mmm mmm toasty Sunday, 2.29.04 :: 09:16 p.m. Sidenote: When I saw the Quiznos commercial a few weeks ago, I definitely started cracking up and yelling RATHERGOOD, I SAY! and WHOOHOO SPONGMONKEYS!!! My entire family thought I was going out of my mind, which leads me to ponder the strange influence the Internet has on people these days. If that commercial had come on four or so years ago I think I would have thought Quiznos was the most disgusting, repulsive place to eat. Now, I think they're great. No, better yet, they're rathergood!

back and better than ever Sunday, 2.23.04 :: 04:58 p.m. I am so tired. Just want to sit here and not move kind of tired. Hence my lazy-day plans - I was going to go running, but that was before I got out of bed and discovered just how exhausted I am. So I've done sit ups and push ups etc... but that's about it. I think I'll spend the rest of the day unpacking, reading college newspapers, finishing up my crizzazy pape, and hitting those SAT books. Damn math section, I hate your soul. But now on to the good stuff: Duke is amazing. But I should probably discuss things in order... So, we'll start with Thursday night. It's around 11 pm, and Mom and I can't find the Fairfield Inn in Winston-Salem that we were supposed to be sleeping in. I'll admit that was my fault since I unwittingly entered Wake Forest's address into the Map Quest thing, instead of the Inn. These things happen at 4 am. We called the Inn, and eventually got there, after sitting in the Wake entrance for a little (SHIT! We're not at the Inn! We're at WAKE!). The next day we headed back over to the University around 8:30 for the info session and the tour. The campus is very pretty, and the info session guy, Andy, was really nice. But I don't know, the rest of the students seemed kind of... disjointed? Unfriendly? It was weird, I tried to talk to a few of them (standing in line for coffee etc...) and they just gave me weird stares. That's probably nothing at all what most students are like, but still... strange. Final opinion: Like Wake, even though there are cigarette vendors everywhere. It is Winston-Salem, I suppose. :) After Wake, Mom and I drove to Durham, in the middle of this crazy snowstorm. Over the radio we heard that they were calling for 10 inches, so instead of heading over to the next Fairfield Inn, we drove straight to Duke to check it out in case they cancelled the tour the next day. Mom turned into Campus Drive, and we kinda aimlessly drove around the circle trying to figure out where the admissions building was, and where we should park. All of a sudden we round this turn and BOOM there's the Chapel in the distance, surrounded by swirling snow. "Holy shit" was Mom's comment, I think my jaw just kinda dropped. Eventually we made it to the admissions building, and after I had asked the person at the desk whether they thought the tour would still be on for the next day, this senior walked up to me and offered to take Mom and I around the campus really quickly. She introduced herself as Lauren, and off we went. She did a wonderful job of walking us around and explaining things - I think we covered most of West Campus in under an hour. After talking with her, though, Mom and I definitely figured out what most students at Duke are like: very, very confident. This was reinforced by the tour guides we had the next day (yes, Duke was open - at 10). They were totally sure of themselves, and had the credentials to back themselves up. We walked around the campus again, and it was great to already be able to find my way around. I took lotsa pics, we oooed and ahhhed at the Chapel, and talked to a bunch of students. After eating lunch in one of the halls and checking out the Duke store, Mom and I headed over to the East Campus to grab a cup of coffee and walk around. Note about East and West Campus, for anyone who's wondering: you have to take a bus to get from West Campus (where sophomore's and some juniors and seniors live, and where the science, math, english, and public policy buildings are) to East Campus (home to the freshmen, and the history and foreign language departments). The buses run every five minutes, so it's not a big deal, except it can get a little confusing if you're driving. There's this underpass and I swear to God there's a vortex around it. We got VERY VERY lost a few times. East Campus is the older campus, and it's every bit as gorgeous as the West Campus. You get Georgian and Gothic architecture all within one university. Good deal. Final opinion: love Duke, but am slightly intimidated by the many geniouses, and really hope that most people aren't confidence to the point of arrogance. The next stop was UNC Chapel Hill. Ok, UNC is Chapel Hill, and Chapel Hill is UNC. It's big, sprawling, and very confusing. We didn't have very much time to spend there, but we did get to check out the Student Union and Franklin Street (aka Main Street). If you want a college that is a town, then Chapel Hill is perfect for you, I just don't think I want that, nor do I really want a college that's 85% people from any state. Plus, I'm biased against it already, since Dad went there... But it is definitely pretty. Final opinion: like Chapel Hill, but would definitely rather visit it than live there. Definitely. And that's it kiddies, you can check out pictures, though I don't think you can see them if you're using an AOL browser... who needs AOL, anyway? :) Adios for now. PS. I may be coming up to York this wkend, anyone have an extra bed?

