Ramblings of a Devoted Bookworm

Happy Fedora Day!

2012-02-14T20:50:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had an amazing Fedora Day! (or Valentine's Day for all of you in relationships). Not much happened to me today, but I've been talking to Charles online, and he's been making me feel like I want to burst with happy. I really wish he lived closer to me....

But, on a different note, I found this adorable video, and I thought I'd share it with all of you.

So There's This Guy...

2012-02-14T14:18:00.000-05:00

And no, this is not going the way y'all are probably thinking its going.

So, there's this guy. And he's been creeping on my friends and I for several weeks now. We first realized there was something going on when we went with a group from campus to go and see a play. He sat a few seats in front of us on the bus (with a friend sitting across the aisle), but all of a sudden, he just randomly asked us for the time. 1.) Check your phone. 2.) Check your friend's phone....But anyways, as we continued the drive back to campus, we kept catching him leaning back to hear what we were saying, even interjecting every once in a while to respond to some witty comment one of us had made. And it didn't end there, either.

He always used to sit on the completely opposite end of the cafeteria, but has taken to sitting at the table right behind us, and pushes his chair out so far that we're nearly back to back with each other. And it's obvious he's listening to our conversations. And it's not just the cafeteria; we see him all over campus.

We're all starting to get really sick of him, but at the risk of sounding rude, we've been biting our tongues. If this goes on much longer, though, we all have some choice words for him. I don't want to say he's stalking us, but I'm really getting pissed at his eavesdropping and creeping. I don't even need a legit boyfriend right now, and I most definitely do NOT need a creeper.

My First Valentine 2012

2012-02-13T16:21:00.000-05:00

So...I know it's a day early, but it looks like I've gotten my first Valentine :)

I met this amazing, nerdy guy online, and we've really hit it off. He's sweet, a great listener, and he respects my desire to keep my privacy (like I do here). Yesterday, I told him about my aunt (she's very sick, and I'm scared to death about her), and he sent me a Valentine a day early in the hopes of cheering me up. He said he was saving it for the 14th, but decided this was better. I'm not going to post this one....but it was super sweet and it totally made my day :) I'm still worried sick about my aunt, but this sweetheart's kindness made me feel a hell of a lot better. Thanks, Charles :)

Wilde Wednesdays #6

2012-02-08T14:26:00.001-05:00

There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.

~Oscar Wilde

Update on the Boy

2012-02-07T11:04:00.000-05:00

I do not believe he is interested. It's confusing and conflicting, but for all his assets, I'm not interested in dallying around my feelings with someone who appears to be more hot and cold than the Katy Perry song. I'm not bitter or sad; just disappointed. Still, I take great pleasure in listening to him speak in class; he still has amazing ideas and I wish he would talk more.

Happy Groundhog Day!

2012-02-02T11:01:00.000-05:00

So, I don't know about the official predictions, but when I got up this morning, I DIDN'T see my shadow, but still went back to bed, suggesting either a certain sleep deprivation, or three more weeks of winter.

Two Weeks Until Fedora Day!

2012-02-01T16:30:00.000-05:00

Hey, guys! I'm not sure how many of you remember Fedora Day from last year, but Rachel and I are going to be doing it again!

Just a quick recap for everyone (whether you remember the holiday or not):

Fedora Day falls on February 14th
It's a holiday for single people (both ladies and gents)
Basically, you dress up really nicely, however you want, and wear a fedora
Valentine's Day is for couples. Fedora Day is a celebration of individuality; it says "Just because I don't have a date on Valentine's Day doesn't mean I'm not awesome!"
All of you who are single on Valentine's Day are welcome to participate!
If you chose to celebrate Fedora Day, please take a few moments on the 14th (or a few days afterward) to tell me about it! Post on your blog or in the comments, and if I don't follow your blog, could you post a link for me? Thanks!

Just remember the three most important aspects of Fedora Day:

Singles only (sorry couples, you have Valentine's Day!)
Wear whatever you want, but you MUST have a fedora
Be proud of your own unique brand of awesome!

I'll be posting about my Fedora Day, too. I can't wait to hear from you!

Wilde Wednesdays #5

2012-02-01T15:26:00.003-05:00

Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.

~Oscar Wilde

Update on the Boy

2012-02-01T14:08:00.000-05:00

He sat with me before class, and we talked a bit more, although it was not quite the same as last time....this meeting lacked the privacy of Monday (after all, we were in the middle of the English department between classes, NOT in his private smoking area). I got him to talk a bit about his passions. His smiles feel rare and beautiful, and it warms my heart to experience them. His hand was swathed in bandages, and I wanted nothing more than to take care of him, to make him feel better. (It's a strange weakness of mine. I always say that I'm not cut out to be a mother, but whenever I see someone I care about in an injured state (even if they're just sick), I feel this overwhelming urge to "mother them". Curse these maternal instincts!

Everything's Coming to Em

2012-01-30T16:41:00.000-05:00

Things have been a bit of a roller coaster these past few days, but I think I can safely say that as of today, I'm starting to see a break in the metaphorical clouds. I'm not promising anything is going to happen; or if something does, that its going to happen the way that I had pictured things happening, but I have a good feeling about life right now.

Okay, so this story goes back to last semester. There was a guy in my class. He was real quiet. Not shy, but quiet. And when he would finally talk in class, I couldn't help but sit up and take notice. I felt like most of the other people in that class didn't have much to say, but this guy...this guy made a ton of sense. I'd always get excited when he would raise his hand, because it was always something interesting and thought-provoking. This guy was good.

I've had a crush on him since that point. And this semester, I had two classes with him instead of one, making it harder to just forget about him; to just not think about him. More often than not, I just ignore those feelings, because when I like someone, I act like a complete and utter fool. And I don't want to further embarrass myself and scare everyone off (the only ones who seem to be okay with my jittery affection are those who are more socially awkward than me).

I've had good feelings about my life this semester. Not concerning this guy. Just good feelings in general. And when I saw that I had two more classes with him (meaning I'd see him every day), I thought perhaps there might be a chance. Well, that was until I saw how he only ever seemed to talk to one of my friends. I mean, I know that they had a class together, but I always got the feeling that he thought she was cute and that he kinda liked her. And this feeling gnawed at me for the longest time. In fact, today in class, I saw them talking...animatedly (and this guy almost never shows that kind of excitement), and I decided my chances were over.

My next class was cancelled, so I was wandering around the English department when I ran into him again. Now, my original intention was to have my friends buy me coffee while I whined and complained about how frustratingly dead my dating life was. But, instead, I decided to go and say "hi". I've been rejected by men multiple times, so being turned down is nothing new. And besides, I reasoned that there is nothing wrong with small talk, and if I didn't make a move when I actually had an opportunity to talk with him, I'd regret it forever, even if talking to him didn't change a damn thing.

So...I went up to him, started a little bit of small talk, and soon, we were involved in a lengthy discussion about books, literary styles, authors, interests, and God only knows what else. He made a comment about coffee, so I suggested we go and get some (he had over an hour before his next class, and besides, I had been intending on getting coffee before work anyway). So, we did. We got coffee....we talked some more. He went out for a smoking break, showing me a secret little area where he liked to go. We talked some more.

He told me so much about himself....where he was from, his frustrations and motivations, things that he said he wished he could tell everyone; things that he said I probably wouldn't believe. I can't remember the last time someone told me their life's story so quickly like that. I can't remember the last time someone spilled all these details to me without even thinking about it. Like it was just natural for him to talk about it and for me to listen.

However, I think the most amazing part were the silences. When I'm with someone I don't know very well, I hate the silences. It's uncomfortable. It makes me nervous. With this guy, however, it was different. The silences were okay. I felt calm, comfortable, and relaxed. It was natural. Silence with him was not dead space, but a calm break for a few seconds...or a few minutes. It just worked.

I don't know what to think about this, so I'm not going to try. I'll rant about it to friends tonight, and then I'll tuck it in the back of my mind and let it go. He says he loves a challenge, and so, if I even want to consider wanting him, I'm going to make it a challenge. Not that I'm going to be aloof or distant. I'm just not going to revert to my old habits of throwing myself at the other person like I'm a small dog or a child screaming "Look at me! Love me! Love me!"

Regardless of what happens, I have a good feeling about this. Friendship would be fine. This guy is unlike anyone I've ever met, and I want to discover a bit more about him. He fascinates me. And regardless of all this, I can safely say that I have a real good feeling about this semester in general. Finally: everything's coming to Em. ;)

Age of Innocence

2012-01-30T02:32:00.002-05:00

I finished Age of Innocence! For those of you reading along, how far are you? Let me know when you finish, and we can talk about it :)

Well, That Was Odd...

2012-01-29T22:57:00.000-05:00

I've been mulling it over in my head for several days now. What does it mean when a random guy, who was in one of my classes last semester--and never really spoke to me--comes up to me, starts making smalltalk, and finally gives me gentle reminder that its raining outside, so I should be sure to put my coat on when I make the trek back to my dorm? It struck me as strange since not only have I never really exchanged more than two words with him, but he was with a group of his friends and didn't need someone to talk to. I'm sure it was nothing at all, but I was curious to get your opinions. It's not very often that this sort of thing happens. I'm a usually shy and quiet person, so people tend to leave me alone, or at most just smile and nod in my general direction.

Inked up Librarian

2012-01-25T14:29:00.002-05:00

I saw this online and I just HAD to post it! Now, of course we all know that being a librarian is super-cool and bad-ass (exactly why I want to be one, just kidding), but I don't think that getting a tattoo of the word "LIBRARIAN" across your stomach automatically makes you a super bad-ass kinda guy. Maybe it does. I don't know :P

Wilde Wednesdays #4

2012-01-25T14:18:00.000-05:00

One should always play fairly when one has the winning cards.

~Oscar Wilde

This is Awesome!

2012-01-23T20:36:00.000-05:00

Read-Along Apologies

2012-01-21T12:18:00.001-05:00

I'm really sorry I haven't posted anything about the read-along. I've just been getting hit with more and more reading assignments than I really know what to do with. For example, for my current English readings, I'm supposed to have up to Chapter 17 of The French Lieutenant's Woman finished by Tuesday, all of Age of Innocence by Monday, and the first 100 pages or so of Moll Flanders by Monday. Gaah!

