La Vie En Rose for 2004

(1) Tue Jan 13 2004 19:52: Since it's the begining of the quarter, and some of you might actually care, I thought I'd bring up to date about all the classes, etc, I am taking.

For work I'm reading a book about this woman who was a doctor in Serbia and Macedonia during WWI, it's quite intresting.

I had oceanography lab today for the first time, and thats pretty interesting too. We drew lines around ocean depths, called contours. Like on maps. And in lecture we learned all about the structure of the earth and the solar system.

Poli Sci is intresting too. The first paper is due next week, about American society's role in diplomacy. Trouble is, the two articles are in the reader, which I refuse to buy. I asked him to put a copy on reserve in class today. Perhaps will email him, too. It's the same professor as last quarter. Some don't, but I like him. I think he's a good lecturer.

The ES course should be good, too. I'm going to read all kinds of interesting things like Kafka and Woolfe and Proust. I can almost feel my cultural literacy expanding.

Celtic Mythology is going to be great, too. Even though I just found out I have to petetion to get it to count; its not automatic. And remembering how well my last petition went... but still, there's no reason why this one shouldn't go through. It's actually a Lit class!

I keep thinking about the leather jacket in BeBe I saw in Saturday... it was on sale... but I MUST resist. I have to be extra careful if I want to go backpacking in Europe this summer. Oh--that's another thing that may not have gott(en?) mentioned about the trip. I had a little mini-revelation while staring at 800 miles of Texas. I'd been reading Niether here nor there, by Bill Bryson. He goes to a lot of intresting places, and he has some interesting things to say, but he doesn't actually do anything interesting. The whole time I was thinking I could write a book like this, much more... interesting. Now, some people say stuff like that all the time (mom) but never do anything about it. I'm usually in that category, but I'm only young once! And I've got nothing else to do the month in between my lease being up and grad school (hopefully) starting.

So I put my Christmas money in a special seperate savings account I opened just for this purpose, and I'm going to put the remainder of my STRS money (all 1 1/2 months worth of it) there, too. That should put me at about 1,000. I'd planned to save 2,000, but Stacey of the IISA board returns recently from abroad, bring horror stories of the exchange rate, so I think I might need more than that. Still, I have 7 months to save, and with a Real Job it just might be possible!

(5) Wed Jan 14 2004 18:12: I walked to Borders to see if they had my book on Celts, since they were out at the book store. Did not have it. So I walked to the French pastry shop and bought an eclair. The roommates are on a special de-tox diet. I am on a special eat-everything-I-can-get-my-hands-on diet. Something about being a Girl turns my stomach into a bottomless pit about once a month.

Maybe I'll just stay in LA and do research next year, instead of going to school. I bet that would help me get in somewhere really good. And I'll be all rested and ready to tackle... might even go for the PhD. Who knows?

Wed Jan 14 2004 21:16 Doing my part: I decided driving Leonard's car to Little Rock wasn't enough, so I'm writing letters to people in New Hampshire, telling them if they want their kids to be able to go to college, they'd better vote for Clark.

leonardr4clark (8:06:49 PM): you make a good point about reaching hp fans

Thu Jan 15 2004 21:17: I'm still amazed about the weather (or lack thereof) in LA. In some ways it's nice, because, well, it's nice. But in other ways... I just keep thinking that my scarf collection is going to waste.

To all who commented about the eclairs: I can check and see if they ship.

(3) Fri Jan 16 2004 00:22: Is there anything more cheering than a new hat? There is no tonic to equal it, as every woman knows, and the confidence it brings is indeed great. Mine has a pink ostrich feather, the only one I ever had, and I wore it on this one occasion, for I was in uniform a few days later. I saw it again though, when in bedraggled uniform I came home in 1921, and found that my parent had given away every stitch of my clothing except that now very démodé and most unbecoming hat. How I ever could have chosen it, and what a sight for the gods I was as it perched precriously on my short hair over a lean, weather beaten face!--Dr. Isabel Hutton, With A Women's Unit.

Later she says: but of course few die in our hospital, they nearly all get well!

Sat Jan 17 2004 21:01: Mom and I went to see Calendar Girls, which was fabby. "Not naked--NUDE!" She also bought me new glasses--sunglasses and a regular pair. My vision is getting worse, yippee! Amazing that I am suffering the consequences of aging, yet still look like a teenager.

Tue Jan 20 2004 09:45: Finally, after almost 20 hours of working on it, finished my summary for work! Whew! but now I have all this reading to do for school... I feel like I'm behind already! AND a paper due Friday... yikes!

(5) Tue Jan 20 2004 16:31: I am in a FABULOUS mood, for the following reasons: 1. PS paper was postponed, which means that, yes, I will have time to breath this week! 2. After buying stamps to mail my letters to NH, I stopped by the STA and got some European travel brocheres! (Mom taught me a v good system, in which, everytime I go to buy something, I ask myself: "Do I want this ______, or do I want to go to Europe?" It works quite well.") 3. I have v good food from the store and home. 4. I am just happy in general.

Had my second lab in Oceanography. We're doing all this lame math stuff... when are we going to talk about sea turtles? I may P/NP it, so as to make the most beneficial use of my limited time this quarter.

Now must go clean my room and unpack (from yesterday!) and FIND my letters to NH. Also: read Proust and locate generous guy from PS who is letting me copy his reader.

(8) Tue Jan 20 2004 22:29 Like finding a $20 bill in your pocket: ...only much, much better. I just realized I have a scholarship I had forgotten about. From scoring well on some stupid examen back in HS. I decided to save it for when I *really* needed it, then completely forgot it's existence. By now, intrest has added up to 1150--which means I can use it for books and supplies this year, and save my other money for Europe! Yippee!!!

(3) Thu Jan 22 2004 18:12: $1.95 to copy the articles I actually *need* to write my papers sure beats $70 for the whole reader. The guy at office depot only charged me for 1 sided copies, and he gave me a 15% student discount, AND he asked if the girl on my wallet was me (it's Audrey Hepburn).

(3) Fri Jan 23 2004 00:33: "Sort of like scrapping ice off your windshield--which may not be a good analogy for LA, but hopefully you have a sense of how that works"--my oceanography prof, on subduction zones.

Adventures were had in Westwood with Kathy, and later, over IM with Christina, UCLA parking permits were likened unto good-looking, nice boys. GiGi's cats like me lots, which is fabby, but right now there's not enough space on my bed for *me*.

Have decided to not be lazy and do Shakespeare this quarter. Good news. Richard III (nice change from all the tragedy, eh?). Queen Elizabeth. With Queen Margaret. "OH, my POOR BABES!" *SOBS* (may not be actual line).

(3) Fri Jan 23 2004 15:15: While jogging this morning, I was trying to deal with my stupid earphones, which kept falling out of my ears, and I tripped over a crack on the sidewalk and fell. Luckily I landed on the grass, so I dont hurt much. And no one saw. In that respect, I don't know why I'm posting this... oh well, perhaps it will give someone a laugh.

Sun Jan 25 2004 13:22 Being social: On Friday Christina came over and we had beauty day, then we went with GiGi to see Moulin Rouge at midnight on 3rd St. Apparantly they're trying to make it into a cult movie, but I don't know how sucessfull that is. There were only three people dressed up. But no cult would be complete without squealing fifteen-year-old fan girls. Ugh.

Then yesterday Nat and Chris came over and I introduced them to Indian food. Yum. And now I am going to UNsocial and do work all day. Whee.

(1) Sun Jan 25 2004 14:03 Oh, no!: By the time I finish eating my Christmas candy, it will be Valentine's day. Not that I expect to get candy for Valentine's Day. Just pointing out...

(4) Sun Jan 25 2004 23:55: In light of upcoming events (my birthday), I've decided to publish this wish list:

Harry Potter poster

Eurail pass

Norah Jones CD

Gift Certificates to Target, LUSH, or Trader Joes

Something from my Amazon wish list (OK, so there's only one item right now, and it's not released yet--and NO, it's not book 6--but I'll maybe add some more.

An HTML lesson

If you wish to donate money to a charity in my name, I hear that the Send Rachel to Europe Fund does v good work.

Tonight's Proust adventures were briefly interuppted by the appearance of a mouse, which, after a labourous transfer from the living room to the front lawn by Nikkie and myself, unfortunately died of battle wounds inflicted by Poncette.

Also: some new pictures are up.

(3) Mon Jan 26 2004 20:39 coming back from another whole foods adventure: GiGi: Promise me you'll never become soccer moms

Nikkie: If I'm ever in danger of that I'll send my kids to boarding school.

(3) Tue Jan 27 2004 22:28 The world works in strange ways.: While I was walking through the geology building to get to my lab today, I noticed a picture display on the wall from a visit to a geological site in Europe. One of the pictures was of people lying on the floor, and the caption said, "Sleeping in London Stanstead Airport." (You'll find what you're looking for at the bottom the the link.)

Wed Jan 28 2004 18:18: Our IISA open house was quite sucessful. Loads of people showed up, and I heard people talking about coming to the first cafe night (my pet project) next week. The topic: Harry Potter as a literary phenomenon. Yay!

(16) Thu Jan 29 2004 01:31 I'm conducting a poll: Does the US have a superiority complex?

YES

No?

For the correct answer, please see my collected works, to be published sometime tomorrow before 11 am.

And I SWEAR, one of these days, I'm finish a paper AHEAD of time.

Fri Jan 30 2004 20:03: I came home and my momma made delicious bread. I'm now going to go read about Serbia. Glasses tomorrow!

Sat Jan 31 2004 15:21: While spending an hour scouring the entire Target Store trying to find an alarm clock, I came across a really cool Eddie Bauer carry-on roller covertible backpack luggage thing, which I would like to add to my birthday wish list ;)!

Sun Feb 01 2004 16:01: Just got back to my lair. Plugged my speakers into the laptop and couldn't figure out why the music was still coming from the laptop speaker, and my other speakers were making a buzzing noise. Mic plug. Oh. Duh.

(1) Sun Feb 01 2004 22:02: I had a fabby weekend at home. I got my new glasses! and Jen and I went to see Major League Improv, then out to dinner with Chuck and some other people. Kim Canfield was playing, apparantly she is back in Bakersfield. I still don't know what to do next year, but am trying not to stress about it. Ok, and now that my sock drawer is organized, time to do homework!

(4) Mon Feb 02 2004 21:35: It's not raining. It's POURING! In the five minutes it took to walk from Bunche to Cafe Roma, I (and my suede jacket) got soaked to the bone. On the brighter side, despite the rain, people actually came to my cafe night! 2 people who aren't on the IISA board, my roommate, or friends of my roommate! A huge success, especially for a first time. I got to spread my HP knowledge, which makes up for that fact that my hair was a frizz ball. I came home and stood under the scalding water until I turned red. It's lucky we got a ride--I doubt we'd have survived the walk home. Probably end up drowned in an overflowed gutter or swept all the way down Wilshire on a huge tidal wave. Next week we are hoping to get the diplomat in residence to come.

Today in class, the randomest thing: a guy walks up to me and says, "Were you in a commercial with a singing hot dog?" Um, no.

(5) Wed Feb 04 2004 19:36: While walking home I saw a girl with a H&M bag at the bus stop. I didn't ask her where she got it, because it looked like she'd been carting her stuff around in it since her most recent trip to NY/London/Paris, not like she'd just popped in for a quick sweater on her way home from work. Besides, if they were opening up an H&M in LA, someone would tell me, yes? Though it might be better not to...

Got paid today. Woot.

(4) Thu Feb 05 2004 23:33: This is totally random, but the guy next to me (and I mean RIGHT next to me) in the Oceanography examen today had BO. I think my grade may suffer because of it, as I went thorugh the questions in a rush just to get out of there. Oh, but wait, I don't HAVE a grade because I am taking it P/NP. Hahahaha.

Sat Feb 07 2004 12:47 Whee!!: Just got a notice with GRADUATION information!

(1) Sat Feb 07 2004 18:03: "You're bringing me incense! I feel like the baby Jesus!"--Me, to Sneeekie.

(21) Sun Feb 08 2004 16:41 Almost my B-day Lalalala...: Ok, well, in about a month. But still! I'm adding a digital camera to my wish list, because, as Sneeekie points out, by the time I buy film for Europe, it will have paid for itself!

Perhaps I will shop around online to find one I like, but for now.... Kafka!

Oh, and can someone give me advice for cooking rice. No, scratch, can someone tell me HOW to cook rice? The traditional way? Thanks.

Tue Feb 10 2004 15:08: I learned something in oceanography that actually applies to my major: the gulf stream pushes warm water all the way from Texas to Northern Europe, explaining why the climate is so much warmer than similair places in latitude.

(5) Tue Feb 10 2004 16:16 Today Sucks: That's all.

(6) Wed Feb 11 2004 19:03 Boo!: I am still sad about Clark, but Leonard is famous. Hopefully I'll get to see him when he stops in Bakersfield, since it doesn't look like he is coming to LA.

Last night I had a dream I was packing for Europe. I have that dream a lot. I wonder if it means something?

Also, I keep forgetting to mention, but the other day I saw a bumper sticker that we used to have: Well-behaved women rarely make history. Either I'd forgotten how much I like it, or I like it more now (probably the latter). I wonder where I could get one for myself? (I have a bumper sticker place on my car, now--*sob*)

Thu Feb 12 2004 18:47: pushed "publish" twice....ugh

(2) Thu Feb 12 2004 18:47: I need to get back into writing-everything-down mode. Several times a day I think "that's a great weblog quote." What is? Oh, I don't remember!

(1) Fri Feb 13 2004 16:55 Happy Friday the 13th!: Yay! Only, little did I know, years and years ago, when I was calculating when my next Friday the 13th Birthday was, that it would be ROBBED of me by leap year! Boooo! Oh well, one month until my birthday! Here is a reminder wishlist:

Digital camera
Well behaved women bumper sticker
Harry Potter poster
Eurail pass
Norah Jones CD
Gift Certificates to Target, LUSH, or Trader Joes
Donations to Send Rachel to Europe Fund

Thanks. Good news: I was a worker today AND got a hair cut. Bad news: I did not go to Berkley. Good news: I get to see John on Monday. Bad news: I think my computer is dying.