happy mardi gras! Tuesday, 2.24.04 :: 11:34 p.m. Putin = dictator! Love this guy Originally, I was going to type something much more interesting than this (it was going to involve fashnachts... is that how you spell that?), but it is late, I still have to finish editing papers, and packing for crazy college visit numero uno. Ugh, gonna be so tired. Back Saturday night/early Sunday morning mayhaps. If anyone's going to Sadie Hawkins (harr harr), have FUN! <3 [EDIT] You're One Hundred Years of Solitude! by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Lonely and struggling, you've been around for a very long time. Conflict has filled most of your life and torn apart nearly everyone you know. Yet there is something majestic and even epic about your presence in the world. You love life all the more for having seen its decimation. After all, it takes a village. Take the Book Quiz at the Blue Pyramid. That's funny, I didn't understand that book at all... hmm. Many random things in thurr.

not crazy Monday, 2.23.04 :: 10:33 p.m. I really really would like one of the shirts from here. That fish one is excellent, and whoever thought of this is brilliant. Me gusta mucho. I have too much to do, and it's making me both incredibly happy and incredibly stressed. The paradox of the day. I find it funny, because people are just now thinking seriously about it.

i like it at night Monday, 2.23.04 :: 01:13 a.m. ...Maybe that's why I sleep in and take naps during the day, and stay up half of the night doing silly things like drawing my hands, learning about XML, reading Sandman, and generally NOT finishing my English paper? Um, hooom. Interesting situation here. I could just say that Bob ate it... One day I'm going to do that, just to see the reaction it would get. Or, lack of reaction. Yes. When I is tired I do not think coherently. Strange, though, my paper is actually very coherent. Maybe you just have to be very very sleepy to understand (or really, to care about) Dante and Milton. One by one they're fine, but boy, put them together and you just think death death death. Sometimes you think it out loud. But then, they're already dead. HAH. I will be very proud when I finish this, quite possibly at 3 AM. I like it at 3 AM. Actually, come to think of it, I will be very proud when I get through the rest of this week. And this year. Maybe I'll write a book. Oh, I'm coming slow but speeding...

i love Zareeeeen, my music soul mate Sunday, 2.22.04 :: 04:34 p.m. "It's just so weird, how we're all expected to conform to this crazy social norm, where we go to high school, go to college and graduate school, get married and settle down in some quiet suburban neighborhood with a sophisticated guy and 2.2 children (I think its 2.5 now actually)." I must meet this "Sam from Australia" dude. First there was Francisco, then those crazy Germans, then whatshername the calculus-crazy German down here, and now Francisco (and his bro apparently?) and Sam. Hello Francie's bro and Sam! :) I heart Sandman and Badly Drawn Boy.

go fly a kite Sunday, 2.22.04 :: 01:23 p.m. Seven dead at kite-flying festival. WTF? Never gonna be able to tell some one to go fly a kite without thinking of that, now... Checked out two houses yesterday, neither of them worked out... and I am very tired to boot. If ANYONE you know is thinking about selling their house anytime soon, for the love of pete, tell them they should think about speeding things up!