Still, if anyone DOES want to discuss the books, let me know. And if you have any ideas of HOW we can discuss the books, please tell me. I guess we could always just comment on it as we go? If you want to do it via email, that works, too. Just leave your email in the comments, and since I have to approve comments before they post, I'll see your email, but it won't get posted on the site. I could also just make a quick post and let everyone ramble about what they read? Too busy to think of suggestions right now. This semester just might eat me alive. I'd appreciate any help I could get, haha.

On a side note, I found a nice little tome which I'm hoping to use as an incentive to finish my actual reading. It's called Pamela, and it's told entirely in letters. My professor told us that it's a story of a very virtuous girl who is being seduced by the mysterious Squire B, whom she works for. She sends letters to her poor parents, telling them of what has been happening to her. It sounded good, and so that and Heineken are my rewards for getting all my homework done. I just picked up a six-pack yesterday :) (And don't worry; that's going to last me for a couple of weeks!)

English Updates

2012-01-18T21:20:00.000-05:00

For those of you participating in my literature class read-alongs, I'm also going to be reading Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence. On Friday, I'll be able to post the title of my third book (one for each of my three English classes).

In class, I'll have to have finished Age of Innocence by Monday (and we're going to discuss it for the next few class periods after that). So, for my personal schedule, I'm attempting to have the first half of the book finished by Friday. I'm sure that most of you won't have time to obtain a copy AND read that far ahead, but if you want to try and keep up with me, that would be great. (Halfway through the book comes to about 17 chapters). I'll try not to post any spoilers in the discussions next week. Still, I'm aiming for a small discussion on Friday about the first few chapters.

And don't forget about The French Lieutenant's Woman (Chapters 1-5) on Thursday!

Wilde Wednesdays #3

2012-01-18T00:08:00.001-05:00

No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist.

~Oscar Wilde

English Class Read-A-Long (A Quick Update)

2012-01-15T23:20:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update. According to my syllabus, I'm supposed to have the first five chapters of The French Lieutenant's Woman finished by Thursday. So, for all of you reading along, I'll not post anything past that point in the reading, and I'd like to ask that you all do the same (so I can avoid spoilers, too!) There might be some slight spoilers in my posts, but hopefully nothing more than I've done in the past. If I'm posting about something REALLY juicy, I'll make sure to mark the post as a spoiler alert, so that you don't have anything ruined. Feel free to add anything you want to say in the comments, or if you feel so inclined, follow along with posts on your own blog. Either way would work splendidly :)

I've finished Chapter One already (these chapters are real short), but, out of courtesy, I'll try not to post anything until Thursday or Friday. Also, my two other books will be posted online as soon as I find out the titles (which should be on Wednesday and Friday).

My First Reading Assignment (Spring 2012)

2012-01-15T00:22:00.000-05:00

Hey, guys! I just received my first syllabus, and finally know what my first reading assignment of the semester is going to be! Now, I won't need to have anything read until Thursday...but I thought I'd give you guys a heads up in case anyone wants to read along with me. (I know Steven suggested doing this, but I wasn't sure if anyone else was interested).

Now, I have three classes, so that means I'll be balancing three books at a time. You guys don't have to read all of them if that's too much, or one doesn't really interest you. But, just in case, my first book is The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles. I'm not sure if I'll start reading now, or wait until Tuesday, but I'll see what I can do.

Looking forward to this!

Vermin Supreme

2012-01-13T23:32:00.000-05:00

Every time I turn on the news, I hear something about the primaries for the presidential election. I'll be honest, I'm getting sick of it. I don't like politics. I think it gets too cut-throat, you know? And everyone lies. Jasper Fforde created a character who was the world's only honest politician-- and therein lies the joke.

Honestly, that's why I find New Hampshire primary candidate Vermin Supreme to be so refreshing. He just says it like it is. He's honest, he's forward. He admits that all politicians are rats, and he is the biggest one of all of them. Still, there is NO WAY I would actually vote for him. He seems a bit too..extreme for my tastes. Still, I found him to be very amusing, and I think he is a very gifted grammarian. Just listen to his word choice; it's beautiful.

My Spring 2012 Booklist....

2012-01-11T17:45:00.000-05:00

This is for Robby, who asked what books I was reading for classes this semester. For some freak reason, Blogger is not letting me comment on my own blog, even though everyone else can....So, instead of posting in the comments, I decided to just make this its own blog post :)

The History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters (Barnes)
Midnight's Children (Rushdie)
Wise Children (Carter)
French Lieutenant's Woman (Fowles)
Oranges are Not the Only Fruit (Winterson)
Farewell to Arms (Hemingway)
Tender is the Night (Fitzgerald)
The Sound and the Fury (Faulkner)
A Good Man is Hard to Find (O'Connor)
Lolita (Nabokov)
Beloved (Morrison)
Age of Innocence (Wharton)
Moll Flanders (Defoe)
The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (Fielding)
Pride and Prejudice (Austen)
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (Sterne)
Humphry Clinker (Smollett)

Looks like I'm in for an exciting semester :)

Wilde Wednesdays #2

2012-01-11T17:33:00.000-05:00

Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.

~Oscar Wilde

Spring Semester 2012....Almost

2012-01-10T22:02:00.000-05:00

I return to campus in less than a week....and I'm so excited. It's bittersweet, of course, because I've been having such a great time at home with my family and friends, but I can't help but look forward to a whole new semester of exciting classes, work, and my new internship. And of course, the Roomie is returning from France and will be living right next door to me and Italia :)

I'm totally drooling over my book list for this semester; there has to be about 20 books, and out of all of them, there's ONE that I was SUPPOSED to read in high school, but totally didn't. (yikes!) That means I'm going to be hit with thousands of pages of untold stories over the course of the next fourteen weeks. I can't wait! :)

This semester is--without a doubt--going to be the busiest I've had yet. I'm really looking forward to it, though. I see it as an exciting challenge.

Yep.

2012-01-10T00:22:00.000-05:00

First semester of English classes without anthologies....this is my life.

Wilde Wednesdays #5

2012-01-09T00:29:00.001-05:00

Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.

~Oscar Wilde

The Name of the Star (Maureen Johnson)

2012-01-08T19:29:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading Maureen Johnson's novel The Name of the Star, and I'm still living off the small high that a fast-paced, dramatic book produces. While I'll admit this wasn't the greatest book I've ever read, I was (for the most part) pleased with it.

Rory Deveaux is a Louisiana native who transfers to a boarding school in London after her professor parents decide to take a sabbatical in Bristol. While trying to deal with the challenges of attending a new school, far from her friends, family, and even her parents, London is sent into a panic as a series of murders, mimicking the infamous "Jack the Ripper" murders of 1888, are committed not far from her school. Worse yet, Rory discovers that she knows who the killer is--and she's the only one who can see him. The Ripper now sets his sights on her, to make sure that no one discovers his identity.

For the most part, this was an interesting book. I've always had a bit of an interest in the macabre, and Jack the Ripper would comfortably under that topic. Although, I'll admit that I've never actually read much about Jack the Ripper. In fact, the historical tidbits mentioned in the novel encompass most of what I know about him. When it comes to historical serial killers, I've been more interested in the fact and lore surrounding the historical Sweeney Todd. Still, I'm a bit curious now to read a bit more about Jack since I read this novel.

I loved the premise of The Name of the Star. I mean, Jack the Ripper murders, ghosts...it just sounds so deliciously interesting. However, I was a bit put off by how "teen" this novel was. I mean, the whole beginning dealt with how Rory was such an average teenager with so many social issues, and blah blah blah. I've read enough teen novels when I was a teen to find myself bogged down in every character's struggle to find herself. I feel bad saying that, but it's true. Furthermore, I found some aspects of the story to be highly unbelievable-- and I'm not talking about Jack the Ripper ghosts.

Despite its flaws, this was an interesting read, and one that I would prolly recommend. Also, since it's a part of a series, I'm really tempted to look up the other books, once they're published.

Wilde Wednesdays #1

2012-01-04T00:25:00.000-05:00

Following in the vein of Weekly Wodehouse, today marks the first installment of Wilde Wednesdays; a collection of Oscar Wilde quotes....

I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.

~Oscar Wilde

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:37:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone! I can't believe another year has already come and gone. Still, there's something wonderful and exciting about a new year, full of possibilities. Every year, I write down my new year's resolutions in my journal, and read over the resolutions of the year before, in order to see if I've met them, or if I need to renew them again for the next year. I usually give myself about five; one two or three are usually met by the end of the year. While 50% isn't perfect, it's not too bad either.

This year, among other things, I hope to read 100 books. I've tried this for several years, and I never quite meet the goal. Still, I'm not quite ready to give up on it yet. Once Goodreads updates their website for the new year, I'll be able to post the yearly reading challenge widget on my blog's sidebar for 2012. So far, my last book of 2011 is still my first book of 2012. It's a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories that I bought at Borders a few years back, and never had the chance to read. It feels real nostalgic to read it, especially since Borders recently closed. I have so many memories from that bookstore; it's real tragic.

Maybe I should go for 50 books? I don't know. I'll decide when Goodreads updates everything.

Also, the results of my survey came in. While I was disappointed to only receive three votes, I did get enough of a response to avoid a tie. Weekly Chesteron received a fat ZERO votes (which could have been because people just haven't heard of Chesterton, or else because there was no alliteration in the title--which I was VERY concerned about--haha). Weekly Wodehouse received one vote, and the other two went to our winner: Wilde Wednesdays. So, starting on January 4th, we'll have our first installment of Wilde Wednesdays! And for those of you who follow Cinema Sweetheart, the first post of 2012 will come that Thursday, January 5th.

I have a real good feeling about 2012. I'm working, have an amazing internship in the works, and there is so much that I want to do. I want to learn to crochet, knit on double pointed needles, and read a ton of books (especially Chesterton). What do you all have planned for the New Year? What opportunities do you foresee for yourself? In February, Ramblings of a Devoted Bookworm turns two years old. I can't believe how fast this time has gone by! Speaking of which, I promise to make my blog more of a priority in the next year, with interesting posts, not just random drivel or pointless posts. I want to really connect with everyone once again.

