The Infinite Terror of Blogging Pt 3

(I promise I will start using a different title eventually. But trust me, using this title one more time will make sense. Honest.)

I am, by my very nature, a lurker.* I'm the consummate wallflower, a constant observer absorbing everything I can about the world around me. But while I comment in my own head about what I observe, I don't really feel the need to comment out loud. I read articles, I follow blogs, I read Twitter posts, but I don't say anything because a) website comment sections are truly scary and b) why? For much the same reason that Prof. Groom doesn't feel the need to get a cellphone, I don't feel the need to comment. Who am I to say anything about what anyone else says? So I lurk, learning and retaining mountains of largely useless information.**
Which is directly contradicted by the fact that I've been blogging for nearly 10 years. I started on deadjournal.com and slowly made my way to Blogger in February of 2005. I can search within that blog for nearly ever major landmark event in my life and can give an approximate date to when those things happen. I lay bare for anyone who wants to read it, my entire life in that blog. While I'm embarrassed by four or so years of what I wrote about, anyone*** can read about my avid fangirliness for a number of topics during that time simply by googling the right terms. But how does this effect anything outside my personal life? It doesn't. I blog to keep a record of my life so that when I get older I can look back and remember what I was like when I was fifteen, twenty, twenty-five. Alzheimer's runs in my family, so I would like to know that for better or worse there's a record of my doings for people to remember me by. Because as much as I lurk, I still want to be remembered.
So what of academia? In as much as I blog about anything, I blog about my classes. I don't blog about each of my classes to the extent that I suspect Prof. Groom will be wanting us to blog about this class, but I do talk about what I'm doing in school. Of all the things we'll be expected to do, I suspect for me that blogging about every step I take in this class will be the hardest thing to do.
I don't blog as much as I use to for many reasons. The biggest hope I have for this class is that I will start blogging more because I'll be inspired to blog more, instead of because I feel bad or whatever. And now, just to prove a point, here's a bunch of media stuff. Enjoy.
(one of my favourite videos of all time)
[caption id="attachment_28" align="alignnone" width="202" caption="Provided by thefilmstage.com"][/caption] (one my favourite movies that I saw last year)



*In classic internet parlance. Other synonyms include leech, which is probably accurate to a certain extent.
**Or useless at this point in time. Perhaps sometime in the future the useless things I know will be handy. I doubt it, but you never know.
***I've actually thought this through, at least in certain aspects and I just hope that no one looking to hire me figures out that the crazy blog they're looking is written my yours truly. Because if they ever did, there's a good chance no one would hire me.

Question Answered

This has next to nothing to do with this class or what I'm suppose to be doing in this blog, but I'm too excited to care. Besides, it's important to how I view the rest of this semester and the rest of my life really. So, yeah. Deal with it ;)

I've spent the past couple of months wondering if I would ever get into law school. Well my friends I have the answer: Yes. I have been accepted at New England Law School in Boston, so I do have it within me to get into law school. And as my mom said, even if I don't get in anywhere else, I'll have gotten into one school and that's all that's needed to go to law school. So to reiterate what my Facebook status says: I got into law school!!!! Wheeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!

I got into law school!!!! Whee...

I got into law school!!!! Wheeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!

A Year Ago (One Last Reminiscence)

It's been a year. Actually it's been a year and two days, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to actually write about this before right now. So it's been a year and two days since I landed in London. A year and two days since I spent five hours freezing my ass off in Paddington station wondering what the hell I had gotten myself into. A year and two days since my life began to change quite dramatically.
A year ago and two days I didn't know just how dramatically my life would be changing. I thought London would reaffirm everything I already believed not change it. I thought I would come back from London craving to go back immediately and never leave again. I thought it would make becoming a DJ so much easier. I never thought it would change my career goals or my understanding of how much my family means to me. London changed everything, but not in the way I thought it would. Which is probably for the best.
I do miss London. I miss being able to go to the theatre easily, I miss the Comedy Store, I miss the Tube, and I miss living in a city. No, I don't miss the people I was forced to live with, but as the immediacy of those memories recede, the good things, the things I loved about London remain. But because of London I know myself better than I did a year ago, so I know that while I love London. Living there would be unbearably hard. I couldn't go it alone like I did last year, I would absolutely need to have someone with me.
So it's been a year and two days. It doesn't seem like that long ago, but time doesn't lie (mostly.) I do know this - it's been a hell of a year.

The Infinite Terror of Blogging Pt. 2

As hinted at in my last entry, I am very slow to adapt. It took a few months after getting into college to actually get a facebook account and it took my sister wittering on about the funny things being said on Twitter for a few months to actually convince me that Twitter wasn't completely worthless.* In fact the only way in which I'm truly progressive is in what I listen to and what I watch.** As I discovered when I was studying in London, I am actually a forty year old in a twenty-two year old's body (which can be very inconvenient, the forty year old can get quite grumpy about those youngins). Which leads me to my next point...
Last semester I had the opportunity to take a number of upper level history classes. I'm a music major who thought she wanted to be a history major, so getting to take three history classes was a revelation to me. In all three of those classes, at one point or another, each of the professors made the point that while the curriculum and ideas taught by academia can be quite progressive the actual professors are perhaps the least progressive people in the country, especially in their unwillingness to adapt to new things. Which leads me to my next point...
I have mixed feelings about "A Personal Cyberinfrastructure." One part of me, the part that probably convinced me that blogging was and continues to be a good idea and who got me to finally join Twitter, completely agrees with what Gardner Campbell has to say in both the lecture and the article. But the pragmatist, the part of me that knows that there are people in their mid to late 20s who don't know how to work a power point presentation, thinks that his ideas are nice and yes it would be great if we could implement them, but it would never really work. The majority of professors, heck even the majority of middle and high school teachers, would be unwilling to adapt to the new technology. The same professors who rail against Wikipedia as completely untrustworthy and incapable of providing accurate information would be same professors railing against Prof. Campbell's ideas as unnecessary and incompatible with higher education. They're wrong on both points, but they aren't going anywhere and so Prof. Campbell's ideas will, in all likelihood, go unfulfilled until my generation comes into power.*** That is, if people not like me become tenured professors at universities. Because I'm still not sure about this whole website thing. I like my templates.

*Hello! Welcome to my version of footnotes, wherein I make tangential comments that wouldn't make sense in the body of the entry. Tangential comment: This is a true story. I didn't get on the Twitter bandwagon until February of '09 but almost immediately started following Stephen Fry and rash of British comedians no one has heard of. It was a good day.
**Mwhahahahaha. The footnotes are not always mature.

The Infinite Terror of Blogging

At some point in my pre-teen/adolescent past I had a website.  It was actually a geocity site, but what I remember is that it was complicated.  Very complicated.  I don't remember how old I was or why I decided to register for a geocity site, but when I did I realized what I had gotten myself into and didn't like it.  It required learning a new language and at whatever age I was I didn't want to do that.  I also discovered blogging (wherein I learned very, very basic html) which was so much easier, so my geocity site when down the drain.  Ever since I've been incredibly intimidated by the idea of owning or maintaining a website.  And it turns out I was wrong.

For this class we were asked to buy a domain and rent server space to host said domain.  I, admittedly, freaked a bit.  Websites, according to my own philosophy, are a) expensive and b) complicated.  But I wanted to be in this class, I love the ideas behind this class, so I did it.  And man almighty was it easy.  Which of course means I messed it up a little bit (imnora.us, not imnore.us), but if you're reading this, you are seeing how easy it is to actually. The weird thing is, is that I'm still ambivalent about owning a website. This is possibly because I fear turning into an all out geek instead of just being a cultural geek (which is what I am now and will admit to freely.) However I guess I will just have to overcome that fear in this class.

Edit: If you ever have an issue with having to delete root files (wp-admin, etc) here's a really simple solution thanks to a fellow blogger: http://nickriebe.com/cant-delete-wordpress-folders-to-re-install/

Last Semester (Until Law School)

I'm going to start with a story about my day. The reason for this is because it will indicate the kind of mood I'm in which in turn will indicate how the rest of the entry will go. It's like a warning I suppose. So here's the story about my day.
It started with my alarm not going off. As I have mentioned numerous times (depending on where you're reading this) I am taking 20 credits this semester so the amount of time I have for anything (especially work) is limited to say the least.* So my plan for this morning was to wake up at 8:30am do morning stuff and be in the band room to set up by 10am. I woke up at 10:13. I have a class at 11am and then band immediately after, so waking up at 10:13am meant that band setup was out of the question. A real breakfast was also out of the question unfortunately. And lunch. So after music history (which ended at 3:15ish) I said hello to the library vending machine and settled in for a so-so afternoon. And discovered that the soda I had managed to get in between band and music history was leaking in my bag. Nothing important was damaged but my bag was wet and my soda was a lost cause. Thankfully I had a book and my Zune so the day that had gone all wrong ended up not so bad.
The first day of classes went much smoother. I woke up on time and I got to eat lunch. My swim class** is going to be way relaxed which is exactly what I was looking for. Oceanography is going to be a bit more intense than I was expecting, but Tibert seems pumped which will hopefully get me pumped. Intro to Theatre*** is going to be amazing and instead of writing about the Kinks I'll be writing about copyright, because that's just how I roll (and Fickett actually kind of approved that topic.) Monday/Wednesday/Fridays aren't going to be so bad I think, though I'm currently really biased against Tuesday/Thursdays.
Final topic I want to talk about (and kinda sorta have to): Digital Storytelling. I will admit after today's experiences I'm kind of ambivalent**** about this class. It seems a lot more intense (which is a word I need to stop using now) than I was expecting, but then again what we're going to be doing in this class is what I'm passionate about (from a law perspective in any event) and so part of me really doesn't want to leave this class. And of course there's the fact that anything I can get into is either going to be a) something I really don't want to take or b) equally time consuming. So the real question is whether to take the class pass/fail which has its own set of questions. In any event here's the big news: I have a domain name. It was really easy and really quick. Now I just need to get a webserver/host/thing and set up the blog aspect and I'll have myself a for real website. Which, as I sarcastically said to Mr. Groom tonight, is another thing I get to manage online. Yay.