i yam what i yam Friday, 2.20.04 :: 11:42 p.m. You're Thailand! Calmer and more staunchly independent than almost all those around you, you have a long history of rising above adversity.  Recent adversity has led to questions about your sexual promiscuity and the threat of disease, but you still manage to attract a number of tourists and admirers.  And despite any setbacks, you can really cook a good meal whenever it's called for.  Good enough to make people cry. Take the Country Quiz at the Blue Pyramid Hehe, Brig ;)

oh charlie you so fine Friday, 2.20.04 :: 09:48 p.m. Charlie is a seagull. Charlie is mi amigo, mi compadre, mi fajita. He's one tough enchilada, sitting there all poofed up in the tide pool... We went to the beach today. Yes, I'd guess that the water was hovering around 25º, but it was still awesome. Not many people see the beach during the winter, it's very peaceful - I definitely recommend it. I was walking around in flip-flops, jeans, three long-sleeve shirts, and a huge fleece, with an old striped shirt from Natanya wrapped around my head and two wool blankets thrown over my shoulders. We took pictures. Needless to say, I was still freezing; with the bone-shilling wind blowing off of the water it's virtually impossible not to be. So, I walked around until my fingers and toes turned white, and I got goosebumps on my face. ("OH MY GOSH LIL!!!! YOU HAVE GOOSEBUMPS ON YOUR FACE!!" Thanks Mom.) But until then, we had fun. Picture this, if you will... It's the middle of February, and we're at the beach. I'm walking around in my flip-flops and blanket, adjusting my babushka-style hat, while Mom waddles around in multiple fleeces, overalls, and scarves. Without warning, Mom screams and starts running around... She stepped on the skeleton of a dead baby deer. Uuuuhhh... ok, just a little creepy. What if you were swimming at the beach, catching a few waves, when all of a sudden this dead deer floats up beside you? What would you do? I'd probably be extremely confused, just out of the weirdness of it all. I'd like to see my face if that ever happens. Anyway, Laura took off on this crazy-long "walk" down the beach. I call it a hike; she almost made it around the bend at the end of Assateague - the Ocean City lights were glowing just across the inlet. I, unfortunately, was half frozen, so I didn't accompany her. I fed/talked to Charlie instead. I think his poop may be orange for a while, an unfortunate result of the orange peanut butter crackers that we gave him. I pity the cars he may crap on in the future. And that was pretty much it. All-in-all, it was very funny, but you probably had to be there :) (Thurr?) Ask me about how I managed to get 3 shirts from Express and a Subway sub for a total of $5.14. It's a wonderful story. Tomorrow brings a quick (and by quick I mean it'll be completed in less than 15 hours) trip up to York to check out two houses. I get to go so Mom won't be lonely/have to drive mucho; guess my paper will have to wait! HAH! But Sunday night will suck. Oooooh yuck. Then on Thursday we're heading down to Duke after school, yaaaay, more driving! Meh. Friday is Duke, Saturday we're walking around Chapel Hill, then we might head over to Wake on Monday since I have Tuesday off. Mom suggested Davidson, but eeehhhhh... That's even more driving, and I don't think it's worth it to me. Bed before I pass out. Well, I feel so good, everybody's getting higher Better take it easy, 'cause the place is on fire Been a hard day, nothing went too good Now I'm gonna relax, honey, everybody should So glad we made it, so glad we made it You got to gimme some lovin', gimme some lovin' Gimme some lovin' every day

before i forget (more) Thursday, 2.19.04 :: 12:15 a.m. Though I usually write down my dreams, I have been known to forget to do that. This morning was one of those times. So, before I forget even more, my dream: Started off with me waking up in my bed to a bright and sunny morning. Then I woke up again, and again, until I supposedly was *actually* awake. This is all still a dream, of course. Found Bob wriggling on the floor, so, almost as an after thought, I put him back in his bowl. He turned into a flying green pig and flew away, flying-monkey-from-the-Wizard-of-Oz style, plus some Matrix effects. I rushed downstairs thinking, "Oh my gosh! I have to get to school!" only to find Mom with a bong on the couch, smoking away. After a double-take, or two, I headed out to the garage to get a bottle of water, but somehow got sidetracked by the random computer that was set up in the middle of the garage, complete with red painted stool. I sat down and found AIM already running, with an IM from Joe. We chatted for a while, until he said "brb" and then walked out of the house into the garage, hopped on my bike, and rode away. He came back half an hour later with a bag of Sunchips and some mint Skittles. Meanwhile, I had gone for a walk, and had gotten out onto Upper Ferry before I turned around and started walking back. As I was walking, I heard this slobbering sound coming from in the drainage ditch in the middle of Kingsmill. There's this HUGE brown horse drinking the gross water. I tip-toed past it, then ran like all hell back into our garage. The horse started to chase me, but Bob the Green Flying Pig swooped out of the sky and saved me by biting the horse's tail off... ... Then there was something about mixing cement and fake human ribs in a paint bucket... Eventually, I made it back upstairs, only to find Joe and Bob sitting on my bed, happily munching away on Sunchips and mint Skittles. Somehow I fell asleep again amid the crumbs and Skittle packaging, only to wake up again. For real this time. And then I went downstairs and saw that we did indeed have school. Make of this what you will, I, for one, have absolutely no idea how my brain comes up with this stuff.

