La Vie En Rose for 2004 March

Has it really only been two days? I am more dependant than I think?

In the polling booth, as an example: "Shall Los Angeles County be declared the sun and leisure capital of the world?" Umm... And Neeki sez she voted for Clark, anyway (as I was sorely tempted to do).

International Institute Graduation

Royce Hall Saturday, June 19, 2004 - 6:30 PM

But now I love JKR even more than I did an hour ago!

The weather is lovley; I adore this time of year. There are Presents, which should be opened soon, I am thinking, as I leave tomorrow. Yesterday I got to see grandpa, and grandma and Pat and Shannon and little Joel--we went to lunch at Olive Garden. I also feel alseep reading Rushdie--twice! Luckily one of them was my bedtime. It's actually quite interesting, but there's something about the quality of air at home that makes me sleepy!

I got the most FABULOUS pressie from LenLen--a DIGITAL CAMERA!!!!!!!!!! Her name is Bridget, and so is soooo super-cool! Let the obssessive picture taking begin! (I always knew I would end up like my mother someday). I'll repost the link to my yahoo picture album when I am feeling un-lazy (hah!); you can bet there will be pretty frequent updates from here out!

Went to lunch today with Jen and she gave me a super-cute purse. I love birthdays. Then I went to Target and spent probably way too much, but I saw a cutecuteCUTE pair of shoes, so that was grandma's b-day present to me ;). Also some new notes cards on sale for thank-you notes. And a collinder, and an accordian file for school work. Oh yes, pens and a little mini set of scissors, tape, stapler to carry around with me at school. See, useful stuff! Fortunatley I was able to resist the inevitable frizz-control-hair-product-that-does-not-work, which seem to follow me home from every trip to Target.

Forgot to add that mommy and I went to see Hildalgo, which was fabby, although I was clinging to mommy's arm with my eyes clenched shut during the horsie-in-danger scenes.

Also I went to B&N to return a Time Out Los Angeles (10 pages of hotels and one of restaurants umnothanks) and get mommy's book, but it turned out to be hardback, $25 (umno), and they wouldn't give me a refund, only store credit, because I didn't have my card (I've taken it OUT of my wallet so as to avoid spending money I don't have), so it was actually a complete waste of time. I'm beginning to dislike going to B&N because it seems like, everywhere I turn, is a really dumb book and I can't help thinking "This got printed? *I* can do better than this!"

Back and safe in LA; I arrived in the stiffling heat just in time to be dragged to the beach by neeeki to spend some quality time with Olive King and now I'm a slightly-less-white shade of pale. I wanted to go cheer on Natalie in the LA marathon, but mommy says the other side of LA is impossible to get to on marathon day (and I actually think I am having a remeberence of being stuck in traffic coming back from church all those years ago--did this really happen?). Now it's time to get started on the 500 papers I have left to do--only three weeks more of the quarter, including finals. Hopefully tonight I'll have time to install the CD so I can upload the pictures from Bridget!

His favourite playground rhymes were those that yearned for foreign cities: kitchy-con kitchy-ki kitchy-con stanty-eye kitchy-ople kitchy-cople kitchy-Con-stanti-nople. And his favourite game was the version of grandmother's footsteps in which, when he was it, he would turn his back on the upcreeping playmates to gabble out like a mantra, like a spell, the six letters of his dream-city, ellowen deeowen. In his secret heart, he crept silently up on London, letter by letter, just as his friends crept up to him. Ellowen deeowen London.

It appears to have become Spring, which is bon, but also means I must keep the windows open, and they are constructing down the street, which is mal (but this could also be considered bon, because then I wake up early and get work--possibly--done). I have taken to inserting French words randomly into my writing. Which is interressant. Vive le Franglais!

After class I am going to my professor's office hours to ask if I can write a story vs. a final paper. She seems the type to go for a crazy scheme like that.

Whatever it is, it works for me! Things are going well, more on this later. Let's hope it keeps! ;)

Guy in my PoliSci discussion: Is anyone here voting for Bush? *complete silence* (kind of like the comments section of this weblog recently... I am v disappointed)

As I said before, yahoophotos will be updated reguarly, so sneak a peek every now and then to see what's new. My fav so far is this one.

To those for whom the link did not work, here is a new one. The picture to which I was referring is entitled "an interesting morning". Bookmark it now, friends, while you have the chance. I am too lazy to link again.