*I require a certain amount of downtime/sleep time during my day, so while I could probably fit in more if I woke up at say 7am, I'm just not that kind of person, so why kid myself.
**I noticed that swimming met at the same time as weight training so I switched to the method of exercise I prefer. Sorry weight lifters.
***The only art history class I could fit in my schedule closed so I decided to not try and get into a closed class and take an equally interesting class that was open. I get to see "An Ideal Husband" so it all works out really.
****And my ex is in the class which makes me even more ambivalent, which if you've been reading this long enough, you will understand.

The Round Up

I was going to go to a club to ring in the new year. But I'm not really the club kind of person, so now I have a stomach bug. No need to dwell on that though, let's sum up the year in a pithy fashion. As one does you know.

• Favourite Album: Mark Ronson, Record Collection. Possibly one of the best albums I've heard in a long time, Mr. Ronson proves with Record Collection that he can in fact write and produce original music without it sounding crap. Save for a couple of tracks I'm not particularly fond of Record Collection really is a brilliant album.
• What I Actually Listened to For Most of the Year: Glee. The thing about Glee is that they pick songs that are basically comfort food for ears. They aren't terribly adventurous and for the most part very well known. So when you want something simply to listen to Glee is an excellent option because the artists are talented and songs are comfortable. So that's mostly what I've actually been listening to.
• Favourite Film: Tie between The Social Network and Inception. The odd thing about this years is that I've seen a lot of great movies. It started in London when going to see a movie was a cheaper way to spend a couple of hours in central London than say, seeing a play or something of that sort. And while I could go to a museum might seem even cheaper, a movie is far more entertaining. In any event I became accustomed to going to a movie by myself, so I decided to do that. Multiple times. So I got to see a number of really great movies. But of all the movies I saw, my favourites were definitely Inception and The Social Network. Both were brilliantly devised, directed, and acted. However I can't really pick just one, so I suggest you go see both. Or you know, rent them when they come out on DVD.
• Best Book I Read This Year (That Really Wasn't Published This Year): Amongst the Thugs. Not only did it cover a topic I'm interested in (football hooligans) it also held within its covers the most disgusting scene I've ever read (which I won't commit to electronic paper for my more sensitive readers.) Thugs is an elegantly written book about a very inelegant topic that gives the reader an insiders prospective on a culture that is very hard to get involved in. Do yourself a favor and read it. And look out for descriptions of eyes.
• Thing I Hope Will Happen in 2011: That I get into law school. I may not be sure that I actually want to practice law, but I do know that I want to at least get into law school. Everything else is just frosting on the cake. Though I would like one of the following bands to start working on an album: Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, or Arctic Monkeys. That would be very nice.

So that's the round up. I haven't done the best job of writing this year, but I think making resolutions is stupid so I won't do that. However I can promise that I'll be updating more, simply because I'm going to be taking a class that involves blogging. So whatever I write for that class will be posted in this blog (as well as the one I keep for school which gets update even less than this one.) So here's to 2011, may it go more smoothly than this year.

The Bi-Monthly Update

All bullet points. Such is life.

• I miss London. I suspect that I will say that from now until I get back there, when I will immediately stop missing London and start missing DC. Right now though I miss London and I miss it with every fibre of my being.
• The situation with my roommates is just below civil. There haven't been any out right confrontations, largely because I hate confrontations but also because it's a week until we all go home. My hope remains to be that when we get back things will settle into a civil living arrangement that I'll be able to stand and that the ill-will which currently exists will have dissipated. A month away from each other should help, or at least I hope it will help. And if not then I'll do what I did second semester freshmen year which is stay away from the apartment as much as humanely possible. Which will be made easier by the fact that...
• I'm going to be doing a credit overload next semester. My adviser (and the school really) have failed me again and so I will be taking 20 credits next semester. One of these credits (quite literally 1) will be weight lifting. And here I thought I had finished with PE junior year of high school. Still I'm only taking 3 upper level classes and none of them are history. So it shouldn't be too bad right? Right. Optimism, always optimism.

Did I mention it's finals? Yes, I've got exams Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I leave on Saturday in the morning and then a month off. So until next time, don't panic.

True Facts

I don't like flutes. Or, more specifically, I don't like flutes outside of the orchestra or orchestral pieces. I find their sound far to airy to be taken seriously and it's incredibly easy to play a flute out of tune which is equally troubling. The people who play flutes tend to annoy me as well as they're either far too perky or far too self absorbed for their own good. Generally speaking there is nothing I like about the flute or the people who play flutes that I like. And yet I room with a flutist. Ironic, no?
I want to be acknowledged for the things I do. I don't do spectacular things, in fact most of the time I do my best to stay below the radar. But that doesn't mean I don't do things. I do important things, behind the scene things that if they weren't done people would suddenly notice. For those things I wish to be acknowledged, those things that I do behind the scenes. It's an utterly selfish motive, but I'm tired of people who don't deserve to acknowledged (at least in my opinion) being acknowledged before me. I'm tired of standing in the shadows waiting for a round of applause that will never come. I'm not asking to applauded every time I do band set-up or make it through the day without screaming at the top of my lungs, but just once I would like my efforts to be appreciated. Just once.
I want a job. I'm tired of school, I want a job. I don't care if it's menial, I don't care if I have to work as a temp, I just want a job. I want to make money, my own money just for me. That's all, I just want a job. I want to live on my own, in a city and work. Unfortunately I probably have another three years of putting off the inevitable before I can do that. Hopefully having those three years will mean that when I do face the inevitable I'll be able to make more money. Because what I really want is a job.

Piecemeal

11/12/10: So I'm writing this paper. I've been dreading it since the beginning of the semester because I pulled the prospectus out of my ass and I was sure that there was no way I could write anywhere close to 15 pages on anything. I finished page nine tonight and by the end of business on Saturday I'll probably have another nine written.
11/13/10: Or not. More like 2 and half. But I'll have it done by Monday which is the point right? Anyway, I'm currently having flashbacks to London. And not the warm fuzzy kind I get when I think about tea and the tube. The unfuzzy kind when I think about my flatmates and having to move apartments. At least I'm two floors up and therefore can't tell what song it is they're playing down in the basement, but my instinct to knock loudly on their doors and call security is screaming quite loudly at the moment. However it's Saturday night so as much as I would like to go to sleep right now (so I can wake up early so I can't work on this damn paper), I probably won't get to. Of course I could always open my window and let the sound of traffic lull me to sleep. But then there are the drunken revelers returning home at odd times, so opening my window isn't really an option. Where are my earplugs when I need them?
11/15/10: The paper turned into a nearly 6,000 word opus on a topic that has been flitting around my head for ages. What annoys me more than anything though is that I still have ideas about that paper flitting around my head. Ideas about songs or bands or artists that I could have looked at. I thought that by writing this paper I would finally be done with this topic and would be able to move on with my life. But no, now I'm thinking about former British colonials and the music they brought with them when they immigrated to Britain. Taking a more in depth look at the punk/post-punk movements in the 80's in relation to the politics. And on and on. I need a new obsession because this one is getting annoying.

Quickie

I got my LSAT score by and I've applied to all the schools I'm planning applying to. Pace is being a buttface (I know, mature) and not realizing that I have 12 transfer credits and won't process my application until I have at least 90 credits. 12 plus 79 from fall last year equals 91. Hence my frustration. However, I'm supposedly going to be hearing from DePaul in about two weeks, which is terrifying. Otherwise I probably won't hear anything until the end of the semester. Which is one of the many reasons I can't wait for this semester to be over.
My other reason for wanting this semester to be over is that I won't have to write any papers for a month. Right now I'm working on my British history term paper which, while fascinating, is 15 to 20 pages long. As I've mentioned before I've never written that much in my life and I'm not a history major. I should never have to write that much in a non-major class. Still, I will slog through it this week and will hopefully come out the other side with most of my sanity still in place. But we shall see.
That's it really. I just wanted to prove I'm alive and haven't gone off the deep end entirely.

The Question of Living With People

I can say in all I honesty, I don't know whether I'm a good roommate or not. Given the myriad living situations I've had over the last four years, it's difficult to gauge. I'd like to think that overall I'm okay to live with. Sure, I'm not very socially, but on the flip side I make a huge effort not to bother the people I live with. I keep my things fairly clean and I make an effort to keep my room organized and not looking like a disaster zone (though that can be difficult at times let me tell you.) I'm conscientious about cleaning my dishes and I take out the garbage and the recycling a fair deal. I pretty much believe that as long as you can't see it, why bother, which can bother people who are a bit more anal, but the method works well for me. From that view point I'd say the first three years (even including the disastrous second semester of junior year*) have been a success. This year though, I'm starting to wonder.
They leave their dishes in the sink for days on end. Even if I don't clean my dishes the night I use them, I always take care of them before the end of business the next day**. As I said, I take out the garbage in the kitchen and I do the recycling nine times out of ten. No, I don't vacuum the living room, but on the other hand I don't spend any time in the living. I make sure my room looks mostly presentable most of the time and I close the door when it's not. I don't clean the bathroom that often, but when it needs to be cleaned, I will (if only to avoid doing homework). I keep myself to myself and while that may mean I come off as a bit of hermit, well...I am. Does this make me a bad roommate? Does wishing my fellow flatmates take care of their dishes in a timely manner make me a bad flatmate? Does not putting away their dishes for them when I empty the dishwasher (which I run nine times out of ten) make me a bad roommate? I don't know to be honest. But it's really starting to bug me.
Beyond that, things are going as they always do. I registered for classes yesterday and I got all of the classes I wanted/needed for next semester. I find out on Monday what my LSAT score is and if it's really good, I'll tell you lot. If it's not, you'll find out whenever I decide to next update.

