Yawn

Here is what has been going on lately:

On Tuesday (aka Christmas Eve), my family and I went to see Scorsese's Gangs of New York with Jordana. Later, we had dinner at home, and Chrissie and I sat through our traditional viewing of The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Christmas was fun; I got a lot of things that I wanted, including several DVDs, some books, a copy of Flash, and lots of other goodies. After our family opened our presents back home, we went to my grandparents' home. My sister and I spent a lot of our time with our two year old cousins, which was a lot of fun.

On the 26th, I accompanied my sister to the hospital (so she wouldn't die of boredom in the waiting room) and salon before we went with my parents to see Catch Me If You Can. On Friday, we went out to Woodland Hills to see Chicago. Later, my sister and I went to Borders for some after-Christmas shopping. We also tried to set up a DVD player (which my parents bought in September), but it seems to be having some problems with the picture.

I haven't been doing anything of interest today, but hopefully that will change.

Christmas Eve Eve

I remember getting all hyped for the holidays when I was younger; I used to look forward to Christmas all December. Now, it hardly feels like the holidays are here, and nobody's even taken the trouble to decorate the tree yet. I think part of it has to do with school, since holiday celebrations are hyped a lot more when you're in elementary school and junior high, but a large part of it is just my growing older and having changed. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing that things are more low-key, and in many ways it's better... it's just odd to reflect on.

Anyway...

On Saturday night, I went with Chrissie and Jordana to see "El Crimen De Padre Amaro", the controversial Mexican film. Sunday was pretty sedate, and nothing of interest really happened. Today, Chrissie and I did some last minute shopping at the local mall. Naturally, it was a zoo, and I got back completely exhausted; I suppose that, even if I am in denial about the holidays, those mall crowds should convince me that 'it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas'...

I am Cold

Let's see...

On Wednesday, I went to court to hear my dad give oral arguments (he had asked me to go earlier). I was a bit late, as I'm not a morning person and I hadn't really brought anything nice to wear over vacation and was desperately borrowing from mom. However, there were several appellate cases being argued and my dad's was the last one, so I didn't miss his argument. It was fairly interesting to hear some of the concepts that I've covered in new cases and contexts. Once I drove back, I did a few holiday chores before going back home.

On Friday, Chrissie and I went to Marlborough's WinterFest (for the uninformed, Marlborough is my high school). I hardly knew any of the current students (the current seniors were seventh graders when I graduated), but I ran into a few alumna and teachers. After that, we drove over to Candy Cane Lane (a street where the residents put up tons of elaborate holiday displays) before going to the Nortridge mall to search for holiday gifts.

Update

Well, here's what's been going on in the weeks since I've updated.

I had my exams, of course. I was pretty stressed out the whole time, since law school exams are a bit different than those I am used to from both high school and college. Also, I can't have any idea how I'll do, since exams are graded on a curve based on other students' responses; when there's (understandable) familial pressure to keep up my scholarship, it's worrisome and stressful not to have much control or knowledge about these things.

I got my computer back yesterday, but they weren't able to fix the sound (apparently, it's a problem with the motherboard). Fortunately, my mom and dad are willing to consider the possibility of my getting a new computer. I've had this one for nearly five years, so I really could use a newer model.

Today, I went over to USC, where I picked up some things of Chrissie's; she didn't have time since she would be going to the airport later (she's flying to Atlanta in order to shoot a video). After putting everything away, we picked up Matt (her boyfriend) and had a late lunch together before Chrissie got ready to leave for the airport.

...and that's it.

Reaching the Finish Line

I've only got one class (Civil Procedure) to go before the end of the semester! Of course, then I have exams, but that's something else altogether.

Yesterday I went to Santa Monica snd saw Punch-Drunk Love. I enjoyed it; strangely enough, it was the first P.T. Anderson or Adam Sandler movie I've seen (yes, I've managed to avoid Sandler movies thus far). Tonight, I'm going over to USC, where I'll be watching The Birds with Chrissie.

I really want to do well on my exams; I will have to really concentrate on studying this weekend. Strangely enough, I'm not as worried about content as I am about format and organization. Law school papers demand slightly different things, and I want to make sure that I can fit those demands. It seems like you have to spell things out much more obviously here.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Take a Sad Song and Make It Better

I went with Chrissie to the Hitchcock class; of course, LA traffic being what it is, we missed the screening (of Psycho), but we did get to see the Q&A session with Patricia Hitchcock, which was interesting (and we even got free watches).

Sadly, I spent most of today in a state of depression. Sometimes it's hard to draw the line between objective, necessary self-criticism and the brooding and self-loathing of depression; by the time you recognize what's going on, you're already so mired in the negative feelings that it's hard to force yourself out of it. It was largely a wasted day, since I felt physically couldn't manage to get much done at all. I am starting to feel better, so hopefully it will lift and I will be more productive. I really need the energy to get my work done right now.

S'Wonderful

Class has reached a bit of a lull, though things are about to pick up, since there will be an open memo assignment. A lot of classes have had to be moved around because of professor trips and the like; I'm not complaining, since it's nice to be able to disregard a class every once in a while. I did end up finishing that nightmarish citation assignment. Predictably, it was done very late at night when I couldn't procrastinate any more.

On Monday, Chrissie came over; we watched It Happened One Night (for her class) and went out to dinner. I enjoyed the movie, and I personally think Clark Gable was better in this than Gone With the Wind (though I've never been particularly fond of epics like GWTW). We had fun, and might try to get together tonight for her Hitchcock class.

I was able to spend most of last night just relaxing. I saw An American in Paris for the first time. The Gershwin music was great, and Gene Kelly is so good at musicals; you can tell from his smile and the way he's dancing that he's really enjoying himself. I never really liked the song "S'Wonderful" before, but the way it was performed (along with the context) really made it a highlight.

Pumpkin Day

Yesterday was pretty laid back; our Torts professor even brought his nephew and dog into class as part of the festivities. I did what little reading I had to do for today and watched "The Nightmare Before Christmas" before going out to 3rd street for Halloween. I ended up not doing very much, since other people weren't really up to doing anything. I wanted to do something, since I had bought a costume (though I'll probably just use it next year); I had an okay time, but I am really not much of a party person.

It's so good to have a working keyboard again (albeit a somewhat bulky one); typing entries/emails/etc. was such a pain when I had to delete characters all the time.

In other news, there is a citation project that I have to do for Legal Research. it looks absolutely miserable, but I know that I have to do it tonight and get it out of the way. Blue book, here I come... ::grumbles::

I Hate Hangnails

The weekend was fun. I went home and got the chance to see my family on Sunday. I spent the bulk of the time with Chrissie, my grandparents, and my two-year-old cousins, but I also had lunch with my mom and Chrissie and dinner with my mom, my grandparents, and Chrissie. The twins were lots of fun, but I was very tired by the end, something I didn't fully realize until I got back.

Today was relatively normal except that there was a study group for tomorrow's Contracts midterm. I also arranged for my laptop problem to get fixed, so I probably won't be around for a few days. But it will be a relief once I'm no longer t5y6ping like t5his.

Here We Go A Journaling...

I tried updating last night, but my computer went insane. Now I have to type my entry all over again...

On Wednesday, I trekked over to USC, where I accompanied Chrissie to her Hitchcock class. I got to see Notorious and Rope as well as a lecture by the infamous professor Casper. After we had dinner, I drove back to my dorm (and ended up getting back at around 12).

I had Friday off (there was some sort of conference), which was nice. Not having to go to class at 8 am is always a good thing. I was able to get some reading done in Santa Monica, which I enjoyed.

In The Hot Seat

On Saturday, Chrissie picked me up and took me to USC, where we saw three Hitchcock films (she's taking a Hitchcock class): Foreign Correspondent, Spellbound, and Stage Fright. It was lots of fun; I need to do that sort of thing more often. After she dropped me off, I finished my open memo. It wasn't a huge paper, but I nevertheless ended up getting to sleep at 1:30 or so.

I was (fortunately) able to wake up early and get my memo into the Faculty Secretary's office on time. Of course, the natural side effect of this was that I was a zombie for my early morning Property class; I noticed most of my classmates were in a similar state. Fortunately, I did get better once I had a few sips of coffee after class. This was especially fortunate considering that I ended up getting called on and grilled in Torts; I had done one-sentence answers before, but this time my prof. asked me questions throughout an entire case (Vaughan v. Menlove). Fortunately, I did a pretty decent job and felt on top of things. If nothing else, I don't have to worry about whether I can handle being called on anymore.

I spent the remainder of the day either studying or relaxing, and things were generally good.

Update Time

Lessee... what's been going on lately?

As you know, I had my Torts exam on Thursday. Of course, I forgot to remember my exam number so the profs can grade anonymously (mornings do that to you, I guess), so I had to run to the computer center in order to get my number. Of course, it turns out that I didn't really need to do it, but that's life.

I spent part of the afternoon working on my open memo at Starbucks. Unfortunately, my keyboard broke down while I was there. After frantically running around campus for help, I was advised to keep the computer off for a while. I did, and the computer is in decent shape... except I can't type t, y, 5, or 6 without it coming out as t5 and y6, which means I have to constantly delete characters. At least I'll be able to finish my memo. Hopefully I'll be able to send my laptop in soon. But5 y6ou should all appreciat5e t5hat5 I'm t5aking t5he effort5 t5o keep my6 ent5ry6 from looking exact5ly6 like t5his.

Friday was parents' day, so my parents came to campus, where they sat in on a class and did other stuff. My dad apparently got recognized when they went to the advocacy tournament (overseen by former CA Supreme Court justice Arabian, who he has argued in front of). I spent much of today just reading, since I will be seeing my sister tomorrow.

Goodnight everybody!

Little More Than A Month Into Law School, And I'm Already Starting To Hate The Word 'Reasonable'...