Have an AMAZING year, don't party too hard, and stay safe! Love you all!

~Emmy

Mixed Drinks

2011-12-31T13:17:00.000-05:00

Not nearly as pretty as the expensive monstrosity I passed up.

I know mixed drinks are going to be expensive, but there is no way in Hades that I'd pay $9.04 for a strawberry banana margarita. So, while the birthday girl was downing shots and sipping pretty fruity drinks that her friends bought her, I looked on, sipping a Heineken. Despite the fact that it was not super fruity, it was very good.

Deadly Storm (Richard Castle)

2011-12-29T21:58:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading Deadly Storm. And it was amazing! I'm normally not one for detective fiction....usually I just can't find a series that really catches my attention. Either the writing is too bland, or I don't like the detective, or it's too violent, or some other reason. But, as always, Richard Castle never fails to please. I love the show, and I own all the books (even though I've not had the chance to read them yet). Condensing this story into a graphic novel was a great idea; it made it super easy to read; and I was so engaged in it, I was done before I even knew what happened. I really, really recommend it!

When Derrick Storm, private detective, takes on a case to find a woman's missing husband, he has no idea of what he is getting himself into. Before long, he finds himself running for his life, getting arrested, and getting tied up with a CIA agent who might actually be rogue. It's a fast paced story of drama, intrigue, and action.

I'm afraid I can't tell much more; it's short enough that I don't want to start giving away the more juicy bits of the plot; besides, you should totally just read it for yourself instead of relying on me to tell you about it ;)

Christmas Money and Castle

2011-12-29T19:43:00.000-05:00

My Monday night companions

One of the biggest disappointments of this semester was not being able to watch Castle. The campus is getting cable service through a new provider, and for some reason, I can't get ABC. And because I've been too busy, I haven't had the time to load the episodes online and catch up. (I might need to do that over this break). I've greatly missed Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic's antics over the past couple of months.

One of the fun bonuses of Christmas is getting Christmas cash from relatives who want to get me something, but don't exactly know what I would want. Heck, sometimes, I don't even know what I want, haha. So, I was messing around in a bookstore, and happened to come across a little beauty of a book: the newest Castle adventure. I already have Heat Wave, Naked Heat, and Heat Rises. This is the first graphic novel in the Castle canon: Deadly Storm. I've only just started, and I'm very excited about it. Once I finish, I'll be sure to post a little bit more about it. Right now, I'm just enjoying a bit of Castle after a too-long hiatus.

Hope all of you had a wonderful holiday; I know I did :)

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T14:20:00.000-05:00

I want to take a moment to say "thank you" to all of my blog followers; Ramblings would surely not be around anymore if not for your dedication and support. It really means a lot to me. I love hearing from all of you. And of course, thank you for so many of your blogs; it's always a delight to read what you have to say, and to learn a little bit more about you.

I also want to wish all of you a very, Merry Christmas. I understand that not all of you probably celebrate Christmas, and I hope that I do not offend by wishing you a very merry one. In all honesty, it confuses me when people become offended by holiday well-wishes from faiths they do not celebrate. In high school, one of my best friends was a confirmed Wiccan. Even though I'm a Catholic, I was very touched by her wishes of a happy Winter Solstice. So, I hope that all of you have a wonderful Christmas, and in addition, if you do not celebrate Christmas, I hope you truly enjoy the holiday that you DO celebrate. :)

(Also, on an unrelated note, I'm thinking about bringing back Weekly Wodehouse. Either that or a Weekly Wilde or Weekly Chesterton. Please take the survey at the top of the page to tell me which you would prefer. :)

Shakespeare Fun Fact

2011-12-24T14:01:00.000-05:00

I discovered something while perusing my subscription to Futility Closet this morning. The term "benedick" refers to a newly married man. However, the Shakespearean character Benedick, from Much Ado About Nothing staunchly refuses to ever marry, claiming that he hates women. Rather ironic, isn't it? However, if you read the entirety of the play, Benedick actually is very much in love with Beatrice, but refuses to admit it. By the end of the play, Benedick is indeed a benedick.

Finals Week

2011-12-16T02:41:00.002-05:00

It's nearly three in the morning. I've gone past the slap-happy stage to the dead-exhaustion stage. I need sleep. I'm going to fail my Earth Science final tomorrow....or is it technically TODAY?

I don't care. I'm going to bed.

Faceplant Fail

2011-12-14T18:56:00.000-05:00

Finals today and yesterday. Two more days to go. I'm pleased to say that my finals so far were fine. I got the second most difficult one out of the way (Greek History), and my easiest (Modernist Literature). But, I'm going to have a hell of a time with my finals on Thursday and Friday. Earth Science is going to be the worst one, and Tudor Literature is no walk in the park, either. Still, I'm almost done, and that makes me really, really happy.

And now for the title event....I was chilling with Rachel and Movie Boy, watching Inglorious Basterds. I actually rather liked it, but it was just too violent for me. I think if it was a bit tamer, I would have really liked it. For such a dark topic (a bunch of American Jews killing Nazis), it was actually pretty funny. We didn't watch the whole thing, since we didn't have much time. Mostly just select clips that Movie Boy wanted to show us.

I walked him back to the library, and was on my way back, looking for Rachel, when I epically faceplanted. I honestly don't know what happened; I just tripped over my own two feet! There was no ice or snow (strange for December), but we had been having a ton of rain, so I didn't just fall, but I fell into a mud puddle. Well, half of me did. The right leg of my jeans, from the ankle to the knee was covered in mud. And besides the initial shock and embarrassment, I had to deal with a blood-red stinging and burning in my hands where I had ripped the skin open. The one was mostly just grazed, but the other needed to be bandaged.

Besides my sore knees and my stinging hands, what hurt the most was my bruised pride. A couple of people saw me fall (including Rachel--I found her!!!) and one good Samaritan actually tried to see if I was okay. I waved her away before she got too close; I was really, really embarrassed, and I didn't want the attention. When I get hurt, I usually try to just shake if off and ignore it (fencing taught me that--you can't cry out every time something hurts during practices). That doesn't mean I don't like being babied about it AFTERWARDS, but when it initially happens, I just don't want people to talk to me.

Just felt like rambling about my epic spill today. I'm curious to see how I'll feel in the morning. My wrist and knee are already starting to act up. Details perhaps tomorrow.

My First Big-Girl Drink, or Vodka is a Kicker

2011-12-14T00:36:00.001-05:00

I've been twenty-one for a couple months now, but since I'm not much of a drinker, I usually just settle for a Mike's Hard Lemonade or something similar. I've just never really cared to drink something more than that. I just don't really care for alcohol. It's okay, but it's not OMG! MUST DRINK!

So, anyway, Italia has been asking me to go out drinking with her all semester. Finally, I conceded, and we agreed to go....right in the middle of finals week. We actually went out tonight. Now, remember, I don't drink. So: One, I have a low tolerance. Two, I don't really know what drinks are good and what drinks are too strong. Italia and her friend both ordered Sex on the Beach, and since there was a buy-one-get-one deal (but you had to get two of the same drink), we agreed to just get four Sex on the Beaches (is that the correct plural???) and split them between the three of us. In the end, Italia and her friend ended up just sharing the extra.

I felt fine. It was okay; the alcohol taste was strong, but not terrible, and it was such a small glass. Even though I tried to drink slowly, I felt like I finished pretty quick. I still felt fine....until I went to turn my head. It felt like my brain was sloshing around. THAT was not what I was expecting. Not at all. And after a while, when the swimmy feeling didn't go away, I started to realize that this fruity little drink was stronger than I had expected.

Talked to Rachel about it after I got back. Apparently, there's vodka in Sex on the Beach. Durr....I guess I have a lower tolerance than I thought; either that, or vodka's pretty strong. Although, in my defense, I haven't had much, so I shouldn't be so concerned. I'll build up a tolerance (albeit slowly, since I don't drink much).

Emmy Returns

2011-12-13T15:20:00.000-05:00

It took an email from one of my blogging friends to make me realize just how absent I've been on this blog. I mean, I log on several times a week, read your posts, etc., but I haven't been posting anything real and personal lately. Just movie clips and stuff like that. I want to apologize.

Earlier this year, I went through a lot of stress and dealt with a lot of crap. I know some people who read this blog are somewhat connected to everything, and I just didn't want to talk about it. In other words, I was hiding. No more. If I want to talk about something on MY BLOG, I shouldn't be afraid to do that. I've been yelled at for saying things here--WITHOUT naming names or pointing fingers, just referencing vague groups of people--and I've taken down a lot of posts because I was trying to please everyone. This is my blog, though. If I want to talk about things that bother me, I should be able to. I want you all to know how I'm doing, to share, in a small way, in the good things that happen to me, and to have you there for me when things go wrong. I don't want to hide.

There are going to be some changes here. I'm going to talk about things. You'll be updated more. I want to be a blogger again, not an anonymous writer.

It's good to be back.

SNL Batman

2011-12-04T22:04:00.002-05:00

The Panic of Christmas Shopping

2011-11-27T16:07:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone....and you know what that means now. Yep, the horrifying panic that is Christmas shopping starts to sink in. Don't get me wrong; I LOVE Christmas shopping. And now that I have a job, it's much easier than in the past (ie. I actually have $$$, and I don't have to just used saved up birthday cash from October). But, still. It's always a panic trying to find the perfect item for each person, and of course, during my shopping extravaganzas, I always find something that I want, and I have to convince myself to wait just a little bit longer before I buy it. It's not even December, and I've already found two things that I want. I'm really tempted just to buy them....What do you think?

Hamlet: Too Bad or Not Too Bad?