*Disastrous when it came to the people I was living with. Overall the semester wasn't that bad at all.
**11pm for those of you wondering. Yes, I am an old woman.

It's Been A Long Time Hasn't It

I've been blogging for nine years across four different platforms (though two of those overlap starting seven/eight years ago). The first two years I updated fairly consistently and then lagged around the time I switched from private to public school. I started up again once I had settled in to my groove again and for the next five years I blogged fairly consistently. In an odd way my blogging patterns mimic my mood. The more I update the better I'm feeling and the less I blog the more depressed (or overwhelmed) I am. I started blogging less and less after the ex* broke up with me and never really got my momentum back. There was a brief period where I was updating more, when I first got to London, but then the roommates from hell came to life thus ending what little momentum I had. I never got that back. Now I'm dealing with more work than I've ever dealt with before (in my entire life) and am just feeling incredibly overwhelmed. One of the books I'm reading has chapters than can reach 100 pages. I have a 200 page book to read by Monday. Then of course there are the Ancient Greeks who've never heard of brevity. And of course the only way I know how to handle all of this is by watching more TV than I can afford and cramming in as much reading as I can. I'm just glad that I've mostly curbed by other "Good God I don't know what I'm doing anymore" tendencies for the most part. Anyway.
I haven't given up on blogging. I get ideas about things that I want to write about, but by the time I get to my computer I've forgotten the idea or have lost enthusiasm for writing about it. I don't really like doing the whole bullet point thing, but given how much has been missed, it seems like the only choice. Writing out complete paragraphs covering the last two weeks seems far too time consuming and to be perfectly honest not that much happened and what did happened wasn't memorable to stick in my poor over taxed brain. So I'm left with doing bullet points and feeling like I've cheated a non-existent audience out of a proper update. However I don't really see things changing. I haven't given up on blogging, at least not yet, but I'm not going to apologize for not updating often anymore. Eventually I will give up, but for now, whoever reads this just be pleased that I haven't. I figure I've been writing in this thing for seven years, might as well make it to ten right? By then I'll be most of the way through law school and if I'm still doing this then...well then I don't know. I'll be even more insane than I am now? Anyway.

• Glee. That's all
• The LSAT went surprisingly well. In two weeks I will find out if those good feelings translate into a good score. I hope to god they do or I'll be going to Tulsa University.
• I saw The Social Network. I don't care if its accurate, all I know is that you should see it and all your friends should see it. It's just that awesome.
• Oh God won't the reading ever stop? Why???
• Wegmann's is a god among grocery stores. I still wish we had a Trader Joe's though. A girl can dream right?
• I did my first study abroad panel and the best memory I could come up with on the spot was seeing The 39 Steps. Next time it will be the Comedy Store and seeing Phill Jupitus in the flesh.
• At that same panel I described my living experience as "a unique British experience." Hopefully the audience didn't get the wrong idea.
• Terry Pratchett and Psych are extremely addicting. Avoid when you have many assignments due.
• Mark Ronson's new album is incredibly ace. I actually kind of wrote a review of it.
• Registration starts next week and I have one class left to decide on. Digital Storytelling or Art History II? That is the question that will be answered next week.

So that's all for now. Enjoy the length and I will update when I feel guilty again.

*Yes, I've gone back to calling him the ex. I blame his current happiness. I'm a very bitter person and hate it when he's happy. I'm only happy when he's miserable. This is why I'm going to become a cat lady in my later life.

A New Beatles/Kinks Theory

I've become kind of sort of obsessed with the AV Club over the past six months or so. And when I say kind of sort of obsessed what I mean is that I use as way to put off doing the shit ton of reading I need to do. One of the features of the AV Club is a section called "Coming Distractions" which is a bunch of trailers for TV shows and upcoming films. I only ever watch the trailers for films which is why I know the Smurfs movie is real and not just a gigantic ploy by the internet to make me sad. Today, while I was suppose to be working the media lab, I watched the trailer for a movie about John Lennon (before the Beatles) called Nowhere Boy. While I have many nitpicky problems with the trailer (which I will get into in the footnotes*) after not noticing anything about Cynthia Lennon, John's put upon first wife, and mentions of Hamburg, I went to the film's page and discovered that there was no entry for Cynthia. This irks me to a considerable degree and is probably the biggest problem I could have with the film. It also made me think about why the Beatles are so damn popular** while the Kinks are left to rot in obscurity (in the US.)*** And, after putting a selection of each band's music on shuffle I came up with a hypothesis (which is heavily influenced by the works of others, but whom I can't credit because I can't really point to who exactly was the influence. This however is probably not wholly original.) The songs the Beatles produced were a) highly generalizable (anyone in the Western world can relate to these songs) and fairly sexualized (which is always appealing no matter where you live.) The Kinks on the other hand are culture specific (most of their songs are only relatable if you are of working/middle class background [or have an affinity for that class] and have lived in England) and largely asexual (with a few minor exceptions including "Lola" for obvious reasons.) Add that to the mythos that surrounds the Beatles and the outgoingness of the lead singer/songwriters of the Beatles (especially compared to Ray Davies) and you have a pretty good explanation for why the Beatles will still be mostly popular fifty years from now and why only anglophiles will even know of the Kinks fifty years from now.****
In another piece of news I didn't mention yesterday, I saw a live performance of the famous Beethoven's famous ninth symphony. It was sufficiently awesome.
And now, back to not updating. I've got a book of Thucydides to read.

*The actor portraying John Lennon is way too good looking to be John Lennon. The accents aren't accurate (and I'm an American who shouldn't be able to tell that). The actor portraying Paul McCartney doesn't have enough fat on his face and his face is the wrong shape. Also his accent is an incredibly bland version of the Liverpudlian accent (which makes sense since he's from London, but still.) However it seems to have been filmed on location which makes me happy. Also, welcome back to footnotes!
**Not that I begrudge them their popularity (too much.) I'm a huge fan of the Beatles, I just think the Kinks need to be properly acknowledged by the world at large.
***The Kinks are only slightly less obscure in the UK where they are at least kind of acknowledged for their importance in British rock. The Who seem to get more credit for creating a distinctly British rock which is bullshit, but I won't go there.
****This is an exaggeration. But it's my blog so suck it.

Lyrics to Fill the Gap

Okay, so it's been a long time since I've updated. I'm not going to even pretend to catch up with what's been going on because that would be insane. For the most part I've been swamped with reading and other things, so this blog has dropped to fiftieth in my list of priorities (right after shaving and keeping my room tidy). However, thanks to repeated watchings of Glee I've found a new anthem for when I have to deal with my ex. It's not in any way accurate, but it makes me feel shiny so I don't give a damn. I will continue to not update, though I will try to inform this blog as to how my LSAT went (six days >_<) and other things that might come up. Just imagine me being a hermit reading and watching Law and Order: SVU. That really is my life at the moment. So here are the lyrics to tide you over.

I wake up every evening
With a big smile on my face
And it never feels out of place
And you're still probably working
At a nine to five pace
I wonder how bad that tastes

When you see my face
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
When you walk my way
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell

Now where's your picket fence love
And where's that shiny car
And did it ever get you far
You never seemed so tense love
I've never seen you fall so hard
Do you know where you are

And truth be told I miss you
And truth be told I'm lying

When you see my face
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
When you walk my way
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
If you find a man that's worth a damn and treats you well
Then he's a fool you're just as well
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell

Tomorrow you'll be thinking to yourself
Where'd it all go wrong?
But the list goes on and on

And truth be told I miss you
And truth be told I'm lying

When you see my face
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
When you walk my way
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
When you find a man that's worth a damn and treats you well
Then he's a fool, you're just as well
Hope it gives you hell

Now you'll never see
What you've done to me
You can take back your memories
They're no good to me
And here's all your lies
You can't look me in the eyes
With the sad, sad look
That you wear so well

When you see my face
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
When you walk my way
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
When you find a man that's worth a damn and treats you well
Then he's a fool you're just as well
Hope it gives you hell

When you see my face
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
When you walk my way
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
When you hear this song and you sing along but you never tell
Then you're the fool, I'm just as well
Hope it gives you hell

When you hear this song
I hope that it will give you hell

You can sing along
I hope that it puts you through hell

This is My Life at the Moment

There's a blog I follow, a fellow student, though she's in law school and lives in Singapore. She almost never updates I've always wondered what the point of having a blog if you never update. Now I understand. School has literally swamped me in reading. I had my first paper due today, but mostly I've been reading. And cursing my computer for being pooey. But mostly I've been reading and procrastinating on reading. Also cooking, but we'll get to that.
I always thought it would be fun to be a history major. I love history (a well documented fact) and so assumed that as with music, history would be easy. I was wrong. Once you hit a certain level (300) there's more reading than you shack a stick at and most of it is due all on the same day. I'm going to end up reading six books for British history, three books (plus a shit ton of articles) for French history, and about four books for ancient Greek history (also plus a shit ton of articles). That's in addition to papers for each class, eating, sleeping, and geology reading and labs. I'm only taking 15 credits, but it feels like 18. God only knows what 18 credits would feel like. I've never worked this hard in my life. Sure I've had to wait 22 years to get to this point, but a fact remains a fact. However I will get through this and come out the other side sane. I've been through worse right?
Now cooking. Having a real kitchen and being a grown up and all I decided this would be the year I would finally cook for myself. I have three cookbooks and CD of receipes that aren't in cook books. I've made mac and cheese, pork, and chicken risotto. Tonight I made pancetta and pasta. And set of the smoke detector in my building. After today (presentation, paper, class, radio station training, grocery shopping) the last thing I needed was being singled out for cooking. The dish, however, turned out beautifully, though I do miss high quality ingredients. No metallicy after taste with high quality ingredients. Still I'm very pleased with myself that I can cook this well and haven't actually burned down any houses (or apartment buildings.)
There's more reading in my future. A hell of a lot more reading. Which means infrequent updating. I will leave you with this last tidbit though, something to ponder while I'm away: The ex has a new beau and I made it patently clear that while I can be civil with him, I don't have to be nice. Also, rum makes awkward social situations slightly better.