First of all, here's a profile of my Myers-Briggs personality type on a page I stole borrowed from Fred. You can judge whether it's accurate or not.

Thursday was interesting enough. That afternoon, George Page residents were lured with free food to hear something about what to do in case of a fire. I didn't end up eating much of the food, but I guess I'm glad that it's over with. Later that evening, I was coerced into going out to the Malibu Inn against my better judgment. It was okay, but I would have rather stayed home.

Once Friday classes had ended, I met with Chrissie; after she picked me up, we drove around, had dinner, and hung out around her dorm room before going (along with her friend Jenny) to a screening of Lilo and Stitch. It was a lot of fun, especially since the audience was really enthusiastic. Because it was late by the time the movie got out, I spent the night at her place.

Since Chrissie had to go somewhere on Saturday morning, we didn't end up driving back to Malibu until the early afternoon. We had lunch together before she dropped me off. As one might expect, I didn't get that much done that afternoon, but c'est la vie. I got more done on Sunday (in addition to studying, I met with my Lecal Research professor about the open memo). Happily, I was actually fairly productive today as well.

A Random Law School Note

I'm slightly disturbed by the fact that my math notation has seeped into my law school notes (particularly the backwards E for 'exists'). I didn't think those Real Analysis classes had invaded my subconscious that much. I guess it's sort of interesting, though; perhaps it implies that the same thought processes are at work in mathematical proofs and legal analysis.

Don't look at me... I told you it was random.

Stuff

I'm feeling better than I was a while ago; I think I've been able to get some more perspective.

I'm still having trouble with the whole '8:00 class' concept, though... I have come to the conclusion that I was not meant to be awake until after ten. At least I'll get to put my own schedule together next year.

Weekend Fun

Let's see... where did I leave off?

Well, I went to Santa Monica for the mentor group thing. Despite the fact that the mentor implied in the flier that the event was mandatory (you were supposed to call if you couldn't come, and had to have a pretty good reason why), attendance was low, with about five mentees. Mentor #2 even bowed out. It was fun, though; we pretty much sat around and played board games and joking around. Since it ended at about 10 and I had heard earlier that plans with my friends were probably going to fizzle, I ended up going to Bar Review with the mentor group instead.

After classes ended on Friday, I went out for pizza with friends before going back to meet Natasha. I showed her around my apartment and the law school before we headed out to Zuma Beach. After leaving the beach, we had dinner at the Cheescake factory and went back to the college. Because she's a big animal rights person, I pointed out some deer on the way back to the building. She asked that we go outside on foot and try to find deer, so, after a quick stop, we went and saw a group near one of the parking lots. Of course, we didn't get incredibly close, but it was a fun adventure all the same.

Saturday was mostly a working day, though I did drive out to Santa Monica for part of my study time. Luckily, I got most of my workload out of the way by Sunday, because Chrissie called me and we ended up getting together. We had ice cream at the local Ben & Jerry's before driving around and finally going to dinner.

Thor's Day

Things have been relatively good lately. I raised my hand and was called on for the first time in Torts on Tuesday. Happily, I gave the answer that the prof. was looking for and didn't make a fool out of myself. Though I was pretty stressed earlier this week, I have been able to destress quite a bit, and am feeling much better.

I ended up talking on the phone a bit yesterday; I spoke at length to both Chrissie and Fred, and was able to speak a little to Natasha (we're planning on meeting on Friday). I was glad that I could catch up with people and avoid being swallowed by my life at law school.

Tonight, I will be going to a dinner with my mentor group (which is pretty much mandatory); after that, I should be going out with a group of friends. Fortunately, I think I can get tomorrow's work completed before then.

Happy Birthday, Chrissie!

Today, I drove to Northridge, where I had a birthday dinner with my sister Chrissie, my parents, and my grandparents in honor of my sister's birthday. In some ways, it's hard to believe that she's 19 already (but I think I'm still in denial of having gotten past that age myself). Anyway, Chrissie, I hope you have a great year!

I'm Still Alive?

I apologize to the throngs of adoring fans who have been sorely disappointed by my lack of LJ updates recently.

As you probably could have guessed, I have been preoccupied with law school and readjusting to my new environment, and haven't had the same amount of time to dedicate to LJ or other internet stuff. It's not that the work has become overwhelming yet; I suppose I'm just that my mind has been 'elsewhere', if that makes any sense.

Fortunately, I have been getting along well here. I am so glad that the housing situation worked out, since it has really helped me out. I have been getting along well with my roommates and the people living right by the apartment, so that has helped me come out of my shell somewhat. It's nice to have a group of people to hang out with outside of class and occasionally go on excursions with. It doesn't hurt that many of the people are in my section; we can study together, and the fact that we walk to classes together makes it more difficult to sleep in.

Classes have more or less been interesting. Personally, I like the more 'substantive' classes, that deal with certain areas of law (Torts, Criminal Law, etc.), as opposed to the 'skills building' classes like Legal Research or Civil Procedure, but nothing has been downright bad. Happily, though some of my friends have been grilled, none of my professors have put me in the 'hot seat' yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. I think I'd be prepared as anyone else has been, but you never can tell until you've been put under that type of pressure.

Since I'm not on the meal plan and I figured it was a good opportunity, I've begun trying to teach myself the dread subject of... cooking. Despite my overlooking a few things in the beginning, I have been able to pick up on the basics pretty well. My personal favorite meal right now is the onelette, just because it's so simple.

I can't think of any other developments right now, but I'll hopefully be able to write more in the coming weeks.

Quickie

I have to do some reading, so this update will have to be a quick one.

I finished my first week of law school without any problems cropping up. The schedule is still a bit light, as the semester hasn't shifted into full gear.

I had a fun weekend, if not an especially productive one. On Friday evening, the university sponsored an 'I Survived the First Week of Law School' event at the Fro Bar in Santa Monica. I'm not really one for that sort of thing, but I had a fun time nonetheless. After we left, I and four other George Page (student housing) people had a bit to eat at a nearby Johnny Rockets before heading back.

Saturday was pretty uneventful, though I did go down to the Coffee Bean in Malibu to get some studying done. That evening, my dad picked me up and took me back to Northridge for the night; that way I could drive back in my car the next day.

I got a late start on Sunday morning, but I finally got back to my dorm. Soon after I got back, I had to head out to USC, since Chrissie wanted to see a one-woman play with me. Sadly, I didn't make it there in time, so we just hung out in her room and tried to get her a cable for her TV. Then I went back, and wrote a journal entry, and...

I think that's enough. Now, I will leave you with PandaDog...

My Legs Are Sore (And, Uh, Classes Have Started)

Classes began on Monday. Here is my (revised) schedule:

Monday
8-9: Real Property
9:10-10:10: Torts I
11:30-12:30: Civil Pleading and Procedure I
1:20-2:30: Criminal Law

Tuesday
9:10-10:10: Torts I
10:20-11:20: Contracts I
1:30-2:30: Legal Research I

Wednesday
8-9: Real Property
11:30-12:30: Civil Pleading and Procedure I
1:20-2:30: Criminal Law

Thursday
9:10-10:10: Torts I
10:20-11:20: Contracts I
1:30-2:30: Legal Research I (Group)

Friday
8-9: Real Property
10:20-11:20: Contracts I
11:30-12:30: Civil Pleading and Procedure I

So far it hasn't been too bad; the reading isn't too terrible in terms of volume, and I have been able to understand the basic gist and importance of the cases. Study group sessions have helped as well.

Oddly enough, I've had a decent amount of free time thus far. I feel sort of guilty about it, but it's not like I haven't studied or kept up with everything. I've been able to watch some DVDs. Yesterday, I decided to go to the Coffee Bean in the area, which is about a five-minute drive from campus. As I noted earlier, I don't have a car right now, but I somewhat insanely decided that it wouldn't be too bad of a walk, particularly when I had some extra time. Of course, I neglected to think about the facts that the area near the school is hilly and that there is something to be desired in the way of pedestrian walkways on the route there. I didn't go anytwhere unsafe, of course, but I ended up walking on dirt rather than a proper sidewalk. Oh well, it was good exercise, even though my legs are sore.

And now I think I'll try to get some reading done.

Almost There

My roommates (including #3, who finally came) were all gone for most of the weekend, so I mostly had the place to myself. It was quiet, but it wasn't a bad thing; I like having the privacy once in a while. I got the reading done pretty quickly on Saturday, so I got the chance to veg out a bit, watching DVDs and the like.

This afternoon, I got a brief visit from my family; I showed them around the apartment. After a few minutes, dad drove back in my car (so it could be taken back to the shop) while Chrissie, mom, and I went to the local supermarket for more food. Chrissie and mom saw Adam Sandler there, but I didn't get a good look (and didn't feel like staring). Later, I went to a study group in the apartment next to us; we discussed a couple of cases, and it went pretty quickly.

Classes start tomorrow... wish me luck!

Orientation Etc.

Orientation has been going well; it's basically what you'd expect. There were lectures, mock classes (and studying for the mock classes), issuing of IDs, purchasing of books, and the like. On Thursday afternoon, I left to pick Chrissie up from work; I showed her around the campus and she stayed overnight. This morning, we drove to my grandparents' and met up with mom. After picking up a few things, I got back. I picked up all the syllabi and did some reading. I also tried to hang up a full-length mirror for my room... sadly, it fell and broke. At least I didn't get hurt, really; I got pricked once when cleaning up, but that was it.

Moving Day

Hmm... where to start?

Well, I picked dad up on the airport on Wednesday, finishing A Civil Action in the process. Though I got a haircut, Thursday was fairly uneventful.