Coughing, but I am going to take it easy, with the books, tonight so I'm not sick for finals (or, more importantly, my birthday).

Christina: yes..but wanting and needing are two different things (unless it's shopping related)

Today is such a milestone that I've been doing a lot of philosophizing, and I was going to write a deep, touching post about my conclusions, but I keep failing to come up with coherent thoughts (this is good, as now I need to write my paper for PS… perhaps I should work on my story for the Time class instead), so I'll just say that I'm happy with my life in general right now, and my future, although it is a very uncertain question mark after next year.

Thanks to all for the fabby pressies/ phone calls/ IMs &c &c. I've never had a better birthday, and it's not even over yet!

I. Bush is an turkey
II. his daddy was a turkey also, but more furtively so
III. Clinton was neither turkey nor idiot
IV. bush is an idiot
V. ways to get the europeans on our good side again
a. grovel
b. get bush out of office
sent them free in-N-out

I think I'll stick to the non-contoversial this time (though it is nice to get so many comments *grin*)... let's see...

Took my oceanography lab final today. A friend and I ditched lecture to study, so I think it went all right. And some of the answers were just silly! Par example, one option for the reasoning behind vertical exageration is that scientists like to exagerate data to make it more exciting and get more grants.

Turned in my Bush paper, yes, that's the one. Glad to be done with it, I'm rather sick of PoliSci, actually, and wished History had a minor so I could have it instead. Oh well. Three more classes! And next quarter's is Western European Governments, and if I don't enjoy that... well, there's just no hope for the world.

Then I went to office hours to get some more guidance on the story I want to write. I had the basic plot stucture, and now I think I've got it pretty much figured out, excpet for the ending--I don't know what happens then. I guess we'll have to see when we get there! I hope I'm able to pull this story off; I'm not sure I'll be able to, but I know I want to try!

Tomorrow is the last day of Celtic Mythology, and we are celebrating St. Patrick's Day! I'm very sad about this class ending, because I loved it very much. There's another one offered next quarter: Medieval Celtic Lit, but I can't take it, my schuedule is too full already with classes I *need* to take. I'm going to ask my professor to do a Cafe Night, though.

Isn't it sad that, while there are some things about school I hate and can't wait for to be over, there are others that I LOVE and am going to miss dearly? I guess it all depends on the Professor and class subject, &c... I think I would be truly happy if I were taking all classes I really enjoyed, and maybe only three of them so I could work more, because I love my job, too. But there's no real way to do that, even if you're done with all your icky requirments, because you never know how much you are going to enjoy a particular subject or Professor until you actually get into it.

PS Sumana, I read your entry on Whole Foods... how exciting that you have one. I am also a big fan of the hot bar (mmm mac&cheese) and the yummyyummyyummy salad bar, as well as pretty much everything else in the store. But I'm on a self-imposed Whole Foods ban right now, because it is $$$$$.

I am wearing green and passing out the stickers that the guy at trader joe's gave me =)

Today in Celtic Myth our professor brought all kinds of food symbolizing what we have studied, ex: salmon is the fish of knowledge in Celtic trad, then we watched some Bollywood set in Wales (don't ask why because noooooobody knoooows). *SIGH* I AM GOING TO MISS THAT CLASS!!!

After work I had to return a recalled book to the BIO MED library (SOUTH CAMPUS??? *hides*) I had no idea where it/I was and was v intimidated the entire time and wanted to hide under a rock.

I also went to my TA's office hours to make sure he got my paper, which he did, and we ending up chatting for a while about the ruckus my outline caused here, my job and future plans, colleges in London (he went to LSE), &c &c. I should really make more of an effort to go to professor's/ TA's office hours next quarter. It's always v enlightening and they seem to like it.

Mommy is coming to LA today and taking me to lunch!

I wondered why the Alumni Association was sending me stuff (I haven't even graduated yet!) but when I opened it I found an invitation to the Senior class trip! WOOHOOO! For only 2,100 I can trapieze through Europe on an 18 day guided tour with loud, druken, obnoxious Americans that I can barely stand to sit next to in class. Whee! WheredoIsignup?

"Smachel, your bagel looks a lot like a cookie"--Smeraldine

If you don't hear from me until Thurs, it's not because I'm dead; it's because I'm buried under finals work.

I am sosick of studying.

or at least the month of March, but this is a subject that I know many feel rather passionatley about and I am genuinely curious, so, please, express your opinons.