(2) Sat Feb 14 2004 16:31 Happy Valentine's Day!: I got two! One is from Susie, in which she says "hope you have a great one, even if you don't have a *boy* to share it with"--that's ok, I have Sneeeks, and the entire population of LA, who all decided to go to TJs at the EXACT SAME TIME. The other is actually a converted thank-you card from Marisa, and she says "Boys are gross, except for Prince William because I can marry him & become English."

Sat Feb 14 2004 16:50 Retreat from Serbia by Olive Aldridge: "All this misery and all the roadside tragedies were happening not because anybody was going deliberately out of their way to be unkind to anybody else, but it was the inevitable result of war and invasion. And so long as countries recognize war as a legitimate means of settling their differences, so long as countries are greedy for their neighbors' territory, these tragedies will be re-enacted."

(4) Sun Feb 15 2004 11:45: I feel kinda lonely, because most of my family was together in some way this weekend, and I could really use some guidance at this turning point in my life... And discouraged, because it seems like, even though I stayed home this weekend to be a worker, my ever-increasing To-Do list will never be done.

(2) Wed Feb 18 2004 00:10 Just so you know: I *am* alive (barely)... Back to reading!

(4) Thu Feb 19 2004 22:41 checking in: still alive!

Fri Feb 20 2004 20:50 At home: Puppyness is cuteness, but rather annoying as her and gretel think it's fighting and growling time (when really, it's waste time online for a few second before crawling into bed with a Serbia book time). It's amazing how early I go to bed here (possibly because Mom does, and there's nothing else to do?) but unfortunately, I don't have time to do a major sleep-in session tomorrow. I could really use some catching up, considering the week I have had.

(4) Sun Feb 22 2004 20:07: I HATE ANTS!!!!!

Mon Feb 23 2004 12:52 At Northern Lights (my new fav hangout): One hour to go til presentation time. *biting nails nervously*

Tue Feb 24 2004 10:20: Just send the gazillionth email to the PS dept re: the petition I turned in LAST QUARTER. Oh, and when I am supposed to register? Hummm... Thursday. Thanks. Why are people such idiots?

If this petition doesn't go through, I am going to be majorly pissed. Not to mention, majorly screwed.

(3) Tue Feb 24 2004 22:39 Strange...: I can't seem to get any work done at night anymore. I'd rather go to bed early, then get up and work before class. I need to find a better way of discipling myself, other than IM bans that never really work out. Perhaps I am magically morphing into a morning person? First buyer's guilt, now THIS? Next thing we know, I'll be campaining for Bush. (Hahah, not really. Ok, I shouldn't even joke about that.)

(1) Wed Feb 25 2004 17:02: I told Kerstin, the girl I work with who is living for the Peace Corps in two weeks, that I have pretty much decided on staying all next year and working--I really have no other viable options. Then I asked if she thought it would be ok if I took a month or two off to go to Europe (after all, I can do research there), and she said that should be ok, as long as I promise to come back...Hum. Well, I suppose I don't really consider runnning away to Europe a viable option. At least not until I save up some money. Perhaps next year? *SIIIIIIIIIIIIGH* My quarter-life crisis keeps not ending.

I am thinking the key to keep ants away is simply eating all the food in the house.

(2) Wed Feb 25 2004 17:12: Oh, yes, and when I was running back into the house to get my paper summary for Celtic Mythology, I tripped on a sprinkler head and ripped the leather on my favourite pair of Doc Martens. AND I register tomorrow, and have not yet heard back from the powers that be at the PS dept about the petition I gave them LAST QUARTER. Fabby. O wonderful day.

(10) Wed Feb 25 2004 22:19 RANT sur les stupide GEs: Um, yes. I am a college student. Hi. I am supposed to be taking classes that will prepare me for my future career. This is the point of college, yes? My present and most probably future employment deal with historically English related things. Classes on this subject are most helpful.

HOWEVER

UCLA feels the need for all of its students to take pointless, uninteresting classes for the sake of "general education".

AHEM

I could discuss all of the ways in which I am already well rounded enough thankyouverymuch, but I have to study for my oceanography exam. Because I have NOTHING BETTER to do with my time.

(1) Thu Feb 26 2004 16:11 Another rant sur le stupide-ity d'UCLA: Apparantly, the European Union is not Poli-Sci-y enough for the PoliSci Dept. And I had to go, wait for an hour and be late to class, over two months after I submitted the petition, in order to find this out.

Am thinking of seeing Prof. Knudsen, then raising hell, vs. taking another course.

(7) Fri Feb 27 2004 21:34: Christina is over for mental health, and we just finished watching Pirates. Orlando is my BOYFRIEND! But what I want to know is, how is Will's father dead, when he was cursed? Also: Keira Knightley probably DOES NOT eat ice cream by the gallon.... :D

(4) Sun Feb 29 2004 00:45: I am saving my emails, &c, which involves cutting and pasting into a word document... if only I weren't such a complusive, having to save everything; then maybe my hand wouldn't be cramped from hours of ctr+c and ctrl+v ing, and my eyes wouldn't be drooping, and my bed wouldnt be covered in magazine cuttings, so I could go to it.

Today's mental health day consisted of shopping at the Grove/ Farmer's Market with Christina, where I bought, amoung other things, cheese. Then I came home and did email and cut things from magazines and above all did not think. I even signed onto AIM for the first time in at least a week. I'll probably pay for today tomorrow, but I don't care! Bed time!

Sun Feb 29 2004 10:29: I just finished loading down my hair with LUSH junk--Arabian Bright--and now Sneeki and I must go to TJs to try and avoid the midday rush. Oh well. If anyone comments, I'll just say I need to look my best for the oscars tonight!

(4) Tue Mar 02 2004 13:52 Back up Back up YAY! : 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).

(1) Wed Mar 03 2004 10:08 Mark your calendars...: International Institute Graduation

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

(6) Thu Mar 04 2004 01:27 I didn't think it was possible: But now I love JKR even more than I did an hour ago!

(1) Sat Mar 06 2004 10:39 At home: 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!

(5) Sat Mar 06 2004 22:28: 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.

(4) Sat Mar 06 2004 22:41: 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!"

(2) Sun Mar 07 2004 21:22: 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!

Mon Mar 08 2004 00:32 Rushdie--the Satantic Verses: 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.

Tue Mar 09 2004 08:34: 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.

Thu Mar 11 2004 12:15 Pre-Birthday or Post-PMS elation?: Whatever it is, it works for me! Things are going well, more on this later. Let's hope it keeps! ;)

(3) Thu Mar 11 2004 17:29: 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.

Fri Mar 12 2004 17:21: 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).

(2) Fri Mar 12 2004 20:11: Christina: yes..but wanting and needing are two different things (unless it's shopping related)

(3) Sat Mar 13 2004 13:24 21!!: 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!

(26) Sun Mar 14 2004 18:10 Outline for my paper: 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

Tue Mar 16 2004 21:47 Humm...: 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 $$$$$.

(4) Wed Mar 17 2004 08:29 Happy St Patrick's Day everyone!!!!: I am wearing green and passing out the stickers that the guy at trader joe's gave me =)

(4) Wed Mar 17 2004 18:44 Ho-Hum...: 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.

(2) Fri Mar 19 2004 09:18 Whee!!: Mommy is coming to LA today and taking me to lunch!

(4) Sat Mar 20 2004 15:08: 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?

(2) Sun Mar 21 2004 01:02 Healthy eating: "Smachel, your bagel looks a lot like a cookie"--Smeraldine

(2) Mon Mar 22 2004 11:53 It's that lovely time of the year again: 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.

(12) Mon Mar 22 2004 18:18 I know I've probably caused enough controversy on this weblog for a lifetime: 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.

Wed Mar 24 2004 06:13 LALALALALA: 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??

(1) Wed Mar 24 2004 15:48 Finals Update: 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.

(1) Thu Mar 25 2004 00:58: Everyone has abandoned me!!! Must... stay...up...to work...

(3) Thu Mar 25 2004 11:31 Just got a text msg from Marisa: 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...

(2) Thu Mar 25 2004 16:16: 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?

Fri Mar 26 2004 11:32 Done! : 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?

(4) Fri Mar 26 2004 20:57 The most possibley productive use of my time: http://www.quizyourfriends.com/takequiz.php?quizname=040326235440-How~p20well~p20do~p20you~p20know~p20Rachel~p3F">Take my Quiz on QuizYourFriends.com!

Sat Mar 27 2004 21:47: The problem with hanging out with Tonks is that he likes to sleep in bed all day...

Mon Mar 29 2004 11:35 REALLY Done! WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO: 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!)

(3) Tue Mar 30 2004 23:57 Ho-Hum. : 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.

Wed Mar 31 2004 09:20 Still no grades up!: ARgh!!

(1) Wed Mar 31 2004 17:20 Raise: $12 an hour, baby! ibook, here I come!

(1) Fri Apr 02 2004 13:05 Yes!: I passed oceanograhpy! Also: B in PoliSci. Meh.

(1) Sat Apr 03 2004 20:45: Just got back from meeting Sophie Kinsella! Wheee!

Pics are up, but I am too lazy to link :P

Mon Apr 05 2004 00:23: Don't want to start school in the morning.

(1) Mon Apr 05 2004 12:37 *yawns* another update from northern lights: What a lovely first day of school (ish). I had my EU seminar, & the professor explictedly invited us to do a 199 with him "if we are interested," which is good as I was planning on asking him anyway. Interestingly enough, he is the director of the center for European/Eurasian studies, & the same professor PK (my boss) reccomended to me for my thesis.

I've got a two-hour break, bc boring econ discussion was cancelled, but I didn't think for some reason to bring stuff to do. Neeki disappeared in the textbook store in Ackerman, so I prolly won't see her til next fall--it's quite the jungle in there. I wonder where I can go to find out about my work-study $$?

(1) Mon Apr 05 2004 16:40: So that *points to previous entry* was a complete waste of time. I waited around on campus for 2 hours to go & listen to the prof yack on & on about the syllbus. I kept waiting for her to start lecturing, I was actually looking forward to it--Western European Governments--but after 45 min. of nonsense she just let us go. I could have downloaded the syllbus from the website & saved myself hours of waiting! Of course, if I'd had my ~~iBook~~ computer I could have been working...

Went to the UCLAStore & saw my iBook for $999, at least $100 less than at the Apple Store, so maybe I will buy it there. Need to find out about warranty, ~~iPod mini~~ software, &c. This is my first big purchase all on my own (tho Leonard has been on IM support), & I feel very grown up & excited. Printed my governer's scholar award withdrawl thingy, almost there! I can practically taste it!

Tue Apr 06 2004 18:34 ok, this is really sad: I actually want to read & get ahead, but none of my books have arrived yet! Of course... I could get started on Econ since I (still) have that book *bleah* or EU, since handily, I already have one of the ones assigned. Yes, I'll do that.

Meeting with Berend on Thurs re: 199!

Tue Apr 06 2004 19:51 Lalala: Done with EU reading... what now?

is it too early to go to bed?

Wed Apr 07 2004 17:11 I can't believe this is me, but: WHERE ARE MY BOOKS??????

(6) Wed Apr 07 2004 17:39 Math:

Airfare roundtrip to Heathrow	 700
Travel insurance for 28 days	120
Eurail pass for 21 days		534
Misc expenses			200
$40 per day for 28 days		1120
Eddie Bauer backpack            89
Total				2,763

Summer in Europe: 		Priceless

iBook G4				999
MS Office				99
Wireless Card				89
Norton Utilities			129
AppleCare				128
Total:					1444

Having a computer that loves me back: Priceless

Thu Apr 08 2004 17:08 Updates: 1. 199 advisor: Prof Berend. Woot!
2. 1st week is almost finished, & I still have not got ES 102 grade
3. Dinosaur book, "The Mistaken Extinction" came in the mail. My Dinosaur professor is a sexy Brit with a mac & a PHD in trilobites. Must go to office hours with trilobites of my own digging & pictures mom took of feathered dinosuars in London to... discuss course material.
4. Phone service has been "interupted". Jerks. UCLAStore is supposed to call me when they get more iBook G4s in, too, how will I know??

Sat Apr 10 2004 11:08: My phone works again! Huzzah!

Sun Apr 11 2004 23:43: Just checking in to say I'm alive. I had a great weekend. More later.

Mon Apr 12 2004 13:20: In YRL right now, about to sneak into my carol & have lunch (shh dont tell). I am very antsy to get my new computle. I simply cannot WAIT. I have a name picked out & all: Dave the Laugh (can be DtL for short typing) a la Georgia Nicholson. Keep waiting for the UCLA Store ppl to call. They said early this week.

Scored majorly this weekend: got to spent quality time with Tonksie & see many relatives & eat yummy food at Aunt Pat's for Easter dindin. Little Joel is soo cute; I told Shannon when I have a little boy (in about eight years) I want one just like him. Also: Pat gave me a microwave & I got a bike from Ruth Davis. Whee! Am going to Target later aujourd'hui to get lock & (yes, mom) helmet.

But here's the big news: I FOUND MY GLASSES!!! YES! Ooh I missed them so much & I am wearing them right now! It's a good thing too. I went to Sears & the lady said the warranty doesn't cover loss, I'd have to pay $350 to get them replaced, v upsetting you can imagine as I am supposed to buy DtL this week, & I was so upset I just left & completely forgot to get my sunglasses tightened. Out of sheer desperation I went back to every single place I'd been two Saturdays ago, divising all sorts of horrible punishments for myself--including grounding from all non-academic events & *gasp* internet activities--and, at the very last outpost, where I was almost not going to go bc I thought there was NO WAY I could have possibley left them there, the guy behind the counter at The Book Mark produced them. I stood for maybe a minute in complete joyful shock; I felt like kissing him and crying for joy but luckily I did neither & after profusive thanking I managed to leave with (most of) my dignity in tact. AND I have my glasses. Happy Rachel.