On Friday, my parents and sister left for Las Vegas without me, as I had to check in at the student housing on Sunday. I got the house to myself for some of the weekend, though I spent much of the time with my grandparents. We rented videos, and I stayed over at their place. In addition, I got to see my cousins, who were cute (as always).

Today, I moved into the graduate student housing at Pepperdine. I reluctantly woke up at 7 and did some last-minute packing before my grandparents came over. After lunch, we headed over to Malibu, where the campus is located (I will have to post pictures; the area is really beautiful). After the initial confusion, I got my key and started to move things in. Later, we made the trek back to Northridge and got some more stuff before my grandparents said goodbye and I more or less set up the room.

The room consists of a common room, a bathroom, and four single bedrooms. The fourth room is currently unoccupied, but I did meet my other two suitemates. The first girl didn't stay for too long (she was just unloading her stuff and won't be back until orientation on Tuesday), but the other girl seems pretty nice and we're getting along well. And, of course, having a fast internet connection again is great.

In many ways I am surprised that the summer ended so fast, but I'm also glad to be moving on to new things. I just hope that I get off to a good start.

To Comic Con and Beyond

This weekend, I went to the Comic Con in San Diego; I'm not really a comics fan, but the convention also covers animation, and I got to hang out with my friends Marina and Fred, so that didn't really matter.

I took the train down to San Diego on Thursday night, arriving in town at 10:30 or so. I was picked up by Marina, and we met up with Fred after he flew in. We had dinner at the local Denny's (the only place open at that hour) and proceeded to find Fred a hotel room for the trip. The first place we tried was full, but we were able to get him a room at the next place we tried. Once that was settled, Marina and I went to a 24-hour supermarket to get food before going back to her place. Unfortunately, by the time that we got to bed, it was already 4 o'clock... and we would be meeting Fred at 8.

My lack of sleep was very evident the next morning, and I was a complete zombie until we stopped at the Starbucks in downtown San Diego. Once I was somewhat more awake, we began to make our way to the convention center, where we got our badges. Unfortunately, Marina got seperated from me and Fred almost immediately, and it took at least an hour for us to find each other again. We spent the time going to random panels and screenings and hanging out in the showroom downstairs, where they sold merchandise related to comics, animation, and the like. I was able to get a couple of pins as well as an Anna and the King glossy for Chrissie. Later, Marina had to leave to work on a project, so we had to split up (on purpose this time :) ), but we were able to get together later. Though we thought of seeing Signs, we were all tired and ended up watching TV instead.

The next day, I felt a bit more chipper as the result of more sleep. We picked up Daryl, a friend of Marina's, before going to the hotel and picking up Fred. Fred/Me and Marina/Daryl ended up splitting up, since we wanted to see different things. The most memorable panel was a Futurama one; they showed an unaired episode (about the group becoming superheroes) and answered a bunch of questions, which was fun. The two of us walked around San Diego for a bit before Fred had to take a taxi to the airport. After I said goodbye, I went back to the con for a while before meeting up with Marina and Daryl again. We then had dinner, dropped Daryl off, and went back to Marina's house.

The next day, Marina and I met with four of her friends and the two children of one of the friends; once we met, we made our way to the con. It was a bit more crowded than previous days, since retailers who didn't want to ship had marked down their merchandise and many people came in looking for a deal. It was still fun, though. I was able to go to a Muppet panel in which a bunch of volunteers tried their hand at puppeteering, which was pretty amusing. After we had dinner, I was dropped off at the train station and made my way home again.

Yesterday, I went out to Santa Monica, which went pretty well despite my lack of experience with freeway driving. I didn't end up doing much, but it was a fun excursion nonetheless.

Today, my mom and I had our annual eye appointment. It's not the most fun thing, but it needed to get done. In any case, it gave me the chance to do some reading.

Finally, I have a bit of good news. I received an email from Pepperdine and will be given student housing this year! I had consigned myself to living at home and taking the long commute every day, so it is a huge relief to be able to live on campus. I am so glad it worked out.

La De Da

After putting it of for a while, I finally opened a checking account back here. It feels good not to have all those graduation checks just sitting there. I also went to the mall, where I got a new wallet. Other than that, it was the same old routine.

I didn't mention it earlier, but I got my law school schedule a few days ago; I have an 8:00 class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, so I'll really have to get up early in order to make the commute. Lets hope it works out. I also learned that I'll have to read A Civil Action, which shouldn't be too difficult.

Ms. Weatherup's Wild Ride

My mom let me borrow her minivan again (since Chrissie is using our shared car), ao I made plans to go to a movie on the other side of the hill. Of course, since I haven't driven much outside of the general area and didn't have a map that gave me an overview of major streets (Mapquest was out of the question, since I don't feel ready to tackle freeways in the minivan)... and because my sense of direction is still, uh, atrocious, I got lost to the point that I couldn't make the showing. Instead, I had lunch in Larchmont (which is right by my old high school) and went over to LACMA (which had a Murillo exhibit I was interested in). It's really pleasant just to be alone and able to think and remember without having to worry about or be distracted by the people around you; losing yourself in thought is really something to be cherished. It's one of the major reasons I enjoy having a decent amount of solitude so much. Anyway, I drove back home; though I took a different route, I had a much easier time of getting back home.

And, according to my sister, the air conditioning is broken again.

Heat

This afternoon, I walked a few blocks to a deli, where I had lunch. After I got back and slacked a bit, Chrissie and I drove to Balboa Park, where we walked and went on the paddleboats. The paddleboats were especially fun; we kept on following random ducks around.

Today, the temperature was 100 degrees in the valley... and the car's air conditioner is still broken. Needless to say, the drive wasn't exactly fun, though at least we could listen to the car stereo if we needed to be distracted from the fact that we were melting.

Stuff

Early this afternoon, I turned the car in to fix the air conditioning (yet again) and see if they could fix the stalling problem that the car sometimes has. Unfortunately, nothing came of it; the price of fixing the air conditioning would be $600, and they hadn't gotten the chance to look at the other problem. I had to take the car back. Hopefully I'll be able to get it fixed somewhere else. I dread having to stay in a car without air conditioning, particularly since I spend the bulk of my time in the Valley. Later on, I was able to watch my Amélie DVD. Later on, I was able to call Pepperdine about the student housing... I really hope I can work something out... living at home and taking the long commute would be a nightmare.

Stuff

I got to see my friend Natasha today; we met at the Gentle Barn in Tarzana, where she is thinking of volunteering. It's sort of a rescue station for farm animals. While there, we had vegan food and went on a guided tour, where we were told the stories of the various animals living there.

Later, we drove down to Santa Monica; we were in separate cars for part of the way, so this was my first solo freeway drive (and the 405 is one of the trickiest freeways around). We didn't have much time to do anything, so we just ended up sharing a pretzel. Finally, we went to a restaurant where we were going to listen to a guitarist, but we were turned away (there was a private party or something). We eneded up eating somewhere else before I said goodbye and drove back home.

La De Da

The Hollywood Bowl concert was a lot of fun; it was neat to listen to Pink Martini (and Sergio Mendes, who also played) and hear the ways in which the music sounded different when played live. They also performed a few songs that weren't on their CD, so that was interesting.

Yesterday, I was able to get the radio/CD player installed in the car; I am so glad that I got it done; it's nice to finally be able to listen to music. Unfortunately, they were pretty busy, since it was a Saturday and many people needed installation, so it took a fairly long amount of time to get it done. I ended up spending a couple of hours at the Northridge mall with little to do, since there weren't any movies that I wanted to watch and I got bored with the stores fairly quickly. Luckily, I had a book to read, so it wasn't too bad.

Assorted Rambling

I haven't been very motivated to update lately; my life has been a bit on the dull side lately. I have been able to get a bit of driving time in, though I haven't gone too far out of the immediate area. In any case, it makes things easier, since navigation becomes less of a problem.

Chrissie and I have been looking for a new CD player/radio to install in our car; they are around $100 plus installation, but it's really worth it, since driving long distances without music is no fun. Hopefully we'll be able to get that done in the coming weeks.

I had to get a new watch band today, since mine had broken a few days ago. I'm so used to having a watch that not having one, even for a few days, was maddening.

Finally, Chrissie and I will be going to the Hollywood Bowl to listen to Pink Martini. I gave her their CD for Christmas this year, so I thought it would be fun for us to see them perform.

Vroom!

This morning, mom, Sunny, and I went to our grandparents to say hello; as usual, grandpa took Sunny on a walk around the neighborhood, and gram gave me too much to eat (I think grandmothers are contractually required to do that). It's fun to see them; I'm glad we're pretty close. That afternoon, I drove (on surface streets) to the Cartoon Network building in Burbank, where I met Craig Bartlett for lunch and got to see the 1/2 hour pilot for Party Wagon, a cartoon he's developing. It's really great that he's so generous with his time. Later, I drove down to do some reading at a coffee place, but I had to leave before I had the chance to do much reading, as I had to meet my parents for dinner.

It's nice that I'm getting more confident about driving; I really value my independence, and it's a relief that I can just take off when I want to instead of having to be dependent on my mom for transportation. It's also much better for my parents, since they shouldn't need to be at my beck and call at this point.

Happy Birthday To Me

My birthday was low-key, but nice nonetheless. After I woke up, Chrissie drove me to the Coffee Bean. Later, my grandparents came over to wish me a happy birthday. Later, Chrissie and I drove to Jerry's Deli for a birthday lunch. The rest of the day was sort of uneventful for me. Chrissie had to leave that afternoon (she's visiting a suitemate of hers in Indiana), so I was stuck at home for a while. That evening, my parents and I went to a birthday dinner.

7/10

Yesterday morning, I went with Chrissie to her campaign site; it was certainly better than staying at home. While I was there, I ghostwrote an opinion piece for the candidate that I didn't really agree with, but anything that will get me out of the house is good, right? Later, we went to Borders, where she searched for gift items before she had to leave for dinner with a friend.

