Awesomeness of the day: My Indian professor did a Sean Connery impression.

Bummerness of the day: I was walking out of a restroom at the same time someone was walking in. Her presence startled me and I jumped, causing my hot chocolate to spill all over my jacket. Being in the bathroom, I washed off what I thought was most of it, but later found some spots near the neck.

Other than that, it was pretty boring.

My dad left for Seattle today. He'll be back for random weekends, but I pretty much won't get to see him until late July or August.

My mom took me and my sister shopping, since the bus back to school picks me up there. There was this sweater at AE that I got before Christmas and really liked, and it turned out they had a buttload of them on clearance. For SEVEN DOLLARS. So I got one in chocolate brown, my new favorite color. I also got a brown 3/4 sleeve shirt, a heathered faded red t-shirt, a heathered faded dark turquoisey blue t-shirt, and this weird black polka-dotted long-sleeve shirt. I was pleased to find that Oakbrook now has an Urban Outfitters and an Anthropologie. Although, now that I think about it, UO reminds me of The Store That Won't Be Named, except slightly less trashy. Heh.

Tom and I went to an indoor driving range today. I kind of sucked, and I also got 3 blisters and a bruise. Damn.

I also finally had a Guinness, after wanting to try it for over a year. It was pretty good--I'd definitely order it again.

I bought a Motorola RAZR this morning. My contract expired in January, so I was eligible for a phone upgrade. Tom called the wireless company last night and talked them into taking an additional $50 off the phone for me. Badass. It's thin and I love it. The only thing I don't like is the way the text messaging thing is set up. I like to do the entry method where it predicts the word as you press the keys, instead of pressing 7 four times for S. However, you need to change this setting every single time, instead of just changing it once. It also doesn't automatically add spaces in between each word like my old phone did. That's kind of sucky. Damn you, Motorola. ETA: I just figured out how to fix it.

So I forgot to mention that I sent an e-mail to Ze Frank a couple days ago, and he actually replied! I think I've e-mailed him before without success. But he replied! And I'm in lust! Lust! For Ze! Gaaaaaaaahahahaha don't be my friend.

Wednesday is flower progress day.



The growing stalk is a metaphor for my growing ability to properly use the flash and focus features on my camera.

Today in two different film courses I saw two different Georges Méliès shorts. I love when my classes reference each other like that.

I also saw some shorts from some company that was somehow associated with Edison...I can't remember the title. Anyway, there was one dancer, and (total nerd alert here) I recognized her from being one of the dancers that was rotoscoped for the "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" sequence from Yellow Submarine.

Please, someone take away my debit card. I should not be allowed to shop online at 1am.

Um, hi.


There are now several holes in my wall. I'm not sure why.

Also, the workmen saw fit to throw my stuff all around my room. Great job, guys.

This link primarily for Talia. I need to knit one.

Kerry's Rules for Academic Success

I realized this morning that I forgot to do my very first assignment for my Black Women & Film course, and the window of opportunity had closed--I couldn't hand it in late. It was supposed to be done online, and the professor had made it so you couldn't complete it after Saturday at 2.

Then, I made the 25-minute walk to the Armory for class, and discovered there was no one in the classroom. I walked back home, only to remember that she had cancelled class for today.

At this point you can imagine that I was somewhat fed up with this class, so I dropped it and added a similar one that meets at the exact same time. Instead of Black Women & Film, I am now taking Film Theory & Criticism. Fun times!

I spaced out for like 2 minutes and when I came to I discovered that I had listened to "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" in its entirety. I live in a scary world, people.

I'm so cold and tired. I hope this stupid medicine kicks in soon. I feel constantly drugged. Hmm, that's a weird thought: taking medicine so I don't feel drugged.

Dear Thyroid,

You suck. Get to work.

Fondly,
Kerry

This medicine makes it so I can't eat for an hour after I take it, and I have to take it first thing in the morning. Not that I normally eat breakfast, but I can't even have like a glass of orange juice.

I have class from 10 to 3, and I'm already looking forward to coming home at 3 so I can take a nap. So cold, so tired. It feels like such a huge effort to be upright and walking around and moving. It tires me out to be cognizant of my surroundings. I don't know how I can keep up with my schoolwork like this.

Two stories from my boring life

Story the First
I got out of bed around noon today. I went to sit at my computer and burn some music to CD. Not more than three inches from my hand was a ladybug. A yellow ladybug. A yellow ladybug, overturned so her legs were waving in the air. I'm fine with right-side-up ladybugs; sometimes they're cute, and when you smoosh them they're stinky. This one was upside down. An upside-down bug is the second scariest thing in the world (first scariest: a spider in any orientation). Bugs' undersides were not meant to be seen. I shuddered just now, thinking about it. As soon as I saw this ladybug, I stood up, knocking over my chair, and shuddered. I went to go sit on my bed for about 45 minutes while I watched Curb Your Enthusiasm and some MST3K shorts. I came back over to my desk, and the ladybug was right-side-up on my tube of chapstick. The horrors of bug belly were still haunting me, so I returned to my bed and continued to watch MST3K. Another 20 minutes later, I saw the ladybug was sitting innocently on my knitting knotebook. I carried the notebook to the bathroom and used an empty toilet paper roll to brush the ladybug into the toilet. Burial at sea is the most honorable death this ladybug could have hoped for. I told Talia that if we were still living together, the ladybug would have been her responsibility.