My stupid books for my West Eur Gov't class haven't come yet. I should have ordered expidited shipping. Dunno why, tho, my dino book cam on Thurs. (Ooh! I forgot to bring trilobites for my ~~sexy~~ intelligent dino Prof) It's 2nd week & I'm already behind on my reading (& I've never been so upset about this).

Mon Apr 12 2004 18:24 SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE: I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it!

(1) Mon Apr 12 2004 21:43: I LOVE my new computer. LOVE it!!!

(2) Wed Apr 14 2004 10:27: http://d939513.u54.neureal.com/pledge_140.gif" alt="I'm Young. I Vote. I'm NOT Voting Bush :: thePledge04.com">

Thu Apr 15 2004 13:31 Spam Alert: don't miss out on that great job - get your university degree now! I'm on it...

(5) Fri Apr 16 2004 17:13: Today is ride your bike to work day! At least it was for me. I'm setting off again soon, *huffpuff*. But it saves ten minutes from the walking time, and probably would take more if a) I weren't so out of shape (all those hills!) and b)I were ~~brave~~stupid enough to take the direct big-scary-streets route.

(10) Mon Apr 19 2004 17:10 Why I have decided not to go to a quarter Grad school: One of my PS books hasn't come yet (I ordered them... a month ago?) & I have a midterm next week.

Taking three classes, one seminar, & one 199 (indpendent research paper). Not to mention working 20 hours a week (is actually more like 17 or 18). Am coming up with crazy schemes to add another 199 if my petition doesn't go through.

Graduation is WHEN?

It's almost May. Hear that everyone? It's almost MAY!

This is my last quarter as an undergrad. Shouldn't I be enjoying it?

(3) Mon Apr 19 2004 18:15 Yet more evidence school has taken completely over: John will be happy to know that on the way back from school, neeki & were discussing how to find our point of allocative efficency (where MC=MB) of leisure time vs. working time on our personal production possibilities frontier.

(2) Tue Apr 20 2004 07:51: Why am I awake (and even on campus!) this early?

Oh yah, econ...

(12) Tue Apr 20 2004 21:14 I'm taking a new approach to clearing up my skin: Because after 10 years of trying everything, none of it seems to have worked. So from now on I'm going to try v hard to only eat organic & non-processed foods. I even ordered a used cookbook by Nigella Lawson from amazon market place (& realized I may have fallen into the marketing trap of "If I buy her cookbook, maybe I'll look like here") to try my hand at cooking.........

..........oooh potato is in the oven. I wonder how long it's been? Better go check!

Thu Apr 22 2004 12:54: Happy Birthday to MOMMY!!!!

(3) Thu Apr 22 2004 15:02 Relief: I got an email saying I had a new Finacial Aid notification, so I went to go visit & was a little alarmed that my scholarship showed up on it, but then seemed to disapear. Call me paranoid, but I've always been half afriad that UCLA would just try & keep the money for itself, so I marched over to Murphy, preparing msyelf to rant & rave; needless to say I was very relieved when the guy at the counter said I should recieve my refund in 5 days.

Sad news, though: my wireless doesn't seem to work in my YRL carole, or even just outside it. Which means I have to plug into the plug outside, as the one inside doesn't work, either. Perhaps I can ask to have it fixed?

Got another email, from PoliSci, saying I could do a 199 instead of one of the lame-o summer classes. Next step: finding someone who actually knows something about the EU (though that bit may not be strictly necessary who is willing to supervise a 199 in summer. Or perhaps I should come up with a different topic all together, since the EU is apprantly not political enough *bitterness*.

Thu Apr 22 2004 18:52 um: duplicate entry. ignore

(3) Thu Apr 22 2004 18:52 Psst: Lemme tell you a secret.

Here is the reason, the REAL reason, I've started taking notes on my laptop during class:

I love showing off DtL.

I love pretending people are looking at me and thinking, "wow, that girl has an iBook. She's so cool & spunky & different." *hugs DtL*

(1) Fri Apr 23 2004 21:13 SQUEE!: There is a very large Harry Potter billboard on Wilshire, right by the Westwood AMC. It made me incredibly happy, & I would have taken a pic if the batteries for Bridget weren't dead. It's almost as big & beautiful as the Chamber of Secrets one that was up at Tottenham Court Rd & New Oxford St. Almost.

Sat Apr 24 2004 20:52 Haha: I liked this entry so much I pushed publish THREE times!

Sat Apr 24 2004 20:53 oopsie: ..

(1) Sat Apr 24 2004 20:56 Calling all Francophiles: A visit to the Grandparent's today, and Grandpa elightened us to the existance of this care instruction label and also this T-shirt. I want the shirt, BUT I really want a bumper sticker, with just the French portion. I don't think one exsists, so I'm considering having one made, or just printing out a bumper-sticker sized paper & laminating it, & keeping it inside the car?

Or maybe enough people want one to make a bulk order worthwhile. Buttons would be cool, too.

(6) Sun Apr 25 2004 17:49 Graduation: Once again: June 19th at 6:30 PM. If anyone besides mom & grandma, gigi & sneeks (I am assuming...) wants to come, please let me know by next sunday so I can order more paid tickets if necessary. Thanks!

(3) Mon Apr 26 2004 13:36 StupidughBOOwhine: Today is the last day that my book should have been here. Even half.com agrees. I ordered it over a month ago, is it here? Noooooooooooooo. NONONONO! Wah! It's not on reserve. I am NOT paying fifty dollars for it in the book store, so the only solution is to find a random stranger & beg to copy theirs, because midtermwednesdaypanic. This is stress I do not need. I am going to leave scathing reviews & demand a refund. Bastards.

(2) Mon Apr 26 2004 13:37 This is getting ridiculous: Does Leonard know a way to delete duplicate entries?

Mon Apr 26 2004 20:25: It's hot as Hades here, & I've drunk through three of my 32 oz eddie bauer water bottle, so I have to run & pee every 5 seconds, which is annoying because my feet are soaking in a pan of cold water beneath my desk (the water is v dirty, I've just noticed).

Tue Apr 27 2004 18:57: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Wed Apr 28 2004 18:08: I am completely out of it.... was up late studying for midterm, than early for work and study.... then I came home & fell asleep (tho I should have just waited & gone to bed early--econ tomorrow) and now--cafe night?ermmmahhugh. I want the weekend. What day is it?

(1) Wed Apr 28 2004 20:16 Intro to Internet Procrastination, 101: A la GiGi, go here: http://ucla.thefacebook.com/home.php (am too lazy to look up link HTML formula, and amazingly have not memorized it). If you are not UCLA, I imagine google will hook you up. Google is an essential internet procratination tool.

It's oodles of fun! Like Friendster, only better! Look me up if you join!

(2) Fri Apr 30 2004 12:48 PST Public Service Announcement: I would like to draw your attention to a very important event that is going to occur tomorrow, Saturday, May 1, 2004.

The largest ever expansion of the European Union is about to take place. Ten nations: Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Malta, and Cyrus. The significance of his cannot be over-estimated, yet has been, in my opinion, deeply underestimated in terms of importance in American public opinion.

The members of the EU now total 25, its land mass is roughly equivalent to the United States, and its population about 150% of that of the US. On May 1, the EU will become the largest single market area in the world.

More importantly, ten Eastern European States, many of them ex-communist, three of them even once belonging to the former Soviet Union, will begin to receive the benefits of EU membership, including a freer movement of goods, capital, and labour that will encourage investment and growth, agricultural income support and structural funds to support the expansion of infrastructure, and eventual membership in the euro zone.

The expansion of the EU represents the expansion of ideals that we as Americans hold dear; the EU was initially formed as an economic integration and recovery tool, also to ensure peace and good harmony between the European nations. Since then it has taken upon the additional goals of social welfare and a better standard of living for all its citizens.

The EU is taking a big step towards bring peace and prosperity to a traditionally impoverished and conflictual area; and it is also breaking down, in a major way, the age old division between the east and the west of Europe.

Many are skeptical, just as many have been in the past; no one ever believed in 1948 that Germany and France could ever be close allies. Margaret Thatcher, one of the most notorious euro-skeptics of all, argued in a speech in Bruges, that one of the limits of the EU is it could not be defined as Europe, because it was not Europe: “The European Community is one manifestation of that European identity. But it is not the only one. We must never forget that east of the Iron Curtain people who once enjoyed a full share of European culture, freedom and identity have been cut off from their roots. We shall always look on Warsaw, Prague and Budapest as great European cities.”

Beginning Saturday, the three cities she used as examples, plus many, many more, will be a part of the EU. Gone is the iron curtain divided those who share the same rich and common “European” heritage, gone soon will be the impoverishments that have haunted these “eastern” nations in modern times.

What seems unlikely or ever impossible today (Romania, Bulgaria, the Balkans, even Turkey) is actually quite possible, if the right steps are made, slowly, in the right direction. Peace and prosperity can be obtained, even for the most antagonistic and disadvantaged nations, and ancient rivalries can be replaced by close alliance and close cooperation.

This is real progress, and we are fortunate to be watching as it unfolds.

***Disclaimer: I am not in any way associated with the European Commission, or on their payroll as a propagandist. Really. I swear. ***

(3) Sat May 01 2004 13:11 PST: I had a dream about going to London last night :(

Happy EU expansion day! (even though no one seems to care)

Sun May 02 2004 20:05: I am tired of thinking.

(5) Mon May 03 2004 15:56 PST: I think I am going to have to give up my little project of a PoliSci 199 because, once again, no one cares about the EU, and those who do certainly aren't sticking around for summer.

I would say I am dreary & blue, if that weren't in direct contrast to the weather.

(1) Tue May 04 2004 09:17 PST A little glimpse into my world: Yesterday: Part II of thesis due; spent aprox. 5 hours working on it. Started studying for Econ at 12:30, stopped caring at 2:30 & went to sleep.

Today: up at 6:30 to study more. Examen at 8. Class in 15 minutes, work from 11-5, or perhaps just until after I talk with my boss. May actually be the same time.

Thursday: Dino Midterm.

This weekend: home to hang out with mom & sissy & john.

Monday: PoliSci paper due.

Wednesday:Part III of thesis due.

Is it June yet? (although... I am surprisingly chipper. Perhaps is delirium :o)

(9) Tue May 04 2004 16:02 PST Question: If an eggshell cracks while the egg is boiling, can I still eat it?

Wed May 05 2004 12:49: I have a very healthy lunch today: baguette sandwich with tomato & hardboiled egg (whose shell was cracked, so if I die, that is why) and lots of yummy celery sticks & baby carrots.

(2) Wed May 05 2004 13:10 PST Freya Stark: The nurses were all women of the streets… I was sorry for one or two who looked sad and wistful; one especially who used to stop others from making jokes when I was there, because—I once heard her say—“she isn’t like us.” Since knowing them, I have never felt that there is a real barrier between different sorts of women, only differences of the accidental sort that divide all human beings.

My boss’ granddaughter has a GS who she brings over to play in the backyard. She acts just like Gretel, digging through planters and climbing on whatever she can to look through the window.

(5) Wed May 05 2004 20:09 PST AHHHHH: Dinosaurs!!!!

Thu May 06 2004 13:27 PST: Am having a little mini pre-graduation (or not) crisis. Since I’ve registered for summer school, all of my requirements on my DPR should be completed or IP. Two are not. One is the Celtic Myth class I took for a humanities; I should have petitioned for it in January, but I’ll do that today. The other came as a bit of a surprise (fun!); I thought I’d had both of my Ud electives for the major taken care of, but apparently not. I can’t remember why, probably I class I was planning on taking but didn’t end up… Actually, I think it was me planning on taking more than one PoliSci class that was Europe related. Back when I was delusional & actually thought they would OFFER more than one. Soo… yes. I have a class I can petition for that slot: Walking into History, a class I took at Sussex Uni. I guess it has about a 50% chance of getting approved; it’s really more of a Soc class, I am guessing, but it shows up as history on my DPR so I live in hope. If not, than I’ll go on a desperate search for someone to do my EU expansion 199 supervision, if a 199 can cross count, and if no I’ll see if International Law counts, or any of the other PoliSci classes offered, for that matter. If all else fails I can always take three classes (*winces*) in summer. There is a history of prostitution that looks interesting.

Of course, life has already taught me to prepare for the very worst case scenario, so if BOTH of my petitions get denied… I take four classes in summer? *dies* Or I drop the minor, and just finish up Euro St & am out of here? That sounds more like it… Problem solved.

Ran into Phil on campus; he’s going to Europe this summer for travel & study abroad, so I departed nuggets of wisdom & fun stories upon him. There’s nothing more fun than talking about Europe, and I love people who want to listen to my stories.

A fun thing to think about is all of the “what if”s. What if the train schedule HAD been right, and we’d really missed the train to Munich, and ended up in Rome like or last-minute plan was? Or what if we hadn’t woken up in time to switch cars, and had ended up in Berlin? Someday I will visit all these places, and write a “choose you own adventure exploring Europe”.

Thu May 06 2004 18:15 It's not so bad: I just have to write this PoliSci paper & I have nothing but thesising until the end of the month (at which point all hell breaks lose).

(5) Thu May 06 2004 21:10 PST Help!: I'm going crazy! Could a mac user PLEASE tell me how to get my yahoo! to download into Mail?

Edited: *whinewhimpermoan* its costs $$. I wonder how long I get to keep my ucla address?

(4) Mon May 10 2004 01:11 PST: Chris: This is why you're not the director of HP; it would be one hour of Harry and Ginny making out, followed by one hour of Ron and Hermione making out, followed by one hour of Oliver Wood.

Rachel: Naked. Wrestling with a bludger.