och Wednesday, 2.18.04 :: 04:22 p.m. Check out my Morality! 60% liberal, 40% conservative Liberal me. Also, I'm getting kinda sick of being called "Yo, white girl!" by random black ghetto dudes. I KNOW I'm white, sorry, I can't do much about it! Do you know what a codpiece is? I didn't, but now I do, thanks to lovely AP English! [EDIT] While I'm at it, I took the President Match quiz thing, and this is what came up: Kucinich - 100% Kerry - 100% Edwards - 99% Sharpton - 93% Dean - 91% Bush - 21% I'm glad Dean dropped out of the race. No takin' back the White House for you, Deany boy :)

lay it on a flat surface like a polaroid picture! Tuesday, 2.17.04 :: 05:31 p.m. I definitely laughed when I read Polaroid's statement about shaking like a polaroid picture. Who uses those things anymore, anyway? I mean, besides driving schools or dentists? :)

genious in the making Monday, 2.16.04 :: 10:12 p.m. I'd like to start an informal e-zine this summer. Am I crazy? I think it'd be awesome. And you know that if I actually do this, that I'll somehow suck the rest of you into it... (how else would it work?!?) so, feedback? It really would be cool.

war is bad and peace is good (forgive my ranting) Monday, 2.16.04 :: 06:46 p.m. All she fucking does is read and knit. And say things are too expensive, when she could be looking for a job in York. And I could be looking for a job. And running track, and going to a school where I'd actually learn something. And Laura could be getting better, and doing lax or track. And we could be looking for a house, and she could be signing up for summer classes. Does she think things are always gonna fall in her lap? She's too used to having an overbearing "I'll decide everything" husband. You'd think she'd do more than just say "I'm sorry" and go back to her knitting and TV shows. Someone remind me of this when I'm all "grown-up." Oh, wait, I'll never let things go this far, so never mind. Grar. On a happier note, I saved some kid's video game today. It was cute, and funny. "I, like a sheep, am going astray... You all, like wusses, are chickening out." Just one more reason to question Mr. Bush and the Department of Education: Apparently it is not news when the Bush Administration decides to drastically cut federal funding for closed-captioning. You can read the list of the shows that are approved and disapproved (Whoops, sorry guys! No more Simpsons or ESPN for you!), and read a rather interesting National Association of the Deaf press release concerning the cut. Tell a friend, or write a letter... 'cause this is sad. So is the proposed bill that would allow New Hampshire to disregard same-sex marriages. Um, what happened to "Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state... The citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states..."? But then again, that's only the Constitution, right? It's like the Defense of Marriage thing all over again, multiplied. I wonder if anyone in the future will suggest a whole new affirmative action program for homosexuals? Maybe that's why Americans are so scared of gay marriage - we're used to watching appeals for equal rights grow into demands for special preferences. But it's just going to come back and bite you in the butt, NH.

if i find one more sprinkle... Sunday, 2.15.04 :: 10:34 p.m. I meant to put this up for Valentine's Day, just because I found it to be interesting. It's about bras. :) PS. NYTimes online is wonderful, and subscribing is easy, so subscribe! And they don't bother you with spam, either. Score.

of lukewarm ribs, too much mayo, and too much red Saturday, 2.14.04 :: 09:22 p.m. There's this country, right? And on this one completely random day in the middle of February, all the people in this country decide that they really like red. Wait, scatch that and rewind: for the entire first half of this completely random month, all the people in this country decide they like red. And flowers. And cards, candy, and expensive dinners. And everything is overpriced, or else this month/week/day wouldn't be so... special? All right, I'll stop being cynical. I'd just rather be in Richmond, that's all. Though, Wal-Mart cards are pretty nice ;) Down with Valentine's Day! I love y'all EVERYDAY! On a tangent (whooooo TANGENT!! lol Tayn), Flannery's is kinda gross. They gave me lukewarm pulled pork and really greasy, dripping fries. And I'm not quite sure if their vinegar... was... *really*... vinegar, nor whether the crabcakes were really made of crab, or if they were just mayo. Yuck. Now to watch Secondhand Lions :)

