Merry Christmas

I won't be back onto the computer for a bit, so I want to wish everyone a happy holiday! See you all next semester.

Work and play

I am done with my own finals and papers. Just working on my class grades to turn in by tomorrow and to go through B's essay and get that to him ASAP.

Christmas shopping is done - mostly heheh I made a mistake with D's but will be fixing that soon. I also have cards and a little gift for friends (Even B!) who I will hopefully get them out before everyone goes home. :)

extend me baby!

Yes, the extended version of the lord of the rings (#3) is out and here I am, broke on account of buying gifts. Hehe, they do say not to buy anything for yourself - JIC. But, I started drooling all over the glorious stand of all the dvd's at the entrance to Wally world. /cry /cry

I can wait - It won't kill me. I do get paid again on the 24th. So... :D

On other news... one paper and one german conference down.

All I have left is the 3:30pm final for German on Thursday... and then that night, my other 20pager paper is due. (I have about only 5 pages written UGH). But, I plan on working on it into the night and then tomorrow working on it and german throughout the day.

After that, Friday will be free to check my residents out of their rooms - finish up paperwork and clean up my own mess of a room.

I have a meeting in 10 minutes, and then another at 9pm. But tonights meeting should be a blast - we have 3 birthdays! and I and Travis (another RA) went shopping for presents and good junk food.

I put pretty red beaded garland all around my fishy bowls to liven the shelf up.. and the fish seem VERY attracted to it. They keep going over there and going upside down as they gaze at it - absolutely hilarious. No flaring - just like in the movie Nemo where they find the glowy part of the fish and start to play with it - seems like that :) Seely fishys

And yes, my residents struck again - I have my name in HUGE letters out in the snow outside my window, with a huge ... penis ... and then above that is the phrase "2A (A heart)'s"

So... either 2A loves the ...penis... or they love me. :-) I hope they love me heheheh Because I do have a coed floor... but what can I do, they do this out of love and the hope I'll appreciate it. I did laugh very hard when they tossed a snowball up at my window to get my attention and then I watched as they tromped about in the snow for my benefit. About 5 of them did this hehe

Such is the perversity of our dorms. :-) I love it!

The days of lists

For the semester:

• Paperwork for my LotR class (from summer)
• Final paper for lit crit and theory
• Final paper for Seminar in Amer. Short Stories
• Grade final handwritten essays
• All grades put into system for my class
• Bring back library books

This weekend:

• Clean fishy bowls
• wash dishes
• wash clothes
• edit last draft for lit crit paper
• shop for xmas presents
• Shop for two bdays for RA's
• Begin giving out surveys for free drinks to residents
• Set up schedule for finals
• My german conference fur spater am Dienstag to reschedule
• Check E-mails!!!
• Get my humidifier out of storage
• bring crap INTO storage
• sign resident into her new room

More to come - will be working on this for a bit all weekend.

What I am doing today

• Got up at 10 and headed to campus with D for lunch and chatting.
• Dropped off a library book
• Came back
• Saw J. A. is listed for my single with a bath for next semester! Yaaay <--will get room all ready for ya
• I am now preparing to finish up the rest of my research for my paper and plan on writing this paper for the 6 hours I have until my 6-9 class tonight.
• 6-9 seminar Amer. Short Stories

Hopefully have this paper rough drafted so I can do the editing this weekend and turn it on ON TIME monday. Yippee!

That's it. Just work. :-)

Everything is so flippin' slow!

my mind
mein papier
my writing
the paint drying
the end of the semester
my studies
my reaction time

I seriously cannot wait for the four weeks of blissful empty days of playing in the snow. Thank you God for giving us winter break!

insomniasucks justnotnormalformetostayupsolateeverynight
iguessicouldtakesomethingbutijustdontwantto
illjusthavetogetontoaregularschedulesometime

ahhh, a good tuesday night

hmm. comfy jammies, fan on, warm in the room and just envisioning myself asleep.

Had a productive but slow day.

Stayed up until 2am last night working on my CW1 class, got some good stuff done.
Then, worked at the front desk - basically did my RA stuff for two hours.
Came back to my room and worked straight from noon until 4pm when D got home. He had to work at the lab, so I followed him down there and did the last of my classroom work (they are ALL set now!).
Ate dinner with D and then holed myself up back in my room with my Lit Crit paper - which has been approved! Yippee!
Worked on that outline until 9pm.
Went to staff meeting from 9-11pm
got back, got ready for bed and was about to close my curtain when 'lo and behold, there is a huge penis drawn out in the crystal snow.