(5) Mon May 10 2004 16:41 PST YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES!!!!!!!!!!!!!: Both of my petitions were approved. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Later: I just scrolled down my DPR. EVERY SINGLE REQUIREMENT says COMPLETE! Woooohooo!!!

(5) Tue May 11 2004 21:20 PST The countdown begins: 38 days til Graduation: (that sounds like a lot)

It begins, the downward spiral. Picking up speed now, its roots stretch back for years. Driven by madmen and propagandists, yet acted out by ordinary men and women. After this, there's no turning back.

No, it's not WWI. It's Rachel going insane and becoming crippled by neurosis as graduation approaches.

Lucky you, you get to watch the whole thing.

People's exhibit A: the absence of typing skills has always been evident, yet now grasp on English language seems to be also failing as words which have now resemblence to one another are freely exchanged somewhere in the journey from brain to fingers. Example: I foot he scarf the let. Translation: I told her I lost the frog. Yeah, I don't get it either.

People's exhibit B: repetitive process of the sudden occurrence of questions such as "What am I supposed to be doing?" and "who am I?" followed by a period of lack of conscious thought.

People's exhibit C: Laundry from this weekend is still not put away. I am dressing from the floor.

(4) Wed May 12 2004 09:28 PST Um, what day is it again?: Today is my one month anniversary with dave the laugh. You can stop rolling your eyes now, it's not as if I have enough mental capacity to actually remember that.

Here is how I know: I have to send in the rebate for the "free printer" in within 30 days. I am sending it in today.

(3) Wed May 12 2004 18:51 PST Me to Gigi: You can be feminist and chase boys at the same time!

(2) Thu May 13 2004 17:50 PST MOM: Yes, I am coming home, but I have not yet decided when. mmm apricots

(2) Fri May 14 2004 15:45 PST Argh: There was cat pee on my Big Ben purse. I tried to wash it, but it's kind of hard to wash a bag like that. I don't know how they get in; I keep my door shut.

Sat May 15 2004 15:24 A Jammin Good Time: Mom & I just made 5 jars of apricot cobbler filler (plus one apricot cobbler) and three batches of jam (apricot, plum, and apricot pineapple), plus prepared the apricots for three more bathces. I am tres exhausted.

(2) Sun May 16 2004 18:12 PST: I really wish I had something to do right now that doesn't involve thinking.

Tue May 18 2004 10:15 Ho-hum: I came to update my weblog & couldn't think of anything to say. Sarah is here, visiting from NY. I am going to see Marisa Friday. I had a pretty good day at work. I think I'll go read about Germany now.

(4) Tue May 18 2004 12:48 PST Ready for summer: I wrote an email to one of my ex professors, apologising for dropping off the face of earth, and when she wrote back the subject line said: Earth. Ha! They can have a sense of humour.

Edited: And I completely unintentionally spelled two of those words the British way. Time to go back to Europe, methinks.

(4) Thu May 20 2004 13:51 PST Let's talk about how brilliant I am: My backpack was sitting in my bed for most of yesterday, and I guess the water bottle lid was not screwed on tightly enough because there was a big wet spot on my bed... go me. I slept on a towel. But, always the optimist: it could have been worse. It could have been pee!

Mom will be glad to know that my Picture Has Been Taken.

Christina and I made plans to have an HP moviethon on Saturday. I've been feeling so ho-hum but this cheered me up considerabley. There's no reason to be blue, because tomorrow I'm going to see Marisa & I've been looking forward to that all month. But sometimes I just guess you are, no matter what.

Sunday I am getting married to my thesis. I'm banning myself from all extracurricular activities. I'm going to delete all the non-school bookmarks in Safari & see if I can uninstall yahoo messenger. So people will have to keep up with me the old-fashioned way--you know, email.

(1) Thu May 20 2004 21:08 PST Yay!: I just bought tix for me and Christina to go see HP at midnight at Universal City walk! I'm SOOO EXCITED!

(2) Sun May 23 2004 07:20 PST: My life is getting back on track. I ordered prints from my pictures & my annoucements/ cap & gown are ready. So I just have to do quicken & I won't have any non-class stuff looming over me (class stuff is a different story). I'm doing pretty good so far, yahoo messenger is in the trash, and I accidently signed onto iChat a couple of times, just because I'm so used to pressing that button, but I signed right back off.

Christina came over last night, and we hot-hennaed my hair. We left it in for all of Sorceror's Stone, so it's pretty red. I like it a lot.

I also had a great time in SD. Goldfinger played 99 Red Ballons for their last song, and said, "This is an anti-war song... it's dedicated to everyone who is going to help me vote Bush out of office!" It was awesome.

Time to curl up wih Thatcher, I think. Yay.

(4) Mon May 24 2004 13:29 PST: There's been this big to-do in the Daily Bruin about whether or not Taco Bell will be allowed to stay on campus, because they might buy tomatoes from slave-drivers and failed to submit a report about it, but today it appears that they WILL be allowed to stay, just not signing a year contract. Which I think is a shame. Why doen't they invite Inn-N-Out, which a) has moral business practices b) is much yummier and c) does not make me nausous everytime I walk by? Or something healthy? I suppose it doesn't matter to me too much, as I won't be here next year, but I do care about the fate of society, and would much rather have Bruins eating tomatoes that were picked failry and grown locally than by evil exploitation in Florida.

Mon May 24 2004 15:43 PST Mom sent me this: http://www.moveon.org/images/nothingaccomplished.gif">

Get yours today!

Mon May 24 2004 22:01 PST wireless: For some reason we've been getting superb free wireless lately. My theory is someone with an airport base station moved in here or next door and keeps it on all the time. I hope they stay! I am getting spoiled. Although it is a bit distracting, even though I *did* delete Y!M and a lot of bookmarks, to have constant access even when I am *unplugged*. I realize I could just turn airport off, but...but... free wireless!

(1) Tue May 25 2004 11:41 PST: Just picked up my cap, gown & annoncements. I can't believe I'm graduating! This is so weird.

Tue May 25 2004 19:10 PST: Life without IM is sad and lonely. I just got so bored I checked my old email. 1100 spam messages! Amazing. There was also an email from Sumana, with a link to the jkrowling official site--which I have seen, but did enjoy immensely, in particulair the bit that she linked to. But, at least until they kick me out, send me love to rachnmi@ucla.edu. Please? Love?

(3) Wed May 26 2004 20:52 PST: I am excited to learn that Sumana & Leonard are coming to see me this weekend! (Or, you know, mom & grandparents.) And for once, I am told ahead of time!

I got an A (minus) on my polisci paper, and I have an econ midterm to study for demain (bleargh).

Wed May 26 2004 20:58 PST 8 days: That is all.

(1) Thu May 27 2004 06:24 PST Here is the thing about Econ: I hate it. Who is surprised? (No one.)

(2) Thu May 27 2004 06:20 PST: My pictures came! And I spent dinos addressing labels (while also being v attentive) so announcements are all ready to send out!

Stupid econ midterm was at 8 this morning. I am trying to decide whether to take a nap or read for a few hours and just go to bed early. Going to bed early will allow me to get up early (theoretically) and then I can work more tomorrow, so that might win.

I'm going to try again to add my picture to yahoo photos, we shall see. Yahoo hates macs. I am beginning to hate Yahoo. If it doesn't work, and even if it does, I'g going to burn it on a CD for Leonard this weekend so he can change the picture and we won't have to look at 17-year-old me anymore!

Fri May 28 2004 21:14 PST Hee!: According to m-w.com, �defenestration� is the favorite word of 2004. I remember learning about the denfenestraion of Prague; I can�t remember to whom or when it happened, but it was during the religious wars, and it helped me remember that fen�tre is �window� in French.

It comes from fenestra, latin for �window,� also as in dinosaurs & birds have an antorbital fenestrae�I don�t know its that�s strictly true, a word I am getting slightly sick of, mostly because I can�t keep all the fenesrae straight.

(1) Sat May 29 2004 22:50 PST Fabby: I read the latest Georgia Nicholson yesterday. Sometimes I wonder if I wore "boy entrancers" (false eyelashes, people) and said things with more humourosity, maybe boys would want to snog me aussi. But then it occurs to me that if Georgia were a real person I saw in real life, I would probably find her very annoying.

(1) Mon May 31 2004 00:08 PST For those who may be worried: I am home safe.

Mon May 31 2004 20:22 PST Less than 3 weeks: Can it be? Is the end really in sight?

Mon May 31 2004 22:01 PST Short Skirt, Long Jacket:

I want a girl with a mind like a diamond,
I want a girl who knows what's best,
I want a girl with shoes that cut,
and eyes that burn like cigarettes.

I want a girl with the right allocations,
Who is fast, and thorough, and sharp as a tack.
She's playing with her jewelry,
She's putting up her hair,
She's touring the facility
and picking up slack.
I want a girl with a short skirt and a long jacket.

I want a girl who gets up early,
I want a girl who stays up late, 
I want a girl with uninterrupted prosperity,
Who uses a machete, to cut through red tape.

With fingernails that shine like justice,
and a voice that is dark like tinted glass,
She is fast, and thorough, and sharp as a tack.
She's touring the facility
and picking up slack.
I want a girl with a short skirt and a long, long jacket.

Tue Jun 01 2004 08:24 PST This is what an LA nightmare looks like: I had a very stressful dream this morning! I left for LAX two hours ahead of time, but I kept forgetting stuff, and for some reason had to drag all my luggage, cart and all, to class at fictional-geography UCLA (similair to fictional-geography London, which I discussed with mom &c this weekend; every time I dream about these settings, its the same wierdo geography that is completely disproportionate to the actual place), then I had to go to the store, and the store person made me try & buy this bread that looked like flammin' hot cheeto bread, but tasted like lemon, and she took forever cutting a slice. Then, everytime I tired to get on the 405 I failed miserabley. I kept missing entrances, and in one particuarly underpriveleged neighborhood, I magically became spiderwoman and scaled down a fence to discover the gate guarding the 405 entrance had been unfairly locked. I kept looking at my watch the whole time, getting closer and closer to 2:00, and wondering how I was ever going to make it. I woke up completely stressed out & nervous, and by the time I turned over & curled up with red doggie & went back to sleep, my alarm rang. The worse part is, I don't know if I got to the airport on time!

Tue Jun 01 2004 12:48 PST Huzzah! : My printer works!

(1) Wed Jun 02 2004 18:57 PST: 1.5 weeks of intense thesising, followed by one week of intense finals. June 19th cannot come soon enough.

More to the point, tomorrow cannot come soon enough.

(2) Wed Jun 02 2004 20:56 PST Democracy at its best: I don't know why we insisted upon having elections while writing the IISA constitution, perhaps just because we're all so democratic minded. They were today; no one was running unopposed, and about 12 people showed up to vote. "Elections Soviet-style," I said.

(1) Thu Jun 03 2004 09:32 PST Conflicting emotions: PoA tonight!!! Wohooo! *excited*

But I lost the card I bought the tix with, and you have to have it to pick them up! *scared*

(1) Fri Jun 04 2004 03:10 PST Wow: Amazing. That is all.

(4) Sat Jun 05 2004 14:35 PST My new favourite word: Ideological.

Christina & I loved PoA so much we're going to go see it again tonight. In the mean time, I am being a workworkingworker. HP & EU are the only two things that exisist in my universe. (Fortunatley, Gigi dragged me to Whole Foods today, so at least now there is more than abstract ideas in the fridge).

Last night was IISA end of the year dealy at BJs, which is right next to the Fox in Westwood. The line was about a mile long. You may think I'm joking; I'm not. Its so inspiring to see all unite over one thing. Perhaps Harry Potter is the answer to peace on earth? (Or is it the EU? I'm getting confused again.)

...shutting up now

Mon Jun 07 2004 13:19 PST Hello from the library: That's about all I can think of to say right now. Am feeling a bit brain dead. One more week of school, one week of finals. I can do this. I can.

(7) Mon Jun 07 2004 19:40 PST Elizabeth Newman writes in the Daily Bruin about studying at Starbucks: First, there's the inclination to pull some wrestling moves on the USC kids who have come all the way to Westwood to study... oh wait, not this quarter; we're the only school in Los Angeles still in session.

But at other points in the year, I just want to kick them out. We're the smart kids, let us study! And get that ~~awful~~ color combination of crimson and gold out of my sight, it's incredibly distracting.

Why, yes, it is!

Tue Jun 08 2004 12:38 PST Strangely familair: From Freya Stark's Baghdad diary, 1941: �This morning�s news says, �Iraq situation developing satisfactorily.� Adrian Holam says he can�t see the satisfactorily: I say I can�t even see the developing.�

Tue Jun 08 2004 17:53 PST Officially in finals mode now: The soup I was going to eat for dinner congealed into a solid mass, so I threw it out. The call of Inn-N-Out is so strong... I can no longer resist.

Tue Jun 08 2004 20:54 PST hee!: My toilet works! I wonder how long ago they fixed it?

(3) Tue Jun 08 2004 23:26 PST Pfft: Four posts in a day, must be some kind of record (not) or an indication of my impending insanity.

Whatever happened to finals care packages? Actually, I don't know if I ever got one--maybe from mom freshman year--but I sure could use one now!

<*/ shameless hint *>

(1) Fri Jun 11 2004 10:21 PST Update: Mom is fine. I am fine. My uber-long paper is fine. Only the dogs are misbehaving.

(6) Sat Jun 12 2004 12:58 PST Third times a charm?: I went to see HP again last night with Chris and Becca. Mom made me, she said, "stop working on that paper and go to the mvoie!" So I did. I was awfully tired, but enjoyed it anyway, and am learning to ignore the deffiencies. Chris sat next to me, and every once in a while would whisper, "Harry and Hermione, eh?" I think he likes getting hit with my water bottle.

(1) Sun Jun 13 2004 01:11 PST I'm done.: I can't really believe it, but I'm done. Bibliography, inspiring quote for cover page, and all. 5,919 beautiful words (except the ones about Thatcher--those are ugly words). A whole day early! All I have to do is print out a copy for Mom to proof for typos/rewordings tomorrow.