Today I slept in and had an uneventful morning and afternoon, but I did get out of the house later. I just drove to the mall and stayed around there for a while, but it was nice having time alone where I wasn't rotting in fromt of a TV screen. It was actually my first time driving without a passenger.

It is really hot around here, particularly in the Valley. I'm sort of worried that I'm suffering from some heat exhaustion... I've been feeling faint lately, and even started to black out a few times. Hopefully, drinking more water and having enough salt (according to some web sites I looked at, some heat exhaustion is caused by electrolyte imbalance rather than simple dehydration). If it gets any worse, I'll have to take more serious action, but I think I'll be okay.

For those who have forgotten or have never heard in the first place, tomorrow is a very special day... and no, I'm not talking about the anniversary of the day Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton.

Stuff and Junk

On Sunday, I went with the family to see Minority Report, which I thought was pretty well-done. Afterwards, Chrissie and I went to the local Blockbuster, where we rented The Very Thought Of You, Four Weddings and a Funeral (her choices), and Pi (my choice). We ended up seeing The Very Thought Of You that night. I also got a call from Fred, which was good because we haven't talked for a while.

Today was the usual routine of sitting around and watching TV, which gets dull after a while. Hopefully I'll find more things to do soon.

Fourth and Stuff

The Fourth was fun; we went to my mom's parents' house, where we spent the day with aunts, uncles, and cousins. My twin cousins are two, and are at the age where they're starting to talk a decent amount and connect with people more. Unfortunately, I had something of a headache that day, and I got somewhat tired by the end.

Friday was mostly uneventful, though I was able to put together some CD labels. My mixes have been unlabeled for months, so I'm glad I'm starting to organize things more.

Today, I visited my friend Natasha; we had dinner and saw Lilo and Stitch. It also marked my first freeway trip in a long time (I was accompanied by my dad). The car I have to drive is not exactly easy to manuver, and because of my inexperience, I wasn't exactly the best driver. We escaped safely, but I really wish that there was a decent system of public transportation around...

Early Mornings

Miraculously enough, I got up early this morning. It's odd how having the little bit of extra time changes the rest of the day; you really are able to get more done. Anyway, I went with my sister and dad to get my dad's car from the shop (we are both in the 'learning to drive' stage, though belatedly so). Once my dad got his car and left for work, the two of us drove to get some coffee before heading home.

I had the house to myself for much of the afternoon, since Chrissie had some campaign stuff to work on. I was able to take the time to copy some photos to CD, a long-overdue task. Later that afternoon, the two of us went to the mall, where we walked around before going to see Lilo and Stitch, which was a lot of fun.

Sun and Moon

Wow, here's a change... I have some actual stuff to post about!

On Sunday afternoon, I went to the premiere of the Hey Arnold movie at Paramount - I know Craig Bartlett, who created the show, and he was nice enough to invite me. It was held in the main Paramount theater, which, as could be expected, was very large with nice seating. Of course, since it was a kids' movie, the atmosphere was low-key and sort of like a small carnival; there were people in Nicktoon suits greeting everyone who walked in the theater, and the post-movie party had moon bounces, dunk tanks, and the like (they also had Jamba Juice smoothies and other snacks).

A few hours later, I went with Chrissie and her friend Emily to the Westwood Brewing Company, where my friend Natasha was performing along with two of her friends. She did mostly Latin jazz and Brazillian music, and also performed a few songs she had written herself. It went off really well, and the three of us were pretty impressed by the performance.

Today, I finally began the arduous task of moving my desk to the other side of the room, which entailed moving just about every other piece of furniture as well. It's much more spacious now. It also gave me the opportunity to rummage through and rediscover old things dating back from junior high... lots of cards for various occasions, my Marlborough class ring (I couldn't find it for the longest time), the senior song Reena wrote to the tune of the Mexican Hat Dance, postcards, and even the 'senior letter' I had to write when I was in eighth grade (heh, I sounded like such a dork... but I probably still do anyway). I still have a lot to do, though. I'd like to rearrange and replace the posters on my walls, and I have barely touched the stuff I shipped for college. I'm just glad that I got the energy to begin the task.

Sloth

I get so lazy when I'm at home... it's bad enough when I'm in a dorm room, but at home I have more access to TV and food as well as less mobility and fewer opportunities to get out of the house. With that in mind, one could probably guess what my past few days have been like.

A few events of note (at least in a relative sense):

• I went driving in the 'Blue Limo/Lemon', the old car that I'll probably end up driving. I haven't driven in ages, and it was my first time driving that particular car (well, second, but it stalled five minutes into the first drive and I just had dad drive) or driving at night. I really dislike driving; I would be much happier if LA had a good (or at least halfway decent) public transportation system)
• I went over to my grandparents' this morning.

Hopefully I'll be able to get the motivation to clean up or something, since just sitting around playing video games or watching TV isn't the best use of my time. Oh well...

Father's Day Weekend

A decent amount has happened lately. I guess I'll start at the very beginning, which we all know is a very good place to start.

On Friday, I accompanied my mom and sister to Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Not exactly the movie I would choose on my own (I really don't care for 'chick flicks'), but at least it got me out of the house.

At about noon on Saturday, Fred drove by to pick me up. We went to the Getty museum, had dinner on the Third Street Promenade, and went to the play Proof. The decision to see the performance was sort of a last-minute thing; we had wanted to see an orchestral performance or play, but hadn't made the final decision until we were on the freeway about 30 minutes before the production itself. We ended up getting there a minute or two late, and could not take our seats until the end of the first scene (we had to watch it on a television screen). That aside, it was an enjoyable play.

Fred also came by on Sunday, where he joined my parents, sister, aunt, uncle, grandparents, and twin cousins for a Father's Day lunch at Chuck E. Cheese (there's really not many other places you can expect to go with two-year-olds). Though the situation could have been awkward, it went over well, and everyone seemed to like Fred. We eventually took our leave and went to Disney's California Adventure theme park. We strolled through the park and went on a few attractions before going back to my house. We had a good time, and I'm glad that we were able to see each other again.

Today was much less eventful, as I basically reverted to couch potato mode. I did find out that I probably won't be getting student housing next year, which really upsets me. I haven't had to study at home for four years, and I have no idea how I'll handle the transition. I don't like living at home, partially because I like having more personal space, and partially because I am a privacy fiend, but mostly because I lose a lot of control when I am at home. I really don't like being at home; it almost seems like I lose five years of maturity (not like I'm all that mature to begin with) when I'm constantly surrounded by my family. I know my family means well, and I really have no right to whine as I am still mooching off them, but it is a frustrating situation for all of us.

Good News

Today I didn't do very much Today started out with a car ride to USC and Sportmart; Chrissie needed to go to the Zemeckis center at USC, and we went to Sportmart because my sister and I have been doing some yoga together, so I needed a mat, plus we needed an extra set of barbells. I spent some of the afternoon reading, and some of it cleaning out my chest of drawers. I had clothing in there that was over ten years old, and it's doing little more than take up space.

In other news, I got an acceptance letter from the Pepperdine Law School, along with a 'Dean's Scholarship' of $27,210 (Why do they bother with the $10? A decent amount could be saved if they just gave $27,200 scholarships to people, but oh well). Nedless to say, my family is ecstatic. Pepperdine really isn't where I want to end up, but at least I have something to look forward to rather than the aimlessness that I've been feeling lately. In any case, I can always transfer if I'm unhappy.

As Brevity is the Soul of Wit...

... and because I am pressed for time, I shall try to be brief.

On Saturday, I went with Chrissie, her friend Emily, and my dad to the Renaissance Faire. It was fairly enjoyable; though my family had gone to the Ren Faire before, we had never seen the actual jousting before, and that was fun. It was a bit hot and dusty, as could be expected, and at times I felt like I was more 'tagging along' than actively participating. Nonetheless, I had a fun time.

On Sunday, my dad took me to the Pepperdine and Southwestern law schools. I don't particularly want to go to either place, and the trip was sort of useless as not much was going on during a Sunday in June. Oh well... at least it made him think he was doing something. It was also cute when he went to the Pepperdine library and pointed out his 'most famous' case in a law book; I don't get to see my dad get all excited and beam about something very often.

This evening, I went to a graduation party for Chrissie's friend (she knows the family pretty well, but is primarily friends with Chrissie) Jordana. I saw a few familiar faces, including my high school debate coach, who I hadn't seen in ages. It was low-key, which was nice.

It's A World Of Laughter

Today, I went with the family to Disney's California Adventure theme park. We had planned on staying late, but we didn't end if up doing much; we got annual passes and just walked through the park and went on a few rides before leaving in the afternoon. It was a pleasant enough day, since it was overcast rather than hot, and I liked seeing the new park even though I'm not much of a theme park person.

Pomp and Circumstance

Today I went to a Marlborough high school graduation; for those who don't know, I attended Marlborough from 7th to 12th grade. It was the same as past ceremonies I've been to, though I think the fact that I just graduated from college and am currently a bit aimless made me somewhat depressed. It gave me cause to reflect on my own issues surrounding high school and my own inadequacies.

After the actual graduation, there was a 'garden party' (basically a glorified reception). I got to see a few familiar faces from my graduating class, though some seemed happier to see me than others. I was also able to say hello to a few of my old teachers. Walking around at least seemed to improve my mood a bit, so I'm grateful for that.

Vacation, Part II

I got back to California last night. However, this doesn't mean I'll be on the internet much; while my mom has a DSL connection on her machine, she doesn't want me using it, and I am stuck with a 28K connection from the main phone line. As you can imagine, this is quite a step back from my connection in college.

As I mentioned before, I met Nicole on Monday; we went to Sea World and had lunch at the Boardwalk resort hotel in Disney World. At around 5:30, she dropped me off at Epcot so I could meet my parents for dinner reservations. I spent the rest of the evening with my family at the park.