2011-11-15T16:33:00.000-05:00

I'm sure my Good Reads friends have noticed that I just added a new book to my already rather long "Currently Reading" list. But, I couldn't resist picking up Hamlet again. The other day, I listened to a fascinating lecture all about Hamlet, and realized that I should totally reread the play. Apart from Twelfth Night, Hamlet is my favorite Shakespearean piece. Besides the classic story, I've also fallen in love with some of the incarnations of this tragic Danish prince, such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and the movie Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead. I've seen Hamlet as an emo, a nut, a conflicted young man, and even a smiling idiot with no concept of danger. However, I've never actually seen him as a villain. And that's just what this lecturer set out to prove: like Macbeth, Hamlet is the villain of his play.

Now, Hamlet is one of my favorite characters in literature, right up there with Malvolio (Twelfth Night); Zaphod Beeblebrox (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy); and Boo Radley and Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird). Even so, I was not worried to see him painted the villain. In fact, I was very intrigued. I love the character of Hamlet because he is so complicated. He's neither strictly hero or villain; madman or genius. He's impossible to pin down, and I love that.

What do you think? Hamlet hero or villain? Facts to support your argument would be wonderful! If you have a Good Reads account, I have a discussion forum posted; I would love it if you would respond ;) If not, I'd love to hear about your theories in the comments feed right here on Ramblings!

[Edit] I thought I posted this LAST week...and I'm really surprised that I hadn't heard a single response. Then, I realized I hadn't posted it, but saved it to drafts. Bonus points for Emmy. xD

The Hunger Games

2011-11-14T19:07:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading book one of The Hunger Games yesterday. I would have blogged about it, but I was exausted. Come to think of it, I'm STILL really tired. I guess that mean's I'm going to have to keep this somewhat short.

First, of all, I LOVED the book! Next, I'm going to have to borrow Rachel's copy of the second book, Catching Fire. I can't wait to read what happens next! The beginning of this book was a bit slow, and I'll admit the story was sad, but it was almost impossible to put down! I NEED to read more!

For those of you who have read the book, how many of you are completely and utterly disappointed with the casting for the upcoming movie? [Raises hand] I know I am! The characters are NOTHING like I pictured in my head. Disappointment.

Not sure if I'm going to see the movie or not. I feel like most of the time, the movies are so completey different from what I have in my head, and I'm not sure if I want my illusions to be shattered. Maybe I'll let everyone else go and get some opinions once they get back. After that, I can always rent the film on DVD at the library.

A "Surprise" Outside

2011-11-11T09:56:00.000-05:00

Before I go to bed, I like to leave a slight gap in the blinds to let the sun shine in so I can wake up to a bright, sunny day (granted the sun is shining). There's a tree outside my window, but it's kinda scraggly, and I don't really take it much into account most of the time. I surely noticed it today though, because it was white. My scraggly brown-and-black tree was WHITE. Yeah. You guessed it. Snow.

I know some of you love snow. My brother loves snow. The Roomie (now in France) loves snow. I think it's pretty, but I'm not interested in going out in it. So far, it looks like it's only a dusting, but even so, I take this to be a very bad sign....ie., winter is coming. And did I mention that I'm not going home for like two more weeks, and I don't have a winter coat on campus? I have several jackets.....but not a coat. And, I don't have hats or scarves, either. I have sweaters. So....if you guys don't hear from me in a while (either posting on my blog or commenting on yours), then it probably means I've frozen to death in a crazy snow storm that sorta popped up out of nowhere.

I think I'm going to knit myself a scarf this weekend. I don't exactly have TIME or MONEY, but I'm sure I can think of something. I have blue and green yarn in the dorm, but it's too thin to be warm, and besides, I'm already using it to make a light blanket. I'm thinking some nice, thick magenta wool-blend. As for a pattern, I'm just going to go with garter stitch; basic, reliable, and simple. Either that, or I'll go all out and do something like basket weave or raspberry stitch. I don't want to make anything too complicated, though, since I'm going to have to have something to wear by Monday. Haha; that's the problem. I really need something to keep me warm, and trying to make a pretty pattern like raspberry stitch will take me FOREVER to do. So, it comes down to appearance or usefulness. I'm going to go with usefulness.

Happy Guy Fawkes Day!

2011-11-05T12:26:00.002-04:00

Tudor Literature

2011-11-04T10:44:00.000-04:00

I was looking ahead on my syllabus for Tudor Literature, and was thrilled to see that we'll be finishing up the semester with William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night! That's my favorite of his plays! Now, this will be the second time I read this play for a college course (the first time was last year), and I've always thought it would be funny to come to class wearing the one identifying piece of clothing of one of the characters (ie. a bowler hat if reading Waiting for Godot; a skull if reading Hamlet, a mask if The Phantom of the Opera, or perhaps carry around a badly burned manuscript if reading Hedda Gabbler). In Twelfth Night, the big thing is Malvolio's yellow stockings.

Malvolio is a very melancholy character, considered by the others to be a complete stick-in the mud. So, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Maria all decide it would be really funny to send him letters and let him think they are from Oliva, the girl he likes (who happens to be his employer), and make him do stupid things, like smile all the time (to the point where it is creepy), and to wear yellow, cross-gartered stockings, which Oliva personally thinks is a horrid fashion statement.

I thought it would be fun to just come to class dressed in yellow stockings. My professor is really cool, and I know she'd find the whole thing to be very funny. Do you think I should do it? It's a small class, so I don't have much to worry about. I'd just get to class early, while the room is still dark, go to the back corner, slip off my pants (because I'm not going to walk around campus in yellow tights) and I'd have shorts or cropped pants and the yellow tights on underneath. Then, I'd just have to act a bit like Malvolio. I think it would be really funny. But, tell me what you think first! In case you weren't sure, this is sort of what it would look like.

Credit goes to Lydianime, who posted this picture on her DeviantArt page :)

WTF Wednesday

2011-10-26T09:21:00.000-04:00

I love the original Star Trek, and I love Queen. What's better than Captain James Tiberius Kirk and Freddie Mercury on their own? How about both of them together? Well, guess what? We have that right here! William Shatner sings Bohemian Rhapsody! This doesn't sound like enough WTF for you? Watch the video and see!

Water For Elephants

2011-10-20T00:02:00.000-04:00

I got this book yesterday afternoon. Less than 48 hours later, I'm done. I read a 331 page book in less than two days....during school. That doesn't happen to me anymore. Not with college-level assignments and a part-time job as well. I guess that just means that this was a really, really good book! I quite simply could not put it down!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen is my book club reading selection for November, but since I was scared I wouldn't have time to read it (just like all of my other book club books), I decided to start early so that I could actually find myself prepared for the discussion. I had no idea that I would finish this early!

Water for Elephants is an amazing book, and I seriously recommend it! The plot grabs your attention early on, and keeps you interested all the way from the start of the Prologue to the end of Chapter 25! The tone varies from dramatic and powerfully sad to humorous and amusing. It's an emotional roller coaster that leaves you feeling satisfied. To be honest, I was a bit leery about how the novel would end, but I believe I can safely say that I'm satisfied with it.

A quick summary: Jacob Jankowski is in his nineties and living in a nursing home. Even though he can't remember his own age, he still remembers all of his adventures from his life in the circus as though it were yesterday. He worked as the veterinarian in the menagerie for the Benzini Brothers Circus during the Great Depression. It is here that he meets two very important ladies: Marlena, a beautiful circus performer; and Rosie, a very special elephant. However, things are not all perfect for Jacob, as he also has to deal with August, Marlena's charming, but crazy husband, and Jacob's boss.

I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did! And please tell me what you think if you've read it :)

WTF Wednesday

2011-10-19T10:05:00.000-04:00

This is one of the stranger things I'll be posting for WTF Wednesday. My brother showed this to me, and although, I found it to be very funny, I was also very confused. And just for the record, I have not played Kingdom Hearts, so I really have no idea who this character is. Also, I've not heard the original version of this song. Either way, it's really amusing.

Book Club Returns!

2011-10-18T16:44:00.000-04:00

I've registered for book club again this semester; and I'm so excited! I missed the first two books, but, at least I get to read the November book: Water For Elephants. I'll be sure to post a review when I'm done, and I'll be better about attending book club this coming semester :)

The Return of Don Quixote (And of Literary Blog Posts!)

2011-10-18T16:42:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading my first G.K. Chesterton novel: The Return of Don Quixote. I was actually in the library looking for a completely different Chesterton novel (The Man Who Was Thursday), when I stumbled upon this one. Now, thanks to my dear grandpa, Don Quixote is one of my favorite literary figures. I love the story, the ideal....I own the book, the musical soundtrack, and even hand-carved wooden figures of the characters! So, when I saw that there was what appeared to be a Cervantean sequel, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Now, I'll set you all straight right away.....this is not a sequel. In fact, it took me until I was about five chapters from the end to figure out why the title was what it was, and it was nearly the second to last chapter where I saw the first reference to Don Quixote! However, that does not take away from the many merits of this book!

I'll be brief, since I'm rather tired, but it was overall a very interesting read. It was very funny, with humor reminiscent of Wodehouse, with theological and philosophical views intertwined (Chesterton was, after all, a Catholic philosopher). The plot did get a bit confusing at times, but it was still worth it. Honestly, it was a delightful reading experience, and, as I crack open my next book, I'm proud to say that it is ALSO a Chesterton: The Man Who Was Thursday. Hopefully, there will be updates about that one as well.

I'd recommend this book if you like humor, philosophy, and a bit of theological undertones. But, one thing I'd like to stress about this book: Chesterton cannot be rushed. If you don't have the time to devote to him, this book will take forever. But, once you give it your full attention, it's actually quite a quick and easy read. The last few chapters, in fact, flew by, leaving me without reading material for the rest of the day :P

I'm having trouble creating a good summary, since there is so much going on. I guess I would just suggest going into it blind, since that's what I did....sometimes, books are more exciting when you don't really know what is going to happen.