I think I'm going to cry...

Can the free peoples of Europe rise to the height of these resolves of the soul and instincts of the spirit of man? If they can, the wrongs and injuries which have been inflicted will have been washed away on all sides by the miseries which have been endured. Is there any need for further floods of agony? Is the only lesson of history that mankind is unteachable? Let there be justice, mercy, and freedom. The people have to will it, and all will achieve their heart�s desire.
�Winston Churchill

(2) Mon Jun 14 2004 12:17 PST 2 down, 2 to go: I just finished my dino final (in 25 minutes! it was easy) and turned in my thesis. Yay!

Behind me someone was talking about taking the 15 to the 40 somewhere, and it filled my heart with such longing that I know I must badly need a vacation. Too bad I don't get one.

The Alumni Association people are perched all over campus, like Tonks hiding under my bed (only much less cute), waiting to pounce. Go away! Leave me alone! UCLA already has enough (all) of my money!

(1) Tue Jun 15 2004 12:17 PST: I.don't.want.to.study.ANYMORE.

(1) Wed Jun 16 2004 11:15 PST Whooo!: I feel good. Just finished my PS final, I kicked its butt. I filled every available space with tiny, well-informed print. The grader is going to hate me, oh well. I'll admit I was even a bit show-offy; not only did I define "expansion," I listed the names of all ten recent expandees. As much as I dislike the professor & how she taught the class, it's really nice too feel like I'm good at something.

Now must run home to take care of sick mommy. Sidenote: Becca this means I'll be in B-town, want to help me study for econ :D?

Thu Jun 17 2004 13:12 PST In 24 hours I'll be totally done with finals.: Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you, tomorrow! You're only a day away!

(2) Thu Jun 17 2004 20:46 PST In 15 hours I'll be taking my last final...: I actually think I'd rather be studying French than Econ. Meh. I am running away to the library and leaving Dave here (he is too distracting).

Fri Jun 18 2004 07:53 PST Today is my last final: My stomach is a mass of nerves, & I have intra-venal stress. I better make some herbal tea.

(4) Fri Jun 18 2004 13:34 PST Teeeeeeeeeheeeeeeeee: All done!!!!

(1) Sat Jun 19 2004 22:59 PST Yay!: Thanks to everyone that came to my graduation & made it special. It went great, we were all one big happy International Institute family. *heart* I'm so lucky to be getting out of UCLA before I get sick of it. Now I'll alwasy have fond memoires!

Am taking a little break from thinking.

Sun Jun 20 2004 20:56 PST Finals have ruined me: I am suddenly overcome with strong cravings for chocolate and cheetos and junk food. AHHHHHHHHH!!!

(1) Mon Jun 21 2004 11:31 PST A year ago today: I was reading Order of the Phoenix, and wondering what to do with my life after I was done.

(1) Tue Jun 22 2004 19:54 PST Amusing Quotes: Two things Mom said recently that I found funny enough to remember & share:

When I accused her of spoiling Gretel, she replied "I'm teaching her a new vocabulary word. Shrimp, Gretel, shrimp!"

"He's really ruined it, hasn't he? It used to be my favorite letter"--on 'W'.

(1) Wed Jun 23 2004 10:05 PST Gah!: I had a dream that I got a D+ in PoliSci. A D!! I plotted ways to raise hell and seek revenge with mom while sitting on the grass outside Royce eating a snickers bar (later dreamed I was eating cheetos...hum, junk food addiction alert!)

I woke up and ran to the computer, but no grades posted yet. Wah!

(2) Thu Jun 24 2004 11:55 PST: Another grade up: P for Dinos. Well, gee. Thanks for what I didn't already know. Bah. I want my econ grade!

I think I'm getting sick. I sleep til 11:30 today, without waking up at all, and I just feel...wierd. Could be because I'm exhausted still, I dunno. Or some adverse bodily effect of spending my only summer vacation not...vacationing.

(1) Sat Jun 26 2004 10:35 PST Wah!: Where are my PoliSci & Econ grades?!

(9) Sat Jun 26 2004 22:19 PST Save California: Recall Bush: I went to go see Farenheit 9/11 today. It was awesome--liberally biased, I guess, but then so am I. Turns out George W. is even more of an asshole than previously thought. And yet, no one is surprised. I would urge everyone to go see it but, sadly, as is the case with all such movies (Day without a Mexican also comes to mind), those who need to see it most won't go.

For work I am reading about the life a Gertrude Bell, a British women who couldn't find anyone she liked well enough to marry, so she keep running off the the "East" to learn Arabic. She worked with Intelligence during WWI and the F.O. in the 20s, I think living in Baghdad, but I haven't gotten that far yet. It's interesting to put these things in historical perspective.

Sun Jun 27 2004 21:03 PST I'm trying the positive approach: Class starts tomorrow! Wheee! I can't wait!

(5) Mon Jun 28 2004 22:18 PST This one's for Craig: ...from Southwest England, if he is still watching. Say cheers to Blighty for me.

I am thinking of adding a link to the lyrics to "La Vie en Rose" here.

(2) Tue Jun 29 2004 10:10 PST: It sneaks upon me when and I least expecting and makes me ponder, "Where?" It invades my dreams and prevents me from restful sleep. It fills my being with tortuous wonder. WHERE ARE MY GRADES?

(3) Wed Jun 30 2004 19:28 PST Grrr I'm soo frustrated: I just wasted an hour in traffic. An hour! I decided to go to F&S fabrics to get some elastic and a really big needle for a special notebook I am making and it closes at 6! 6! What kind of place has the decency to close at 6 in this town? And I drove by a yummy looking falafel place but couldn't stop to get dinner, because I know if I eat out once, it probably means I won't eat at all for the last week of July. And I burned my finger making rice.

I'm so sick of traffic. I'm sick of not having my grades. I'm sick of pans that never get clean and rice for dinner and being poor.

(1) Mon Jul 05 2004 11:59 PST Shalalala: Back up! Whooo!

(2) Wed Jul 07 2004 17:36 PST Dearly Departed: On sunday I said goodbye to a pair of good, loyal friends: my birkenstocks. I had them for six years and loved them well; it was time for them to go.

(2) Thu Jul 08 2004 09:55 PST: Love at first sight.

(6) Mon Jul 12 2004 19:25 PST Update: See here for details on my weekend, then go here to sign a petition against adding discrimination to the US constitution.

(3) Wed Jul 14 2004 16:39 PST Happy Bastille Day: I celebrated by having a great day at work, and cooking for my friends tonight!

(1) Thu Jul 15 2004 18:39 PST Relief: Well, I checked my DPR, and econ shows up under major requirements as a "D" but it still says "complete." So I guess I am ok.

My second thought was, it was a waste of bother to take it again since I would have been ok in the first place...but then, I guess I didn't bother myself with it all that much, did I? :o)

(1) Fri Jul 16 2004 12:52 PST Goodbye: I am off on a grand adventure. See y'all later. :-)

Mon Jul 19 2004 17:52 PST: I'm back from my grand adventure. I'm back from class today and I'm awake from my nap. Life is good.

(4) Tue Jul 20 2004 16:58 PST OK: I really need to get some more Birkenstocks and throw all my other shoes away. Because this walking home barefoot with blisters on my feet is really getting old.

(3) Wed Jul 21 2004 22:51 PST ASDFGHjWERTYHJFGHJKLRFGHJKM!!!!!!!!: The Corrs! Aug 14! Kodak Theatre!

*dies*

Sat Jul 24 2004 22:45 PST Mom says: "Why do these people think they can have babies when they're supposed to be writing books?"

(1) Sun Jul 25 2004 11:55 PST Ohh the stress: I keep having dreams where I have to graduate all over again. Perhaps a symbol of my impending done-with-school-ness?

Thu Jul 29 2004 13:27 PST No cavaties!: haha I win!

(1) Sat Jul 31 2004 12:32 PST: Happy one-year anniversary to Susie & John!

(and Happy Birthday to harry & JKR!)

Sun Aug 01 2004 17:06 PST Wow: Where did July go?

(3) Mon Aug 02 2004 17:06 PST: I have four essays to write tonight. Thanks.

Wed Aug 04 2004 09:11 PST Sooo tired: must survive. four hours.

Thu Aug 05 2004 23:15 PST Lightbulb!: You know what would be really, really great? If iChat worked with both AIM AND Yahoo!Messenger.

(2) Sun Aug 08 2004 23:03 PST Wow: How did I ever manage, back in the day before Dave, being limited to the desk by no wireless, no battery, non-proximity of bed to desk? *hugs Dave*

This randomosity was brought to you by my vagabondosity. Which also applies within my own room. Osity.

(6) Thu Aug 12 2004 22:14 PST Economics: Ever since Sumana's entry I've been thinking about cost-per-wear a lot. I must admit I've previously been advised to figure one dollar per wear when shopping, and had dismissed the idea as ludicrous. A dollar per wear? That means you're paying, like $5 every time you get dressed! Who has that kind of money? Not me! But then I realized... how many $20 items of clothing do I have that I've only worn a handful of times? Shame! Shame! I'd like to think that the many items I got on sale for $7 and have worn more times than I can count sorta even it out.

I do think $1 per wear is too much. I'd rather pay, say, 20 cents. But it's handy. How many times would I have to wear a $30 jacket to make it worth buying? All that math turns me off to shopping.

Still, it's easy to see that a pair of Birkenstocks to be worn at least 1,000 times is well worth $115. And a $250 iPod mini used twice, three, four times a day for who knows how many years? It's practically free!!!

(4) Sun Aug 15 2004 14:52 PST Well, it's official: My grades were posted and I passed both of my classes (surprise, surprise ;-). So now what? Do they send me an email and tell me �congratulations, this is where you can pick up your diploma�? Somehow I feel like I ought to know this. Maybe it says somewhere.

I doubt I�ll feel settled until it�s in my hands. I keep feeling as though someone is going to pop up from behind a bush (or sent me an email) and say, �Just kidding! You don�t really get a college degree! Do you think we actually give them out to silly people like you? No! It was all a joke! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA��

Paranoid, am I?

(5) Mon Aug 16 2004 20:42 PST Let's talk about what a nerd I am: While I was in the library today checking out a gazillion books for research, I also picked up two for a bit of "light reading" : A Peace to End All Peace and Oxford Illustrated History of WWI.

(1) Wed Aug 18 2004 20:02 PST More about The Roses of No Man's Land: This is the first non-fiction book that has absorbed me as well as the really good fiction I read. I spent all day in bed reading, and actually got paid for it!

(3) Thu Aug 19 2004 16:08 PST: Haha, I jsut realised for the previous entry I said "more about," when that was the first time I mentioned that book. Oh well. Standard WWI fare, in case you couldn't tell.

I just got an email from Amazon saying my order had been shipped. The order I places on Sunday. Grr... Isn't the whole point of Amazon to be cheap and easier than going to the story? I don't see how waitiing almost an entire business week to ship one dinky order of three CDS is in any way fulfilling this goal. *stabs amazon*

(1) Fri Aug 20 2004 22:10 PST Adventures: Leonard is here (in Bakersfield). We had fun terrorizing Smart & Final and the dollar store, then went to see Grandma. More adventures tomorrow!

(8) Tue Aug 24 2004 00:01 PST Annonymous Quote: "What, so there's a Black Forest in Germany?"

Tue Aug 24 2004 23:14 PST: It's a good thing I cleaned my room yesterday. I keep feeling slobish because my desk is so untidy, but then I turn around and and see the rest of my room and feel much better.

Fri Aug 27 2004 00:11 PST On the Home Front: All is well.

(1) Fri Aug 27 2004 20:10 PST New family member: I talked to Anne for about a minute today. She called here accidently instead of mom's cell. But she did mention that Kristen had her baby! So that is the news incase you hadn't heard.

(1) Wed Sep 01 2004 16:43 PST Books &c: I had to go to the BioMed library to get a book on Scottish Women's Hospitals. Scary! I've only been once before, and I got lost. I guess the person I asked for directions this time was better at it. I found my books and it was covered in the thickest layer of dust I've ever seen in a library. Apprently it was just about to be pulled, so I have rescued it from the obscurity of the Southern Regional Library Facility (which I picture as this huge warehouse in the middle of the desert where they ~~perform odd experiments on people and~~ forklift huge amounts of books around). Actually, it would have been a lot easier for *me* to request the book from SLRF and pick it up at YRL, where I'm at practically everyday anyway...

(2) Thu Sep 02 2004 16:12 PST Hum: I wonder what Susanna wants for her birthday?

(4) Sun Sep 05 2004 20:27 PST If you don't notice it, then maybe it's not too bad?: It was a nice clear day today. For the first time, I noticed that you can see the Hollywood sign from Santa Monica when turning into my neighborhood.

In other news, my roommate is looking for a new home for her two cats, so if you or someone you know is interested please let me know!

(1) Tue Sep 07 2004 16:19 PST Dreading Friday: I really think funerals are the worst part of death, all the gloom and doom and crying. I'd much rather sit outside Cafe 50s on a bus stop bench & talk about how my grandpa used to take me for rides on the orange cart at the ranch.

Tue Sep 07 2004 19:29 PST:

In 1983 (the year you were born)

Ronald Reagan is president of the US

Sally Ride becomes the first American woman to travel in space

Marines are killed when a TNT laden suicide terrorists blows up Marine headquarters at Beirut International Airport

US Marines and Rangers invade the island of Grenada and evacuate hundreds of US citizens

The Soviets shoot down Korean Airlines flight 007

The Internet Domain Name System was invented by Paul Mockapetris

Ronald Wilson Reagan signs a bill creating Martin Luther King Day

Baltimore Orioles win the World Series

Washington Redskins win Superbowl XVII

New York Islanders win the Stanley Cup

Return of the Jedi is the top grossing film

"Every Breath You Take" by The Police spends the most time at the top of US charts

The A-Team and Webster premiere

What Happened the Year You Were Born?
More cool things for your blog at Blogthings

(5) Sun Sep 12 2004 18:17 PST An actual update for once: This weekend was grandpa's funeral. As far as funeral's go... well, it wasn't as sad as I thought it would be (which is actually not saying much...). It's good to know that grandpa led a full life and was well-liked and loved. Even though I miss him terribly, I know he must be much happier after how sick he was, and I think that makes letting go easier. A bit. It was so sad to see Aunt Helen and Uncle Larry's headstones. I don't think I'd been to that cemetery since Aunt Helen died.