Now, there is a back story to this - last night a few rowdy residents were bored and i suggested going out and playing in the snow. One of them likes to draw naughty things everywhere and we teased him about it. And so, (I should have known) he said he'd make something naughty and i told him to go do it. (I was tired and would have agreed to almost anything that didn't involve the floor and he jumping off the walls hehe)

So, I guess he made good on that promise. I took pictures. :)

Now, I am going to go to bed - even if I shouldn't (so much work), I am going to anyway. I feel like a lump of clay with a piece of wire shoved into the middle to MAKE it sit up straight, but the clay is slowly being pulled away to leave a large gap between the wire and the clay - making it ... oh hell, that metaphor is just not working.

Ok, let's say I am this ventriloquist doll.. and my master has been putting his hand.... no....

uhhh... I feel, look, and sound like crap. There.

Dangerously Cheesy!

::After reviewing over my post, I decided to fix my mistakes within colons, just imagine the interruptions as my voice in your head making fun of my mistakes - a writerly whisper::

I feel much better guys, thank you al::l:: for supporting me and helping me out. I spent Saturday with D and going to lunch with him and mom and just relaxing a bit. Friday night I got to go out two times! heheh a record. All sorts of fun was had.

Yesterday, worked all day on grading and Foucault presentation - My God B, we just picked the longest chapter in the flipping book! But, it's done. And so is my umpteenth attempt at my lit crit paper thesis. I handed it in just now and will get it back tonight. hopefully it won't have too much written on it.

I have to teach in about half an hour after I finish lunch and then am going to head home after I sit in my office and do my German Homework. I need to see when I have my next meeting and try to get out of the :: yet another:: other meeting 'cuz I need to eat at SOME point - seely ::seely=silly:: meetings take up my dinner time :P

This is the LAST full week of class - It is finally hitting me. My stomach gets all light and I feel like screaming. And then after next Thursday, THAT'S IT! I ::should:: have finished all finals and papers - /choke. I hope?

Then four to five G L O R I O U S days ::"weeks" not days, WTH am I thinking??!?:: of sunshine and beaches, or clouds and snowbanks - but whatever! I'll be freeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

>=)

PS the "Dangerously Cheesy" title is a trademark of Cheetos - I am munching on them atm and decided it would be a fine titel :: titel sounds dirty, should be title:: for such a fine chip. Please don't fine me... or sue me. :: /groan, OK, so I am cheesy . . . . . .BWAHAHAH I just crack myself up:: I am just a poor college student.

blargh

Self-image is a bit depressing, but i guess that is just from the feeling of tension throughout my body :P

I have two piles of books, one set has 13 books in which I have my research for my Probs in Lit Crit and theory paper, and the other has only 6 for my American Short Stories Seminar.

However, I have two piles of student papers to grade through and get back to them on Monday. They need time to do rewrites and I need to know who is missing what.

And so, that seems like that is that for my weekend. Mom wants me to go home and help her put up the Christmas decorations - I'll probably do that tomorrow morning.

D is heading home for the weekend, and so that leaves me open to do work straight through the weekend. He just had his B-day this last Wednesday, too. Was a complete blast.

I need a hug - I hope D gets home soon.

Anyone else having problems keeping track of their posts? mine keep disappearing or ... I dunno what. It's just crazy.

...and a side of S T R E S S, please.

Stressful
Stressful
Stressing a bit more
Stress? Did you say stress?

What can I do?

A little panic attack happening here. Not enough time, so little time. Need more. Tired too. So much responsibility - sometimes I believe I should have listened to those people that often told me I was crazy for doing it all. But, I never listen anyway. Too damn stubborn.

Stubborn or proud. Could be both.

Need to find some way to relax. I've been getting those bad migraines again and constant worry in pit of stomach. It's that time of the year again. Makes you question why you put yourself into that corner.

Thanksgiving Break!

Well, I was on duty last night - had friends over and about 6 of us played games all night and then at midnight went to bed.
Today, I can leave whenever I want to, going to wait and see when D wakes up and what he's going to be up to. Maybe a breakfast outing? :)
I'll be gone until Saturday or Sunday - I have those papers to write!

Have a great week/end everyone!!

Renee! I found the Link!

Now, see if this reminds you of someone! This is "Richard Branson" on The Daily Show. I think it IS a British thing :)

Let it take a second to upload onto computer and then look for about 2/3 of the way in when he leans back with his arms behind his head... THEN see what you think :0)

Kookiness!