Story the Second
Yesterday I noticed that the real estate company that owns my building had put a note on my door; it said that people would be around in the next few days to inspect the smoke detectors and the furnace. Today I got out of the shower around 1:50. I was in my bedroom, clad solely in a towel. I heard a knock at the door, followed by unlocking and opening. Two men's voices were discussing something. I figured it was the inspectors from the real estate company. The people employed by the real estate company have a history of opening doors without knocking. I had a dilemma, not knowing which would be worse: to be caught in a towel, or to be caught half-naked in the process of getting dressed. I quickly grabbed a pair of pajama pants and a sweatshirt, stood right next to my door, and threw them on. After about 30 seconds, I heard the door close, and the men's voices stopped. Newly clothed (yet still lacking underwear), I knocked on Jessie's door. Turned out it was just the Pita Pit delivery guy talking to Bob.

So I guess my great-grandmother died yesterday. I can't be sad, though, because she wasn't doing too well. She was in her 90s; she had a long, full life, and lots of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who loved her. I don't know much about her except that she crocheted and her husband, my great-grandfather, was 13 years older than she. They met at a barn dance, and my great-grandfather was quoted as saying, "Well, she looked good to me." Haha.

Dream:
     I was hanging out with my dad, and we were at a gas station that sold books. I found a book that had patterns for knitting every single dog breed. I begged my dad to buy it for me, and started knitting a replica of my dog.

Dream:
     I got a gift certificate for a free piercing, tattoo, or ritual scarring. At first I was going to get a cartoon octopus scarred on my shoulder, but I was talked out of it. I decided to get the Eiffel Tower tattooed on my foot. The artist didn't know what the Eiffel Tower looked like, so she kind of made it up and drew something that looked like an architectural birthday cake. I was really unhappy.

Here is yet another reason why I win at life:
My TA from last semester is taking the same grad-level film class that I'm taking this semester. I win!

Tom got me an indoor hyacinth blooming kit for my birthday. The first step was to put the bulb in the fridge for 8 weeks. Because I went home for break, it ended up being around 10 weeks. As soon as I got back to school, I put the bulb in the "compressed planting mix". Today, only a few days later, the green stuff is starting to emerge:

I used to know the word for this, where the stalk starts coming out of the seed/bulb. What is it?? Oh wait: Germination! Woo. This makes me happy. I can't wait for it to actually bloom.

Naperville, represent! The bad Ukranian girl on American Idol lives in Naperville, or at least until her visa expires (expired).

Has anyone else noticed that on You Knit What??, practically every 3rd post is some remark about the comments board? I stopped reading the comments because they were so repetitious (cat barf, dead Muppet, repeat ad infinitum), and I'm reading the site less and less. Sad, cause it has the potential to be awesome. Unfortunately, the posts themselves aren't that witty, and I'm sick of reading about comments drama. It will never be Go Fug Yourself. Dear GFY: I heart you.

I returned to school today. The prevailing thought in my head as I was driving around was that this is quite possibly the butt-ugliest campus in the US. The main quad and engineering quad are nice, but the rest of it is so grey.

I'm looking forward to American Idol tomorrow.

ETA: My iPod just played Radiohead's "Exit Music (for a Film)" and then the very next song? Christopher O'Riley's version. Dear iPod: I HATE YOU. Leave me alone.

I finished A Million Little Pieces. I'm not sure how I feel about it; I think I didn't like it.

Today was not the best day to go walking around Chicago, especially when one has a cold. Any day this week would have been much more desirable. I'm stupid.

There are many things I like about this picture:

I like my vapid, empty stare into nowhere. I like how it says I haven't a thought in my head. That's funny. But on a more serious level, I like how my skin is clear! And my lips are red! And my hair is behaving in a way that could be described as "normal" and even "desirable"! For those reasons, this is the best picture that I've ever been in.

Today I woke up with a bad cold. My voice is coming and going.

I went to this one place to observe a class. I want to get an internship there with a French-as-a-second-language day camp. I had to sit in on a Spanish class, because French classes only happen on Monday and Saturday. I wish they had told me that when I made the appointment, because I know like 4 words of Spanish. It kind of sucked, and I don't think I have the job because they told me earlier that they really wanted a Spanish-speaker.

I started shredding the mountain of papers that my dad had in the basement. He said he'd pay me--that's the only reason I'm spending my time. The fact that I started shredding and have not yet stopped is an indication of just how many papers he has.

My almost-black hair is starting to grow on me. Pun intended. Pun definitely intended.

Before:


During:


After:


Note my garbage bag capelet. That is an innovation, the latest in no-hair-dye-on-the-shoulders technology.

The color change is a lot more noticeable in real life.

ETA: I haven't decided yet if I like this. I kind of miss my oddly-naturally-red hair. Dammit. I'll just wait for this to fade.