Things I Did This Week

Here is not at all comprehensive list of things I have done thus far this week. Enjoy.

• Went home and wrote most of a personal statement with my sister's tutor. Enjoyed not having to cook for myself.
• Cut the side of my feet by walking 48,000 inches.* This is quite painful and will be the reason for another item on this list.
• Filled out law school applications. I also passed out letter of recommendation forms and transcript request forms to the correct people.
• Spelled Dr. Bartam's name incorrectly. There two A's.
• Cooked pork.
• Was highly amused by my fellow radio DJs.
• Learned how to "read" a topographic map. Kind of. Not really.
• Filled out more law school applications.
• Bought a dry erase board calendar and plotted out everything I have to read over the next month. It's quite a lot.
• Put up all of my tickets. They take up quite a lot of wall space.
• Avoided doing homework. Which is what I'm doing right now.
• Gave myself massive blisters on the bottom of my feet by walking on extremely hot pavement barefoot. This is seemed like a good idea before the massive blisters appeared.
• Went to the clinic and dumbfounded both the nurse and the doctor.

I'm going to study geology now. Tomorrow is the first sci-fi club meeting where I will get to give Ana a huge hug and moan a bit more about how much my feet hurt. There's a lesson to be learned in this small children: Do not walk barefoot on pavement when it's 96 degrees outside. Blisters will happen.

*48,000 inches = 4,000 feet = 0.768 miles = walking the length of my campus

Sheep

I'm currently trying to minimize the amount of battery I use because I don't want to move back to my desk. Yes, I am that lazy.
In other news it's almost the end of my first week and, as always, my first week has been insane. Picking up disability letters, trying to decide whether to take 18 credits or drop a class, passing out disability letters, talking to various offices, filling out paper work, and finding out that my old job as band aid was back on the market and I was the number one candidate for it. Per usual, this has left me feeling like a chicken with no head. And tomorrow is not going to be any better. I have more letter to pass out, pick up one last book, work the media lab (because that job never went away), and meet up with Mom so she can give me a rug and various kitchen utensils. This weekend I will be working with a tutor (my sister's tutor to be exact) on my personal statement. The only upside to all of this is that next week won't be insane and this weekend I get to consult with my Mom about cooking. That's the one nice thing about living in the apartments is that I can really cook for myself, which is much better than frozen diet meals.
So let's talk classes. I started out with Ancient Greek history, French history, anthropology, and geology. I will end the week with Ancient Greek history, French history, British history, and geology. Why the change? A) I don't tolerate egotists very well and b) as much as I don't love the working class people of Britain, I do love Britain and I would really like to know what happened after William the Orange landed with Mary. So instead of taking the relatively easy A (anthro) I went with the 15-20 page paper class (British history.) Thankfully my other two classes aren't requiring papers that long and I already have a topic in mind for said paper (the Kinks and depictions of the working class in the late 1960's.) My other non-science classes are equally interesting. Dr. O'Brien (Greek history) has a quirky sense of humor but is really enthusiastic about the topic so the fact that he went on a minor tangent about name origins, it works well. Dr. Harris, who I had for Western Civ. II, is his same dorky, enthusiastic self so I'm not worried about French history. I also have a friend in French history and that always helps. Actually, I have friends in each of my history classes, which is a plus since I feel really strange being in all of these upper level history class (300, 331, and 354, just for reference) and not being a history major. I keep having to remind myself that I do in fact belong in these classes and am capable of doing well in them. As I told a friend, if the school had history minors available to me, I would be one.
Of course what I'm not mentioning are my music classes. I'm only taking two this semester, chorus and band, and...nothing has changed. Prof. Tavenier has lost a lot of weight (kind of scary amount actually) and Dr. Bartrum hasn't changed an iota (except for losing a non-scary amount of weight.) The one change I dislike the most though is I had to audition for my position as first of the third clarinets. I dislike this greatly because I hate auditioning, especially for things where I already know the outcome. However, as I mentioned, I got my band aid job back, which is nice in it's own annoying way. I was kind of hoping to not have to deal with that particular stress this semester, but I'm good at setting up chairs, what can I say? While some things change a whole hell of a lot, some things never change.
Other updates:

• I had a civil conversation with Hunter without giving death glare the whole time. Trust me, this is an improvement.
• I will most likely be having my radio shows on Thursday nights because that is the most convenient time for me. And as much as I could plan my life around what's on TV, some things are more important.
• Yogurt and chocolate chips is the best dessert that won't make me feel guilty about having dessert. Actual best desserts include pie, cake, and ice cream.

That's it my friends. There's a slim hope that I will have most of a first draft of my personal statement done by the time I get back to school from sojourn home. And now that I'm down to 15% battery power remaining, I think I'll call it a night. Don't panic.

Have a Great Senior Year

Alright, so it's been a while. Longer than a week in fact. But I'll have you know that I was on vacation last week and therefore I didn't have time to update. This was largely because it was the best beach vacation I've ever been on and therefore was spending my time having a great time. So yeah, that's my excuse for not updating for two week. But I'm updating now and that's what's important.
It's my senior year. Of college. Unsurprisingly I'm freaking the frak out. And then I miss the reason I was suppose to move back early and then I see Hunter. So right now I want a TARDIS so I can go back home and be there for a little while longer. I'm very ambivalent about this whole situation and I'm tired from moving today. So as much as I would like to write more about this situation, I'm just going to say this: I wish I didn't have to be a responsible adult anymore. And I would like to stay in my room and watch TV forever.
I will try and have a more coherent entry after my first week of classes. If not then...well yeah. Stuff.

Something Over Nothing/LSAT Is Dead Long Live LSAT

August already? Really? Good lord...
In other news I've gotten my third comment on an entry I wrote 3 years ago. First of all, the people who've commented on this entry (and yes I deleted one of the comments because it was just beyond dumb) obviously have only ever read that one entry and so don't realize that I've moved beyond high school. Second of all, it was 3 years ago. Who gives a fuck what I wrote three years ago when I was in a really bad mood. Which leads to my third point: I was in a horrible mood when I wrote that entry. I had actually written an entry two days previously apologizing for any behaviour that offended. If these people had actually read more than one entry of my blog, they'd probably realize that, that really old entry is not typical. I've gained control of my faculties and no longer write that kind of thing in this or any other blog. So now that I've gotten that off my chest, shall we move on? Yes, let us move on.
My LSAT class is over, but the agony and stress of applying to law school and taking the real LSAT have not gone away. I'm in my last week at WPFW and then the fam and I are off to the beach for what will hopefully be a fun vacation. My dad's older brother, wife, daughter and possibly her boyfriend will be joining us this year which means that the normal crazy that occurs when will be less. It won't go away, but it won't be prominent. And I've got LSAT studying to do, so there's always that excuse. After the beach I have three days at home which will involve all of the following things: packing, getting my hair dyed, packing, getting my eyes checked, my last clarinet lesson, packing, packing, and more packing. Then, after those three days, I'll be going back to school. It's kind of freaky to think about, especially given how close I am to graduating, but I'm more focused on the whole LSAT/law school thing, so the fact that I'm a senior is less in focus. I can focus on being a senior once my life after UMW is figured out.
One last thing. I have a new ultra shiny green computer. My Mom has inherited my old computer and is working on making it not suck to which I say, bully for you crazy lady. I'm happy with my new lovely computer and hopefully it will last a little bit longer than my last one. Until next time, don't panic.

It's the Little Things

It's been ten days. I guess an update is in order.
After some minor/major stresses over the past ten days, I'm reaching a calm place within myself which is a welcome change from being stressed all the time (damn you LSAT!). That doesn't mean the stress has exited entirely (damn you LSAT!), but at least some of the more minor stresses have been taken care of. Which leads me to my small list of nice things that have happened to me over the past 24 hours that have helped me to reach this calm space.

• Getting through an entire logic game without going "how the frak do the expect me to answer this?" Granted that was followed by a game that I couldn't figure out to save my life, but at least I got one without any problems. That's a huge improvement for me.
• Getting complemented on my new haircut by two different guys (one possibly gay, one old as the hills).

Yes, it's a very short list, but at least it's something.
Otherwise my life has been pretty much the same. LSAT, trying to get some clarinet practice in, LSAT, volunteering at WPFW, and LSAT. One other highlight from the past 48 hours is that I will get to move in early at school, thus completing my four year streak of getting to move in early. Which is always nice. And now that I've completely lost the thread of this entry I'll end it here. Until next time.