It's finally snowing... or snraining. Not sure - but it IS wet snow falling, just that it is rain on the ground. About time, it's been really wierd to have such nice weather for this long.

All I have left for classes before Thanksgiving is my German class on monday and Probs in Lit Crit- and then I am free!!

hrmmm what has been happening:

• teaching - going great, were behind but we caught up this week
• personally - "shhhhh!", conversations, questions, and snuggliness - so flippin' ticklish, gah!
• Halo2 is too much fun, so is the new Lord of the Rings game.. argh!
• movies tnight, some snuggles
• perhaps tomorrow to a party for Dan at my mom's house.
• Been having great time with floor - still very social. A little bad last night from people who shouldn't be on our floor... but I'm not about to camp out in the hallway :P

Library will be seeing me this weekend. Many, many, many papers to do.

Writing one for my Problems in Literary Criticism and Theory - I am hoping something to do with The Cenci and the socialistic view of how the drama/tragedy should be seen within context of the social hierarchy and perhaps a little feministic struggle within to discuss Beatrice's treatment (sexually and mentally) by her father and society.

The other paper is in my Seminar in American Short Stories - something about the Reader-Response criticism applied to A Rose for Emily by Faulkner. Very curious to see how readers respond and what it was perhaps intended to do by the author (not sure on second part).

Fun, huh?! :D

A visiting

No time, can't chat.
Hi there! /waves
byeeeee

It's Saturday!

Christmas lights
lunch
happiness
games
apples
cold
sun
warm snuggles

/yawn

Nap time atm. Little sleepy on account of most of my office lights are turned off and the song on the radio is reaaaaallly slow.

To do tonight - type up paper, German Homework, and... I dunno.
We have Thursday off and so it's going to be a nice day tomorrow. Tonight, however, may be a different story on account of the Halo2 game coming out a few nights ago. Everyone has been hiding out in their rooms, slaughtering things left and right. Even D got into the carnage when I went with him to grab up his copy. He and another resident played last night - hopefully enough sleep for his 6am class, cough cough. hehe

Tomorrow, the RAs in Oak and Pine are going to head to T-Juans for social time. That should be absolutely wonderful. I need a good strong daquiri. hehehe Amy said she'd have one if I did - so we will see how they are tomorrow. And PS - Thank God were being paid this friday /wipes brow.

YAY, I get to leave my office in 10 minutes. I been working on papers this whole two hours and need a break!

Run away, run away!

To do ... AKA : what I hope to do

• Finish looking over concept papers
• clean up room
• German homework
• Type up rest of Bill's handwritten paper
• the 12 RA Evals - EEP due tonight
• plan the next paper for my class
• Eat at some point!
• Wash my clothes - I am out!!!

Ya got to love Tuesdays - but I have SO much to do. I hope you don't mind if your paper is a little later this afternoon, Bill. I really have to get some of the other things going. But I promise - tonight!

Fun in the computer labs

It seems that my internet explorer has decided to stop working once again and so I am left with no working internet.
I wonder what this means - did I offend said Internet... did I break it by having too many online webcomics... did I somehow get some wierd virus? I sure hope not. Perhaps it could be caused by the fact that I haven't turned my computer off in about 4 weeks or so. maybe it's my computers way of saying, "Holy cow - gimme a break before I start burning some of my internal organs!" Can a computer have a breakdown like a person? Do my wires get crossed? I bet that's what is going on now! I am multi-tasking too often!! Turn me off, let me sleep or at least let my screensaver go on. but, no. I don't have that program installed, and so I end up having three to four programs running at once and I end up freezing at VERY inopportune times... without SAVING! What a mess.

And so, I sit here in the Oak computer lab at 9pmish.... not to mention the fact that I can sit and stare at D as he works on his Math equations which are painful to even try and contemplate. Give me Derrida, Plato, Aristotle, and even Freud. Don't tell me what those differential equations mean - I sure try and understand, but it's all greek to me. ;-)

I wanted to quote something from my literary class tonight --- and well, cripes... I have nothing. It's as if I come out of the class bursting with ideas and sleepy dreams, but as soon as I sit down at the brainwashing glare of a computer and the harsh lights of reality... I lose it all. Afterall, beauty is in the eye of the beholder - and my beauty comes from the manipulation of text on a little screen by the little lift and fall of my fingers upon 107 little buttons that conncet to some little computer brain in the computer.