Today I went to the doctor, went to Ulta and bought some makeup, bowled with my dad (he got a 189!), and ate ice cream with my dad. The pharmacist gave me the generic brand when my doctor specifically said not to substitute, so I had to go sort that whole thing out.

I can't decide if I want to blog about what the doctor said.

I'm watching the Twilight Zone right now. The episode is titled "The Fugitive", and here is a [paraphrased] bit of dialogue that I really liked:

Little girl: Why are those men looking for you? Are you a criminal?
Old man: In a way.
Girl: Did you rob a bank?
Man: No.
Girl: Did you kill someone?
Man: No.
Girl: Then you must be a Communist.

Tom lent me A Million Little Pieces last night and I'm halfway through it. I can't decide if I like it.

I'm full of indecision tonight.

My dad said if I ever play a recital of Handel music, I should call it "Handel with Ker".

Last semester was my best semester in anything concerning a GPA that actually matters (i.e. all As in 4th grade? Who cares?). (That sentence is awkward because I know what I would say in French, but I can't think of a good English equivalent. This is getting to be the case more and more often. Imagine what I'll be like after I return from 2 semesters in Paris.) Here are my thoughts about Fall 05:

• I'm so glad I have my advanced comp requirement fulfilled. I didn't like many aspects of my Judaism class, and the only reason I went to as many class sessions as I did was because of Talia. The lectures pretty much had nothing to do with the grade; our grade was based entirely on papers based on the readings. I'm glad I did go to class, because I learned a lot. But let's face it: I'm lazy. I just wouldn't have gone.
  
• I got absolutely no feedback on my performance in my lit class until after Thanksgiving break. With two weeks left in the semester, I found that I had gotten an A on my presentation (roughly 1/3 of my grade). I was nervous about my participation; I made an effort to say at least one thing every class session, but who knows if it was ever an intelligent thing (hint: it wasn't). I spent 2.5 days on the huge take-home final, but towards the end my brain turned to oatmeal. I got an A in the class, but I didn't deserve it.
  
• The other grade that I didn't deserve was my A- in my conversation class. I deserved an A. The class was below my level, and I wish I had taken it earlier. There were a total of 6 people in my class, and only 2 of us ever talked. I had the largest background in French, so I was able to talk somewhat intelligently about Paris suburbs and occupation of Algeria and politics and other things. Not sure why I got an A-. Poo on my TA.
  
• I learned a lot in my linguistics class, but out of the microcosm of the class, the information is not useful. I can use first-order predicate logic to analyze sentences, but what good does this do me? My class was really interesting, though, and I'd take it again in a heartbeat.
  
• My French linguistics class was too easy. It was like an introductory class. I liked going, though, because I could offer intelligent commentary without doing the reading. The textbook was written in English by non-native speakers, and it was still in the publishing stages (it hadn't been fully edited yet), so that was kind of a pain.
  
• My civ class. It was average. I knew a lot of people in that class, and I participated a lot, so I guess that was good. I didn't do as much work as I should have, and my A- reflects that.
  

This coming semester, I'm registered for the following:

• Cinema Studies: Black Women in Film
  
• Cinema Studies: Animation
  
• Intensive Catalan
  
• Studies in Francophonie: Quebecois literature
  
• French Studies: Film
  
• French Studies: French Versions of America
  

Those last two are graduate sections that I have special permission to take. That makes me feel smart. Don't let anyone ever say that I'm not an elitist.

Dream:
     I was at Rob's house, watching him fix some sort of electronic equipment. Maggie and Kali (sisters) came home from school and told us that Ben Folds was playing a half-hour concert at a Carl's Jr. restaurant. We all piled into the van, including his parents, and drove off to see him play.
     I went to Espresso Royale, and they had gotten an alcohol license. I debated between getting an Italian soda, a French soda, and a beer.
     I was invited to be an extra in a Chris Farley movie.

Everyone remember how I purchased a shitty computer and how it had to be fixed like 8 bajillion times? I just got mail concerning a class-action lawsuit against Toshiba where I'm entitled to MONEY!!! because Toshiba is ass. Yay for me!

I was at the library a few days ago, browsing the ethnic music section. I found a CD by a group called The Ukranians, and there are some (translated) lyrics I'd like to share with you:

from Madman
My friend is called Sasha
he fritters his time away
it's good that we met!

My neighbor drinks with me
maybe I'm in love with her!

Remember how the dr thought I had hyperparathyroidism? And then more blood tests came back saying I didn't? Well, as it turns out, fucking McKinley thinks I'm a male born on 1/1/85. This means they might have tested the wrong blood. I got more drawn today, and I'm going back to this dr on Tuesday, so hopefully I'll find something out.

My dad had a second phone interview with a job in Seattle, and they want to fly him out there. This doesn't mean that he has the job, but it's a pretty good sign.

I'm somewhat frustrated, because statcounter.com doesn't show any links that lead people to my blog, nor any keywords. I want to know how people are finding this.

I had a raspberry margarita tonight because it's Margarita Monday.