The next day, we headed to the Magic Kingdom. The combination of heat and crowds exhausted me; fortunately, we got back in the late afternoon and had a long break while my dad did some business-related stuff. That evening, my sister and I went to MGM Studios. Though we only had an hour, we were able to go on both of the roller coasters there.

We spent the next day at MGM, though we did try to spend some time at the Magic Kingdom (we only had time to go on one ride before our dinner reservations). Mom, Chrissie and I later headed back to MGM.

On our final day of vacation, we went to Epcot, and all four of us stayed until the park closed. The next morning, we packed, shipped superfluous stuff, and flew back to Los Angeles.

I've been feeling a bit down since I've gotten back. I think I'm mostly worried about what I'm going to be doing for the next few months. It's hard to imagine it, and I just hope I'll end up in a good (or at least semi-good) spot.

Vacation, Part I

I've been busy with family vacationing and all, and have hardly gotten the chance to go online, let alone compose a journal entry. Since my sister's asleep and I therefore have a modicum of privacy, I figured that now would be a good time to post an update.

Anyway, everyone in the family seemed to enjoy the graduation. The next morning, my parents shipped off the 'last minute' boxes and we got on the road to Maryland. After checking in at the hotel, we looked around the historic district, but only ended up seeing one building. The next morning, we drove to Washington DC. We got to see most of the National Gallery before it closed. The next day, we visited the American History section of the Smithsonian before heading off to Williamsburg, the colonial capital of Virginia.

During the two days we visited Virginia, we saw 'colonial Williamsburg' (for those who don't know, the capital was moved during the Revolutionary War, so the area did not become urbanized and was eventually 'restored' by John D. Rockefeller), the Carter Plantation, and Jamestown. That evening, we drove south to Florence, South Carolina; the next day, we finished our trek and reached Orlando.

Today was our first day at the parks; we went to Animal Kingdom (the newest park) and MGM Studios. Animal Kingdom was fun, since we were more laid-back about it. The 'safari' was especially good, since we went early and the animals were actually out.

Tomorrow, I'll be taking a break from the rest of the family to see my friend Nicole, who lives in the area... it should be fun.

I should get off now.

Graduation!

I graduated today. I'd like to spend a proper amount of space to commemorate the event, but it is late and I need to wake up early tomorrow, so I will need to be brief. In a weird way, this is appropriate, since these 'major life-changing events' all seem to go by so quickly; they happen, but you don't reflect so much as you move past at full speed.

This morning, I went to the graduation brunch with my parents and sister. After that, we spent the interim just hanging out in the town of Bryn Mawr. That way, they saved their parking spot and things could be more leisurely. When the time came, I donned my regalia and lined up with the other seniors to prepare for the ceremony. The ceremony was what you would expect: we came, we processed, we sat, we watched others get their diplomas, we got our diplomas, we left, we conquered (the lemonade table at the reception). I was able to congratulate and talk to just about everyone who I wanted to, so I'm happy about that.

I then went with my family to dinner, which was fun. They seemed proud of my accomplishment, which is, of course, nice. I had neglected to tell them I had graduated Cum Laude (though I thought I mentioned it); they didn't find out until my dad perused the program. Afterwards, they dropped me off and wished me goodnight.

It's a relief and a bit strange to think that this is my last night in a Bryn Mawr dorm room. I'm glad I was able to do well, despite my slacking; I'm more glad that I didn't get so preoccupied with doing well that I made that the focus of my studies rather than the actual learning and development of critical thinking skills. The nice thing about Bryn Mawr is that they try to make it less competitive, and that frees people to challenge themselves more than they otherwise might.

I will be vacationing for the next few weeks, so I'll probably be away from the internet for the bulk of the time. Let's hope that I don't go through withdrawal...

Convocation

Today was Convocation; there were several graduation speeches, but the diplomas won't be handed out until tomorrow.

I got up at 10:30 or so and tried to log on, but my internet wasn't working for some reason. I worried that the administration cut the services early for some unfathomable reason, but it worked alright later. In any case, the internet problems allowed me to tear myself from my computer, get out of my room, and close my bank account. I then did some free reading at the coffee shop before returning to my dorm room.

Eventually, I put on a black dress, my robe, and my cap (we don't wear the hood until tomorrow) and lined up for Convocation. It was freezing cold; especially considering what I was wearing, but I survived. Convocation consisted of some performances by the Chamber Singers, speeches by two Bryn Mawr graduate students and the class presidents, an address by Linda Fairstein, and a reading.

After it was over, my family and I went to Philadelphia; we skipped the Garden Party because we couldn't hang around long (and I hadn't really prepared enough for it anyway). After having dinner, we went to the new Kimmel Center and saw "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)". It was an enjoyable show; there are a lot of amusing jokes, and it was interesting to see the performance since I had read the play before. At one point (during the Romeo and Juliet reenactment), an audience member shouted out 'where's the blood', and the cast seemed to have a fun time playing off of the comment; the spontaneous reaction was really funny. And then I got back here.

One More Day

I got up late this morning; once I finally came to, I went to a picnic that was being held for seniors. I left pretty quickly and slacked until it was time to go to the run-through. It was pretty dull, but I survived. Later that evening, I met with my family for dinner at the King of Prussia mall.

I'm tired, so that's it.

Thor's Day

I woke up late again... sigh.

When I finally came to, I went to the Campus Center and got the little plaque I ordered. You see, you are allowed to put up a plaque in your dorm room; it shows your name and the year you lived there. Since it is my senior year and I have a rather nice room, I had to get one. I put it up by one of the windows.

After that, I called Havard and the University of Chicago for an update on my status; I hadn't gotten news from either school yet. I learned that a decision hadn't been made. I'm guessing that I won't get in to either place, so I'm not keeping my hopes up.

Later in the afternoon, I got a call from a friend. We had talked earlier about meeting for dinner before graduation, and she called to see if I had the time tonight. As usual, I didn't have any particular plans, so we arranged to meet later on. The two of us went to a Thai restaurant that she had recommended earlier. Since I hadn't had Thai food before and she knew what was good there, I let her order the food. It was good, despite the fact that I don't often eat food that deviates from the rather bland norm of burgers and pizza. One thing I would like to do eventually is broaden my culinary horizons, because it's a shame that I am so limited in the things that I eat.

After dinner, we decided to go to a nearby coffee place (which, as we found out, has recently expanded and become a full-on restaurant) to have s'mores. They provide the necessary materials, including a tiny fire, and you put the smores together. It was messy, but fun. I'm glad we got to get together; I had a lot of fun, and I don't get the chance to hang out with friends often. Hopefully we'll get to hang out after graduation, as she lives in Southern California as well.

We waved goodbye and went our separate ways. After I got back to the campus, I went to the library and paid her overdue bill with the money she had given me (having just gotten back from Alabama, she was a bit tired and wanted to go to her apartment and sleep). Finally, I went back to my dorm, where I didn't do much of note, though I did receive a call from my parents and sister, who had just arrived in town for my graduation.

Shipping

I got to bed late last night, as I was inundated with phone calls from my family and from home. Since I had gotten up early, I was really tired by the time I talked to Fred. Luckily, he was pretty patient with me as I half-consciously rambled about stuff like getting red shoelaces in Japan and visiting the pyramids (this happened in 1992).

Because my bedding was very bulky, I had to pack almost all of it, so I was stuck trying to sleep with only a small blanket and pillow. Needless to say, I had trouble getting to sleep, and I ended up getting up late without feeling incredibly rested. Once I was awake, I carted my boxes, May Day hoop, and bookshelf to the place on campus where Mailboxes Etc. had temporarily set up shop. Fortunately, the place was really close to my dorm, so getting things shipped was not nearly as arduous as it has been in the past despite the fact that I had more boxes. Shipping all my stuff did cost a pretty penny, but, sadly, I don't have much choice in the matter.

I later went to the supermarket to get some food, took an extended nap, got up again, and did random stuff. My life is exciting.

Almost There

By some miracle, I woke up bright and early this morning, even before the alarm. This gave me time to pack and do some preparation that I might not otherwise get around to doing.

As of now, I have really ceded possession of my dorm room. If I felt like my room had lost some of its personal touch when I packed up my rug and some other minor things, the effect is completed. I have packed up all non-essential things except my hoop and bookshelf, which I'll need larger boxes for; all my posters and random personal objects have been taken down and packed. The only thing that appears relatively intact is my desk, though I have emptied out the drawers. It's sort of funny... I can make do using plasic bags without a trash can, but it would be a horrible tragedy to go without my computer for a few days. In any case, it's sad to see 'my' room become completely barren.

This morning, I also went to get my cap and gown in the Campus Center. Of couse, the nice zip-up gowns were only bought in the large sizes (it's shortism, I tell you), but I was able to get a decent gown of the right length.

After placing the academic regalia in my room and moving my boxes outside, I went to the library and checked out the movie Pollock. I later went to the Starbucks to read more of A Beautiful Mind before returning to the dorm.

It's hard to believe that it's only a matter of days before I take my leave of this place. Thus far, my life has been ruled by some amount of certainty; ever since preschool, I've been a student, and I've had the same sort of life, even though I have moved 'up' from preschool through elementary school, junior high, high school, and now college. Even if I do end up pursuing graduate school, my life will be very different, since I will have to choose a particular path, and decision-making has never been my forte. I like to daydream, and figure out a thousand incredible (and often ridiculous) futures, but to commit to any one future would mean that I'd have to let the other 999 wither and die. Of course, it's not healthy to live in a dream world like that, but it's hard to be honest with myself about my prospects for the future.