D just asked me what I'm doing... I was counting the buttons on the keyboard... hehe I think he is a bit confused.

Even less time?

And, yes, those were things I had been doing to create my lack of time.

This Saturday I will be in Alan's dorm room all night - Linden is going on retreat and I get to hang out on his floor. :-)

I teach class in about 8 minutes - I am not so sure on what will happen today - I predict a falling apart of plans and a mystified reaction to the questions, "Where have all the students gone?" or "What do you mean you didn't bring your rough draft?" We will see what happens.

I have been excessively tired these past days. Exhaustion of some sort. My mind just wants to take a nice long break - maybe I could hibernate until Spring. That would be nice, wake up all refreshed and skinny... hehehe

I am a little frustrated with some things in my life and just trying to stay afloat again - I think it's from the mid-semester blues. I think Thanksgiving needs to get here sooner - we're all crying for that week.

Hopefully this weekend will fill me up with energy again - I need it!

No time

No time...
No time...
No time...
No time...

... to post

That last "To Do" list was a bust....

I did get my homework done - but the rest was not even attempted.

The weather was so crummy that I and D just spent the afternoons in front of the tube and watched movies together, made dinner together, and just basically spent some time together. Was a very slow and wonderful weekend. The sunday was abit more hard on us as we went to his parents house and constructed a quonset - metal building. The image linked is one that is shorter and squattier than the one we were constructing. With 12 people, we didn't finish on Sunday - were all planning on continuing this Saturday to see how far we can get it. All in all, we had a great time, though. His mom can cook!

Received a wonderful grade on a German quiz - I feel better :-) Now, I am working hard on figuring out what is going on in this next chapter. I want to *pass* these tests - make sure I can use what I am memorizing.

Shoot - I'm hungry :P D and I made french toast for dinner at 4pm - think I have a Strawberry Shake thing in fridge....

YUP! Yay.

Going to go work on German. Maybe I'll attempt another To Do List tomorrow. We'll see :-)

Tonight

D and I are both heading to the 5pm showing of The Grudge with Sarah Michelle Gellar. Should be a great flick - especially with that scare factor that makes you hang onto someones arm. Should be fun (/grins with tongue sticking out).

Then, I will most likely be sewing my halloween dress all weekend - I have the fabric to make the Scottish outfit (which I have stolen the bandwidth to post the image here. I have grabbed the fabric that is from the left (darker) and the look of the right costume (minus the hat :P)
http://www.simplicity.com/assets/8855/8855.jpg


Weekend Plans

• Sew
• reorganize room
• clean room top to bottom
• clean fishy bowls
• new painting on window
• storage - grab and get rid of things
• trash old microwave
• find new microwave
• clean up fridge
• signs for movie night this next wednesday
• Grad paperwork
• rough draft of a thesis plan
• plan class for next paper
• german homework
• study german charts
• Self test on German charts
• Give mom a visit - take her to lunch on Saturday?
• Door decs for November
• Bulletin Board
• Lit Crit reading
• Lit Crit Presentations
• Lit Crit Thesis preperation

The Awful Truth...

I have been constantly listening to my Launch.com stations and I used to listen to the 80s station. I loved it - but the residents on my floor would walk by and ask me, "WHAT the hell are you listening to?"

So, I changed the station and tried the "Adult Alternative" where it turns out the music was from my highschool years and I was just jamming to the music. Well, the same question, "What the hell are you LISTENING to?"

And so, I went to the "Red Hot Now" Station and as I sit in my couch grading CW1 papers, I whisper to myself, "What the hell are YOU listening to?"

I just got out of my College Writing class and I let my students be the teachers today by having them read and present some interesting information. Metaphors and Similes came up and HO-BOY did we ALL get confused. The book didn't do too well in explaining from what it sounds like and I was under the illusion that I knew exactly what was what and I had to admit to the class that *I* even got confused and so the time was up and we went our seperate ways. Just shows you that you CAN be human in a classroom and not lose the authority - you just lose that pedestal that you had erected for yourself.

And so, the unserious Aya comes out - ehhhehehehhehe heh heh heh I said "erected". :-)

I bought Van Helsing last night and D and I made a time when we can go into his room ad watch it. That will be nice, I need a good relaxing time.

I had a bad beginning of the week. I had gotten a test back and it had a big fat (BAD GRADE HERE) and I was so disappointed in myself that I went to my office and cried. Renee was here so she cheered me up and then that night D cheered me up by watching MXC with me and eating leftover cheese bread and hotwings. heheh So health conscious, aren't we? ;-)

But, I went to my professor and she assured me that I will pass if I keep up my hard work, because I am constantly studying and working on german and I am determined to get through the class. :-D So, now I feel better about myself and will hopefully finish looking through the rough drafts before I leave today.