Good Reads

2011-10-17T20:05:00.000-04:00

Hey! Just curious, but do any of you have an account on www.goodreads.com? I've just started an account, and so far, I have no friends on the site. I was wondering if any of my wonderful bloggers would happen to have accounts as well? I'd love to friend you on the site :)

If you have an account, and would like to friend me, please include your user name in the comments. If you don't want me to post your comment on Ramblings, then just include something along the times of "don't post this" somewhere in your comment :)

Halloween 4 (2011)

2011-10-12T16:20:00.000-04:00

So, I really should be working on my five page essay about Sir Thomas Wyatt that's due tomorrow, but instead, I'm going to post Halloween #4 for y'all :)

I found this game online, and thought it was just so cute that I had to share. It's a point-and-click find-the-differences game, which might not be for everyone, but there's a cute little story to go with it, and if nothing else, that should be worth it :)

The game is in two parts: Lilith and Emma. It's basically the same story, but told from different points of view. Lilith is a little vampire girl out on Halloween, where she meets a human girl named Emma. Cute little story, not much I can say without telling everything, since it's fairly short...but, it's a fun Halloween friendship story. Enjoy :)

Lilith - Meet Emma in time for Halloween

N.B. I've only posted Lilith's story here. Once you complete it, there's an option at the end to play the other game. Just click on that, and it should take you right to Emma's story :)

WTH Wednesday is Now WTF Wednesday...

2011-10-12T09:38:00.001-04:00

That's just because I like the sound of it better. Also, WTH always looks like I'm saying "with" and forgot to add the "i". Like this change? Don't like it? What do you prefer: WTH or WTF? Or do you even have a different idea? Let me know in the comments. And in the meantime, here's your weekly WTH/WTF.

I don't know what it is, but this picture always makes me crack up!

Blogger is Being Stupid...

2011-10-12T09:28:00.000-04:00

And it won't let me post comments on anyone's blogs, or even read them. If you comment on my blog, however, since I moderate the comments I'll still be able to read them. However, once they're published, I can't access them. So, please don't feel like I'm ignoring you if I don't respond to a comment, or if I don't comment on your blogs. I read every comment y'all post on my blog, and I'm still reading all of your blogs, too.....Just, I can't comment for some reason. This is a new development that started on Tuesday, and I'm currently looking into things. I apologize for the inconvenience!

Brad Pitt is Cute

2011-10-10T21:22:00.000-04:00

This little child is precious! Just a little pick-me-up to brighten your day :)

<a href='http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/baby-learns-brad-pitt-is-cute/20xofhou?q=Stupid%20Videos&from=en-us_msnhp&rel=msn&cpkey=9472c4a9-507d-4464-abfc-77d847106b19%7cStupid+Videos%7cmsn%7c%7c&src=v5:embed::' target='_new' title='Baby Learns Brad Pitt Is Cute'>Video: Baby Learns Brad Pitt Is Cute</a>

Halloween 3 (2011)

2011-10-05T09:51:00.005-04:00

Yes, yes, I am well aware that this is my third post this morning! Don't worry; it will be the last! For today's Halloween post, I wanted to give a list of the classic Universal Horror films. I love these films very much, but since there are so many of them, it can be hard to keep track of them all. So, I'll be listing them below :) I'm only focusing on the werewolf (Laurence Talbot), Frankenstein, and Dracula sagas, so please don't be offended if I fail to mention, say, The Mummy's Hand, and that happens to be your favorite monster movie ever. Also, I know there are other werewolf movies produced by Universal studios, but they are both stand-alone films, and I'm only focusing on the Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.) films, so I won't be mentioning the other ones. Maybe I'll do a post about those later?

I'll group each series in chronological order. Anything that is marked with an asterisk (*) spans into at least one of the other sagas. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments!

Frankenstein

-Frankenstein (1931)

-Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

-Son of Frankenstein (1939)

-Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

-Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)*

-House of Frankenstein (1944)*

-House of Dracula (1945)*

-Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)*

Dracula

-Dracula (1931)
-"Spanish" Dracula (1931)

-Dracula's Daughter (1936)

-Son of Dracula (1943)

-House of Frankenstein (1944)*

-House of Dracula (1945)*

-Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)*

The Wolf Man

-The Wolf Man (1941)

-Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)*

-House of Frankenstein (1944)*

-House of Dracula (1945)*

-Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)*

Personally, I'm a huge fan of the Wolf Man movies :) These are some of my favorite films ever! But, I hope you totally enjoy all of these movies! The only thing I'd like to comment on is Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein, because while it comes out AFTER House of Dracula, the plot seems to come from earlier in the Wolf Man saga, like possibly between House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula.

One final note: "Spanish" Dracula is basically the same film as the 1931 Dracula, filmed on the same sets by the same studio. However, there is a completely different cast, and--you guessed it--all the dialogue is in Spanish! As much as I love the classic, English version, the Spanish production is a must-see, and considered by some to be the better of the two!

Word of the Day!

2011-10-05T09:24:00.000-04:00

While this is totally not the word of the day in the Writing Center, I thought it was an awesome sounding word after I found it in a Paul Muldoon poem that I was reading.

Falderal (Fal-duh-ral) (n.)

1. Mere nonsense; foolish talk or ideas

2. A trifle; gimcrack; gew-gaw

WTH Wednesday

2011-10-05T09:20:00.000-04:00

Hey, guys, and welcome to the second installment of WTH Wednesday! My good friend Sarah introduced me to Dara O'Briain with this video, and I thought while perhaps not a total wth (or wtf?) it was still really funny. If you'd prefer something a bit more wtf, then please feel free to complain about this outrage in the comments, and I'll remedy the issue for next week :)

Halloween 2 (2011)

2011-10-03T10:40:00.001-04:00

Happy October 3rd, everyone! Halloween is now exactly four weeks away! For today's post, I thought I'd combine a bit of creepy with something useful. And today's theme is centered around my favorite cannibalistic psychiatrist: Dr. Hannibal Lecter :)

Besides this stunning picture at the top of the page (lol), I'm also going to include a quick clip from The Silence of the Lambs (1991), and a fun makeup tutorial for painting Lecter's infamous "bite-mask" on your face. I also had a parody that I wanted to post as well, but it was taken down by YouTube, and I've yet to find it again. Perhaps, if I do, there could be another Halloween Lecter post, but I'm really not sure.

Happy October!

2011-10-02T01:56:00.002-04:00

Hello, everyone! And happy October :)

As I'm sure y'all already know, Halloween is fast approaching! So, for something fun, I'm going to post Halloween-related things on my blog during the course of the month; I hope you guys enjoy! I'm not sure how often I'm going to be able to update, but I'll try my best. These items can include (but are not limited to) videos, movie and book recommendations, pictures, stories, folklore, etc. Just some cool stuff and all in good fun (even the scary bits!)

I'd like to kick off the month with a little video that I always think about at Halloween now. The Rocky Horror Picture Show was introduced to me by a now estranged friend, and has become somewhat of a staple for me around Halloween. The original video I was shown had two songs on it, but sadly, it's been taken down by YouTube because of copyright. So, I've included both songs on here, but separately. If this is your first time listening to anything from Rocky Horror, then this might be a good time to check it out; it's a very fun movie :)

A Miserable, Rainy Friday

2011-09-30T16:26:00.000-04:00

I think the title of this post about sums everything up. Today, is grey, rainy, cold, and miserable, and as much as I love the rain, I do not want to be out in it.....not on a day like today. Sadly, I had to though, seeing as we had a field trip for my Earth Science lab. The lab itself was very interesting; we looked at all kinds of cool rock formations and such. I personally think geology is kinda cool :)

But, the issue of course, was the rain. Wandering around in the rain was not fun. By the time I got back to campus, I was already soaked with a deep cold that goes right to the bones. I'm already sick, and this certainly did not help. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if I don't have much of a voice tomorrow! But, I'm trying to take care of myself....I took off my wet pants, shoes, and socks, and changed into something a bit more comfortable. It's at times like this that I wish my grandparents hadn't moved. They used to have this big old house with the nicest fireplace. I wish I could just curl up on the couch in front of the fire and read a book. When I get my own house, I'm going to have to get one with a fireplace!

Right now, I'm just waiting for Matt to call me so that we can go and get dinner. It's been nice getting to hang out with him more these past few days. I feel like we go for really long periods of time without talking; it's sad :(

Been listening to Mika, which is a fun diversion from my present, sick, miserable state, haha. If you've never listened to any of his music, you have to check him out! I LOVE Mika :)

Also, I need some help from y'all, especially the guys. I'm writing a screenplay for my screenwriting class, and I'm having trouble with the lead male's motivation. Gentlemen, what qualities would a woman have to possess to make her worth waiting twenty years for (especially when you can have any woman you want)? What would make this woman so special? That's the issue I'm having right now....I can't figure out why he would want to wait for her (because, honestly, she's a little bit bland). Please help! Thanks :)

And.....here's some Mika! Enjoy :)

What am I Reading?

2011-09-28T10:36:00.000-04:00

Guess what, everyone! I actually have time to READ FOR FUN!!!!!!! This is a most shocking, really, really awesome development! As an English Major (and prolly just as a college student in general), I never actually have the time to read just for the heck of it. I always have something else to do, or something else to read. Honestly, the last time I read and finished (the keyword here being finished) a book just for fun was during the summer! And know what's really sad? I can't even remember what the book was! (I take that back....I think it was the new book by The Oatmeal).

But, I'm actually reading a book for fun during school! This is very, very exciting :) I mean, yes, I did read Endgame last week, but that was only because I was able to finish it in the two-hour time slot I had in the Writing Center. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have read it! This time, though, I'm actually reading a novel....like a whole book, and it's really nice. It's Hannibal by Thomas Harris. Once I finish this, I'll have read all the books in the Hannibal Lecter Trilogy (Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs, and Hannibal) , plus the prologue novel Hannibal Rising. I'll be sure to post updates about it later. Right now, it's a little slow, but I've found from experience that Thomas Harris novels tend to do that: they start off really slowly, and suddenly grab you by the throat and drag you through a whole plot of horror and thrill. Sooo worth the wait!

What the Heck? Wednesdays #1

2011-09-28T09:17:00.000-04:00

Hello, everyone :)

As many of you know, I'm really into random stuff that makes little to no sense. I'm sure many of you remember How To Kill A Mockingbird, or Gods of Olympus, just to name a few of the more memorable ones. Most of the time, I only include these videos and comics if they fit into something about literature or life. But, since there are so many bizarre things that I still want to share with all of you, I thought it might be fun to include a special day dedicated just to them! This is What the Heck (WTH) Wednesdays! If you're really not interested in my special brand of humor, fear not, because these posts will be clearly marked, so you don't have to check them out if you're not interested. But, I do encourage you to at least give them a try, because you can find some pretty crazy stuff by roaming around on the Internet.