I Never Wanted to be a Lawyer

Now that it's officially been a "long time" since I last updated (which I warned all of you would happen) I suppose I should give some kind of update. I'm continuing to update my list of unspoken commuter rules (which includes walking up and down the correct side of the escalator and generally not being an idiot) and worrying constantly that I'm not going to get into law school and will be forced to become a hobo (or something along those lines). Mostly I'm worried about my personal statement because what do I say? I'm a music major who's decided to become a lawyer because...because? Yeah, that's really part of the problem. I have no idea what I want to do as a lawyer. I know I want to work in intellectual property and that I want to deal with entertainment (which means trademark and copyright, not patents really). I also I know I'm a music major which makes the whole process of writing this personal statement more complicated because I somehow have to explain how my major relates to being a lawyer. So, I want to be a lawyer because...and I'm a music major and that will help me be a lawyer because...
And then there's the gunner in my prep class. Who's constantly worried which makes me more worried because how am I (the music major) suppose to remain calm when the gunner (a pre-law student) isn't?
Mostly though I'm just trying to fit everything into 24 hours. Homework, class, WPFW, sleeping, eating, and practicing. It might not seem like a lot, but it is really. Especially the sleeping part. That takes up many, many hours. In any event I probably won't update again for awhile. You know how it is.

Whatever Let's You Sleep

There's is a thing I have learned about my mother, a thing that drives me insane, that makes me hate myself and makes me hate her even more. When she's gotten on her high horse, when she is just absolutely certain that she's right and everyone else is wrong, it's best not to argue or show any kind of emotion that might make her think you're arguing with her. It's pointless because the minute you try to disprove her, to point out the blindingly obvious flaws in her argument, she starts yelling even louder than before (and this is a woman who's inside voice is the same as most people's outside voice) and it will just make what is already a painful experience that much worse. Sure, I lie awake in bed not able to get to sleep because I want so badly to argue my point, or at least get the opportunity to argue my point. And yes, this aggravating habit makes me want to run away and never come back and never talk to her ever again. But this is how she has been my entire life. She won't change and I argued most of my childhood and it got me absolutely nowhere. I just have to get this final thing off my chest though: There is a difference between turning on a personal computer without any kind of permission and turning on a computer widely available to the entire family having been given blanket permission to use it. It's a huge difference and cannot be ignored because of the location of said personal computer. So fuck you bitch, it's my goddamn computer and I expect to be treated with respect. So leave my fucking computer alone and don't fucking turn it on without my goddamn permission. Just fucking call me and I'll say yes.
This, along with a number of other things, is why I want to go to law school out of state, even if that means living the rest of my life in debt. I can't live here for another three fucking years.

Too Busy, Can't Write

Told you I wouldn't be updating much. I've uber busy/dealing with the fact that my computer is as close to being useless as a computer can be. Honestly, I'm just writing this to prove that a) I'm alive and b) I haven't forgotten about my blog(s). Expect more silence over the coming weeks (at least until my LSAT class is over) unless something major happens. Like a meteorite crash or the US making it through the first round of the World Cup. Oh wait, one of those things actually happened. Anyway, just expect sporadic updates until August. And then expect sporadic updates after August because I'll still be studying for the LSAT and I'll be getting ready for my last year of college. :freaks out completely: And now back to writing questions for Gloria.

Busy Bee

I think my computer's dying. I've had it for many, many years (nearly as long as this blog actually) but I'm still attached this old thing and would be very sad if it is in fact dying. Either that or Symantec has f-ed it up entirely and therefore it's not dying, it's just very, very sick, which is still annoying. As I repeatedly told my Mom has she tried to make everything all better, all I want is for my computer to work and for it not to die. I have three babies (computer, clarinet, Zune) and I'm only happy when they all work and the fact that one of them isn't working properly makes me sad. Like right now, which is why I just want my computer to be better.
In other news I've decided to catch up on the fifth season of Lost. I watched the series finale and since Hulu is streaming the first five seasons until the end of the year (and I have nothing going on on Mondays and Tuesdays during the day) I figured, why not watch the fifth season? If I'm really bored I'll watch the whole thing from the beginning, but with my LSAT class giving me homework and a clarinet to practice I don't know if I'll have time to watch that much TV. Though we are talking about me, so you never know, I just might do it. We shall see.
So that's it. LSAT prep class on Tuesdays and Saturdays, clarinet lessons on Mondays, and work the rest of the non-Sundays (aka Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.) It's good, I like keeping busy, at least when I'm at home. It keeps me away from the things that are wrong and can't be fixed in this house. So I'll keep busy, which probably means I won't be updating as much. But, as always, we shall see.

Back At Home

It's amazing how quickly you can slip back into a life. I've been home nearly a week and it feels like I never left. Granted the pile of winter clothing on my floor would beg to differ on that point, but the ease of which I've slipped back into the daily motions of my life here at home just seems ridiculous. I'm waiting to hear from Gloria and save for taking clarinet lessons and a LSAT prep course, this summer will be exactly like last summer. Despite spending five and a half months in a foreign country, it feels like nothing has changed. Except for the law school thing. Other than that, nothing's changed.
Obviously though, that's not true. Lots of things have changed, including my life plan and taste in music (kind of.) Everyone I know agrees that I'm more mature and more self reliant than I was before I left for London, though as with anything having to do with my own maturity I don't really believe that. I'm definitely more world weary and more prepared for life outside the comfortable life I lead with the help of my parents. I also know how to deal with airport security which is nothing to sniff at in my opinion.
And what about London? It wasn't what I expected. I think that largely had to do with the people I was roomed with for the first half of the semester and less to do with the actual city. I've often ruminated on this point and I honestly think that if I'd either been enrolled in a different program or had been housed differently to begin with, the way I experienced London would have been completely different. Despite what the British may want people to think the class system is alive and well and if you live in London that system gets shoved down your throat in a rather uncomfortable way every day, especially outside of central London. That isn't to say happiness can't be found in the city, you just have to be in the right place and around the right people (which entirely depends on your economic status or the what socioeconomic status you're use to mingling with.) A lot of what I did in London was amazing and hopefully that's what I'll remember in ten years time and for the rest of my life.
I'm glad to be home though. I like the life I have here and certainly appreciate it more than I use to (for the most part.) And maybe now that I'm home I'll start updating a bit more often. Maybe.

This Week

Right, it's been a week and I have five days left in London. It's a bit surreal to be honest, despite the inevitable mailing that will occur tomorrow (all my sweatshirts, all of the presents for those who don't live with me, my posters, the rest of the large-ish teddy bears) and the fact that I've packed up all my mugs and everything else in my room is, bit by bit, getting put away either in my duffel bag or my carry on. Still, I haven't been resting on my laurels or moping in my room about my departure on Tuesday. No, I've been out and about getting in my last trips both in the southern part of England and in London. There will be more trips in London tomorrow, but for now I'm going to talk about a couple of stand out moments from the last seven days.
So I'm going to admit it: I bailed on Miike Snow. I printed out the ticket but when the time came to leave for the gig, I decided that I just didn't want to spend 3 hours rubbing shoulders (literally) with a bunch of hipsters. I like Miike Snow's music, but the majority of the people who were going to be at that concert are exactly the kind of people who have made my London experience less than brilliant. So I stayed home and relaxed, which given the week I've had was probably a good idea.
The next night however I didn't bail on seeing the Hertfordshire Choir perform Mozart's Requiem. It was an amazing performance and so Mozartian that at points I just had to smile and go "Aaah Mozart. So distinctive, so pattern oriented." I had a nice dinner and in general a nice night out. However to all future composers: Don't try and mix modern music with scientific theories and moral concepts. Especially where lyrics are involved. It doesn't work.
Monday I mailed things. I had grander plans, but after I found out that I would be spending hard cash to mail everything, grander plans went out the window.
Tuesday I went to Brighton and while the weather was nice and I got some good pictures, it was a bit disappointing to be honest. I went to the Pier, but none of the rides were opened and for me, that was the whole point. Sure the Royal Pavilion was beautiful and opulent and well worth the time, but it's not why I went to Brighton. I went to Brighton to have fun on the pier. Still, at least I can say I've been there (like I can say I've been to Leeds, Cardiff, Liverpool, Glasgow, Bath, Winchester, Salisbury, York, Canterbury, Greenwich, Penzance, Windsor, Stonehenge, and Dover.)
Speaking of Dover, that's where I went today. It was over cast the entire time, I couldn't find the restaurant my Mom found for me (I walked past where it was multiple times though without knowing it, which annoys me even more), and it took 35 minutes to get from the White Cliffs (National Trust shop site) to the Dover Priory train station (which means it probably took about 30 minutes to get from the town centre to the cliffs). Once I was at the White Cliffs, the views were amazing, but again, it was over cast and chilly. Not a great day for viewing needless to say. However the day was redeemed because I got a crepe and the book my grandmother wanted me to get for her at St. Pancras. However the some of my flatmates are being obnoxious, but I only have a few more days of said obnoxiousness.
I still have to make up my mind about what I'm doing tomorrow, but I do know that the morning will be devoted to spending a great hairy wad of money to send off the last of my sending off things. It annoys me, but the post office doesn't take credit cards (well American credit cards) so I have no choice. I might be getting my hair done or I might be shopping and going to the Eye. All I know is that I'm having dinner with Amanda and a friend of her's, so part of my evening is taking care of. I also know that on Saturday I'm going to a cinema theater to watch Dr. Strangelove: or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb because I haven't seen it all the way through and it seems like a good movie to see on the big screen. In the next entry I will talk about my undying love for Glee and the Comedy Store. But that's next time. Until then, don't panic.