Oh, Aspen, Aspen, Aspen - look at what you are MISSING!!!!!

Plano Sci Fi Convention

Just scroll to the bottom - you'll see who I am talking about ;)

Poor thing - wish I could go too, but I know you'd be more all over this one!

mmmmmhmmmm

blaaarrgh

What a week!

I have to admit that off and on I had a chance to blog a bit, but this week has been so crazy that I'll just have to give the quick update.

I've had conferences with my students (one on ones) and those take a long time on account of having 23 students in my class. These, I feel, went very well (Monday - Wednesday from noon-3pm).

I got a call from Alan (RA) at 6am one morning and he told me he was at the emergency room for stomach surgery. I blinked away my sleepiness pretty damn fast and ran over there. D came about 20 minutes later and so we sat in the emergency room until they let us in to see A. We talked with him and waited for a good 2 hours. What is funny is that A didn't know how to explain that his appendix was about to burst. So, it turns out it's one of those routine surgeries and I felt sooooo much better.

Another thing is that I have had tons of meetings this week. You should see the schedule I had to make - it's crrrazy. Today, I have a break - I only have a meeting at noon and one at 4pm. Then class at 6pm. I don't think I'll get to eat dinner with D today, though. He has class from 5-10.

Hehe, last night I washed my clothes and then hung out in Ds room, played Super Mario Brothers (Aspen, you know this one well, the cape one). He had it installed on one of his other systems and so I'm showing him all the secrets and tricks. LOL we almost beat the game by the end of the night.

Uhm, there are other things in there but I can't remember everything. Ah well.

Today should be a good day. Nice and cold and sunny out there. Going to wear a nice, thick sweater today, yaay!

Busy, busy, busy

Had the Staff retreat this last friday night. Wonderful and fun! Too much candy, though. I almost went into sugar shock :P

The next morning we left around 11am and I found A and D, we went ot Perkins. Then D and I went all over town looking at antique stores - he likes antiques and I was all over the old books and jerwelry. Stopped at home - mom is looking absolutely wonderful - happy and glowing. Grabbed up some misc. stuff for the dorm and then we headed back. A called and he got us both to go Racquetballing. LOL I could barely stand 10 mins. of it. I need to go do that a lot more often!

Then we went back to Ds room and watched Charlies Angels. He seemed to like the movie. :-)

PS - Bill, couldn't find that book on E-Bay at all. :-(

List:

1. Clean
2. Website
3. Eat brunch
4. grade papers
5. read lit crit
6. study German
7. check attendance for class
8. make cookies
9. go to hall council tonight
10. shop for groceries
11. check e-mail in there somewhere

Lyrics: Poison - "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"

Lyrics: Poison - "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"

For future reference - Love this song

Wow... some people

Was a busy and noisy night tonight - I guess on account of the Twins vs Yankees game. Apparently from all the ruckus and swearing, we lost.
Something just a moment ago happened - heard loud voices out my door, suspected foul play and so I poked head out door. LOL I ask them to quiet down and one guy around the corner who can't see me is like, "Is she hot?". ROFL!

Maybe he didn't understand that it was the RA asking them to be quiet - or he suspects my voice is all sexy? I dunno - but it was a bit funny and demeaning in one. /shrug I didn't know the person, I'm sure he wasn't "hot". hehe I just went back to bed when the resident acknowledged that they were being loud.

I know them all pretty well and feel they have a good respect for their floor - I feel good about them. :-)

Donated blood today. Am a bit tired, yet. They had to poke me once and then wiggle and then SHOVE the needle in to get it going - and hours afterward it still felt like I had a needle in my arm. It's a bit sore - but when I got home, I found poor Daryk sick with the flu :-(

So, we took the rest of the evening off and watched movies, made dinner together, and then played games and talked until we got too tired. I have tomorrow off and he may be staying home if he feels worse - we'll see what happens and hopefully hes feeling better.

Life is going so fast!

Plans begin to change

the weeks fly by

I am exceedingly happy - an altogether different feeling.

I am still stressed - but the happiness has outweighed the stress two-fold and I... just want to enjoy the happiness for as much as I can squeeze out of it.

I should be studying more German - will be doing that the rest of the night.

