Do I even need to cut for this? I mean, anyone who cares watched it. Oh, why not. )

Commercials:
- "Let your man out"?  Um, no thanks.  Besides the obvious "Oh yes, Super Bowl, your target audience is stereotypically macho men," scenes of pointless rampant suburban destruction do not make something appeal to me.
- "Three guys standing around watching while one guy does all the work ... would never fly in the corporate world."  Of course we see the punchline, but I enjoy that the one working worker is a woman.
- Co-opting Dr. Seuss (and Oh, the Places You'll Go! no less -- IIRC, that was my first LJ bio) to pimp the Super Bowl?  Sadness.  I was also kind of weirded out just generally by how many "Super Bowl = rawk!" commercials there were in the first batch.  Like come on, we're already watching.  Do you need to convince us it's big and exciting?
- Disneyworld.  *rolls eyes*  I mean, I get that "What are you going to do now?" "I'm going to Disneyworld" is a Thing, but I've never understood the Disney fetish.  My dad explained that the winners of the Super Bowl used to get a free trip to Disneyworld.  Makes such more sense now.
- "But FedEx doesn't exist yet." "Not my problem." And then the ba-dum-bum at the end.
- Sci-fi geeks repruhsent in the Aleve commercial.
- Classy and exotic black woman (whose cuffs reminded me of Witchblade) emerges dripping water.  Walks off.  Then emerges a 2007 Escalade.  The parallels are obvious, and gee isn't that problematic on a multiplicity of levels?  Plus, I am so not a car person, so I was like, "car whatever, could I watch the woman again, on repeat?"
- Ford Hybrid: "I guess it is easy being green."  *rolls eyes*  I also disapprove of the co-opting of Kermit, duh.
- "Light beer . . . just got darker."  Tackling the blonde chick ded, kinda worrisome; redeemed by her tackling him in the bar at the end, though.
- "You might just watch for the commercials" (shot of a guy and his dog; props to it not being a woman, which would be the expected stereotype)  I was contesting the uberAmericanness of the Super Bowl, but yeah, everybody watches the Super Bowl, whereas the World Series is more about the fans of those two teams plus baseball fans in general.
- "Low fares, even at the last minute."  I was wondering if that guy was the personal assistant and was reminded of the commercial for whatever it is (some cell phone information service thing) where the workers are dancing and one guy comes in freaked out and they're like "We've got it under control."  Anyway, moral of the story is: Be nice to the people who run your life.  But apparently he was just a random employee.  When they cut to the "we value our employees" conferences I wanted a dramatic entrance a la "You killed my wife" in The Fugitive.
- The football players being so into Desperate Housewives . . . wigged me out the first time and they keep repeating it.
- The silver woman getting off the backflap to admire the truck (Honda Ridgeline) . .  I thought of Emma -- the whole hot women who also knows cars thing.  Kinda confused by Yosemite Sam's hat saying "Back Off!" since they were totally playing subtext between the two characters.
- Fabio: I can't believe it's not butter shampoo Nationwide Retirement.
- "We ate non-organic food, and we liked it!"  "It's a papaya."  "The old-fashioned way; we went . . . to the Internet."  Reminds me of Prof.B's comment about an old-fashioned way of syncing his Treo ;)
- zomg, the mutant hamster thing and the robot . . . tru wuv . . . and zomg pregnancy, and they birth a truck :)  Hummer!  Calling it a little monster is perfect, 'cause it gives the opposition and the supporters a catch phrase.
- Sprint: "crime deterrent"  I was amused.
- Sprint: Benny Hill (As with That 70's Show season finale, my dad pointed out that it was Benny Hill and I nodded, not really having any familiarity with Benny Hill, though when we saw That 70's Show my dad explained the original scene to me.)
- Emerald Nuts.  Um, yay druid?
- Budweiser: creating the bottle, and the glass, and the pour, and the drinking, with the bleacher audience cards was quite good.
Edited to add ones I'd neglected:
- Clydesdale!  And shortly before it aired I'd been thinking, "I miss the Clydesdales from last year."
- "Don't judge" (AmeriQuest?) "Well that killed him" and the airplane one
- debit MasterCard (MacGyver)

Bud Light series:
- Office workers going that ballistic over beer?  Though the small print "Please drink responsibly" on the heels of that did make me laugh.
- I liked the "magic fridge" one a lot.
- The bear one?  *shrugs*
- The roof one?  Eh.  I'm even less impressed by that one.
hermionesviolin: photo shoot image of Amber Benson (who played Tara on Buffy) seated with her chin resting in one of her hands, with animated text "sit and listen" (meditate)
[Though apparently I'm not gonna repeat it tonight.  Oops.  P.S. I am in the market for a good "tired" icon.  A good lightning one would be lovely as well.]