Not all of these entries are really going to be "What the Heck" worthy, but hopefully, they'll still be interesting, cool, or thought provoking. Maybe a better term would be "Random Wednesdays," but that lacked the alliteration you get with "What the Heck" and being an English major, I could not bear to sacrifice such prime poetic tone.

For my first WTH Wednesday, I'm going to post a video that has become rather viral as of late. I hope you find it as amusing as I did :)

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

What is Fun?

2011-09-23T09:58:00.000-04:00

Fun is staying up late with a really good friend, eating good food, and watching When Harry Met Sally, which people have been trying to get me to watch for months now. And after the food is gone and the movie is over, it's even more fun when you realize just how slap happy you are, and start playing around on Tumblr, where you find a picture that says YOU ARE A SUPERHERO! THE OBJECT TO YOUR LEFT IS THE SOURCE OF YOUR POWER; THE OBJECT TO YOUR RIGHT IS YOUR WEAKNESS. In this case (since Rachel was holding the computer), the source of her power was moi, and her weakness would be the notes from her class for today....she has a test in it and was studying before I came over. The question that arises: does this mean that she'll fail the test since it's her weakness? And if I come to the test with her (and I'm the source of her power), does that mean she'll get like a 105% on the test?

Happy Friday, everyone!

Hamm and Clov: Why? (Endgame)

2011-09-22T16:36:00.000-04:00

Hamm: ...Why do you stay with me?

Clov: Why do you keep me?

Hamm: There's no one else.

Clov: There's nowhere else [Pause.]

Hamm: You're leaving me all the same.

Clov: I'm trying.

Endgame

2011-09-22T16:25:00.000-04:00

I finally did it! I finally read the entirety of Samuel Beckett's play Endgame! Ever since I read Waiting for Godot in my junior year of high school, I've been trying to read Endgame. They were both included in the same book at the library. However, I found that while Waiting for Godot was unusual, Endgame was darker, and a lot more confusing. I've tried at least three times in the past to read it, but have never gotten around to actually doing it.

I was on my shift for the Writing Center, working late in the library. No one ever comes down there, so the guys and I just read or do homework. I had brought my Modernist Literature anthology, and was supposed to be reading Conrad's Heart of Darkness. I read Endgame instead, and liked it a whole lot more!

It's a weird plot, and hard to decipher. I'm sure that anyone who has read Samuel Beckett can attest to the fact that his plays really have no plot, but center around a small event, such as waiting for someone who never comes, or in this case, trying to leave someone behind. Hamm sits in the center of the room, covered by a blanket like one would cover an old chair in an abandoned house. A bloody handkerchief covers his face. When these are removed by Clov, his adopted son and caretaker, we see that he wears black glasses that prevent you from seeing his eyes. Clov wants to leave Hamm, but he's all he has in the world. Hamm's parents, Nagg and Nell live in trashcans in the corner of the room. There does not seem to exist much of a world outside of the house, but we don't know for sure.

That was a really bad plot description; so, I think the best thing would be for y'all just to go out and read it yourselves, or to at least check it out on YouTube. I'm planning on watching it once I have some free time :)

Also, since Endgame is full of wonderful quotes, I'll be posting them in the days to come, so be sure to check back for that :)

Word of the Day!

2011-09-21T09:55:00.000-04:00

Kerfuffle (n): commotion or disorder

Isn't that just a really fun word??? It's the word of the day in the Writing Center :):):)

Just TRY saying it out loud without smiling inside!

Happy Wednesday!

Appreciation

2011-09-18T15:50:00.000-04:00

I've been feeling a little out of it lately; a little under-appreciated. And as I was thinking about it, I realized that if you want someone to know that you appreciate them, you have to tell them! So....I whipped up a little "Rage Comic" for y'all to tell you how I feel.....

A token of my appreciaton. (Yes, that's supposed to be me, haha)
Click to enlarge :)

No Update???

2011-09-18T01:25:00.001-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted any updates lately; I've been very busy-- which is a good thing :)

I've been working (and I LOVE my new job-- campus writing tutors all the way!), and have been spending a TON of time with friends. Things are complex right now in my social life, but nothing I can't handle. If there's anything I've learned about myself, it's that I can handle far more than I would ever give myself credit for. A lot of it involves quite simply not thinking, but most of it involves prayer.

This past week and the coming week are probably two of the most hectic weeks of the semester: I started working, I started kickboxing, and I'm going to be starting community service by working at a local grade school aftercare program. Very fun :)

More updates to come in the next few days. Just really busy, and honestly, right now, I'm super tired. Falling asleep listening to Bon Jovi-- usually he's more than enough to keep me awake, haha. Oh well. G'night y'all, and I'll catch up very soon! :)

Friday Update

2011-09-09T22:26:00.000-04:00

Done with another week. It was a whole day shorter, but at least twice as exhausting. I feel like I tried to stretch myself too thin. Too many thoughts are on my mind right now. Why can't I just stop thinking for a little while? Don't worry about me, though. This is nothing that I can't handle....I'm just very tired. Watched a movie earlier with Italia; we saw The Notebook, and now I'm all mopey. That was a really sad movie! This being my first time watching it, I had NO idea what it was going to be like! Later tonight, it looks like I'll be watching another movie with some of the guys. That'll be nice. As much as I need my girl time, I also need my guy time. Sometimes, I feel like life is less complicated when you're the lone girl surrounded by a group of your guy friends. It's just nice. Growing up with a brother and no sisters, I find that sometimes, I just need some guy time.

Going to spend the weekend in the library, I think. Curl up in one of my favorite sections, kick off my shoes, and just spend some time with the books and the solitude. Sometimes, there's nothing better than curling up with a good book and just allowing your mind to wander wherever it wants to go. Right now, I'm reading The Return of Don Quixote by G.K. Chesterton, which so far has absolutely nothing to do with the infamous "Man of La Mancha". Not to say I'm not enjoying it.....but I am curious as to the title, since that kinda was the reason I picked this book out of nine shelves of Chesterton's writings.

I think I'd like to live in a library. Just wander around the shelves quiet and content. There would never be an end to the books I could read. And I could sleep on the floor, starring up at the ceiling and dreaming of my favorite literary heroes as I drift off to sleep. Either a library or a lighthouse. I guess I'm just feeling a little antisocial tonight. I'm constantly thinking of solitude.

The dining hall food has been a disappointment. As a result, I'm not really eating much. Looks like I'll be losing some weight, haha. More updates to come as the week goes on. I think I'll try and make a point to at least publish something on Fridays, though.

Have a nice weekend, y'all!

Henry VIII Has Ruined Love Lyrics!

2011-09-05T19:44:00.000-04:00

For my English class, we have to read the lyrics of John Skelton and King Henry VIII. Skelton was interesting, creative, and exciting. Henry VIII was boring! I seriously think he might have ruined love songs for me! He reminds me of people who think that just because a poem rhymes, it's good. Nuh uh! His writing is just too dry to be actually interesting. And the saddest part is that people prolly told him he was a really talented writer, because that's what you do when the king shows you his love poetry!

Sick???

2011-09-05T19:39:00.000-04:00

I think I might be coming down with something. It's only just the beginning of September....How can I possibly be sick??? And yet, here I am....sore throat, draining sinuses, and the miserable foreboding that there is still more to come. I HATE getting sick! :(

On a more positive note, I saw Neo on Friday. I was super surprised to see him, but catching up was absolutely wonderful! I've really missed him a lot, and it wasn't exactly easy knowing that I probably was never going to see him again (he had transferred). I'm happy to be back in touch with him once more.

Classes start up again tomorrow, and it's going to be a super busy week. But, I'll try to keep posting updates (because I know y'all are just fascinated by what I have to say, haha).

Oh, and I think I left my computer mouse at home....that really sucks. I mean, I can use the touch-pad on my laptop, but I love my wireless mouse! :S

One Week Down...

2011-09-02T18:11:00.000-04:00

I just finished up my first week of classes. Being back on campus has been interesting; stressful at times, exciting at others. AND, I've had plenty of down-time to actually get homework done! That's been amazing. Usually, if I can get away with not doing a reading for classes, I'll just skip it. This semester, I'm hoping to change that. The only issue I've had so far, is that even when I read the assignments, it feels like I haven't by the time I get back to class. Like, Thursday, I was totally embarrassed because I had done the readings, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember anything from book. So, I feel like now I have to write down everything I read (taking notes and all that) so that I don't look stupid when the professors call on me.

Classes this semester have to be the best I've ever had. I mean, this is the greatest semester overall. I'm thrilled. :) I think my Modernist Literature course is my favorite so far. We're going to be reading The Picture of Dorian Gray to start off the class; that's going to be great! Today we sampled a bit of Gertrude Stein, who left the class split in half over their opinions of her. I like her a lot so far. I'm going to have to check out more of her writing, although, I will admit that she's a bit bizarre.

Some drama, some complications in my social life, but nothing that I can't handle. And, even though it kinda sucks right now, things are actually starting to look better.

I start working in the Writing Center in a couple of weeks. Can't wait :)

Oh, and this evening was interesting. I was chilling out on the campus, when all of a sudden, someone grabs me from behind and shouts, totally freaking me out. The best bit? He was incredibly cute and incredibly embarrassed; we don't know each other, and he thought I was someone else! My heart is still pounding, haha. Just wish I could meet him again under better circumstances; that would be so much nicer, haha.

More updates to come.

To all my American readers, have a nice Labor Day weekend :)

Found This Funny Story Online....

2011-08-28T10:52:00.000-04:00

Recently a routine police patrol parked outside a local pub. Late in the evening the officer noticed a man leaving the bar so intoxicated that he could barely walk.

The man stumbled around the car park for a few minutes, with the officer quietly observing.