Sorry for the short entries - too much going through my head

Staff Retreat is this weekend - SO excited. Alan said he'd stay in my room and watch my floor. I'll make sure they take it easy on him. Maybe I'll leave some treats for him and D to have as they stick around my room. :-D

Teaching is going great - loving every minute of it. Have a few problems (as if there are any classes with no problems.. heh) but they aren't too significant.

RA job is very fulfilling - what a great floor this year /gush

Was called at around 4:30 after working at Oak front desk and it was D, asking if I wanted to eat at the Corner Bar - I was starving, so of course I ran right over there. Got lost as usual, but eventually found it hehehe
Alan was there too, so we had a good dinner and chatted for a while. Life is good - I love having so many friends and going out and having fun. Quite a new experience. I have never been so.... accepted (?) before. It feels good to have choices and invitations and deciding whether I want to do homework or go out with friends - I actually have to balance this out now. And throwing in my responsibilities as GA and RA.. it gets tough, but I'm not burnt out in the least anymore. I was sick all last semester because I had worn myself thin. But, now, I feel as if I am at the exact spot that I like to be, near the center of my own self(?). Hard to explain, but absolutely wonderful.
hehe I sound new-agey, ah well. Be it as it will- I am turning into a fortune cookie :-P

whew

Got to bed at about 3am - someone was being very noisy in the building and the bass just kept waking me up - grrrr.

Got up at 9am and got ready to do some more homework - finished up that German! Yay
Then, D showed up at about noon and we went to an auction (my first ever!) We walked about and looked at all the interesting "junk" and then stopped at an antique store - very neat place with tons (!!) of stuff to look at. Did a few stops, then met a friend of D's at a neighborhood bar and had dinner together. BLT's are good mmm

Just got home and going to start working on homework again. Planning on making Chocolate Chip cookies for my residents to bribe them into going to hall council meeting tonight. hehehe

PS Guys just look **GOOD** in cowboy hats - I'd forgotten what it did to a girls self esteem to be walking along with a man wearing a big 'ol texas hat. Don't knock it 'til you try it girls!

Great starter...

Weekend so far has included - Friday night game fun, where I, and about 6 others went to my house and played games in the basement, ran to Coldstone Ice cream Parlor at 10:55 and then headed back to T's room to finish up a good round of Taboo. Got home at about 1am, played Tetris with D some and then headed to bed. Was a long afternoon - before all that I had gotten home at 2pm and ended up cleaning and doing some of nothing.... lol was relaxing.

Today, got up at about 10am, watched tv as I got ready and then went shopping with A and W, grabbed up 3 new tops and then headed to movies with a couple other RAs. Saw The Forgotten, only one guy didn't like it, he fell asleep. hehehe It was good - a suspenseful thriller.

Now, im going to cook some porkchops and do my homework. Lets see,

*what to do:

• German Homework
• German memorization
• Try out my new QuickiDrive - I got this for my Thesis
• Plan what I'd like to do with my CW class
• Read for Lit Crit and begin working on some of my main presentations
• Put up the guys' bathroom signs
• Call up the rollerskating rink for a day to take my floor there - funfunfun!
• Wash Clothes
• Wash Dishes
• Eat.... /shake /shake
• E-mail MCM for a meeting (need to do this!)
• Check out with other professors on thesis proposal
• put new batteries into my flippin mouse
• organize LL's closet and get rdy for filing

*List may be edited within the day to show what is being done and not...

eBay item

eBay item 5523273756 (Ends Oct-02-04 15:33:38 PDT) - ss Renaissance Gown Complete Sz 44 to 60 L@@K

Hehe, check it out - funny. Browsing about at dresses just makes you laugh if you see something like this :D

Brrr!

Yahoo Weather~
Today: Showers ending this morning with clearing during the afternoon hours as drier air moves in on gusty breezes. Colder. Morning high of 52F with temps falling to near 40F. Winds NW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Tonight: Mainly clear. Cold. Low 26F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.

Flippin' cold this morning!

Went bowling last night - fun,fun,fun. Got some homework done too, great class. Will give details later - too cold at my window to type atm. hehe

Six hours until class

Yes, Thursdays rock my world. Slept in until 10:30am, watched a bit 'o television, took shower, got dressed and cleaned my room. Feeling pretty damn good too - a little congested but sore(am I even spelling that right? bah) throat is gone /shrug.

Yesterday was a good day - went to German and then taught - a short class day on my end - my fault too, i miscalculated how long some of my activities would take and I couldn't think of anything else to do. Next time, they have to do their workshop and so that should take the whole hour and I can look at their journals.