Today there were luncheon leftovers including vegetarian sandwiches!  (I took one and made Alyssa take one for dinner.)

And B's RA's parents went to Switzerland and brought her back cookies, so I had 2 yummy chocolatey Swiss cookies.

On my way back to Harvard Square I saw Patty S. -- one of the people from h.s. I regret not getting to know better.  I had to go get my train, but we caught up briefly and I got her e-mail address.

So warm coming home tonight.  Hard to believe it was only 64F.

Swung by the library on the way home.  Terry was at Smith -- last weekend I think -- with Colleen.  He agreed that it's a pretty campus.  (Speaking of: Google fight, courtesy of [livejournal.com profile] polymexina.)

Chatting with my mom tonight, I said, "I hope London and Kuwait e-mail back tomorrow" and my mom looked very confused.  "This will sound stupid," she said, after a minute, "but I forgot you had a job."  She thought I was talking LJ people or something.

She was making cookie press cookies, and one of them got kinda warped and looked like it was giving you the finger.  "That'll be your cookie," she said, and I insisted that she take a photograph.  This reminded me of the penis cake I never got around to linking to.  Also: someone recently suggested that fandom needs choose-your-own porn (like the choose-your-own adventure books).

My advisor (former I suppose, but I expect to use the title in perpetuity) is darling.  Also, damn, his partner's mother died last week.  I had no idea.  Meep.

Romeo and Juliet told entirely in emoticons (linked by various flisters).

I need to reread the Time Quartet, and I've also been meaning to read the Austin Family books.  Of course, I needed an in-order title list for the latter.  Amazon is so thoughtful.

Look: female character gen ficathon.  I haven't done a ficathon since the Ethan ficathon in April (unless [livejournal.com profile] femslash_minis backup counts -- and I don't count it, 'cause it was more like adopting a plotbunny) and I have been definitively not signing up for any of the Secret Santa things but yeah, I totally signed up.

Read an interesting article in the WSJ today.  ("Uncertain Miracle: A Biotech Drug Extends a Life, But at What Price?" - front page, left column, if you're interested -- though WSJ allows online access only to subscribers)  This woman has a rare disease and wonders every day if that day is worth the thousands of dollars that day's medications cost -- which hooked me, 'cause it's a refreshing change from the entitled sense that of course you deserve everything modern medicine can offer.  The section that struck me most is as follows.
     WritersCare, another health-insurance group they had joined, sent a letter saying it was going under because of high costs.  Ms. Lees was convinced she had driven the health fund out of business.
     "Do I have any right to consume such a large percentage of the health-care dollars in this country?" she asked her husband.  Many people would say I'm being greedy--and they would be right."
     "It's not your fault the drug costs so much," Mr. Lees told her.
(The related article -- "Why Genzyme Can Charge So Much for Cerezyme" -- explains: "There is no competition, patients are desperate and most insurers pay. // Genzyme says it keeps the price high to help it pay for the hunt for other drugs and also to fund programs that allow it to give away a small part of its production [to countries that can't afford to pay the high price].")  It raises interesting issues about the obligations of insurance companies, drug companies, etc., but I was even more interested in the issue of "How much money is it worth to keep you functional each day?"

