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.