When I got home at 4:30 (I had office hours that afternoon), Daryk comes walking in my room and says his Mom and Sister and he are going to dinner and I was invited. It was fun, his mom and sister are great to talk to and got to hear what was going on and discussed my horseback riding. Aalthough, it was hilarious, Tiffany, Brent, Meaghan, and some others sat at the table RIGHT next to us. Apparently they had called me to see if I wanted to go but hadn't reached me. I got a bit of the ribbing for not inviting them LOL

"Yeah, can Aya come, along with 10 of her friends?"

I think not! But I told them I had saved their seats right next to us, anyway. hehehe

Got home and Daryk had me play a little DDR and then whipped out Tetris Worlds and we spent about an hour and a half trying to beat each other. It was great!

I went back to my room to unwind and watched some old British Comedies. Fell asleep at about 1am. Not too bad :)

Ahh, today's list

What I have done so far - proving to myself I did do something

1. woke at 9am
2. worked at front desk until noon (graded papers)
3. Write up the lunch at noon program paperwork
4. finished grading papers in room
5. planned my class and got materials ready
6. blogged on my class blog (clog? hehe)
7. ate breakfast
8. called paintball
9. made sign
10. tried to nap - nill
11. watched 3 home improvement shows
12. blogged here at some point
13. went to McDonalds for dinner with Daryk and then Chocolates Plus - mmmm nummy
14. made new doordecks for floor doors
15. put those up
16. Set up a daily planner
17. Clean up room
18. put up bathroom reading (potty periodicals hehe)
19. go to meeting from 9-11pm
20. Get Oak B-days set up with H

To do yet

1. Read Amer Short Stories
2. Set Appt. with MCM
3. Grad Paperwork
4. Work on Graduate Thesis
5. Send Shana a card
6. sleep?

unnaturally hyper (prolly cuz i'm happy hehe) with a sore throat - gah

Getting a little worn down

Totally exhausted - but in such a way that I can't get any sleep. I believe I am in denial of being sick - stoopid cold :-P

But, I think it is coming - woke up two days ago with sore throat and apparently that is how it starts. I do plan onhaving a nap tho - because I do have that meeting from 9-11 pm t'night.

Ah, and excuse my chat lingo - just in the mood t'day. Dunno why - mebbe cuz I have been working on papers and grading and just need a brain break once in a while.

My German Test grade wasn't something to write home about =( All my fault too, I studied like crazy, BUT I had too much time after the test and ended up changing my mind on a few things, read directions wrong... all the stupid things that you know is because I wasn't being as careful as I should have been. Next time, though, next time I will try for the A. I would love to see even a B on one of my tests. I was going to see about that A, but I should start slow. Goal: B on next German test.

October is right around the corner - can't wait to decorate the hallways. Yay!

okie dokie, nap time - or just lay down.

Sometimes...

You find that person that makes life that much more light and lively - that more pleasant and fun. That much more worth living and am just happy to be here - at this time. Who knows what will happen in the next few days or years - but who cares - Life is Good!

Now, off of that roundabout excursion into the abstract, lets go down the list of things I've been up to.

School-wise:
A lot of homework - as you know - being a grad student is fun but exhausting
Thesis preperation
Lunches with professors
Paperwork
Teaching - wonderful group again!! So lucky.

Floor-wise
Many people that I love chatting with
Lunch at noon was had yesterday - made my floor (with help from Daryk) french toast, bacon, eggs, fruit, juice, and blueberry muffins. Everyone had a great time!
Meeting all sorts of new people
My staff I work with is the best! I feel I can depend on them at anytime which makes myself feel even more confident
The people on my floor are just wonderful in backing me up and giving me their support

Personal-wise:
Went horseback riding yesterday with Daryk - most wonderful experience I have had.
Went to the homecoming game for an hour - too many non-sober people to enjoy
Watched Scooby Doo2 again with Daryk
Saw my cousin Aaron and Chuck, along with Chuck's baby and his G/F - little girl is just too much fun
Bought another beta - my moms fish is going strong, "Fishy", and my new fish is a white one with red spots and I called him "Spot". Cutest little guy. They each have their own bowl and are far enough apart to where they see each other only once in a great while.
Moms looking great!