O come, O come, Emmanuel
and ransom captive Israel
hermionesviolin: an image of Alyson Hannigan (who plays Willow Rosenberg) with animated text "you think you know / what you are / what's to come / you haven't even / BEGUN" (you think you know...)
Saturday afternoon i headed to the bank to make a deposit before doubling back to the library to visit some people. I'm almost at the bank when a guy in a white truck waves to me. I don't recognize the guy or the truck, but he pulls over, so i go over to check it out, figuring perhaps he's from church or something. This begins a conversation which consists mainly of me vaguely agreeing to a backstory i don't remember. He was here, over the summer, visiting a friend in the hospital. I live down that way, don't i? He's gesturing kinda more perpendicular to where i live, but i'm not quibbling, especially as i'd rather not get into a discussion which would require me actually saying where i live. We met in "the store" (this got me in Puddingstone mode even though i haven't worked there in years, because, like the library, lots of people come in and chat you up) and yeah, by this time i'm fairly certain the guy is making shit up. The clincher comes when he says something about how we were gonna get together. "No, i don't remember that." "No, it didn't actually happen, I had to go meet some people, but you had said you wanted to get together" "I don't think so. Actually i'm just going to the bank and then i have to go meet some friends in Boston." I think this led to where have i been or something, 'cause i remember saying "I've been away at school." "Where do you go to school?" "Smith College, out in Northampton." "Is that far away?" "Yeah, it's a couple hours away." "So you're usually gone on weekends, then?" "Yeah." "When do you think you'll be back here again?" "I don't know. I'm usually out there a lot, i'm just back for the weekend to visit some friends in Boston." Then he asks me my name. Not even in a "your name escapes me" kinda way but the way you ask someone you just met. "Elizabeth." "I'm Eddie." And then i get to leave. This is the way you pick up girls, huh? Act like you've already met. *rolls eyes* I enjoy the fact that the few times i get hit on by guys approximately my own age are rarely shady. This man was probably 50 years old. Age had been good to him, but still, sketch much?

Saturday was National Coming Out Day. I realized in retrospect that i did even, sort of, recognize the day. I was chatting with Terry and he was asking about what i was gonna do after college (He always says, "You wanna be a teacher, right?" and i always say maybe and list off the other possibilities i'm considering.) and i mentioned gay rights activism and he asked about that and we got to talking about same-sex marriage and having intelligent conversations with him always makes me so happy and at one point i said "we" and he startled a bit and said "You said 'we' " and i said "Yeah, we've had this conversation before. That's why i was kinda surprised when you asked if i had a boyfriend, 'cause in my head i thought 'No, and i don't have a girlfriend either.' " In his defense, it's not like it matters that much or comes up that much in my interactions with him, it just amuses me that he forgot. I think people get mental blocks around stuff sometimes.

Wow, pulling up that entry, last summer? I think because i spend so little time in Norwood -- and a small fraction of that time is spent hanging out with Terry -- that sometimes it feels like we have had conversations more recently than we actually have. I know it has come up once or twice since that first time, so it's not like he promptly forgot.

Hmm, in that entry i also talk about money (amusingly the two comments are from people whom no longer have me friended) and then recently i saw this entry from Mia.



I think age is mellowing me. Lack of having-a-plan-ness which would normally make me anxious and irritated didn't bother me too much this weekend.

Previously i had only been through Harvard Yard, but i have now been in a dorm and around much of the campus including down to the river. We saw Lamont Library, named for the husband of the woman for whom my house is named.

I spent some time at the MFA, both with my people and without, which was nice. The John Currin exhibit was interesting. One of the things he said was that European movies are like 2 hour long paintings, while Americans need to have stories in their paintings, can't understand the importance of just an image. I was intrigued and would be interested in learning more about his opinions on art. In the rest of the museum i saw a good amount of stuff i hadn't seen before (as well as some familiar favorites; i don't think i had realized just how much i like John Singer Sargent. and there was some neat stuff like they had The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit back and it was framed by the two actual vases he depicts in the painting. and there were drawings which looked familiar and they were sketches of the MFA murals and i hadn't realized he was the one who did the murals.), and some of it was modern art which i actually liked. JoJo and i talked about needing background information to understand and appreciate a lot of contemporary art and the problems that raises.

This weekend i was reminded that i don't do socializing-through-shared-activity well (e.g. shopping, watching a movie). I would much rather just sit down and talk with people. I realized on the subway back to South Station to go home on Monday that one reason the whole Boston weekend had felt a bit odd was that when Jonah and i go to Boston, we talk all the time, literally almost constantly. So sitting in a subway with friends and not talking nonstop, while perfectly fine, is just foreign to me.



I did so little work this weekend, which is of course coming back to bite me in a serious way. I did get a lot of sleep, though, which is always good.

I ended up watching a lot of TV with my brother. I saw the series premiere of The X-Files at 1am and realized i had never seen it in full, only in flashbacks.

Saw the new Practice Sunday night. Do i need to spoiler cut? )



I went back to the high school Tuesday morning, which is always nice.