Friday the 13th! dum dum duuum Friday, 2.13.04 :: 07:08 p.m. Today I wrote a story about Bob the Bungee Jumper. Definition: Well, bungee jumpers, they... bungee jump! This was actually an essay on a physics test, but I needed to cheer myself up; therefore, I wrote my story. It was quite an interesting story, involving energy transfers and friction and whatnot. Oh, and he was bungee jumping out of a plane. Poor Bob, he broke his neck. But, he succeeded in cheering me up :) Walked into physics in the worst mood ever (mr. merritt needs to get that stick out of his ass... i hate precalc), and walked out laughing... weirdest test ever. Time to come back to York now, ehh? And stop watching all these crappy Tv shows, right? Right. I love dark chocolate. [EDIT] I DO NOT understand the French. So... what are they gonna do with this aircraft carrier? "'The choice brings a response that is perfectly adapted to the operational needs of the coming decades and opens better perspectives of cooperation with the United Kingdom...'" Uhh... Also of interest in the news, Ivan Rybkin, the Russian presidential candidate who's running against Putin, says he was kidnapped by strangers who kept him unconcious/drugged for four days. He's also claiming that they made a compromising video of him. This all hinges on the fact that Rybkin wants to make peace with Chechneya, while Putin... definitely doesn't. Is it coincidence that a car bomb killed Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, the exhiled Chechen separatist leader, today? Down with Putin, up with Rybkin, even though he may just be pulling a political stunt to grab attention. ANYONE (well, not anyone) is better than Putin. For more Russian craziness, you can Ask Stalin! Or, read about Virtual Vladamir. And in case you want to check the actual site out (it's in Russian, but still funny), go here. Putin = dictator extraordinaire.

Sometimes Thursday, 2.12.04 :: 06:15 p.m. i wonder if I'll ever get out of this. If she'll ever get out of this. It's like in The Ring, when they try to turn the TV off... but the static and the movie keep coming back. The phone rings, you pick up, and wonder what you'll hear. 7 on a scale of 1-10. 7. And tomorrow's Friday the 13th. If we all break, who'll be there to pick up the pieces? I need to come back to York and be normal again. Now.

the french connection Wednesday, 2.11.04 :: 10:01 p.m. [sarcasm] WHOOHOO FOR THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT! [/sarcasm]... That's about all I could manage, even with the sarcasm, without gagging. You can go here to read about it, if you'd like, because I'm sick of ranting/thinking about it. Ugh, do not like France. On a slightly different note, everyone should read something by Neil Gaiman. You can begin by going here, clicking on clip 4, and listening to him read "Babycakes," one of his short stories from Smoke and Mirrors. I love that book. Yay for doing no homework tonight! Everyone give Jean a HUGE HUG (!!!!!!!111111!!!!1!! OMGWTF!!!1!) for me. Because, if she's looking for consolation, she should get it :)

technically, an illegal update Tuesday, 2.10.04 :: 10:59 a.m. Sooooo, happy lunch time? I think I like the library best for lunch, it's nice and quiet, and people don't throw pizzas at you. So I sit here, surrounded by huge, humming computers (most of which wouldn't load a page in under 10 minutes to save their mother's ass... if computers have mothers, that is), typing contentedly away. I have dubbed today, "Say hello to random people day." So far, this isn't working very well. Maybe I should quit it before I get punched, or worse, ignored again. It's funny how people react to friendliness... you'd think that, in a small town like Salisbury,people wouldn't think you're crazy to say "hello." In fact, people have been more friendly in almost every other place that I've been. Of course, that isn't saying awfully much, judging from the map below, but still. Oh, look, the people sitting next to me are disagreeing. And now they're protesting that I typed that. I love the looks I get. Telling time in Russian es muy dificíl. Drat, there's that horrible noise they call a "bell." Time for English, Hamlet, and many long soliliquys with funny words like moiety. P.S. The phrase of the week is: "frumious bandersnatch" (the jaws that bite and the claws that catch)

oh for shame Monday, 2.9.04 :: 04:22 p.m. create your own visited states map or write about it on the open travel guide That is so, so sad. What's even more sad is my "Visited Countries" map. We don't like to leave our house in my family, nor let our children go anywhere. Gah.