And, by popular demand (okay, one person), I shall recap the thoughts that were unceremoniously lost by a whim of my computer:
Basically, I was thinking of how people construct a 'cannon', or the body of knowledge that is considered the province of every educated person. People often come across bits and pieces of knowledge in such a haphazard way; once this knowledge becomes ingrained, a person often forgets its source and comes to think of it as something 'everyone knows'. This body of knowledge is obviously warped by a person's walk of life and experience, though there is some consistency in primary and secondary education. Of course, that changes from region to region, and its position as the major creator of this 'cannon' obviously causes it to be a point of conflict. Attempts to change the 'cannon' by including things that might be considered of importance by an objective standard but which might not be something that most people have been inundated with may thus be criticized as adding something 'arbitrary' to this common body of knowledge. And... I should really stop blathering.

Love and a Bit With a Dog

I had another late start this morning. After getting up and doing the normal internet stuff, I called my mom to wish her a happy Mother's Day, but she seemed tired, so we didn't talk for very long. I later called my grandmother, and we spoke for a bit longer. That afternoon, I watched Shakespeare in Love in the media center; it's a very enjoyable movie, so I had fun watching it. I later went to dinner and did more slacking before beginning my packing. It's sad to see my personal touch (or whatever) starting to leave the room; I can't say that the space is 'mine' anymore. Oh well, c'est la vie...

Freedom, Blessed Freedom

Well, I found out that my life without schoolwork is not all that different than my life with it. I did my usual slacking despite the fact that I don't have any work to slack.

Despite my attempt to get to bed (relatively) early, I got up at around ten again. I did my usual routines, and after lunch I took advantage of my free time by going to the library's media center and finally watching my Memento DVD. I did some more slacking and tried going back for a second movie, but people had just started another video. I went back at about the time they would leave, but they started another short video after finishing the first one. I finally got to watch a second DVD (Chicken Run, which isn't exactly deep, but you can't beat clay chickens for entertainment, can you?), and got back to my room after 11.

And that's it.

Well

Why is my subject "well", do you ask? Here's the answer: it's the last word of the last sentence of the last assignment of my collegiate career! I am completely finished with my work! And, I might add, I am done a day early, which never happens.

Well,I got up later than I had been for the past week. I have been getting up at 7 or 8 lately, and I woke up at 10 this morning, but it is just as well. I did my usual routines until 1:30, when I had to go to rehearse for my final performance for class (the performances were at 2). We were able to get one scene in before people started coming into the classroom and things degenerated into a paper airplane fest. Since my scene was the first in the play, my partner and I went first; fortunately, our scene (as well as those of our classmates) went pretty well, though one girl didn't come for some reason... I feel bad for her partner.

After that, I went to the moonbounce that had been set up near the Campus Center and made a fool of myself for a few minutes. I slacked, went to the supermarket, and ate before working on my final journal entry (and, in the process, finishing my collegiate career). I turned it in and went to Taylor to ring the bell; it is traditional for seniors to ring the bell once they have finished. After that, I did nothing of consequence besides, um... well, come to think of it, I did nothing of consequence.

One question remains: What will become of me when I can't procrastinate? I might as well have no purpose in life.

Miscellany

I've been neglecting my journal for the past few days. I hope I can be forgiven for this egregious oversight.

Let's see... well, I didn't do much on Monday, though I did go to a rehearsal and workshop.

To my surprise, I woke up super-early on Tuesday; this allowed me to do some catchup work on my drama journal. At one in the afternoon, I had my senior exit interview, during which a professor (in my case it was a Biology prof.) asks you to give your opinions on the school. This took about an hour. A little later, my partner and I had a rehearsal with the drama professor; he seemed to think we are in good shape overall, so I was happy about that. When I got back to my room, I found a wasp on my mug; I hadn't left any windows open, so how it got in my room is a mystery. I am allergic, so I was especially antsy (yay for bug puns). Fortunately, I was able to get it out of there without much trouble. That evening, I did my take-home Psych final. I am glad I went to the review session last week, as she seemed to use the questions that were discussed there as the basis for many of the questions on the exam.

On Wednesday, I turned in the finished exam and took my laptop over to the Starbucks to write my art history paper. Even though public places such as these can be distracting, I think it may be easier to work there than the quiet and privacy of my room. I don't have the temptation to use the internet in the middle of writing, plus I don't have the familiar distractions of my room to keep my from working. I did about five pages before going back to my dorm, and another page when I got back.

May Day

Today was May Day; the last Bryn Mawr tradition of the year, and the final tradition that I and the other seniors participate in. This year was actually Grand May Day; every four years, the school spends twice as much on the tradition, and it luckily enough coincided with my senior year.

The day starts at 7:30 or 8, when the students put on their white dresses (well, nobody has to wear a white dress, but most people do) and go to one of the dining halls (or the Campus Center in the case of the seniors) for a breakfast of strawberries and cream. It was a tiny bit cool in the morning, especially given the fact that I was in a short-sleeved dress, but the day ended up being really nice and warm.

There's a short break before the procession to Merion Green, where the Maypoles are. At around 9:30, the procession begins, led by a bagpipe player and followed by select faculty members, Traditions Mistresses, Songs Mistresses, May Queens, Maypole dancers (who got the position by signing up at 8:30 on Wednesday morning), and President Nancy Vickers. Rumor had it that President Vickers rode in on an elephant for Grand May Day, but, alas, this was proven to not be the case. However, the Traditions Mistresses did come in on horse-drawn carriages.

Maul

After getting up late, I made my way to the King of Prussia Mall, one of the larger malls on the east coast. I was able to get a white May Day dress for tomorrow (I am great at planning ahead). While I was there, I was also able to get some camera stuff and a few other articles of clothing). I was also able to get a good amount of reading done; one of the advantages of taking public transportation is that you don't have to pay attention for long stretches of travel time and can devote yourself to reading.

And then I got back, read some more, and slacked.

Another Day, Another Dilemma

I got up on the late side (surprise, surprise) today. After slacking, I turned in some money for a hoops race hoop (a Bryn Mawr tradition, don't ask) and went to lunch.

Today, I read an article that was posted in the Campus Center which dealt with employment opportunities for my graduating class. This has been a pretty rough year because of 9/11 and the recession, and more people are 'waiting it out' by going to grad school rather than getting a job; as a result, law school applications went up 44% from last year, which is a huge jump. That helps me not get too depressed over my less-than-stellar track record (aside from wait-lists at UCLA and USC, I haven't gotten even mediocre news yet)... though I was a bit lazy on filling out the applications, it's not just me. In any case, it's useful to have that statistic to deflect personal criticism.

No More Classes...

Today was my last day of classes. It's a bit weird (and sad) to think that I'll never sit in an undergraduate classroom again.

Let's see... what did I do? Well, I went to class, naturally. Today was the first time my partner and I performed our Waiting for Godot scene in class; for those of you who know the play, I am Estragon/Gogo and we're doing the first few pages of the play, up past the discussion of the two thieves. There will be a final exam/performance on the 10th, so hopefully that'll go well. I'm feeling more confident about this project than past ones, though.

After class, I did some reading for a final seven page paper. It's for an 18th century art class; I am writing on Elizabeth Vigée Le Brun. I got about 50 pages in to my main source, so I feel fairly good about it. While I was reading in the coffee shop, a thunderstorm was raging outside. It was a bit distracting to read while the storm was going on, but it was also sort of nice; there's an almost hypnotic beauty to falling rain (at least when you're not outside and getting soaked).

After the storm had passed, I went to a workshop with a potential acting professor candidate, basically as a way of stroking my prof's ego and improving my grade. It was fun, though it lasted a bit long.

Zzzzz...

Why is it so hard to get to sleep, yet so tempting to nap during the afternoon? I wish I could get normal sleep habits, but one of the downfalls of having the degree of independence that I do is that there is no regimen imposed on me from without, so I just end up staying awake too late. Plus, even if I do force myself to sleep, half the time I end up just lying in bed unable to sleep for long periods of time.

Anyway, here is the "Cliffs Notes" version of my day:

1. I woke up at 7:30.
2. I went back to sleep until 10:30.
3. I did my usual net routine.
4. I went to lunch.
5. I did Psych reading.
6. I napped.
7. I went to class.
8. I went to dinner.
9. I slacked.
10. I went to a review session.
11. I slacked some more.
12. I... uh, wait, that's it.

Equivocating

I was able to get up early today without much trouble... hurray for me!

I was pretty low-key today. I went to class of course, but I decided to let this be a 'me-day' and relaxed without stressing about work. However, I did get some library books for a paper... the last paper I'll write in my college career! I even spent some of the evening doing some free-reading (gasp) at Starbucks - the book was A Beautiful Mind... and no, I haven't seen the movie.

I'm sort of stressed about my family lately; I worry that I've let them down in some ways. Even though they don't exert pressure, I sometimes wish they would let me be and not talk too much about my future. It just gets me frustrated. I suppose I'm being immature about it, but I just get a little depressed when subject comes up.

In large part, it's because I'm so aimless, whereas the people who my mom might compare me to are really driven and have been certain about what they want to do. It frustrates me that you need to really dedicate yourself to a 'career track' so early in order to be 'successful'; in some ways it seems really limiting. But I guess one can say that the opposite extreme is just as bad. Part of my problem is that I'm not really a passionate person; I enjoy doing several things, but I can't do exclusively one thing at the expense of others or dedicate my life to a given career. Of course, wasting my time as a 'Jack of all trades' is more of a 'waste of my life' than any decent career would be.

My Merry Sojourn Into the World of Sleep-Deprivation

I have been spending almost all of my time since noon yesterday working on my 15-20 page term paper (it ended up being a teeny bit over 18 pages). I have only gotten intermittent bits of sleep since noon yesterday. I'm alert enough right now, but there was a period in the middle of the day where I was a complete zombie. I'm just glad I have my Verdi Requiem/Opera Choruses CD to get me through the worst of it... it's fairly loud and seems pretty ideal for the 'sleep deprived and desperate to finish work' mood. I eventually finished and turned the paper in... though I would have been better off if I didn't procrastinate while I was writing the paper. But I finished, and that's what matters.