I enjoy when teachers show me off.
To me: "Thank you for the postcard." Turning to the class: "I got a postcard from out of the country." This prompts lots of "Where did you go?" type questions.

I had really good timing hitting teachers during study periods and so on. Ms. Fisher's class was Latin 4, with kids from the Latin 1 class i took my senior year. That means this year's graduating class is the last class wherein i know anyone. (Okay, my brother graduates next year please pause for a panic attack at the reminder that my brother and i are both graduating in a year and a half, and i know a few kids in his class.) Wow.

My parents told me that at PTA Ms. Fisher asked about "Augusta" (my name in that class) and needed a minute to remember my real name. This amuses me immensely because 3 years later i barely remember my name in that class and every time i have visited she has called me by my real name.

I told Mrs. Derrane that i'm taking a García Lorca class and she said she did "Romance sonámbulo" with her Spanish 4A. That's hardcore. We just did that last week, and that's one of the harder poems.

Ms. Pelaggi was envious that i was studying Lorca. For once she didn't have her super-excited voice that she gets when she's teaching or when she's doing SADD or Spirit Club or whatever. I hadn't realized she had any other voice, but she actually has this lower-pitch voice and she sounds like a different person.

I bumped into Jonah which was lovely because i'd been meaning to drop him a line. And Liz was nice to me, which was disconcerting, but pleasantly so.

I e-mailed Joe a couple weeks ago about the work we want to do at our old high school to make it more gay-friendly. In my e-mail i basically said "We've been trying to work together, but we both are so insanely busy, and i really want to do this, so i'm just gonna do it, help me out if you want." I don't think i came off like a bitch, but not having heard from him i worry he's mad at me. (If i had the time to spare i would call him and we would chat and i would feel better.) I also still haven't done anything with the NHS stuff, which makes me feel bad on multiple levels.

The things i need to do this week alone keep piling up, not to mention the next few weeks and things (like NHS) which have been on the back burner for far too long.

As Josh says, "You can sleep when you're dead!"



Family Weekend: There are large gaps of time in between activities my family and i will actually be attending. I am working on filling up these gaps. I know many of my housemates are excited about their parents and their friends and their friends' parents all meeting. Does anyone have any exciting plans?
hermionesviolin: photoshoot image of Emma Caulfield (who plays Anya), looking to the right and smiling, with text "I do it for the joy it brings" (i do it for the joy it brings)
Not people who have tea at the Alumnae House when there’s tea stuff in our own house, but other people. (And yeah, okay, if i hadn’t left lunch early i would have heard KVD announce it, but still.)


Joe IMed me last night just to say hi before he went to bed.

I got a call this afternoon from B-Side Records saying they had gotten the Buffy musical CD and would hold a copy for me.

Terry called about 10 minutes before i left for work. (To rehash, he’s called and left a message twice -- the day after i got back to school, then 13 days later; and today was 10 days after that. Not that i obsessively keep track of things like that or anything.) He asked how everything was going and if i’d met anyone. I said of course i’d met new people yeah. He said he meant like a boyfriend, and i admitted that i knew that but wanted to make him say it. “No, i have no new romantic interests.” “So I’m still in the running then?” I laughed. I said i’d been really busy, hence why i’d missed his calls, but it was really nice to get real phone messages. “So I’ll have to call more often then,” he said. “Absolutely,” i said enthusiastically. [Eesh, sometimes i feel like i’m in novel-writing mode or something when i’m writing these entries.] Two weeks from today i go home and then i get to go visit at the library. Yeah baby.

I spent a good two hours at dinner, just casually hanging out with a bunch of people. I love getting into big discussions with people, but there’s something to be said for just lounging, with comfortable silences and all.

Layna says i can come up and watch Firefly in her room anytime. Layna is a wonderful person, just for the record, in case y’all didn’t know that. And she has such a great room.

I get articles and reviews from slayage.com and am dipping my toes back into JossBtVS, but my Daddy sends me stuff like The Buffy Blogburst Index.

And speaking of Buffy. Okay, so the Season 7 opener began and ended with “it’s about power.” This is hardly a comprehensive listing of every time “power” is mentioned, but here are a few quotes from past episodes. cut because most people don't care )

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hermionesviolin: an image of Alyson Hannigan (who plays Willow Rosenberg) with animated text "you think you know / what you are / what's to come / you haven't even / BEGUN" (Default)
Elizabeth (the delinquent, ecumenical)

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