not all who wander are lost Sunday, 2.8.04 :: 08:55 p.m. Just a few quotes that I had written down... "Don't you know my name yet? That's the only answer. Tell me, who are you alone, yourself and nameless? But you are young and I am old. Eldest, that's what I am. Mark my words, my friends: Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn. He made paths before the Big People, and saw the little People arriving. He was here before the Kings and the graves and the Barrow-wights. When the Elves passed westward, Tom was here already, before the seas were bent. He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside." - Tolkien; The Fellowship of the Ring "Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking." - Einstein "I am speaking to those who desire to live and to recapture the honor of their soul. Now that you know the truth about your world, stop supporting your own destroyers. The evil of the world is made possible by nothing but the sanction you give it. Withdraw your sanction. Withdraw your support. Do not try to live on your enemies' terms or to win at a game where they're setting the rules. Do not seek the favor of those who enslaved you, do not beg for alms from those who have robbed you, be it subsidies loans or jobs, do not join their team to recoup what they've taken by helping them rob your neighbors." - Ayn Rand; Atlas Shrugged There's another one from Atlas Shrugged that's very worth mentioning (in fact, go read the book, because it's all worth mentioning), but instead of typing it, you can go here to check it out. Bush's interview with NBC's what'shisname was... interesting.

do wop Sunday, 2.8.04 :: 06:07 p.m. Aaaaand all of a sudden everyone has xangas! It's the xanga revolution! Well, I've resisted... I've joined neither of the two hive minds: xanga and Livejournal. I don't know, I like my simplistic Pitas, even though it's home to many of the OMGLOLOL!!!!1!!! WTF!!!11!!1! teenybopper lovas. I'm cool wit' it. You've just gotta rock the cradle of love, right? Haha, anyway, I'm gonna find a commenting thing, and try to add that. I feel left out, since I can't comment on anyone's xanga. I think we should make one journal that we all contribute to when we go away to college. It'd be so much more interesting, and a great way to keep in touch. That'll be all folks.

damnit, janet! Saturday, 2.7.04 :: 10:27 p.m. Mom, Laura and I just did the Time Warp (again). This all stemmed from my description of my absolutely HILARIOUS dream that I had last night, where all of my friends were the characters in the Rocky Horror Picture Show... Ask me about that one, it's priceless. We have to build a ramp up to the sofa for Mom, because she just painted her toenails, and that "is classified as a disability." And Laura is making Tejas Toast, but she has to eat something while waiting for it to finish cooking. Go here and check out "Frog Drums" and "Bufo" because they are AWESOME. Actually, so is everything on that site, and most of magnatune.com. Because they're not evil. So get up and dance!

down on my knees Saturday, 2.7.04 :: 08:16 p.m. You know that one episode of Doug where that crrrazy weather man has the weather machine and basically tries to take over the world? Yeah, well, I'd like one of those right about now. I'm going stir-crazy with this weather. I mean, today was wonderfully warm and such, but the WIND omg the WIND - I couldn't go running as planned because as soon as I actually made it outside, I was almost blown over... and that familiar pain shot through my fingers and toes, even though I had two pairs of gloves and really thick socks on. Makes me feel very old... how is it that I used to be able to go running in the biting cold in nothing but shorts and a t-shirt, and now all of a sudden I can't even set foot outside in anything less than 5 layers? Maybe it's weather karma of something. Anyway, I WANT TO GO RUNNING UNTIL I FALL OVER. But not from cold, from absolute exhaustion, and preferably on a mountain of a hill... none of this flat crap. So I did 800 crunches instead. And now 'tis back to my paper I go. But first, I suggest you read this and rethink a few things. I did.