I'm hoping I'll get to bed at a reasonable time tonight. Maybe I'll finally be able to end my streak of insomnia.

Requiem Aeternam Dona Eis...

I woke up late (again) today and did some reading, though it was not was much as I would have liked. The book I had started with was unfortunately a bit dense, and that made it difficult for me to plow through my work. I'll try and spend most of tonight doing all the reading I need to do.

Tonight was the Chorale concert. Though I wasn't perfect, I'm happy with how I did; I was finally able to get a good sound without pushing or tiring out my voice. I enjoyed the performance a lot... going through an entire piece like the Mozart Requiem can be an exhilarating experience. I didn't realize it until the concert had finished, but the act of singing had really left me in an elated mood. Hopefully the good mood will help me to study.

Do Re Mi...

Today I didn't do much except put off writing a paper. Fortunately, I got it done eventually, but I ended up getting to the Chorale rehearsal rather late. I ended up sitting in the back corner, which is a very different experience than sitting where I usually do (in the middle of the front row, because I am a geek). Because the sound of everyone else's voice was going away from me, I was much more able to hear the sound of my own voice. I think I sometimes end up singing louder than I should when I'm in front, just because it's so much harder to hear myself.

Tomorrow's the concert, so hopefully it will go well. Now, I have to concentrate on my Psych term paper...

Yawn

Fortunately enough, I was able to get up early this morning. I went to classes, did fun slacker things, and got on the Haverford bus for a drama class rehearsal (my partner and I are doing a snippet from Waiting for Godot).

I then had Chorale rehearsal; it was the first time we sang with the Orchestra. It's usually on Wednesday, but the concert is on Saturday and the schedule is a bit different because of that. We're singing the Mozart Requiem, so it should be fun. Of course, I was exhausted by the time Chorale came along; I was practically asleep for much of the time.

I'm hoping to start on my short paper tonight; I can finish it later tomorrow. I don't want to throw off my sleep habits by staying up too late, though.

In other news, it's pretty cold around here. My dorm room is particularly frosty, as the ceilings are high and the room therefore doesn't retain heat very well. I wish they hadn't turned off the heaters. And to think it was 90 degrees a week ago...

Got Ca$h?

I am running low on cash right now... I think I have about $100, including my account and the money in my wallet. I'll survive for the rest of the semester, but I will have to restrain myself from any foolish spending.

I hope I can pace myself until Monday is over; things should be a breeze after then, but I have a lot of stuff to do in the meantime. I can't afford to slack off too much.

My Day: The Verse Version!

I committed a minor sin
In my decision to sleep in.
This was compounded when I stalled
My work. Then, after that, I hauled
My quite reluctant self to class.
I stayed 'til my lesson did pass.
I wrote and did some reading too,
And put off work (it's sad but true).
So that is where I am right now.
These are the facts; that I do vow.

That is my day. I am thinking of limiting my nighttime internet access, since I have a lot of work to do in the next week. I have a 15 page and 6 page paper along with a Chorale concert. It might help my insomnia to get off the computer earlier as well.

Oh, and here's a quote I found amusing:
"If the only tool you have is a hammer, then it is very tempting to treat everything as though it were a nail." - Maslow

Reflections

I think part of the reason that I keep getting to bed so late/early is that 12-5 in the morning is really a conducive time for me to do random creative (or at least non-studious) things. The complete silence allows me to sit at my computer and really concentrate, even to the extent that my eyes water and I feel sick if I remain on the computer for too long (does this happen to anyone else?). Despite my knowledge that staying up late hinders my schedule and makes me sleepy the next day, part of me craves the peace and stillness of the late night hours.

I had a pretty late start today, and was further hindered because my yearbook co-editor slept in. Once three o'clock came and I had done my share of work, I left to study. I wasn't as motivated as yesterday, but I eventually was able to haul myself and my book over to Starbucks. Unfortunately, it was more crowded in the early evening than in the afternoon. In addition, this weird elderly couple was around for most of the time I was there; they spoke very loudly and kept speaking to people who were studying and didn't need the interruption. I read a couple of chapters before getting fed up and going home to read another chapter. I still have two chapters to read, but I can do them tomorrow in the morning or afternoon.

I came across the following Los Angeles Times article about my alma mater, Marlborough School, and it caused me a good deal of reflection and frustration, which I will detail here.

In Other News...

I got a call from my sister yesterday - she has gotten admitted
to USC's Film school, in the Critical Studies department. She had originally been in the Theatre school, but had wanted to triple major (Theatre, Film, and Poly Sci), so this is great news for her. She is thinking of getting into the Production department later (they don't like people to apply until Sophomore year), but it's more important for her that she just has the film degree.

My family was planning on taking a trip to Disney World after my graduation, but plans are a bit up in the air now. My dad had just won a really big case, but the other side is appealing, so the money will be later in coming; dad is still okaying the trip, but my mom is more unsure about it. We'll have to see how it goes.

Now, back to my ramblings about our regularly scheduled person...

Well, the last couple of days have been lax, though I was able to get some Psych reading done this afternoon. I've mostly been having a fun time, playing on the computer and watching DVDs. I sort of 'discovered' the library's media room recently. Though it's more often than not reserved, it's a good place to watch DVDs, especially when compared to my laptop.

I've been feeling pretty 'up' lately; hopefully this good mood will continue for a while.

I Need Sleep Now

I was thinking of writing a substantial entry, but I have been having a terrible bout with insomnia lately, so I don't want to stay up to late and just exacerbate the problem.

I should have checked over my thesis class schedule; it turns out that the thesis wasn't actually due until Friday. I'm actually grateful for my being scatterbrained this time. It's really nice to be relaxing at a time that I might otherwise have been stressing out. Plus, knowing me, I would have turned it in on Saturday if I thought it was due on Friday. Maybe I can do something fun on Friday just to celebrate having the free time.

Does anybody know any quick 'cures' for insomnia? I don't like staying up until five. I can't do anything productive when I'm simply trying to sleep, and it really throws off my schedule.

A Pair Of Independent Observations

I try to stay away from caffeine. It helps me to concentrate when it first kicks in, but, after that, I feel quite a bit worse physically. It's especially bad when I've had a large volume of caffeine, which, fortunately, hasn't happened yet. However, I can bet that I will lose myself to caffeine zombiehood in the next couple of days.

I wish I had realized how lucky I was growing up. Like most kids, I harbored a little bit of resentment towards my family when I was younger, since I didn't really have the perspective. Plus, I was even more sheltered than I am now; my peers were either as fortunate as me or 'kept up with the Joneses' and made a decent show of it. I don't think I really got anything approaching a 'realistic' worldview until college.

A Miscellaneous List of Events

I am feeling too lazy to organize all the things that have happened lately. Instead, here is a list!

• I have done a tiny bit of work, though not nearly enough. C'est la vie.
• I have finished drawing out my comic. It is 34 pages long, so it will be a while before I can Photoshop it all. Next time I'll try to restrain myself a bit more.
• I got a few roses from Fred today. They have been accorded a place of honor on my desk.
• When at Staples yesterday, I made an impulse buy and got a few sheets of this decal paper. It's really neat; I now have transparent images of my art stuck to plastic bins and such.
• I got my first law school results; a 'thin envelope' from Berkeley. At this point I'm not expecting much because I was so careless with my applications; in any case, I'm really blas? about my future anyway. I'm a bit worried about this tendency in myself, but I know that things will work out. I'm not yet passionate about any career path anyway.
• I have come up with an idea. If you guys could come up with songs that 'fit' me, I'll make a 'Jenny mix'. Yes, I have too much time on my hands. That, or I have too much to put off.

Martes Y Miercoles

Yesterday was fairly normal, though I did have to give a final performance of a scene for class. Later in the evening, I took Yearbook photos for a student production. I noticed that the battery on my camera was running low, so I walked over to the nearby Staples to get a new one. Unfortunately, the store was closing just as I got there. I went to the supermarket and got some food before heading back. The weather was lovely; it was drizzling lightly and the air was humid and a bit cool. I like rainy weather, as it puts me in a more contemplative mood.

I did some classwork this morning. On my way to the computer lab, I came across a friend of mine; she was feeling pretty terrible and wanted someone to talk to, so we went to my room to chat about recent problems. We ended up spending about two hours, and she seemed to feel much better after we talked. I was glad that I could be there to help out, since we only ran across each other by chance. Afterwards, I went to Chorale.

Right now is room draw, so people have been stopping by to get a look at my room. It can be a bit of a pain, but it's nice not to have to worry about picking a dorm room anymore.

Revenge of the Slacker

I'm sure you all will be surprised to hear that I did very little productive work today. I did meet with a partner for my drama project and do a teeny bit of writing, but that's about all for school. However, I did finish part three of the comic!

I'm thinking of limiting my hours on the computer, or at least the internet. I need to get out of my room and do my work, and my 'addiction' to the computer isn't helping me.

My Thesis Is DONE!

Having this finished is quite a load off my shoulders.

The last couple of days have been unpleasant for me as I scrambled to get my thesis final draft completed. Extreme lack of sleep is no fun, especially when coupled with unpleasant tasks and caffiene withdrawl. But I did get it done, and that's what counts. It was quite a relief to carry the stacks of books back to the library and know that I'll never have to analyze them again.

I was able to expand my analysis when I did the second draft, and the professor's suggestions helped me to bring out ideas that I hadn't given ample consideration to. I also got the chance to fix a few (cough) mistakes that I didn't catch when I was first plowing through the paper. The paper ended up being 36 pages with an 11.5 font, a bit longer than the 30-35 pages it was supposed to be, but I'd rather have the paper be on the long side than come up a bit short.