Nice Things

I had something nice happen to me today. This is not to say that nice things don't happen to me, it's just to say that one of those nice things happened today. I ran into one of my former music radio classmates Jade. It's been ages since I'd seen her and while we only had the briefest of conversations* she said it was really nice to have met me and gave me a hug. I haven't gotten many hugs while I've been here but one of the things I missed the most during the low point that was the majority of February and March were hugs. I have a friend** at UMW who is a big hugger and while I missed getting hugs from my family I missed getting random hugs from Joe. So, in short, getting a hug from one of the only British people I'll remember fondly was really nice.
So while I've been in London, and in general really, I've been remiss on updating you guys on the music world. This is because I've stopped checking NME.com like a crazy person and rely entirely on the AV Club. I don't know if this is for the best, but it is the way it is. However I read a news item on the AV Club that I had to immediately report which reminded me that I have another news item from a couple of weeks ago that also needs to be written up here. The first item is about George Harrison and a docu about him being directed by Martin Scorsese. I have to admit that after reading two biographies on the Beatles George has become my favourite by a long shot. This is because I will always prefer the underdog and George, at least in the Beatles, was the underdog (and no, Ringo doesn't count, he's just sad.) So the fact that there's going to be a documentary on him that could possible feature demo-ed songs from when he was in the Beatles makes me start salivating. In fact my reaction was "I want now." Sadly, we have to wait until 2011. The other news items pertains to Brandon Flowers forthcoming solo album (aka the end of the Killers). I loved the Killers first album. I liked one of the tracks from their 3rd album. I hated their second album. However I really like Jenny Lewis so the idea of Brandon Flowers dueting with Jenny Lewis makes me slightly interested in hearing this solo album. As the AV Club would say, I'm cautiously optimistic.
So that's it. I've got 11 days left and two music performances in a row. I also have rugby shirts to buy for myself and my Dad. Until then, don't panic.

*In short: "Hey! When are you leaving?" "Hey, in a week and a half" "Oh, well I probably won't see you again, but it was really nice meeting you" "Yeah, you too" "Bye" "Bye"
**Loghman, who I've friended on Facebook, had a really strange definition for friend that I've since adopted. So technically Joe isn't a friend, he's an acquaintance. But unlike Loghman, I make exceptions to this strange definition.

Tanning in the English Rain

I got a sunburn. I'm known for being suspiciously pale and whenever photos are taken of me next to my Mom's younger sister's kids (otherwise known as my aunt's kids) I look like a freakin' albino (save for the dark hair.) So getting a sunburn isn't exactly something I like getting. However, because this is just how my brain works, I immediately thought of the couplet in "I Am the Walrus" dealing with English rain:

Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun
If the sun don't come you get a tan from standing in the English rain

Of course now said sunburn is itching like a mofo, so the damn thing isn't nearly amusing as it was before it started itching. But how did I get a sunburn you might ask? From riding in an open top double decker bus, that's how. So let's talk Penzance.
After the stress of my final week of classes I decided that going to Dublin would have been too much. After canceling all of my tickets and booking a room in a lovely guest house, it was decided that I would be going to Penzance, best known for being really near Lands End and its pirates. It's also very close to the shore and I thought, what better way to de-stress from a stressful week than by spending some time by the seaside? Well my supposition proved correct and Penzance was just what I needed. While I didn't spend that much time in the actual town, the entire trip was not only incredibly restful but also incredibly beautiful. I visited my final Tate at St. Ives (excellent, though not as fun as Liverpool) and then took a very bumpy and amusing ride to Lands End. The roads in the part of Cornwall I was visiting narrow and aren't really meant for more than one car. Granted there aren't a great many people driving around the area, so the narrow roads aren't that much of a problem. Unless you're a great big bus and have several small cars heading your way. Then you get to do a little dance, which is highly amusing to watch from the top of said great big bus. Sure the wind whipped my eyes quite a bit and I somehow ended up with a sunburn, but I had a great time in Penzance and kind of wish I could have stayed a bit longer.
I've got 12 days left. It's a bit daunting and a bit surreal at the same time. I keep telling people that it doesn't seem that long ago I was landing in London and freezing to death in Paddington waiting to move into my home away from home. I'm looking forward to going home though (not excited about packing, never excited about packing) and seeing everyone after such a long time. Especially my woofies. Oh there were so many cute dogs in Penzance. So until next time, don't panic.

Waterloo Sunset At Last

I'm done. And no not in the "I can't put up with this anymore" way. I've felt that way for awhile now actually. No, I mean I'm officially and finally done with all of my classes. The last two days were incredibly stressful (and not just because I had to write two papers that were due on the same day). The past week in fact has been incredibly stressful because of the three papers I had to write. And then there was birthday. So let's start there and move forward.

Birthday!
I haven't really done anything special for my birthday for the past couple of years because school lets out a week before my birthday and so all of the people I would invite to a birthday party are in other states. That and I'm not use to really having birthday parties for people outside my family. You could say I'm out of practice. But since I don't really have a lot of family over here I decided that I would take my only friend here out for pizza. Amanda and I shared a pepperoni pizza at the place my Mom and I found near Holborn and I had a nice glass of red wine with it. We talked about how weird it was to think that our time in London was almost over and wondering what the heck we are going to do with all the stuff we're not bringing home with us (Oxfam!). It was really nice all in all. Then I went home and opened some really lovely pressies. I got two QI DVDs from my Dad's parents, a CD of accordion music from my Mom's older sister, and a lot of other really nice things (books, more DVDs and a blouse to be specific.) I talked to my Mom and Dad on the phone and then I talked to my sister on her cellphone. It was, all in all, a much better birthday than I was expecting.

Papers
Then the paper writing started. Actually it was more like, I spent a day "researching" and then on Wednesday and Thursday I wrote papers. I had spent Monday morning finishing my marketing paper even though it wasn't due until Wednesday because I wanted as much time to focus on my other two papers as possible. I spent most of Wednesday writing my law paper and then most of Thursday writing my incredibly crappy and awful Art and Society paper. I really didn't like that paper. The law paper was better though largely because I felt more secure in what I was doing. The marketing paper was not brilliant, but passable and that's all I care about with that class. It was a huge relief to get them done though. I had spicy beef pho for dinner with a beer and strawberry with "fresh" basil sorbet for dessert which was even nicer than getting the papers done.

Friday
For my birthday my Mom's parents gave me a considerable amount of money. I felt very fortunate to have such nice grandparents and decided that on Friday I would spend it on a nice shirt/sweater combo at White Stuff, my new favourite place to buy clothing. So after a relaxing morning (sort of) I went to Spitalfields, had lunch at Crepe Affair (my favourite crepe place in the whole world outside of Paris) and went to White Stuff. I got a cute orange shirt and a striped blue/light green sweater to go with. I felt very pleased with purchases and with some time to spare I wandered around the stalls before finding a stall that sold really cute mens cardigans. I proceeded to purchase one even though it just about emptied me out. Then, in my big plan for the day, I went and saw a movie. The movie, highly recommended by Time Out, was La Danse and was about the Paris Opera Ballet. As I told my Mom it was more a visual stream of consciousness than a documentary with a story to tell (or at least a story in the traditional sense.) It was a beautiful and fascinating movie and I'm very pleased I didn't chicken out on seeing it.

Winchester, Salisbury, Waterloo
I wanted to go to Solsbury Hill. It turns out Solsbury Hill is nowhere near Salisbury is nowhere near Solsbury Hill, despite the fact that when spoken they basically sound the same. However I did see two more cathedrals (Winchester and Salisbury) and got spend some more quality time on trains looking out at the British country side. There's something inherently peaceful about the country side that I appreciate deeply. The cathedrals themselves reminded me of many of the other cathedrals I've seen, though Winchester was less impressive than Salisbury (and none of them compare to Canterbury.) The weather was off and on, though there was no real rain, which was good since I forgot my umbrella. After making my way back to Waterloo station I decided to take advantage of the nice weather in London and take pictures from Waterloo Bridge while listening to "Waterloo Sunset" by the Kinks. This has been a goal of mine basically since I got here so getting to do that, while dorky, was fulfilling. Then I went home in a tranquil state and watched the second to last episode (ever) of Ashes to Ashes on the BBC iPlayer. I'm going to miss that piece of software after I leave this country. It's so legal.

So that's it for me. I've got two more weeks in the UK and on my itinerary I've got Penzance (where hopefully there will be no pirates), Brighton, Dover, the Eye, the Imperial Museum, and some quality time in Hyde Park. It's not particularly ambitious but I do have to pack at some point. Also, next week I'm seeing Miike Snow and the LSO perform Mozart's Requiem. And hopefully getting a haircut at some point. Until next time, don't panic

I Don't Like This Paper

I can't decide whether I work better in the library or in my room. I've written the majority of my papers this semester in my room, but I've also written a couple in the library and I can't figure out if I concentrate better in my room or in the library. Sure, there are technically less distraction in the library and so I probably finish the papers quicker in the library than in my room. However I feel more relaxed in my room which I think makes my writing more coherent and just better overall. Granted I also think that my attention span is better when I actually care even an iota about what I'm writing about. For instance, I don't really care about portraiture and yet here I am writing a paper about portraiture and how it reflect society. I'm almost certain that even with a lengthy introduction and conclusion I'm not going to reach the target number of words, even a modified version of the target number of words. But I just don't care anymore. I want these classes to be over and I want this experience to be over. I want to go home. But I can't go home until these papers are done and that means I have to write about something I could care less about. At least with the law paper I actually cared a little bit. With this paper I don't even give a damn. If it were up to me, I wouldn't write it at all. But I know I must and I've grown up enough to realize that avoiding isn't the best way to deal with things I don't like. So here I am, writing a paper I don't want to write in a country that I would like to leave as soon as possible. Well either leave the country or move to another part of the city, one that's less annoying and loud.
Really though, I just don't want to write this paper whatsoever.