In other news, after the funeral Leonard, Sumana and I went to Target to buy presents for Susanna. By fate, they were sold out of OOTP paperback, so we went to Russo's books, a fun independent bookseller in Bakersfield (which is actually where I bought OOTP when it first came out). I thought to ask if they were hiring, and they are! For morning shifts. So I have my whole ideal daily schedule worked out now. I can ask for fridays off, drive to LA thursday afternoon to work, then have all day friday to work here as well. I dropped off my resume on Sat and am going to be proactive and call on Monday to hopefully schedule an interview for Tuesday or Wednesday. I really hope I get this job, it would be sooo perfect. I may not have too much retail experience, but I have a degree! and that ought to be worth something.

A lot of people have been asking when I am going to move back to Bakersfield, and a la Rick Blaine, I reply casually, "I never make plans that far ahead." Actually, Tara, the girl taking my room, has been travelling in India and her email is over quota, so every one I send her asking when she is moving in gets bounced back. I have taken matters into my own hands and decided the day is Sunday. This gives me plenty of time to tie up lose ends, take another load back to Bakersfield and get a job at Russo's, hang out with LA friends one "last" time, visit Marisa in SD on Friday for her birthday, pack up the rest of my stuff and super-clean. If Tara shows up before Sunday, I'll just have to do some rearranging.

Tue Sep 14 2004 19:29 PST Ahem: 7 weeks left.

Thu Sep 16 2004 15:53 PST Grrr: The microfilm gods hate me. Do you know how hard it is to print when the stupid film keeps jumping? Completely unprompted?

(1) Sun Sep 19 2004 21:19 PST Well: I am home all safe and sound. Unpacked...is another story.

(2) Mon Sep 20 2004 23:17 PST: I am much closer to being unpacked than I was yesterday, but still not done. I spent most of today re-arraniging my room, so now it is much more efficent space-wise. And clean. Tonks wandered around looking bemused at me struggeling with the furniture and is now in mom's room, cuddleing no doubt. Cats are so fickle. While moving furniture I managed somehow to dislodge the phone jack, so now no internet for little Dave. This is very, very distressing. I cannot convey how distressing this is.

Went to rehearsal for Major League Improv tonight. I decided to join the team when I moved back and am really glad I did, it was a lot of fun.

Tomorrow I'm going to a)call Russo's and harrass them into giving me an interview b) call Jen and see when we'll hang out c) drag msyelf somewhere condusive & get actual work done and d) make a budget, like a real adult.

I wonder how Los Angeles is faring without me.

Wed Sep 22 2004 10:32 PST: *STABS THE PHONE JACK OF DOOOOOOM*

(4) Thu Sep 23 2004 09:48 PST Exclusive!: Does anybody want a Gmail Invite?

(2) Fri Sep 24 2004 20:32 PST This is the same girl who thought buying a huge bag of halloween twix was a good idea: Mom is feeling sick, so I was on my own for dinner. Amazing how the fridge can be full yet there is "nothing to eat". Well, a lot of it was TPN. So after moaning about indecisivley I settled for a sandwich and put a roll in the toaster to defrost, managing to charbroil it. I cut off the edible end and made a tiny sandwich and had a very large class of gratefruit juice. Go me.

(4) Fri Sep 24 2004 20:59 PST Also: I face a small dilemna in that Tonks has usurped my suitcase as his bed. Now I can't put it away or I'll be taking away his bed and he'll think he's not welcome in my room! which of course he is. AND it has Tonks hair all over, now.

(1) Mon Sep 27 2004 23:23 PST: Another improv practice down. And now I am full of rosemary's ice cream. Yummmmm...

(1) Tue Sep 28 2004 14:41 PST Oh dear: Tonks is growing rather attatched to sleeping in my suitcase?

Perhaps he is afraid I am going somewhere without him.

Also: we have had an earthquake but remain undamaged. I felt it this morning but the animals and pond water were both so calm I thought it was my imagination.

(4) Thu Sep 30 2004 16:46 PST Books, books, books: I'm up to my ears in books!

(2) Sat Oct 02 2004 15:03 PST Less talk, more action: I've signed up to particpate in NaNoWriMo. The goal is 50,000 words by Nov 30th. (Supposedly written in a month ie starting Nov 1st but I'm going to cheat.) Wish me luck!

Mom & I had teh garage sale today. There is still a ton of crap. Tonks is still in my suitcase, my room is still a mess, and I think I need to get rid of more stuff. Cleanse my life. Feng Sui, or however is spelled.

(8) Sun Oct 03 2004 22:39 PST: Well I had a great day today. I saw Napoleon Dynomite which I found v v v amusing, and the main guy reminded me a lot in ways of Leonard in high school. I also got an extra hole in my ear! Basically becuase mom has lots of cute single earrings that I want to wear, which I figure is as good a reason as any!

Poor mommy is feeling sicky.

Tue Oct 05 2004 17:59 PST Yum, saltines: Now *I* am feeling sicky. Greaaaaaaat.

But I do not wish everyone to think that simply because I have been about as active as Tonks today that I have been as productive as Tonks. Far from it! Lying in bed sick is very conducive to reading about the history of the Scottish Women's Hospitals, which in turn is very conducive to garnering information for my novel! So, it's like THREE birds with one stone: being sick, working, and researching for my book. I WIN!

Bleargh.

Wed Oct 06 2004 12:16 PST I think I should rename this weblog to "Adventures of Tonks": As usual he is curled up in my suitcase all day. I hope he remains that way, and unsupecting; in a few hours I am taking him to get his S-H-O-T.

(6) Wed Oct 06 2004 12:28 PST Hee: http://www.shipbrook.com/nanowrimo/NaNoWriMoProMe.php?userid=1475" style="height:125px;width:125px;border:none" alt="NaNoWriMo Progress Meter" title="NaNoWriMo Progress Meter" />

(3) Fri Oct 08 2004 13:42 PST Laaame: I went to a grad school fair at UCLA today. As the title suggests, it was lame. There was no history section, only law and medicine and crap like that. I just had to wander the general admissions section hoping to find a school I was interested in--I didn't. But there was a British Council booth where I found out some useful things and got a free stars and stripes/union jack flag pin, so I guess it was worth going.

Sat Oct 09 2004 22:04 PST Settlers of Cattan: I played the funnets game yesterday for the first time, Settlers of Cattan. It's a little world and you get to be all imperliastic & build roads and exploit natural resourses. I won. Take that GWB!

(1) Sun Oct 10 2004 10:13 PST: The weather is changing; it's getting a bit colder, and I'm finding myself missing the London Fall.

(2) Sun Oct 10 2004 21:35 PST A Pleasant Suprise: Yesterday someone knocked on the door and it was Amanda! It was so fun to see her and catch up. I gave her advice about studying abroad (she is going to Italy for winter/spring) and we mapped out a route across Europe through East and West Germany, the USSR, and Yugoslavia using the old atlas.

Then we admitted to each other a guilty desire to go see Wimbledon, so we got Inn-N-Out and did just that. Now I have to admit that I really enjoyed it--mostly for glimpses of London and especially Brighton, but also because it was just the bit of fluff I needed to put me in a good mood.

(1) Mon Oct 11 2004 22:07 PST Productivity: I finally got my liscense plates replaced and bought a kitty basket for Tonks so I could put up my suicase (but he doesn't seem to have taken to it yet). I also went all the way to TJ's to get milk because I'm convinced organic milk is better and mom needed some for her pills. I have yet to find a supermarket that sells organic, and although they have it at Lassen's I am forbidden to go there. Cheaper at Trader Joes, anyway.

My sinus-y thing still has not gone away but I went to improv practice anyway, and I was bruning up/freezing, but it was still fun. I am getting better I guess. Then I came home and got it the hot tub. And now I think I'll go to bed early, and read Wicked. Whee.

(3) Tue Oct 12 2004 12:23 PST Mladonovatz, Posheravatz, Palanka, Lazarovatz, Valjevo : I think what I'll do for gibberish improv games, since I am so terrible at gibberish, is just memorise a bunch of Serbian town names and say them over again.

(3) Tue Oct 12 2004 20:38 PST Hmm: Is conflictual not a word?

(9) Fri Oct 15 2004 12:13 PST Michael Moore: I went to go see Michael Moore at USC yesterday. It was very interesting, amusing and in some parts sad. He tossed out ramen to people who didn�t vote in the last election who pledge vote in this one, warning about the danger of thinking California is a blue sate anyway, so one doesn�t have to bother to vote��remember the mess you ended up with last year,� showed 30 seconds ads that were parodies of the swift boat ads (�58,000 Americans died in Vietnam. John Kerry wasn�t one of them. If he truly loved America, he would have died. Vote Bush.�), and invited the protestors to sign up for the army (�they don�t want to go? of course not! They�d rather send the kids three blocks south of here!�) There were a bunch of Bushies there with signs and air horns, very obnoxious and particularly disrespectful while a guest speaker was talking about his brother who died in Iraq�at least I think, I couldn�t hear much over the air horn. Anyway, I�m sure most conservatives are polite &c and not like that at all, so I would hate to think I�m making some generalizing statement about conservatives being rude and disrespectful. But, as Michael Moore said, at least we distracted them for three hours when they should have been out knocking on doors and making phone calls. It�s more Bush himself I am worried about. The idea of what he could do with four more years of presidency (the Bushies� chant of �four more years� can be easily morphed into �four more wars�) that terrifies me. I�m thinking of going to Las Vegas next week with a busload of students to campaign for Kerry.

I�m not trying to start yet another political debate here, I�m just talking about what�s going on in my life. Which is what this weblog is about�my life. I really, really don�t want to deal with getting buried under an avalanche of angry or snarky comments from conservatives, and if I knew how to run comments off for the entry I would. So please, if you can�t say anything nice, don�t say anything at all.

(6) Sun Oct 17 2004 20:15 PST Laundry: I think it's funny that I do laundry much less often now that I live with a washing machine a dryer than I ever did before. When I was coming home once every week or two I did laundry every chance I got; I mived home a month ago and today was the first time I've done it since then.

(9) Sun Oct 17 2004 20:35 PST Totally me: http://images.quizilla.com/C/cidneylh/1057431818_sorceress.jpg" border="0" alt="sorceress">
You're the Sorceress!

What woman out of fantasy literature are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

(1) Tue Oct 19 2004 21:08 PST History Nerd: It's raining. I love the rain.

The only thing more fitting would be snow, as I've spent most of today (mentally) retreating from Serbia through the Albanian Alps to the Adriatic, which is quite a depressing thing to do, especially while listening to Tchaikovsky�s Romeo and Juliet. �Ticklish work leading a pony on a dark night down a narrowing path, with a high cliff on one side, and nothing but a dark abyss on the other, with a rushing river far below.� Only one member of the Scottish Women�s Hospitals died on the retreat, but the Serbs were not so lucky; they lost 23,000.

Thu Oct 21 2004 09:55 PST: I've sent my wrong phone number out in emails twice now, Go me. But I'm not going to do it again, becuase I think I might swtich again. I feel like it's the first week of the quarter and I'm still decided which classes to take. Anyway, my old phone still works for today and tomorrow, so if anyone needs me, call that.

(2) Sat Oct 23 2004 19:59 PST: Well, I am all abuzz with preparations for nanowrimo and at work, we are going to try to get together a synopsis and then write a paper to present at some conferences next spring. One of them is at Sarah Lawrence! where I have a sudden desire to go...

Sun Oct 24 2004 15:59 PST Meh: I love my iPod mini, but now I see all the accessories which aren't compadible with the mini, like the voice recorder and a media reader that can take pictures from your digital camera card and store them on your iPod while you are on vacation, and I am kind of wishing that I got a regular iPod

(3) Sun Oct 24 2004 19:12 PST A question for those more knowledgeable than I: I am looking at audio books on ebay and a lot of them seem to be in this mysterious mp3 CD format. What is it, and will it play in my car?

Do they have something like netflix for audiobooks?

Mon Oct 25 2004 15:24 PST: Why must random people post mean comments on my weblog? Why?

It is one thing if it is someone I know and are teasing, but quite another if it is someone I don't know. Especially if it is someone I don't know parading as someone I know. For heaven's sake, get a life, you mean people, and stop trying to put me down! This weblog is not about you, it is about me. Thank you. Goodbye.

(8) Mon Oct 25 2004 22:35 PST Righteous Indignation: I went to the Kern County library today to get an audio book (I got Angela�s Ashes, but the pickings were pretty slim. I have Sense and Sensibility and then a bunch of books I don�t want to listen to/have already read�what I really want is Shopaholic and Sister, the new Sophie Kinsella book, so I�ll check out the LA County library which I hope has better offerings.) and also to see if they have any WWI books of interest. I found a neat looking love story based on truth about a British guy who gets caught behind enemy lines, is disguised as part of a French village, falls in love with a local girl, they have a baby, he is betrayed &c &c, so I got that for mom to read since I probably won�t have time until the new year, and a Flora Sandes biography which we may have already� I was reminded of my lovely summers in high school where my time was occupied with either summer school or work, and reading. I dug deep into Mom�s book of the month club literary classics�the Bronte Sister, Austen�widely expanded my own Nora Roberts collection, and went to the library to hunt for random fiction books to read which I usually enjoyed quite thoroughly. I think most of the books I have read, aside from the school reading that most people do such a Brave New World and Macbeth, are from that era. Oh for the days when I had so much time for reading that wasn�t all about British Women in World War I! (Which is of course very interesting but one does like to read about other things as well.) I�m hoping the audio books will solve some of that for me. But the fact remains that I have a reading list of about a dozen books people have lent to me, and at the rate I am going, about 2 non-work books per month, I�ll never finish! Audio books while driving!! Oh I bet I can get them through ILL, too. Hurrah.