Spring has definitely arrived around here; the trees are flowering, the birds are singing... and the weather has started to get annoyingly hot and humid. My room is slightly stuffy, even with the window open. Additionally, the screen is broken, so insects are able to fly in if I leave the window open. Hopefully I'll figure out a way to cool things down a bit around here.

A String of Random and Disorganized Observations

Today has been another lazy day. I managed too get a little done, but it wasn't really much compared to the things I need to do. My weekend will not be a fun one.

For whatever bizarre reason, I've been in the mood to listen to all of the old CDs from the 'Broadway phase' I was in a few years back. Heh, I never says I was a normal person, did I?

My muscles have been sore from yesterday's fencing class. And it's not just the usual leg muscles, but also the stomach muscles. In fact, my stomach muscles hurt more than any others.

I've started editing page 3 of my comic, but I have 23 pages drawn out. The last few pages have gotten somewhat complex. I just hope I'll be able to complete this 'epic'.

Laziness

I've been more lax with this journal than usual; to be honest, I haven't been able to concentrate on a lot that I usually work on. I don't think it's depression, really. I just have been letting my mind wander, and it's hard to reign myself in when I'm being capricious. I have over twenty pages of my "Castle Sturmundrang" comic drawn, but I have to actually play with them all in Photoshop. Since it's more complicated than the island series, I worry that I'll never get around to doing the more tedious work that is necessary. And, of course, there's the actual schoolwork I have to do. I'll hopefully be able to get a bit more self control this weekend, but I've spent the bulk of the week just daydreaming and listening to music. Bad me.

Comicy Fun

Lo and behold, I finished another page of my comic!

Other than that, my day was kind of uneventful. I called my family (they were celebrating Easter in the park) and said hello to everyone. I also went to give a photo to my Yearbook editor; Dalton was locked, so I went to knock on the window so the editor would let me in. She couldn't see me, so I didn't accomplish much outside of scaring her.  She ended up calling me later to ask about the photo, so at least she eventually figured out what was going on. I'll have to drop off the pictures tomorrow.

Today I got up, did a little more comic work, and went into Philly to see a matinee. Taking my textbook (so I could do something during downtimes), I got on the train and walked over to the theatre. The play was an adaptation of As You Like It; it was really well-done. A few of the actors played two or three characters, and at first I didn't realize that some of the parts were doubled. The stage was simple but effective; the staging was more 'circular' so there was no 'front' or 'back' really.

After having dinner in the city, I went to the train station, waited an hour, and took the train back to my dorm room. And now I'm working on my comic again. I should hopefully be finished tonight, so keep an eye out.

Good Day, Sunshine

I was able to get up bright and early on Thursday, a victory despite the fact that my early class was cancelled anyway.

I got up relatively early this morning but went back to sleep until 10:30 or so. It's still better than I've been doing, so I'm happy. Today it was really nice outside; it's warm enough that jackets are no longer necessary, but not so hot that one feels sweaty and uncomfortable. Anyway, I (finally) mailed Fred his sweater today. I also played on the computer, and have done a good deal of the next page of my comic.

Well, goodnight!

Insomnia and Stuff

I got another late start after having lots of trouble getting to sleep last night. There are few things more frustrating than lying in bed at 4 AM without being able to simply shut your mind off and sleep. I'll try again tonight; hopefully I'll have better luck.

Once I was awake, I went to Dalton to help my Psychology major friend with her thesis. First I had some wires attached to me in order to measure my heart rate. I then watched a tape about Phineas Gage (who you've probably heard about if you've taken a Psych class) with the instruction that I should show the opposite emotional reaction to what was being shown on screen. After that, I went to class and chorale.

I also finished putting all of my MP3s on CD, and finally have space on my hard drive! Believe it or not, the MP3s were taking up over 1/3 of my computer space, so it's quite a relief to not worry about running out of space all the time.

I Got My CD Burner! Yay!

It came rather earlier than expected. I'm excited... I can finally clean up my hard drive!

... Other than that, my day was pretty uneventful.

I woke up late, but at least I was able to recuperate from the stress of my thesis. I went to class, set up the aforementioned CD burner, went to Staples to get CDs and cases for the CD burner, burned a CD with the CD burner, hugged the CD burner (well, maybe not)...

I also did some reading... and now I need to clean up my room.

Caffeine is Bad

There are few worse things than being mentally tired but having so much caffeine in your system that you couldn't nap if you wanted to. I'm almost surprised that my heart didn't leap out of my chest from racing so fast. And the worst part is that the only way to keep the mental tiredness at bay is to... get more caffeine in your system and let the problem get even worse. I just hope I can get some sleep.

And I turned in my thesis draft. Yay me.

Tengo Hambre

Well, this is what I get for putting things off until the last minute. It's really late, the caffeine in my tea is starting to wear off, and I'm hungry but don't have any food around and can't get any at this hour.

I'm about seven pages into my thesis, having done the introduction (actually, I had written a bad version before break and refined it during my vacation) and my background secondary source material. So I have twenty three to twenty eight pages to devote to the primary sources that make up the bulk of my thesis. I know I'll be up all night fighting sleep and feeling crabby and rotten, but I will get this rough draft finished on time, and it will be a relief to have it behind me.

I couldn't get any work done this afternoon even though I knew it was important and that I had already done enough slacking to write multiple theses. I think that, somehow, being hungry and spent makes it easier to concentrate and get work done. Perhaps it's an ingrained trait; we're wired to 'work', or seek food, when our stomachs are empty, but don't instinctively feel the need to when we're relatively comfortable. Heh, this is rationalization at it's finest/most desparate...

Back at Bryn Mawr

Well, I didn't get much thesis work done over break, but I was at least able to unwind, something I really needed to do. I spent a lot of time just relaxing in front of the TV and lounging around the house.

Highlights:
* I got to see two plays: 'Crazy and a Half', a series of skits dealing with therapists and their patients, and a small scale production of the musical 'Little Shop of Horrors'.
* I finally got the go-ahead to get a CD burner. I've been in 'dire need' of one for a while, as I keep running out of hard drive space and periodically have to delete tons of files just to have space. I have tragically had to delete such gems as foreign language versions of 'Be Our Guest' and 'Under the Sea', and even songs that I actually listened to on occasion.
* I got to talk with Fred on the phone a bit on Friday. Gee, I still have to mail him his sweater, don't I? ;)

The flight home was pretty relaxed. I mostly played on the computer and napped (how unusual). I took the taxi home, got back to my room, and set everything up here.

Now to work on my thesis...

Internet Withdrawl

Since I'm back here, I don't have much access to the internet. My own computer's not hooked up, my sister won't let me touch her laptop, and, making things even worse, my mom's computer's broken. So my only option is to use my sister's very slow old computer when I get the chance.

I didn't do much yesterday, though I did see The Time Machine with my family. I can't say I reccomend it...

I should hopefully be doing some heavy-duty work today. For dinner, I'll be eating with my immediate family and grandparents; my grandpa is having surgery later this week and my mom thought it would lessen the stress if we all got together.

A Brief Sojourn

Yesterday was productive in that I got to turn in some Yearbook film and deposit a Christmas check from my grandfater (something I needed to do since I'm running low on cash).

Today was more productive. I was able to go to Philadelphia to search an archive, something I desparately needed to do before break. It took longer than expected, but I got something done at least. I also got some reading for another class done while I was on the train, always a good thing. After returning to Bryn Mawr, I went to Chorale. I think the trip tired me out, because I had trouble staying awake when I wasn't singing. Finally, I finished up the first page of my comic series and created the quiz that you see below:

Beating Myself Up

Argh... It's frustrating when I spend my day doing little of worth. I was basically stalling my thesis introduction all day. It wasn't even 'meaningful' stalling. I just basically checked the same websites over and over again; however, boring as it was, I couldn't draw myself away in order to be productive. Hopefully I'll be desparate enough to get my work done quickly tomorrow. At least I was able to clean my room. I'm meeting with a classmate on Saturday, so I needed to have it tidy enough that I wouldn't be embarassed.

Pointless Achievement of the Day: I learned how to make icons for my computer!

Randomness

I've spent the past weekend goofing off and am sort of beating myself up over it. I really should be studying, but my heart isn't in my work right now. I did do some reading, but it's all been sort of rushed.

I think I'm going to buy some new jeans eventually; the ones that I have now are starting to feel a bit loose. It's funny... I tend to lose weight whenever I'm at college, even though I don't really think about it (at least beyond having picky eating habits). I suppose it's a combination of getting a bit more exercise and having more stress while I'm here. Maybe I should try marketing the 'stress diet' and let the cash roll in. ;)

I'm going to try and see a movie (I'm leaning towards Gosford Park, but tell me if you have any better ideas) on Saturday as a way to motivate me to get my work done earlier. Hopefully it'll work out.

Las Flores

Today was... interesting. After finishing the RA homework, I worked on my essay, finishing just in time to go to performances. They were pretty crazy this year, with fewer 'cute' skits. The infamous 'pimp strut' was especially bizarre, with one scantily clad contestant even wearing a snake. I think a lot of people were shocked by her outfit. Anyway, after performances, the dorms all had bedtime stories. As I stated before, I read 'Make Way For Ducklings' which was less humorous than some of the other stories, but was still cute and fun to work on.

I have just gotten back from the year's big party; I usually don't really enjoy parties, but I had fun at this one. I suppose I'm usually so inhibited that I feel too stilted at parties. I've loosened up a bit though, thanks to a few glasses of champagne. I bet I'll feel very ill and/or embarrassed tomorrow, but I have to say I had a good time tonight.