I Completely Forgot You Where Here

While in London I've done a good amount of solo dining. Taking into account that I don't eat out every night and that I've been to a number of the same restaurants more than once, I've been to a good number of restaurants in a variety of locals throughout the city. Solo dining however is not the easiest. Dining in London, in general, is not a quick affair due largely to the entire waiting service of the city being very well trained in the art of not looking at their costumers. With a larger group, or a small group with one particularly vocal member, is more likely to get attention than a small group with no vocal members. It's even worse for someone dining by themselves. However, despite the above description, I haven't had that bad a time in my dining experiences. I believe this is in part because I go to restaurants of a high-ish caliber and I tend to frequent restaurants that are short on space and therefore paying attention to me means getting a table free quickly for two people who will spend more than I ever could. For the most part I've enjoyed my dining experiences both in London and throughout the UK. Last night though I hit rock bottom at a restaurant recommended, oddly enough, by Zagat. I was effectively ignored for the entire time and my original waiter, who went off shift after placing my order, admitted that he had forgotten I was there. The risotto I had was undercooked and a bit bland to be honest. However the pinot grigio I had was lovely. Last night though, in my mind, was the bottom of the barrel in terms of London restaurant service. As I stated, I've mostly been pleased with the service I've received and the food I've eaten while in London. But for anyone who's has plans to eat in London, even if it's with other people, be aware of how the service works here. It's nothing like in the US and can take a while to get use to, but is ultimately worthwhile. London may not have the best food in the world, but it does pretty damn well and whole lot better than people give it credit. Granted, I'm not talking about English food. That's a whole other story.

Fuzzy Brain

Edit: I didn't get the internship at Sirius XM. Still, at least I got to the interview part and the whole process was quick like ripping off a band-aid which is better than with NPR. And I still have WPFW to return to, so it's not like I'm at a loss for things to do. Better luck next time I say.

If you've been reading this blog for more than a year, you probably know the following facts about me:

• I'm an anglophile
• I've had a minor obsession with a number of male singers
• QI is my number one lifeline

Another leading fact about me is that I don't really pay attention to politics. I'm aware of what's going on around the world because my parents wouldn't let me be that ignorant, but I don't read a newspaper every day, watch a news program (except during the summer when I can't help it), or listen to news radio. However, the British recently held an election, one that was really hard to ignore even for me. The result of the election was a hung parliament which means that there's still a chance that the Cyborgs* could come into power and do severe damage to a fragile country. As I mentioned at the beginning of this ramble, I don't really care about politics. It's depressing, even though it's getting slightly less so in the US, but not much. However, I really like the UK and I don't want to have to ban myself from it because of this election (which is what will happen if the Cyborgs get power). This was meant to be more coherent, but this is what happens when my brain stops focusing, which it hasn't been doing for awhile now.
In other news I'm in love with Glee and Kurt. He's so wonderful and the show is so ridiculous sometimes, it's like critically lauded crack. It fills the gap that Gossip Girl use to fill but since that show has sadly gone to seed and so I'm glad I have back up now. Again, this was meant to be longer and more coherent, but my brain seriously can't focus, though it doesn't have to do with Glee. That show just makes me giddy, not unfocused.
That's it really. I have PEO and Macbeth tomorrow and then it's the epic paper writing spree of 2010. Also my birthday on Monday which means I get to open all the packages that have been accumulating. So until next time, don't panic.

*The conservatives. Cameron doesn't look human to me, so I've labeled the whole party cyborgs. It's not mature, but they aren't my politicians.

Interview, Julian Barret, Brian May

I just* finished my first real interview ever. It was for an internship with Sirius XM in their music programming department. In case you've ever wondered, the biggest surprise about me is not that I'm obsessed with Glee but that I like sci-fi (like Star Trek and Star Wars). :hits head against desk repeatedly: I need all of you to think nice things and keep your fingers crossed for the next two weeks because it would be super awesome if I got this internship. However don't feel the need to hold your breath as well, I don't want to be responsible for any deaths.
In other news my grandparents arrived with only minor** delays and because it just made sense I spent the weekend with them. As far as I can tell a good time was had by all, especially when my great-aunt Hina showed us every program she has recorded from Japanese television. Here are some more highlights in bullet point form (because we all know how much I love bullet points).

• Julian Barret was spotted at the second to last performance of Spymonkey's Moby Dick gathering new ideas for the next series of The Mighty Boosh. My suggestion would be to rip off the whole thing and claim it as theirs. It could work.
• Brian Fraking May. And a chorus of 1,000 people. But more importantly Brian Fraking May.
• Sweet Charity is possibly the sweetest musical about a dance hall hostess ever. Despite the undercurrents of cynicism and prostitution it really is a sweet play. Too bad she doesn't get the guy because he's an idiot. Anyway.
• London's perfect weather went away. I suspect it was upset with TfL as well and decided to spend the bank holiday in Europe.
• It's exactly a week until I am no longer half of the answer to life, the universe, and everything. I will accept late presents. Or mailing tubes for posters. Either is fine.

Well that's it. This week is fairly boring. I have PEO on Saturday and I'm seeing the Scottish Play that same night. I've decided that I'm going out for dinner for my b-day, I just have to figure out which restaurant location I'm going to drag Amanda to. That's the problem with having one's birthday on a Monday and having three papers due two days later: You can't really big it up. So until next time, don't panic.***

*When I say "just" what I mean is about 15 minutes ago. I had to talk to my Dad first and it takes awhile to write these things, despite evidence to the contrary.
**If minor is a two hour delay from 11pm to 1am. Then they had minor delays.
***I should have mentioned HHGG. However I was trying desperately to avoid mentioning DW, so that whole section of my brain shut down. Oh well.

Trains and APD

Transport for London (TfL) and I currently have a love/hate relationship. I love them when they make the trains run on time and everything is going smoothly (which is most of the time) and hate them when they close of my Underground access to central London (which occurs on a nearly weekly basis.) Sometimes the closures aren't so bad. For instance, they'll only close the Metropolitan around where I live but the Bakerloo line (which is just a 10 minute walk from me) will remain open the entire weekend. Other times the Metropolitan will be closed one day and the Bakerloo the other day. Or the Metropolitan is closed both days of the weekend, but the Bakerloo is open on Saturday so I can still get into the city, even if it's not from the most convenient location. And then you have weekends like the one I'm about to encounter where all the lines that can get me into the city are closed. Thankfully my grandparents are in town and staying at a flat in zone 1 and I'm staying over from Friday to Saturday, but Amanda and I have plans (and have had these plans since March) for Sunday afternoon in the city. The Bakerloo is shut down as is the Metropolitan. These kind of shut downs only seem to happen on bank holidays (and Easter oddly enough), so it's not as though it happens every weekend (then I would have serious issues), but it's highly annoying anyway. I don't think I would mind so much if didn't have plans on Sunday, but these closures effect more people than me. It effects everyone outside of zones 1 and 2 to be honest and the fact that TfL doesn't seem to have an issue with cutting people outside those zones off is a problem in and of itself. I know they need to get these tracks fixed and spiffed up for the Olympics, but it shouldn't be to the detriment of those people who live outside of central London. Especially people who live outside of central London who have plans to go into central London.
In a completely unrelated topic, many, many moons ago I mentioned that I have auditory processing disorder. While I have a really hard time explaining it to people not trained in special education, this past Tuesday the New York Times had an article on APD in the health section of its Science section. The article does an absolutely brilliant job of describing what APD is and how it effects both the scholastic and social aspects of their lives. As a person with this disorder I'm glad it's getting this attention because, despite what some people might think, it's not a well known learning disability and often gets short shrift in comparison to the bigger name disabilities like ADHD and dyslexia.

More Culture

So this past week I went to three very different shows. However, in the time honoured tradition of Nore not actually reviewing anything, I'm just going to say what I went to and whether I liked it or not. Also any highlights from the production will be included.
First up we have another visit to the Comedy Store which was better than first because they were all professionals. Granted it was a very different format (improv vs. stand-up) but the highlight, beyond the penguin farm opera/musical/mystery/Bollywood sketch, was Phill Jupitus. He's probably one of my favourite comedians and at this point is the sole reason I still watch Never Mind the Buzzcocks (sorry Noel, you're just better with a script). The entire show was absolutely hilarious, but the things that stick in my head, besides the penguin farm bit, was the sketch that incorporated the three following elements: sci-fi, talking sheep, Mars, and music. Absolutely brilliant. If I get another chance to go to the Comedy Store I definitely will.
Unforunately Private Lives, written by Noel Coward and starring Kim Cattrall and Mr. Darcy (2005 film)/Keeley Hawes' husband wasn't as good. Sure the lines were pithy which is what you would expect, but the two leads had little to no chemistry (which isn't a good thing in a rom-com) and Kim Cattrall's attempt at a British accent came across as a screechy parody of Brits in 1920's films. It wasn't bad and the supporting cast were very good, but you'd kind of hope that such famous leads would be better.
Finally, there was "Cinderella" as performed by the National Royal Ballet. It was beautiful and a joy to watch, even way, way up high. The Prince's hair was a bit creepy, but the dancers were amazing and the music (which was live!) was beautiful, though oddly sad for such an, ultimately, happy story. My one complaint, and it is a very minor one, is that there were no frogs. While I'm absolutely certain my ballet school was just trying their hardest to give me roles in our productions, but not seeing any animal (frog) attendants during the transformation scene was a bit disappointing. And, coincidentally, Keeley Hawes and some friends were at the same performance as me, though probably in seats with armrest and a slightly better view. Aaah, the wonders of Twitter.
Well that's it. My grandparents are actually visiting this week (damn you Icelandic volcano) and I'm seeing Sweet Charity and "A Night of 1,000 Voices" which has as its theme this year Stephen Sondheim, which should be good. I'm still waiting on my law paper to be marked, but I'm none too worried unless he's the toughest grader known to man or I really screwed up. Until next time, don't panic.