Anyway, the point of this post is that while I was in the library I picked up a random, generic (Illustrated) history of WWI to see what is says about women. I looked up Scottish Women�s Hospitals, Elsie Inglis, Women in the index and� nothing. I randomly stumbled across a two page spread that had pictures of ammunitions factories and mentioned the WAAC and the WRNS, both of which were formed rather late in the war. That was it.

This just reinforced the fact that history is the story of those that tell it, and the male view has for a long time dominated. Dr Kanner said that one of the most respected (male) British historians got up at a conference one year and said that the only thing women contributed to the war was in their capacity a camp followers� which is ridiculous. It wasn�t even the nursing and the cooking and the driving and the signaling, though that was enough in itself, and I�m beginning to see, even, hardly recognized for the worth of that alone. But these women did amazing things. Flora Sandes joined the Serbian Army and fought with them, becoming a Sergeant. The Scottish Women�s Hospital alone practically saved Serbia, certainly more than the Allied armies did to help: retreating with them, and being taken prisoner in order to stay with the wounded and care for them. Gertrude Bell was the reason for the success of T E Lawrence�s campaign�she gave him the maps to get to Baghdad! But of course she wasn�t allowed to go along because she was a woman. Most of the women�s organizations, especially the ones formed at the beginning of the war, worked for foreign armies, because they were refused by the British War Office. Most of the women in these organizations�fully trained doctors and nurses�had offered their services to help their own countrymen first, but had been told to �Go home and sit still.� Gah.

I must stop now, it just upsets me so that the contributions of these women to history have been so widely ignored by those who write it. But I guess that gives me something to change

(9) Tue Oct 26 2004 20:59 PST Tomorrow a redhead?: In preparation for my role as Ginny Weasley for halloween, I have a ton of super-red henna in my hair. I'm going to leave it in all night to make sure it gets Weasley red!

(2) Wed Oct 27 2004 13:30 PST: The henna was uncomfortable to sleep in and a pain to wash out, but now my hair is V Red.

I drove to LA enjoying the whole time because I was listening to Angela's Ashes, despite the fact that the book is very sad, it was much better than being caught up in when I was going to get 'there.' Now I am in exile with a sandwich at my library carrell becuase the power was out at Dr Kanner's house. For some reason I am really hungry today! I didn't each much for the last few days so maybe it has built up?

(7) Wed Oct 27 2004 18:16 PST Shakespeare is like mashes potatoes; I can never get enough of him!: I start at Russo's on Tuesday!

(5) Sat Oct 30 2004 13:42 PST Time is not a friend: Hum, let�s see. I have a million things to do that I�ve promised people that I wanted to get done before November and my novel starts. I also wanted to finish this book summary and a time line for work and put it with all my other Serbia summaries in a nice book to use as reference for my novel. Not going to happen, not before November.

I finished listening to Angela�s Ashes on CD and when I got home I remembered that I had to sequel book someone gave me for Christmas ages ago, so I spent the rest of the day reading THAT instead of working or cleaning my room or putting together my new chair or taking the suitcases to the Jameson center, which I don�t even know where is, and oh crap I need to go to the library today before it closes so I have something to listen to when I drive back to LA tomorrow, which is Halloweeen, and my last day of sanity (if you can call this sanity) and then Monday I have to work and it�s Wes Clark at USC if I can get tickets and then Tuesday is voting and my first day of work and Dana�s birthday, and if that is the first two days of November it does not bode well for the rest of the month.

I need to think about applying to grad school (which means writing essays, spending millions of dollars, figuring out everywhere I want to apply so I can get the transcripts sent out all at once�from BOTH UCLA and Riverside, which also involves much money AND driving to Riverside, grrr). I have a million projects and before I know it it�ll be Christmas and how in the world am I EVER going to write 1700 words a day for thirty days while working 60 hours a week? *dies*

(2) Sat Oct 30 2004 23:59 PST Transition: I just filled up my journal, which has been with me since the early days of June 2004. It's amazing how much one's life can change in 4 months.

Or maybe I'm just prolific.

Anyways, my new one is uber-cute, with a girl and a double-decker and big ben tower on the cover. The pages alternate saying "not enough time to do everything but I can try" which I think is an apt motto for November and "prepared for anything", which.. not so much.

Mom and I went to Office Depot and got new chairs, so now my back doesn't ache after 5 minutes in front of the computer. We also went to Olive Garden for yummy food, and later, tonight, went through all the Propositions and school board people to decide what to vote for.

Tomorrow is being-Ginny-Weasley time. I'm afraid my hair is *not* weasley red, but I'm borrowing my friend Kim's broom, so if people ask me if I'm Hermione I can hit them over the head with it.

Mon Nov 01 2004 10:53 PST Transition: I'm wearing my American Traveller International Apology Shirt today, for hopefully the last time, except for the polls tomorrow.

(4) Mon Nov 01 2004 17:59 PST Lookie Lookie: My progress meter went up!

(26) Tue Nov 02 2004 17:04 PST: Must stop refreshing CNN election results. Must work on word count for today.

Oh, well. I had a pretty ok first day at work and last night Wes Clark's speech was awesome! I did disagree with him on a few things, such as the stupid electoral college, but he was very inspriring, and afterwards I got to shake his hand!

I saw Mr Cowles, my AP US History teacher, at the polls this morning. He patted me on the shoulder as he left and said "Vote right." "Oh I will," I reassured him. Mr Cowles is one of the Great Liberal Thinkers of BHS which make me so glad I went there, and when I did.

(19) Thu Nov 04 2004 14:27 PST I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee: I've been so upset since subjected to Fox news during work yesterday morning, I was too depressed to work on my story much so my word count is shaping up pathetically while everyone else doing nanowrimo seems to have 8,000 words already. Cheerful. I don't think I need to say I was upset my election results, but life goes on (or in some cases, not...). The eternal optimist in me made a list of "on the bright side" and here is some of what I came up with:

1. I'll get more mileage from my "american traveller apology shirt."

2. He can't run again!

3. Maybe Hillary will run in 2008.

I won't post the rest because I couldn't think of any more real ones and they got pretty sarcastic.

To top things off, my new job is Not That Fun. Maybe it's just because I'm in training and that's always boring. But I am seriously wondering why I'm going to put on a skirt and shoes and drive over there to stand on my feet for 4 hours when I could stay here in my PJs and keep working on my summary and make more than twice as much.

(3) Sat Nov 06 2004 14:31 PST Hem Hem: Thanks to Fiona, another proud owner of the American apology shirt, for sending this link to an article about a speech Frank McCourt gave supporting Kerry: Said McCourt: "It confuses me. Thou shalt not kill a fetus, but they don't have anything to say about war. Thou shalt not kill a young man of 24. They don't say anything about that or thou shalt not kill thousands of Iraqis. That's all right."

A lot of people talked about moving to Canada if Bush were re-elected, and apparently some of them weren't joking. It's actually had the opposite effect on me, and I am now considering more strongly than ever staying in the US for grad school--at least my MA--so I am in a prime position to do all I can during the next election. Also on BBC is a collection of emails from non-Americans, and they seem to be as divided as we are. Reading over them, I see a lot of the same arguments. but considering the global media, I guess that's not really a surprise.

Now. It just so happens that I now have two jobs (my bookstore job is becoming more enjoyable, thanks for asking) and I am also attempting to write a novel in the month of November, in addition to juggling various activities and peoples who demand my attention. I have just spent over an hour writing out responses to the comments to the entry before last. The previous entry I have not even attempted yet (though I would suggest to Kristen that she watch Outfoxed). I realize that the beginning of this entry is political in nature and, if the last two posts are anything to judge by, will prompt a spew of comments that I will feel the need to respond to.

I would like to take this time to thank Sumana, Stacy, Mom, and "President Bush" who, since I generally agree with them, have saved the effort of saying certain things, and also brought up good points that have never occurred to me.

But, as much as I enjoy(ish) having my weblog function as my family & associates political forum, it is beginning to be a strain on my precious time resources. So could you please, please just do me a teensy favor: if you have something political to say, even if it's in response to something I say (as I know I won't be able to shut up) please just post it on your own weblog (if you don't have one, see Leonard). Agreeing with me is fine :o), or expanding on what I say, but if you want to start a~~n arguement~~ discussion, please do it elsewhere. At least for November. And I promise to come along and join the fray in a timely manner. Besides, there's no reason why I should get all the attention! And otherwise I'll spent all of my time at crummy, and all of you people who are clamouring to read my book will never get the chance. Thanks.

(1) Sat Nov 06 2004 16:09 PST More on Healthcare: I know, I just can't stop. I went in to mom's room to try to get Tonks to cuddle with me, and when I picked up the Newsweek it opened to this article on healthcare by Jane Bryant Quinn. She argues much more convincingly and informatively than I could, discussing the economics of it, stats, misconceptions about the Canadian system, scare-tactics used by Big Heath and their puppets (*coughGdub*), and most importantly, why the current system is so unfair.

Sun Nov 07 2004 10:50 PST Crap.: As you can see via the meter to the left, I have a total of 7252 words so far. Today, if I were on track, I should have 11669. I totally suck.

But I do have all day to write, and also finish this summary for a book on the History of the Scottish Women's Hopsitals. I'm kind of close-ish to the end...

Sun Nov 07 2004 11:14 PST But on the other hand...: I'm still in December 1914, so I have plenty left to write about.

(1) Sun Nov 07 2004 11:31 PST But on the other other hand: I've just written a journey from Dover to Calais, and through France to the Mediterranean, but looking back over my notes, it seems that they left from Soutampton and sailed the whole way. Which really makes more sense.... gah. *headesk*

(2) Sun Nov 07 2004 13:56 PST And while I'm making dozens of short posts: I'd just like to point out that no one answered my question of a while ago about whether there was a netflix-type deal for books on CD. I think I exhausted the Kern County Library supply with Angela's Ashes. The lack of response makes me think such a thing does not exist, but I though I would ask again just in case, before giving up.

Sun Nov 07 2004 21:09 PST Wish List: I found audiobooks.com, which will let me have two books a month for $22, a pretty good deal, and should be enough if I get long books. But it means I'd either have to burn the CDs myself or find a way to attach my iPod to my car stereo. Anyway, I just burned ~~a bootlegged~~ copy of Sorcerer's Stone and bought Order of the Phoenix on Amazon Marketplace for $20 (less than $1 per CD!) and there was a CD demo on King Alfred in the advance copies pile at work, so that should keep me busy until Christmas.

I'll post more things I'd like for Christmas as I think of them. Those of you who think you might be getting a present from me, feel free hint about what books are on your wishlist.

Mon Nov 08 2004 09:20 PST Oh!: You know what else I'd really like for Christmas? Norton systemworks/ antivirus for my wutle computle. :)

Also: A USB light for my computer.

(4) Mon Nov 08 2004 13:46 PST My life as a research assistant: A while ago while using the wonderful research tool of Google, my colleague and I stumbled across a �new� book mentioning the work of K Hodges, one of our subjects. Since her diary is unpublished, this is rather usual and of course we wanted to have a look at this book. UCLA library didn�t have it, so they next step is ILL and photocopying. But a good rule of thumb is, if it was published even slightly recently, even if it�s OUP, there�s a chance one can find it used online for $20 or $30�then it�s better to just buy it instead of photocopying, binding, and spending the payroll time doing it (photocopying a book always takes at least an hour, and it is such a pain). So we bought this book and it arrived and it�s sitting on the desk and I�m thinking, �Gee that book looks familiar��because the library may not own it but we do; I�ve seen it lurking around the Carrel. Opps. Fortunately, the total cost of this book was about $6, including shipping.

Also: will I ever learn how to spell ~~soilder~~soldier?

(7) Tue Nov 09 2004 15:39 PST Meh: I suck. Need encouragement. Please respond.

(6) Fri Nov 12 2004 00:05 PST Some thoughts on Veteran's Day: Happy Veteran's Day, everyone--or, as some people call it, Remembrance Day.

In England during the month of November they sell paper poppies to benefit veterans, and everyone everywhere is wearing one. Tony Blair appeared nightly on the news with a fresh crisp poppy on his label. Mine was pinned to my jacket and got a little crumpled because unlike Tony Blair I had the same one all through November; I still have it, in my scrapbook, along with the poem my history professor explained was the background of the poppies: In Flanders Field.

Armistice day is important because it's the day the fighting stopped. But it's not the day the war was over. To many, delirious with illness, they didn't even realize it. Isabel Hutton said, "On November 11, 1918, we heard it was Armistice Day, but nobody seemed happy about it, and we hardly seemed to realize what it meant" (With a Women's Unit, p 164). To others, going home with broken bodies or to broken homes, their troubles were far from over. And even though there's hardly any veterans from World War I left, to some, the war is still not over.

Fri Nov 12 2004 16:56 PST nemo me impune lacessit: Hurrah! I have finished* a monumental work of great importance, my summary of the History of the Scottish Women's Hospitals, edited by Mrs Shaw McLaren, 1919. The entire thing, I imagine, once I put it all together, will be over 40 pages. Whee! And it only took five and a half million hours!

The last chapter is on the Girton and Newnham Unit, which is what--in the form of Isabel Hutton--introduced me to the SWH almost a year ago, so in a way it's like coming full circle (although I'm sure I'll be round a few more times before I'm done. One thing that struck me, near the end, was Dr McIroy retelling the story of what an officer had told her about something he'd seen on the advance: a retreating army, caught on a pass and shelled, leaving just as mass of death. "One little foal was alive and standing by its dead mother; a little dog was also whining round a dead pony it had evidently lived with. Personally I always feel worse about those poor beasts, dragged unknowingly into the war and unable to get away." I've always felt the worst for the animals, too.