addendum Friday, 2.6.04 :: 08:01 p.m. Yo tengo una pregunta... I have a question, that is. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I should work when we make our highly anticipated return to the land of cool(er than here)? Resume: slightly insane redhead with a thirst for life and a pile of green tea caps to back her up; has loads of previous "experience," yet none in the "stuff that counts"; would like a job that pays fairly well, and doesn't suck all the life and love out of you. We (meaning I, if I ever want to travel anywhere... and I'm planning on going on a world tour between now and when I "grow up," and then again after I've conquered Peter Pan syndrome) will really need the money. I'm serious about getting responses about this, because I have a feeling that... nevermind, I'd just feel relieved if I got feedback :) Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky... ring out the old, ring in the new... Ring out the false, ring in the true. - Alfred Lord Tennyson For anyone interested, Awakening To the Sacred is a wonderful book. I bought it about a year ago, and while just reading it is relaxing, following some of the things he discusses is even more so. A note on what is now the most famous, most TiVoed boob ever: why is everyone so upset about the fact that is was bared, but not about HOW it was bared. Oh-so-loveable JT violently ripped her clothes off on national television. THAT'S the part that everyone should be upset about - the fact that we've incorporated the degradation of women into pretty much every aspect of our lives. Now, I'm not a radical feminist or anything, but this pushes me more in that direction. In the words of Bennett's resident insightful "former longhair," Mr. Himes, "We spend all this time trying to keep kids from seeing boobs, while most babies spent the majority of their time with their faces squished against them." Which brings me to the topic of breastfeeding... What's the big deal? It's what they're there for. What if we all walked around naked? Brimful of Asha is my new theme song, because There's dancing behind movie scenes Behind the movie scenes - Sadi Rani She's the one that keeps the dream alive, From the morning, past the evening, Till the end of the light Brimful of Asha on the forty-five Well, it's a brimful of Asha on the forty-five Brimful of Asha on the forty-five Well, it's a brimful of Asha on the forty-five And dancing behind movie scenes Behind those movie screens - Asha Bhosle She's the one that keeps the dream alive From the morning, past the evening Till the end of the light... Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow, everybody needs a bosom Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow, everybody needs a bosom Mine's on the forty-five And singing illuminate the main streets and the cinema aisles We don't care about no government warning About that promotion of the simple life and the dams they are building... Mohamid Rufi (forty-five) Lata Mangeshkar (forty-five) solid state radio (forty-five) Furguson Mono (forty-five) Bon pub-leek (forty-five) Jacques Du Tronc and the Bolan Boogie the Heavy Hitters and the Chi-Chi music All India radio (forty-five) two in ones (forty-five) Argo records (forty-five) Trojan records (forty-five)... 77,000 piece orchestra set Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow Mines on the RPM... It seems like I have 4 million college brochures to read, and I hope I'll feel more confident after reading them, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I won't. So I think I'll clean my room (oddly, that's always relaxing), and paint my dragon (they're symbols of strength, you know) instead. And play Rummy wit' da mater.

like there's nobody home Friday, 2.6.04 :: 07:20 p.m. All right. I'm okay, really, but there are a few cracks where the uncertainty and melancholy slip through and fragment... point counter point. Mom slams the door, fridge, window, unrolls some tinfoil, while Dad continues his education as a zombie - hoping that maybe things will turn out just peachy. Laura plays the same chords over and over on her guitar, like a broken record player, which in fact, she is. A few pauses, then the cycle rinses, repeats, and continuously breaks down - the wiring must be shot, they say. A glass falls and for a moment it is frozen in time, reveling in that one instant where everyone sucks in her breath, waiting for what is inevitable - then SLAM (and some see stars. Not the Looney Tune kind of stars that circle round-and-round like a merry-go-round, but the sad, droopy kind which can explode, take hold, and never let go. At least until the pieces are picked up.) Then the yell, and the heated response, all through the closed, pseudo-wood, not quite fitted doors which lock us away from one another. The ice cracks, the plates are passed, and not one understands the other. Not one can look another in the eye and say how they really feel. It's dinner time.