After what seemed an eternity and trying his keys on five vehicles, the man managed to find his car which he fell into. He sat there for a few minutes as a number of other patrons left the bar and drove off. Finally he started the car, switched the wipers on and off (it was a fine dry night) flicked the indicators on, then off, tooted the horn and then switched on the lights. He moved the vehicle forward a few inches, reversed a little and then remained stationery for a few more minutes as some more vehicles left.

At last he pulled out of the car park and started to drive slowly down the road. The police officer, having patiently waited all this time, now started up the patrol car, put on the flashing lights, promptly pulled the man over and carried out a breathalyzer test. To his amazement, the breathalyzer indicated no evidence of the man having consumed alcohol at all!

Dumbfounded, the officer said "I'll have to ask you to accompany me to the police station. This breathalyzer equipment must be broken."

"I doubt it", said the man, "tonight I'm the designated decoy."

Back on Campus

2011-08-27T23:40:00.000-04:00

Well, here we go! Another school year is about to start! Emmy is officially back on campus; a little dazed, a little overwhelmed, but really looking forward to a challenging and fun semester!

I'm not going to be living with the Roomie anymore :( She's going to be in France this semester, and living with our friend Rachel second semester. I'm going to be with the NEW roommate: Italia. As in she LOVES Italy :) Sadly, I'm going to be alone for a few days until she's able to move in. I'm a bit lonely, but I do enjoy the time to myself.

Spent most of the day with Rachel, my new next-door neighbor. We hung out, cleaned and arranged our dorms, and went to see the guys at dinner. (The dining hall food sucked as always, so I just had a glass of pop. Later that night, the two of us ordered Chinese food and had a movie party). The Princess Bride is seriously the greatest film ever :) Thanks, Matt, for buying it for me :):):)

Matt and Professor Thomas both seemed to be in good moods. Although, I will say it was a bit frustrating being embarrassed by the Professor in front of a couple of Freshman that Matt was eating with. I know I should be used to his antics by this point, but it's never fun being embarrassed so badly, and of course, I can't hide my embarrassment, because my face burns bright red every single time! Oh well......I did miss him over the summer, and I guess when you're friends with this faux Professor, you have to be prepared for this sort of treatment. After a couple of weeks, I'll build up a tougher skin.

Really excited for classes to start. I have some good stuff lined up (hopefully, I'll be able to update more about that later). For now, I'm thinking I'll just take a break and start to wind down for the night.

G'night, y'all! :) Looking forward to having more news for you!

Returning

2011-08-26T00:42:00.000-04:00

I move back onto campus this weekend.....where did my summer go?

As much as I'm looking forward to school and friends, I'm going to miss my family and certain routines and freedoms that I have at home that I won't get at school (such as access to the car). But, mostly, I think I'm going to miss just spending time with everyone; even if we were doing nothing at all. There's something so nice about having dinner with the entire family, about sitting around the table and just talking about our day. Of course, I get to do that at school with my friends (who I've missed TONS), but it's just not quite the same.

Looking forward to this year though. New classes, a new job, and new friends to be made. Plus, I have a new roommate (an old friend) which should be interesting to say the least, and I'm looking forward to our time together :)

I Greatly Dislike Twilight...

2011-08-22T19:46:00.000-04:00

But this comment has rather changed my point of view concerning one aspect of it.... I guess you could say I have a new found respect for someone.......?

When you read the book, it’s like, 'Edward Cullen was so beautiful I creamed myself.' I mean, every line is like that. He’s the most ridiculous person who’s so amazing at everything. I think a lot of actors tried to play that aspect. I just couldn’t do that. And the more I read the script, the more I hated this guy, so that’s how I played him, as a manic-depressive who hates himself. Plus, he’s a 108 year-old virgin so he’s obviously got some issues there.

––Robert Pattinson (yes, that Robert Pattinson)

One of My All-Time Favorite Quotes

2011-08-20T01:33:00.000-04:00

"This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man."

~William Shakespeare

These really are words to live one's life by. Isn't it ironic that Polonius, one of the most foolish characters in Hamlet, is actually the one to deliver the greatest truth presented in the play?

I wonder if Shakespeare did that on purpose?

Mytho Logique

2011-08-18T22:18:00.000-04:00

Mytho Logique (ESMA, 2010) from Gom Poitel on Vimeo.

Dance

2011-08-15T21:34:00.000-04:00

A random thought came to me yesterday.

I want to learn to dance.

And not just any dancing, but ballroom dancing. I want to be able to waltz, and to glide so gracefully across the floor. I want to wear the pretty ballroom dresses, but still be able to dance in my jeans and t-shirts if the mood should strike me on an off-time.

I think that would be a lot of fun.

Table Talk

2011-08-10T13:19:00.001-04:00

A fun little poem I found in Futility Closet's email updates:

At a tavern one night,

Messrs. Moore, Strange, and Wright

Met to drink and their good thoughts exchange;

Says Moore, “Of us three,

Everyone will agree,

There’s only one knave, and that’s Strange.”

Says Strange, rather sore,

“I’m sure there’s one Moore,

A most terrible knave, and a fright,

Who cheated his mother,

His sister and brother–”

“Oh, yes,” replied Moore, “that is Wright.”

– Anonymous

The Beauty of the Artist

2011-08-09T19:44:00.000-04:00

I know I haven't been a very good blogger lately, and I apologize. I don't want to bore you all with my random thoughts, but, the more I think about it, you guys (and gals) have signed up to follow my blog (hopefully) because you don't mind my ramblings. So, I'm going to try and post more, even if it's just to ramble and rant a little.

I was watching some Jerome Pradon videos on YouTube, and a thought came to me. It always amazing me when I find an artistic piece (song, movie, video clip, painting, quote, etc.) that really stirrs me to the core; that awakens something within me. I always come away from the experience feeling a little changed. I think that's the most beautiful aspect of art: the ability to change, to transform, to make the mundane less so, and to leave you better than you were before. It depresses me that so many people use art in a negetive way, using talents for smut and crap. Although, I guess it does make the beauty of former all the more beautiful; all the more magnified. (Not that I'm condoning it, of course).

I've always wanted to be a writer. But, I didn't just want to be your dime-a-dozen-mass-market-paperback-grocery-store-potboiler variety of author. I wanted my writing to transform the reader. Lately, I've felt as though my writing has been mediocre; not that the writing itself is poor, but that the topics are mediocre. I have one novella that I've been working on (but my inspiration dried up) and I think that if I could finish it, it would be an amazing piece. It's personal at points, and detatched at others, but it is, by far, the best writing I've ever done. I want to write about that more, but I can't seem to find my muse for that piece.

Perhaps, if I watch some more videos; listen to the lyrics of so many songs; think about people, and places, and things; what could be and what could have been; then, perhaps I'll get my muse back. In the meantime, I want to envelop myself in the beauty of other artists' creations, and bide my time with my own.

Neil the Nail

2011-08-04T22:02:00.000-04:00

In case you didn't know, I'm a huge fan of online gaming. I love all kinds of fun little games, from basic platformers to point-and-click. Today, I found a cute one on MoFunZone.com; it's called Neil the Nail. Help Neil to find Mr. Magnet and stop the evil hammers from hurting his family. Yes, it sounds a bit babyish, but it's actually quite fun, and a nice diversion when you want to do something mindless (but not TOO mindless). ^_^ Hope you enjoy!

I'm Back!

2011-08-04T12:22:00.000-04:00

I'm back from vacation, tired, tan, and glad to be back. For my family, vacation (when it's not spent at home) is not so much a break from doing anything, but a break from the normal routine. Now, I'm dying for the norm and a break in general :P But, I will admit that I had a LOT of fun, and all in all, I'm really glad that I went. Florida is the ultimate vacation spot ^_^

Missed you guys a lot, though, and I hope you're all doing well :) Now that I'm back, I'll be posting a bit more, lol, and I have some new books to tell y'all about. (There's an awesome used book shop in the area of Florida we always go to, and I always take my old books there for store credit and buy new ones).

Vote for Chess!

2011-07-25T23:52:00.000-04:00

Hey, guys!

I'm going to be going out of town for the next week, so I won't be on the blog too much (if at all). But, I wanted to ask you all to do me a favor, and vote for my blogging buddy Chess on Blogger Idol! I'm sure many of you already know Chess, but for those of you who don't you can check out her blog here. She's a total sweetheart, and deserves to win this competition! Please vote :) This week is going to be extra special, since she's listing some of her favorite blogs for one of the Blogger Idol activities, and I'm one of the blogs she's mentioning :) Thanks, Chess! You can find the link to vote for her here. Voting begins on Wednesday, at noon CST. Please vote!!!! :D

Epic Win!

2011-07-25T19:32:00.000-04:00

I got lucky today!

Help!

2011-07-21T10:24:00.001-04:00

My dear readers, I'm afraid I must ask for your assistance...

I've been having a bit of trouble reading these past few weeks. I don't mean dyslexia or anything, rather, I can't find anything that really grabs my attention. I've read a ton of stuff, started a lot of books, but I've not found anything that really wows me.....nothing that makes me think Now THAT was a really good book! It just feels mechanical and dull. I just don't feel motivated (and being an English major, that is the kiss of death!)

So, that's where you guys come in.... Does anyone have a good book to recommend? A real page turner for me to sink my teeth into? I'd really appreciate your suggestions, and please rest assured that genre does not matter! All I know is that if I don't read a good book soon, I'm afraid this disenchanted bookworm will turn into an illiterate pumpkin before the first day of classes!

Hats

2011-07-13T23:20:00.000-04:00

Sarah and I went out fedora shopping today. I didn't get anything, but she found a very cute charcoal and white pinstripe basket-weave fedora that looks really stylish on her. I found one I rather liked, but thought it was too much like the one I already had, so I decided not to buy it.

But, I have a question for you guys.....Does it make me weird or a geek because I could identify the differences between a straw fedora and a straw homburg? :P I think it just might....

P.S. I want to thank Sarah for the most epic day! NOTHING beats hat shopping, makeovers, getting completely lost, and blasting Les Miserables on the radio (and of course our jokes about Javert! I would list them here, but I think out of context, they would make us look rather insensitive, lol.)

Don't Worry: I'm Still Alive!