I was going to leave my "Defend America, Defeat Bush" sticker on, but now that someone has scribbled "Not!" after it (which is very rude) I'll have to take it off, and I have nothing to replace it with until my "Republicans for Voldemort" stickers come.

And, hahahahaha, we've just realised that the deadline for proposals for a conference is on... Monday. It's only a half page--page abstract, which I'm sure I can manage, but I'd like to think that at some point along my academic career I'll be prepared ahead of time for these things and not doing them at the last minute.

* Minus the chapters on the Royaumont and Romanian Units, which belong to Stacy.

(1) Sun Nov 14 2004 17:44 PST Quick Question(s): Does anyone know what the difference between typhoid and typhus is? And also, what would happen if someone got hit with some bits of scrapnel but it wasn't removed right away?

(2) Mon Nov 15 2004 20:18 PST Today is the 15th: and I don't think I need to tell you that I'm not halfway done with my novel...

Mon Nov 15 2004 20:35 PST Official Wish-List:

1. UCLA sweatshirt
2. The Corrs Live in Dublin CD
3. USB light (would probably fit in stocking)
4. Norton Systemworks (for mac)
5. Griffin iTrip for iPod mini
6. Gift membership to audio-to-go.

Also for my stocking: a small calculator. I bought one but it appears to have disappeared.

(1) Thu Nov 18 2004 12:31 PST Word count woes: My completed summary for the History of the Scottish Women's Hospitals is 37 pages long--over 20,000 words! If only I could add that to my word count....

Thu Nov 18 2004 14:04 PST Freudian Sliposity: My heroine, on her ability to do operations herself: "Dr Soltau had long since stopped standing over my shoulder while I typed.� And later: �I wanted to hurry and get through the medicine distribution so I could go to my own ward on type.�

*headdesk*

(3) Sat Nov 20 2004 20:29 PST: Tonight I did sound at major league improv for the third time ever. This consists of interducing everybody and keeeping score (oh dear, maths) and announcing the score to everybody plus the ending. I have someone to help me with the music though, otherwise I should be overwhelmed as I am all so new at it. But I think I am doing a good job. Chuck, who is always referree, and Ilike to get into little wars which amuses the audience. Anyway, the more used to it I get the more fun it becomes.

Also, can anyone explain the phenominan (which anyone who has ever worked in a store will completely agree is so true) that while fifteen minutes will go by without a single customer needing help leaving you free to alphabatise to you hearts desire, all of a sudden ten people will want to check out all at once, using gift certificates and book clubs, which have to be tracked down in the master log and crossed off, and getting new book clubs that have to be recorded, or gift certificates which is just a pain, and writing checks, and joining the book club which means I have to add them right there, and wanting the complementary gift wrap and its enough to drive a person crazy! And somehow I always end up at the cash register with no credit card reader so I have to type it in by hand! But still, it's better than being non-busy and bored. And it's challenging, so I enjoy it.

Speaking of challenging, yes I am well aware that my word count hasn't moved in a while. I have written more so it's not quite as dismal as it seems.... we're all just waiting for me to make my big come-back. I hope no one was expecting me to actually pay attention to them over spring break.

PS: www.mugglenet.com reports a rumour of a June 2005 6th HP book release. Wouldn't that be exciting!!

(1) Sat Nov 20 2004 21:20 PST A novel question: Becca is going to post her novel online eventually. I might do the same, or select bits of it, but I don't know where I would do it as I don't want to overload La Vie En Rose with it and also I am scared people might steal my brilliant ideas. Is there anything like photobucket where you can keep a password and only hand it out to people you want to see your pictures for..text?

(3) Sun Nov 21 2004 09:27 PST From The Tao of Pooh:
"Owl, you're just confusing things," I said. "This is the day after Tuesday and it's not Thirds--I mean, Thursday."
"Then what is it?" asked Owl.
"It's Today!" squeaked Piglet.
"My favorite day," said Pooh.

Sun Nov 21 2004 14:37 PST: Another thing I would like for my stocking is some nice panyhose for work, like the kind you buy at Victoria's Secret or a department store, and not Vons.

I've decided to stop typing my novel as I go along, and I think this will be removing a major hinderance. I've figured out that each composition book page I write is about 200 words, so all I have to do is write about 200 more pages and I'll be all set! Then when it gets to be december I can go back and type and edit as I go, instead of the frantic typing I do now where I don't even spell-check. I know I could say myself a lot of trouble by just writing it one the computer, but for some reason it just comes out better on paper.

Mom made some homeade macoroni and cheese. Yum.

(1) Mon Nov 22 2004 13:20 PST New Rule: I can have cheetos whenever I like, as long as I write 4000 words a day.

(2) Mon Nov 22 2004 22:10 PST In my weekly inpiration email from Chris Baty: Lastly, in the course of our negotiations, we've spoken extensively with your family, friends, and significant others. All of whom would like to pass on the fact that they have come away from these past three weeks deeply inspired by the can-do example you've been setting.

They would also like me to remind you that they will mock you mercilessly should you fall short of your 50,000-word goal this week. Your mother is especially looking forward to reminding you of your novel-writing shortcoming for the rest of your life.

*pant pant* After extensive counting I've figured out that I actually average above 250 words per compostiton book page, which is very good news. So I can do one page/ 15 minutes, and four pages or one hour equals one thousand words. This is a lot of math, but as long as I have four hours of writing every day left in November I should be fine. Considering I've given up pretty much all extra activities including IMing and research (which isn't really extra but it's only one week) I should be able to manage that. I'll just tell y'all (sorry, listening to Little Altars everywhere must have gotten to me) not to bother me too much this holiday. I figure have three other people in the car excepts me from driving on the way to SF :D so I'll just dope myself up on drammamine and write the entire way there.

I took my car in today. $560 to replace the radiator & other variousness. Got paid today. $194. Ho-ho-ho.

Sat Nov 27 2004 17:46 PST Woe is me: I fell for no reason and all, and hurt my foot.

The optimist in me takes this as a wonderful excuse for not doing anything but staying in bed and writing; but the thing is I was planning on doing so anyway, except for the five and a half hours a day where I have to go to work and stand on my feet. :-{

(1) Sun Nov 28 2004 21:45 PST: Well, my foot is getting better but now I am le sickie. I had to be sent home from work after half an hour. Again, a good excuse to stay in bed and write all day when I'm not sleeping or throwing up, but if only I didn't feel so meh I'd be doing a better job of it. Hopefully I'll be feeling better tomorrow. !0,000 more words to go! *writes*

(2) Mon Nov 29 2004 19:59 PST Dear God:
Please do not let me have the stomach flu.
Sincerly, Rachel

Tue Nov 30 2004 09:18 PST A Sad Tale of Juice: I want to drink the juice, but I'm afraid if I drink more than the sip I have already had, the juice will come back up. Wah.

(6) Tue Nov 30 2004 14:29 PST I wrote 50,000 words in 30 days and all I got were these lousy 50,000 words: There. I did it.

Of course, my novel is nowhere near to being done, and if possible it's an even bigger mess than when I first started. Which could explain my lack of elation. That and the illness.

(22) Wed Dec 01 2004 18:56 PST A quick poll about some novel things: Thanks to all my lovely supporters. I am feeling much better and my room is amazingly a lot cleaner than it was all month. I went back to work today and am going again tomorrow, than off to LA where they have missed me sorely.

Some opinons are needed in the following:

I've got my novel up to just where they leave off on the retreat. Once the retreat (7 weeks of bad conditions) is over my love-birds are separated until the end of the war and near the end of the book, and, since it is from Emma's POV, it becomes a women-on-her-own type narrative. Who knows what path the book will take.

How long of a break I should take before I start up again?:

none at all! get cracking (or remain cracking, as the case may be)
a day, and pick it back up tomorrow
three or four days
a week

I think it's a wise idea to stop, type up what I have written, revising as I go, and filling in the things I left blank (names etc) and researching the comments and queries I wrote to myself in the margins. Then, I'll have a better idea of the novel in general, and I'll also be able to write a better, more detailed outline that will help with writing the last part. Should I do this:

Before I write the retreat (Pros: I'll have a much more clear idea of the overall picture and also the specifics ie in outline form--I've done a lot of research on this particular part already; it was, after all, the founding idea of the story.)
After I write the retreat and reach the official end of Part I (Pros: I'll still be in writewritewriteasfastasIcan mode)

I have another poll about which of Emma's close friends I should kill off, but I'll type that up later. And extra thanks to Becca who gave me the idea of having a poll.

Fri Dec 03 2004 13:04 PST In which Rachel is a genius: My phone has only a little bit of juice in it; I don't have my charger with me in LA. I thought "I'd better charge it while I'm in my car," only my car charger is in mom's car. Fab.

So yes. If you need me, don't call. Email.

(1) Tue Dec 07 2004 22:58 PST: Ho-hum. I just had a major re-organizing session with my papers--all I have to do is figure out loan consoldation and apply for grad school and I'll be set! Then I had a lovely Lush bath that left me and the tub all glittery (and I only used a fifth of the bath melt; imagine if I'd used the whole thing!), while reading No Plot No Problem which now has me inspired to writewritewrite.

The only other thing I can think of to write about is the USC v. UCLA game on Saturday. It's actually the first one of those that I've watched ever, ironically after I have already graduated, even if it was only over the telly. I was expecting UCLA to get totally clobbered, so it was quite a nice surprise when we only lost by 4 points, and put up a good fight! So, la.

Wed Dec 08 2004 20:16 PST A little late...: I finished No Plot No Problem.

(9) Fri Dec 10 2004 21:26 PST Ho-Hum: Why don't I have anything interesting to say? My life is filled with "Are you a member of the Book Club?" and ""Do you happen to know the author?" and occasionally Serbia, 1915. Progress on novel: minimal.

On the other hand, I'm famous. For today, at least.

Mon Dec 20 2004 17:53 PST On the bright side: On JKR's site we read the the 6th HP book is finished and a release date will be announced in 24 hours. And to think--I'd put my name down for a January release date announcement and thought I was being overly optimistic!

(1) Tue Dec 21 2004 13:53 PST No, not obsessed at all: July 16th is the big day! I was listening to HP5 audio on my way down to LA to get in le mood, but the only mood it got me in was depressive and tired (actually, it may have been more the traffic's fault. One hour spend on Sunset due to construction. I hope I remember to get off on Wilshire next time). Must listen to Pigwidgeon (iPod) to cheer & wake self up.

Off to Serbia once again. When I am finished with this summary I've got to do some sort of essay-ish thing so I can send it along with my grad school applications in Jan as an example of my brilliantosity.

Hopefully the comments work this time. I don't know why they didn't on that last entry; I checked the box a dozen times.

Blast, it's broken. Leonard, help!

(4) Wed Dec 22 2004 18:21 PST In celebration of banned books: A list of the top 110 banned books. Bold what you've read, italicize what you've read part of.

#1 The Bible #2 Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain #3 Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes #4 The Koran #5 Arabian Nights #6 Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain #7 Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift #8 Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer #9 Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne #10 Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

#11 The Prince by Niccol� Machiavelli #12 Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe #13 Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank #14 Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert #15 Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens #16 Les Mis�rables by Victor Hugo #17 Dracula by Bram Stoker #18 Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin #19 Tom Jones by Henry Fielding #20 Essays by Michel de Montaigne

#21 Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck #22 History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon #23 Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy #24 Origin of Species by Charles Darwin #25 Ulysses by James Joyce #26 Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio #27 Animal Farm by George Orwell #28 Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell #29 Candide by Voltaire #30 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

#31 Analects by Confucius #32 Dubliners by James Joyce #33 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck #34 Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway #35 Red and the Black by Stendhal #36 Das Capital by Karl Marx #37 Flowers of Evil (Les Fleurs du Mal) by Charles Baudelaire #38 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle #39 Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence #40 Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

#41 Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser #42 Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell #43 The Jungle by Upton Sinclair #44 All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque #45 Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx #46 Lord of the Flies by William Golding #47 Diary by Samuel Pepys #48 Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway #49 Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy #50 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

#51 Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak #52 Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant #53 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey #54 Praise of Folly by Desiderius Erasmus #55 Catch-22 by Joseph Heller #56 Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X #57 Color Purple by Alice Walker #58 Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger #59 Essay Concerning Human Understanding by John Locke #60 Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

#61 Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe #62 One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn #63 East of Eden by John Steinbeck #64 Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison #65 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou #66 Confessions by Jean Jacques Rousseau #67 Gargantua and Pantagruel by Fran�ois Rabelais #68 Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes #69 The Talmud #70 Social Contract by Jean Jacques Rousseau

#71 Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson #72 Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence #73 American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser #74 Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler #75 Separate Peace by John Knowles #76 Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath #77 Red Pony by John Steinbeck #78 Popol Vuh #79 Affluent Society by John Kenneth Galbraith #80 Satyricon by Petronius

#81 James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl #82 Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov #83 Black Boy by Richard Wright #84 Spirit of the Laws by Charles de Secondat Baron de Montesquieu #85 Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut #86 Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George #87 Metaphysics by Aristotle #88 Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder #89 Institutes of the Christian Religion by Jean Calvin #90 Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse

#91 Power and the Glory by Graham Greene #92 Sanctuary by William Faulkner #93 As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner #94 Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin #95 Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig #96 Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe #97 General Introduction to Psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud #98 Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood #99 Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Alexander Brown #100 Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

#101 Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines #102 �mile Jean by Jacques Rousseau #103 Nana by �mile Zola #104 Chocolate War by Robert Cormier #105 Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin #106 Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn #107 Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein #108 Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Peck #109 Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark #110 Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

There are a lot of books that I've only read part of, but that is due to excerpts in classes, not just my short attention span. And I know there are a lot of basic, high school lit books I haven't read. Shame on me. (shame on Mrs Cribbs...)