linky linky Friday, 2.6.04 :: 02:22 a.m. Two naps, many pages, and many Hershey's kisses later, the portion of my paper that's due today has been sufficiently thrown into some kind of strange order. And these are the things that both kept me going, and provided the ultimate level of distraction when combined with internet radio and AIM... Tony Blair, I wanna take you to the gay bar (gay bar!) Even more Tony and Dubya! Barney gone very, very wrong. This is only hilariously funny because of the kids dancing. Poor ignorant souls that they are... This is truly what the Internet is for. I'm banking on a delay tomorrow today. Today being FRIDAY! Also: it was hypothesized in physics yesterday that "as a result of the property of inertia and pendulum motion, large breasts facilitate running." This, therefore, gave certain people an "unfair advantage" while doing the lab. Ohh boy. At least there weren't any wardrobe malfunctions.

blue sky and rayleigh scattering, didn't you know? Thursday, 2.5.04 :: 12:11 a.m. To begin: read this, it is most interesting. Bet you thought I was going to rant about homosexual marriage, right? Sorry, I'm too tired as of right now, and my brain is fuzzy from too much Paradise Lost. Instead, I'm going to throw a rant about my father out at y'all. Feel free to leave now, I'll understand completey. [rant] He is demanding that I take "an accounting course" in high school. Uh, right. "I'm going to be writing a bunch of big checks here soon, so just humor me on this one. You don't have to make a decision right now." Translation: "I'm paying for college, you take classes I want you to take." How is it that he makes a six-figure salary when he treats his customers and coworkers the same way? I've given up trying to understand anyone in my family. Having been cooped up here for over a year, I think I'm finally going a little crizazy. Oh, father also wants to know "exactly what [I] want to major in in college." This is just further confirmation of his stupidity. And if anyone so much as mentions the word "harsh" to me one more time, I'll be forced to smile politely at them and then turn and punch a wall. So, save my hand, please. Thanks! [/rant] On a somewhat lighter note, today turned out to be a gorgeous day, perhaps made better by the fact that I had the chance to walk around outside for awhile, and didn't have to sit through a gruesome 7th period class. Just study hall. I think we should have a required recess in high school; it would certainly make everyone more happy, healthy and less inclined toward violent tendencies. Unless, of course, the druggies decide to pull a fight club outside in the parking lot. We'd just have to throw soap at them for awhile... And back to Paradise Lost I go, my eyes just slightly more droopy.

la Tuesday, 2.3.04 :: 05:26 p.m. I wish the University of Chicago were in southern California or something. Or in VA, cause VA's cool. But I'm sure in 5 minutes I'll be thinking "WTF Lindsay?" Oh well! Maybe if it were in like South Dakota the room and board would be less... but then you'd be in South Dakota. Anyway, i don't like English, nor do I like Tuesdays that turn into Mondays. But I got out of that STUPID @#%^^! intro to busniess course! Woop!

brought to you by 2 AM Monday, 2.2.04 :: 01:47 p.m. So I'm sitting here listening to Russian Lullaby and cleaning. I just found a bunch of random papers from a bunch of random trips... and they have some pretty weird things written on them. Sar, remember when I went to Oxford with you near the end of school last year? We stayed up all night and then started to do homework at 5 AM. Ok, well here's some stuff that we wrote down from that: "deletes like chinese writing" "that's like eating a doughnut w/ a red boa on" "coffee and bananas" "page 1 of infinity" "read: T shirts" "art is portrays death, but in someone's eyes" "banda de sonido a la vida" "no no no no home loans" "it's 1 in the morning and we're listening to MMMBop" "I wonder if there are enough pop-ups here, you're DONE" "this is funny because I talk to you online all the time but it's not as exciting because this time you're in York!" - Nadia "oh she just woke up..." - Sarah talking to Joe about me. I was NEVER asleep! "blook!" "how are we slackers if we eat all the brownies? we're really diligent!" - Sarah "qué pasa es tú pasa?" "it's some kind of something weird" - Alicia "puente de la bahía" "and if it's not deep it's just annoying" - Sar on painting "unintentioanal twistage" Those are followed by random drawings of feet and hands that I did, and a stick figure drawing of "Sarah w/ bangs!" There are also playlists for a Ghetto Cd, and a list of places that we decided we wanted to visit, including Spain, Scotland, Ireland and China. You know what? We're awesome, and we need to have weird nights like that more often. And Joe, you need to make us more brownies, 'cause they were GOOD!