Eventually the time will come for me to buy a new computer (and this will be sooner rather than later if Spaz continues to pull tricks like she did today) and when I do, I am seriously considering buying a Mac.

Now, I don't know much about computers in general, but I do know that Macs are relatively cheap, and that smigi enjoys hers and says it is reliable. I have not by any means made up my mind about this, so if anyone had any thoughts/fact/biased opinons, I am wide open. Thanks.

I hate finals (just in case you were wondering).

Thanks to everyone for the mac/no mac advice. I am as confused as ever. Reagan? Jimmy Carter? Menahwha??

Came home from my final and slept for 4 hours, then went to Whole Foods for a salade run. Feeling a bit better. But... *counts* at least 20 pages to go (double spaced...), in 5 different assignments. Wheee.

Everyone has abandoned me!!! Must... stay...up...to work...

I got you the cutest thing ever from H and M! Whoooo!

Do you think Harry Potter was a hero of the tribe? *I* think so...

1. I have not changed clothes in three days
2. I have no idea what I have been eating, bc the fridge is entirely devoid of actual food
3. I have not sleep decently in at least a week
4. windows media player refuses to work
5. I have exactly an hour to finish a final essay, write another one & a research paper, go to Clicclab & print it out bc I have no ink, & turn it in.
6. it isn't going to happen.
7. my kind professor has extended the deadline to monday
8. I have until midnight to write a 4 page (Hah!) summary of everything we have talked about in TIME class.
9. Why am I online?

Ok, not, not really, I still have Celtic Mythology to finish. And think I am supposed to be a work right now. Why do I feel like this will never be over?

The problem with hanging out with Tonks is that he likes to sleep in bed all day...

And there was much rejoicing!

I spent most of the weekend sleeping hanging out with Tonks, so it was incredibly refreshing to work on a paper without having constant urges to throw myself off of Bunche. I actually feel like I did a good job on them, & now I'm done! YES!

I get to spend the rest of today, not to mention every evening this week, doing WHATEVER I want. That is the most wonderful feeling in the world!

Smigi is a fabby roommie & going to turn my papers in for me, & to thank her I'm buring a copy of my new Corrs CD! Which I bought at Borders while shopping with Jen on Saturday night, after Major League Improv. (I won a bumper sticker for my "character traits" suggestion of "shopaholic". Hee!)

I love spring break & not having to worry about school work. I am worried about school, though; cheacking URSA everyday for updates and fretting re: finding a thesis advisor, &c. I did buy my books online today at half.com. If you are a student & happen to be reading this, I reccomend checking half.com & sometimes amazon marketplace before buying the expensive books at school. I save loads every quarter. This quarter especially: I just got all three books I need for $72, as opposed to about $150+ I would have spent at the UCLA bookstore. It helps that I am buying books only for 2 classes: I already borrowed econ books from a friend the last time I took it, heh, and my thesis books will be in the library or ILLed. I haven't bought Thomas Moore's Utopia for my Fiat Lux (on the EU), but thats bc I dont know which edition & I want it to be the same for page numbers, &c, then hopefully I'll be able to get the used book store in Bakersfield where I have oodles of credit, and if not it's only $8! The other book for the Fiat Lux is on the history of Europe--I've got loads on that subject already, & I couldn't find it online, & it's not required anyway so I decided to skip it.

Somehow in my amazingly *cough* hectic weekend, I managed to lose my glasses. I don't understand how I could go through nearly two years of glasses ownership with no problems whatsoever, & then in the last 3 mos lose them TWICE. Fortunatley I (or rather, Dave) found them last time, so I have a spare for this time round. I'm pretty sure we have insurance so I can get them replaced for $40 or so if they don't turn up, but still! That's $40 which could be going towards something else--like a new computer or Europe--that I am paying for something I should not have lost in the first place! I need to be a more responsible belonging-owner.

AND, speaking of belongings and computers, sorry to disppoint all you PC & windows fans (the crowd is silent) but I have decided to go with a Mac. Aside from all of the logistics, &c, it just feels right, so I'm going with my insincts. Now I just have to look at the amount of my scholarship, finaid refund, &c & see if I can actually afford to buy it now, or if it will have to wait.

I bought a new folding super-neato tall bookshelf at Target on sale, so now I am re-arranging my belongs in my room. It's so nice to have ample bookshelf space (though it probably won't remain that way..). *sigh* I am happy.

ARgh!!

$12 an hour, baby! ibook, here I come!