My Signature Has Been Questioned Once Again

It's drizzling. I think drizzle is the weather's way of saying "You should really stay indoors and finish watching that episode of Bones you started." But my food is here and because I'm "saving" up for London by using my parent's credit card as often as possible, I have to sign my name on the dotted line. For a couple of years my signature had been devolving into more of a scrawl, largely because of situations like these. I have to sign for my take away and signing for things outside of a dorm means no flat places and a desperate urge to get back to the comfort of my room. So what once looked like a full name now looks like a scribble. When I first started doing it, it was meant to be my initials, but really it's just a "B" in an artful scribble. So that's the story behind my signature. Time constraints, bad weather, and paused TV shows. And now I must ask, can everyone stop questioning my scribble and just move on? I mean honestly, asking me to sign a receipt twice is unnecessary.

London, I Love You

I realized something as I made my way from my dorm to the Comedy store. As much as I wouldn't give my entire experience in London a gold star, I continue to really love the city itself. I actually came up with a list of all the things (and the numerous restaurants/cafes) I'm going to miss when I go home on June 1st. That's what really hit me last night, all the things I've gotten used to that I'm going to miss. Sure, there are lots of things I won't miss :cough:evil former flatmates, Euro-trash, rail closures:cough:, but I think there's more that I will miss and those are things that I'll remember 10 years down the line (as well as the evil former flatmates.)
Anyway, I just wanted to say that. My marketing teacher is an idiot (there are no classes on my birthday, just exams!!) but the paper for that class has be pushed back which is nice. Though that means I have three papers all due within three days of each other which kind of really sucks. Oh well, c'est la vie. I will give a review of my theatre experiences on Sunday. Until then (or whenever I actually update next) don't panic.

It's So Pretty When It's Sunny

When I first started looking at Westminster, I looked at Harrow. The reason for this was that I was applying only to classes that were based at the Harrow campus and so I assumed (quite rightly) that I would be living on that campus. So I looked up Harrow on Wikipedia and found out there's a fancy boy's school located in the town. Then I actually came here and found out that the campus was actually closer to Kenton than the boy's school. However I knew about Eton well before then, but after finding out about the Harrow School (aka the fancy boy's school in Harrow-on-the-Hill), I discovered that the Harrow School is Eton's main competition. As often happens with me, I've become very protective of this school I've only seen from the outside and could never afford to go to. Which is why I can say, with no bias whatsoever, that Eton is plug ugly compared to Harrow. Sure, the town it's in is slightly prettier than Harrow (but only a little bit), but the actual school is ugly. Yeah, I don't care that it's old as the hills and that Harrow is young in comparison (Eton = 1440, Harrow = 1572), but Harrow is still prettier and when it comes to these things, I just care if they're pretty. This is probably why I liked Windsor Castle and the town of Windsor so much. Both are extremely pretty. It's hard to say anything else about Windsor Castle because it was just. So. Pretty. There was one room with wallpaper the perfect shade of green and another that had the perfect shade of red. Another room had the most ridiculous amount of gold gilding on everything. It was exactly what you'd expect a castle to look like. And of course I couldn't take pictures of the State apartments, the prettiest part, but I did get pictures of the moat garden and the Royal Chapel. And to top things off, the weather was perfect. 60 degrees and sunny the entire day. Aaron Eackhart was our* tour guide again and the most gorgeous man alive (aka the German one) was in our group. It was a perfect way to spend a Saturday morning/afternoon.
In other news my new flat is working out much better than my last one. There's a reasonable amount of noise before 11pm, but by the time I want to go to bed, everything has quieted down. However the train freaks me out every once in a while, but then I remind myself that it's a train, not a loud party about to happen. Also it's the last week of classes, which is odd to think about. Granted there's two weeks of "independent study" and then another two weeks of exams, so the fact that I'm not going home until the beginning of June does make sense in its own way. The fact that I'll be spending two of the last weeks of "exams" traveling is totally beside the point.
In one final note, I'm super busy this week which is the excuse I'll use for not updating and I've decided that being a lawyer isn't the end of the world. Which is why I've been looking at how to become a lawyer in the UK and law schools in the States (just in case.) It's all a bit odd and has been happening rather quickly, but it's better than being miserable in a job I thought I would love and don't in actuality. So that's it for another week or so. Not only am I going to the Comedy Store, seeing "Private Lives" and "Cinderella" (the ballet), but my grandparents are coming to visit starting Tuesday (as long as the ash doesn't get in the way) so I'll probably be spending some time with them as well. Until whenever, don't panic.

*When I say "our" in these post I usually mean either the social programme or me and Amanda. In this case I mean both.

Back to the Grindstone

With only a month and a bit left and with my nose theoretically going back to the figurative grind stone, I figure you lot get to know how my last week of spring break went. It wasn't an unmitigated success, but it had it's moments. Most of them were in Leeds. But first the rainy, rainy city of Glasgow.
As we well know, I've gone a bit soppy here in London, so when I was told I couldn't get on my train to Glasgow, I nearly broke down in tears. The only thing that stopped me from doing that was the knowledge that hundreds of people would be privy to my sobbing, which isn't something I really wanted to have happen. Sevenish hours later I was in Glasgow sans ear plugs (which I could have used because my room was right next to the road) and guidebook. However for one pound I could watch the TV in my room for 15 hours, so I took advantage of that to watch University Challenge.
The next day wasn't much better. It rained the entire time, the one museum I went to was pretty sad, I rode around on a bus for an hour and a half and felt so nauseous that I couldn't finish the sandwich I got for lunch. However I got a little Scottish terrier plushie and shortbread shaped like sheep as well as a set of linen tea towels for my Mom which I'm sure she'll like. I then spent the night watching cookery shows for the most part, which was far more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Then, with sun shining, I came back to London.
Leeds, in contrast, was brilliant. The weather was beautiful. Amanda and I went to numerous fascinating museums. I ate like a normal person and got to watch TV for free. Leeds totally made up for the misery that was Glasgow. The best part, at least in my opinion, was the stuffed tiger that use to be rug that the Leeds City Museum has in its collection. Of course I got the tiger plushie from the museum shop as well as a postcard of the tiger itself. The next day we went to the main art gallery in Leeds, but sadly the shop was closed which meant I couldn't get any postcards of the cool pieces of artwork the gallery houses. In short, everything in Leeds is brilliant.
In other news, tonight I finally got around to putting up all but three of my postcards. I would have put all of them up, but I ran out of blu tack, so I couldn't. Even though I'm not here for much longer, having all that colour on my wall makes me happy, so I don't care. Also my new flat is remarkably quiet, even with people in it. I only know the name of one of my flatmates, but since I won't be here for much longer, doesn't really matter to me. Also I'm going to see Macbeth on May 8th at the Globe which is geek-tastic. I'm actually quite busy over the next month or so, what with papers and plays and musicals and the ballet. And my birthday, which should be interesting. Being busy is good though, keeps my mind occupied. Anywho, until next time, don't panic.

Going Through the Motions

This is getting harder and harder to do. The once clear and obvious path I walked down has suddenly turned into a vast wood with lots of gnats getting in the way. I don't really know what I want anymore. The future I had mapped out doesn't make sense anymore and things that I held closest to me are starting to slip away. Most of my interests are still intact, but I'm starting to retreat to the old and familiar. It's not as bad as 9th grade but I can feel myself moving in that direction. Hopefully this time I won't grow overly attached to a band that broke up forty years ago, but you never know.
I've started thinking about law school. I've also started thinking that London is more fun to visit than to live in. It feels like a terrible cop-out, giving up on something I've been working towards for two and a half years, but on the other hand the culture that surrounds radio here and back in the States is just something I can't tolerate. But I don't really know if law is what I want to do, though I figure if I get into the right field I won't end up like my Dad, which is the ultimate goal in the end.
But it's not all bad. It's a bit like last summer: As long as I don't think too hard about how homesick I am and how much I hate some of the people I live with and have to deal with, I'm fine. The constant need for chatter of some kind is a bit depressing in a meta way, but for the most part I avoid thinking too hard about the things that make me sad and focus on the things that don't make me sad like Top Gear and going into central London on little expeditions. I've only got a month and a half (about-ish) and the weather is finally starting to turn nice, though we'll see how long that lasts.
Bottom line is that I'm depressed and writing about the things I do means thinking and that's just not something I want to do. Therefore I will continue to update sporadically and infrequently.

Spring Break Quickie

Oh spring break. You've gone so quickly (even though I have one more week of it). Here's what happened this week, in bullet points.

• Mom arrived! And we walked on Hampton Heath and had really good Greek food for lunch.
• Wandered around Lincoln's Inn on Monday because Sir John Soanes Museum was closed. Mom took more pictures.
• I saw one really great play (The Little Dog Laughed) and one alright production of a really great play (The Importance of Being Earnest). No pictures were taken at the plays.
• Went to Hampton Court and had flash backs to visits to Colonial Williamsburg (Henry VIII walking by was strange.) Lots and lots of pictures were taken.
• Went to Bath again and went on an abbreviated Jane Austen tour. So many pictures.
• I had my hair cut and many crepes were consumed. Pictures, of course, were taken.
• I can't for the life of me remember what we did on Friday.
• We went to Canterbury and I saw Vic Reeves. It was really, really cool. As was the church.
• TfL screwed over everyone but the tourists. Some tourists were possibly screwed over as well, but mostly only the non-tourists were screwed over.
• Ashes to Ashes and Doctor Who are both alive and really freakin' awesome. So excited for both.
• Mom left. No pictures were taken.

I'm off to Glasgow (where the internet will cost 1 pound for 20 minutes) and Leeds (TV!!) and then back to the grindstone, such as it is. Pictures will be taken and if I see anyone famous Facebook will be the first to know. Then you lot when I get around to updating next weekend. Until then, don't panic.