2011-07-11T19:04:00.000-04:00

I've just been rather AWOL from the blog lately. Lots of reading, movies, music, and writing, though. And, I've been giving my time to the local assisted living, spending time with the seniors. One of my grandparents' friends, Peter, is there for rehab, and even though he's suffering from the early stages of dementia, we've quickly become buddies. He's such a sweetheart, and very funny. He keeps making me laugh :) He's always been quite the comedian, and it's encouraging that he hasn't lost his sense of humor!

My time working with Peter has done wonders for me. Not only does volunteering make me feel good inside, but Peter always has a kind word or compliment for me...and, well, it might be shallow, but it always feels really good to hear something like that. I don't usually think of myself as a really "smiley" person, but I can't keep a smile off my face when I'm with the residents of the assisted living. Peter loves to comment on it: "Where did you get that pretty smile?" and "I'm going to need some sunglasses; your smile's so bright!" His kind words only make me smile even more.

In my free time, I've been trying to teach myself to crochet, as well as learn some new knitting techniques. By the end of the summer, I'm hoping to start working on a new knitting project. I found a book of darling stuffed animals to knit, so I'm just trying to decide which to make. It's a toss up right now between the tiger, koala, elephant, and hippo.

My reading has been going well. Right now, I'm enjoying the elusive If on a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino, and another of his books (which I don't like quite as much) The Baron in the Trees (Sarah, I found it!!) My movie selections have been Universal horror films, and some random films that my parents and brother have picked out. Loved The Pirates of the Caribbean (I-III) and Fletch (starring Chevy Chase). Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure was interesting, but too corny for me....but, I did love the "historical" bits, like how Billy the Kid and Socrates become best friends, and Napoleon Bonaparte is being "babysat" by Ted's little brother.

More updates soon. I promise! Just been very busy lately. Hope you all are doing well!

On a side note, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Brittany, Professor Thomas, and both my grandpas, who all celebrate this month!

Weekly Wodehouse #35

2011-07-06T22:03:00.000-04:00

"Unseen in the background, Fate was quietly slipping lead into the boxing-glove."

~P.G. Wodehouse

Weekly Wodehouse #34

2011-06-29T11:21:00.000-04:00

"A certain critic -- for such men, I regret to say, do exist -- made the nasty remark about my last novel that it contained 'all the old Wodehouse characters under different names.' He has probably by now been eaten by bears, like the children who made mock of the prophet Elisha: but if he still survives he will not be able to make a similar charge against Summer Lightning. With my superior intelligence, I have out-generalled the man this time by putting in all the old Wodehouse characters under the same names. Pretty silly it will make him feel, I rather fancy."

-P.G. Wodehouse

The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World

2011-06-25T19:41:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It's currently my favorite short story! Please read it, and tell me what you think! It's a piece of magical realism, so it's going to be a bit strange, but the best thing to do is just suspend your disbelief. If you do, you'll really, really enjoy it :) Don't worry, it's not too long :)

Weekly Wodehouse #33

2011-06-22T21:54:00.000-04:00

There is no surer foundation for a beautiful friendship than a mutual taste in literature.

~P.G.Wodehouse

LXG Reading Challenge Update

2011-06-22T19:39:00.001-04:00

I've come to a bit of a snag in my LXG Reading Challenge. Namely, I'm not going to have time to read all of those books this summer....

But Emmy! I can hear you all say, there are only like 7 books! What's so difficult about that? Besides; it's not like you don't have the time to read!

And yeah, that's true....but here's the issue: Every time I pick up one of those books, I find about three to seven others that I want to read as well. And....well, after a while, it just gets to be too much, and I don't want to pass up on stuff that I really want to read, just because I have to read something else. That's school.

But, don't worry! I'm going to keep my LXG Reading Challenge up on the blog, and I fully intend to continue it, but on my own time. This might mean that I'll be reading these books well into next summer. Not really sure. But, I do intend to read them.

This is the part where you are all allowed to yell at me. But, please don't use ALL CAPS or bold letters because that's really intimidating (just kidding-- but you are allowed to yell).

Knitting is Like Golf

2011-06-18T22:51:00.001-04:00

Both are supposed to be fun ways to relax, but both are actually super-frustrating. I've been working on the same piece all evening, but each with each attempt, I'm forced to just unravel it and start again. I quite simply cannot get it to work for me. My fingers are killing me, and I'm starting to get a headache. I honestly love knitting, but it appears that today is just not my day. It just seems that everything makes me slip up. About ten minutes ago, I was working on my nth attempt at what I hope will be an afghan for my dorm room when my brother walked into the room and started talking to me. When I was unresponsive, he left. I looked down at my piece, and noticed that I had performed the wrong technique (k1 p1 k1 into last stitch, instead of p3tog), which pretty much messed up the whole piece. And since I'm still a beginner, I'm not very good at fixing a mistake like that. I pretty much have to ignore it and hope it'll be okay, or start over. I just unravelled the whole thing. I'll start it again in the morning, I guess...

Jérome Pradon : "Seul devant ces tables vides"

2011-06-17T19:10:00.000-04:00

I love Les Misérables! In fact, it might actually be my favorite musical (up in my Top 3 at the very least, with Frankenstein and The Phantom of the Opera). I also love Jérome Pradon, ever since I saw him in Jesus Christ Superstar (2000). Besides enjoying the film far more than the original 1973 version (I thought it was dreadful), I was captivated by the balding French actor with the piercing dark eyes playing the role of Judas. If you haven’t guessed it already, that was Jérome! Anyway, while I was surfing around on YouTube, I came across this beautiful rendition of Seul devant ces tables vides (Empty Chairs at Empty Tables in the English version) from Les Misérables. And, of course, to make it even sweeter, Jérome Pradon was the singer!

I’ve been listening to this song repeatedly…..Although I get frustrated when I can’t understand the lyrics to a song, because it’s in a foreign language, I have to admit that I LOVE listening to familiar songs in other languages (especially from musicals). I already know what is being said, and it just sounds so beautiful! And it’s even better when the song is from something like Les Misérables, where the character is actually singing it in his/her own language. In this case, the character Marius (here played by Pradon), is singing in French, so this is what the song would have sounded like if he were actually singing. Of course, I love Michael Ball’s English rendition of Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, and that’s the version I usually listen to, but there is something wonderful about this one…the combination of the authentic language (in this case French), mingled with Jérome Pradon’s awesome vocals is just perfect! I’ve added the video below; please, watch and enjoy :)

For those of you who are not familiar with the plot of Les Misérables, I’m afraid there is no short way to give an explanation of the story. There is so much going on that this would be a freakishly long post, and then by the time you got to the video clip, you’d want to do something else….So I’ll be brief. In this scene, Marius, a young soldier in the Student’s Revolution, sits in an empty café, contemplating life. All of his friends died in the barricades, as they were shot at by the French soldiers. Marius survives after he is saved by Jean Valjean, the father of the girl he loves. Marius thinks about the “empty chairs at empty tables” where he used to meet with his friends and discuss their revolution; he wonders why he was the one to live if all the others had died, and if they even made a difference. It’s a very powerful, haunting song.

Weekly Wodehouse #32

2011-06-15T10:03:00.000-04:00

I don't know if you know the sort of feeling you get on these days round about the end of April and the beginning of May, when the sky's a light blue with cotton-wool clouds and there's a bit of a breeze blowing from the west? Kind of uplifted feeling. Romantic, if you know what I mean. I'm not much of a ladies' man, but on this particular morning it seemed to me that what I really wanted was some charming girl to buzz up and ask me to save her from assassins or something.

~P.G. Wodehouse

English Major Armadillo

2011-06-14T13:22:00.000-04:00

I think that these jokes will be most appreciated by Chessie and Sarah, but hopefully most of you will find at least one that you get a kick out of. English Major Armadillo is a fun little meme where everything is an inside joke that English majors would understand. I subscribe to the RSS feed for this Tumblr account, and get myself a daily dose of English major jokes. These are some of my favorites :)

If you don't get one of the jokes, please let me know; I'll be able to fill you in (and don't worry if you were confused; there were a lot that confused me, too. It just depends on what you've read...)

The Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companion to Dracula

2011-06-13T21:08:00.000-04:00

As I was joyously searching through the stacks of Dracula books I'd just recently checked out at the library, I found one in particular that really held my attention: The Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companion to Dracula by Mark Dawidziak. The innocent looking tome claimed to be "the essential guide to the un-dead," but to me appeared to be no more than just a cozy read. Although, regrettably, I did not read this in the bath or an armchair, I did read it in bed, and it's trivia and book/movie recommendations made for a comfortable way to wind down before bed.

If you have read Dracula and seen a couple of the movies (preferably Lugosi, Schreck, or Lee), then I would highly suggest this book. I've read Dracula twice already (this summer is going to be my third), and I've seen movies starring Lugosi, Carradine, Schreck, Oldman, and Nielsen as the infamous Count. While I don't consider myself a Dracula expert by any stretch of the imagination, I do think that I have enough of a background to remain unfazed by the multiple spoilers this book contains. If you have minimal experience with Dracula, then I would suggest steering clear of this book, as you would either be a bit lost, or groaning at the spoilers.

All in all, I thought that this was a wonderful book. I relished Dawidziak's pleasant writing style and candid honesty throughout. I think my favorite aspect, however, had to be all the trivia. I feel so much smarter for having read this :P (I'm sure most of you know I love trivia, haha.) This truly was a delightful way to pave the way for my reading of Dracula, which is to start very soon. I'm not sure if I'll pursue another commentary first, or consecutively, though.....Hmm...guess I still have a few things to think through.... In any case, Dracula is the next volume for the LXG Reading Challenge, and I'll be starting it before the end of the week. ;)

Vampire Stars

2011-06-11T19:29:00.004-04:00

During the course of my Internet travels on Stumbleupon.com, I found this very interesting article that I thought would tie into my current Dracula theme rather nicely. Whether or not there actually are such things as "vampire stars," I'd have to say that my interest has been peaked, and I might just have to read a bit more into the topic. After all, I've always been interested in both vampires and astronomy....in the meantime, I'd thought I'd share the article on here for all of you to enjoy!