Yet, another To-Do List:

• Call Paintball company*
• Read Lit. Crit***
• Read Amer Short Stories*
• Grade Papers ***
• Plan Class (2)**
• Put up bathroom posters on floor
• Hall Council Meeting (9:30)
• Write up the lunch at noon program paperwork
• Send Shana a card
• Set up a daily planner - my planning has been lacking lately
• Get Oak B-days set up with H
• Set up Appt. with MCM***
• Grad Paperwork ***
• Work on Graduate Thesis ***

The more *'s, the more stress :-(

A Long night

Yes, 2am and I just finished commenting on student papers - only 18 too - hmmm I'm slow again. But, they were surprising and some so well done, that I am excited to read more from them. I absolutely love teaching CW1! Also, did my presentation for Amer. Short Stories Seminar - I believe I did well - felt good getting that done.

I am also sticking around all weekend to do some work - and yes - I love being busy!

Renee has no idea!

Oh and Aspen - give me a call this weekend - so much to talk about!! I suppose your on Friday afternoon or something over there in New Zealand!

Thanks to Renee for this quiz - fun!



You are blessed with FAERY wings. Beauty, laughter, life, magic...that's what you are all about. You are refreshingly innocent and happy with your life of purity and play. Life's a game and it's a good one. In your eyes there's no way to lose! You can be very mischeivous and have been known to cause trouble, but it's all in the name of fun and not meant to really harm anyone. You like to play tricks on people who aren't quite as bright or clever as you - which is almost everyone. Nature is the setting you prefer to be in - Always. Barefoot and wild you can't be tamed. You're probably a restless spirit who loves to travel, and quite a dreamer. Your creativity is astounding and your art (of whatever media - from writing to painting to drama) is like something from another world - ethereal and often very fantasy-oriented. You can either be a social butterfly or a loner with their head in the clouds - but rarely inbetween. You stubbornly refuse to accept responsibility or to give in to the wishes of others - unless you feel like it. You have a strong passion for music and can't imagine life without it. You'll grow up someday, but you'll always be a child at heart. You are adventurous and love to take risks, and feel a deep connection with the weather, plants, and animals. You prefer sunshine to thunder or snow, the warmth of summer to autumn's chill, and quiet forests to suburban backyards. Magic through and through, you are far more powerful than you seem, and are capable of being extremely passionate. Though you can be childish, naive, stubborn, and self-absorbed, one thing is certain - life with you will never be boring!

Repent!

Perhaps I didn't give enough credit for the rhetoric being used at church - the sermon was about finding "the lost sheep" and I suppose reminding people of their indescretions (big word for sins heheh) gives people more of a feeling of being saved as if they were the sheep. Perhaps this is what brings them in? Or the feeling of belonging to the herd.

Hungry - gads I need to stop skipping lunch - I just hate to eat before I teach. I may be more confident these days but the stomach can still make the little flutters.

10 days, 'eh?

Yes, yes it has been a while - once again.

It's been crazy busy again! Perhaps it will slow down and I can start BSing on here again :D

Had the weekend off so I went home and stayed there. Daryk and Holly and I went to go see Resident Evil (Was supposed to be a floor activity - but it fell through - some Theo guy came to BSU - no idea). Then we all went to my house and tried to stay up until Alan and Shana showed up - but we couldn't. Next morning I got up and the family was coming over and Daryk also came and we had some great food and celebrated 4 flippin' Birthdays! Was a blast - swam and played games (cards, Shang Hai) and talked a lot.

I went to church today - Holly was an Acolyte... I know I heard a reference to Lutheran Church's being all about guilt, but I didn't think that was fair, until today. Good lord (hehe), all there was was music and sermons and lessons about guilty sinners, and repenting, and sin, guilt/guilt/guilt, more sinning - sheesh. There were some happy fuzzy parts thrown in there I suppose to give it a little more levity - but I sure couldn't stand it. I almost laughed out loud - from thinking how right that reference had been and how many years I must have gone with my ears stuffed with my own expectations and filling them with that instead of paying close attention. Ah well. I'll try to go back to my own warm fuzzy thoughts and let someone else worry about sinning 24 hours a day :P Not my style. Enough of ranting - lessee...

Got home in time to do all my homework - feel real good about that! I started at 4pm and its now 10:40 - hehe long time.Bit 'o German, Aristotle, Plato, Giambattista, College Writing 1 (teaching lesson plan), and some other authors. Fun stuff! I love it. Totally took classes I can be involved in and feel like I'm doing something with that money. heh

For those that know a certain Bag-Piper that lived on my floor and ditched me for another dorm hall - here is his new blog - what a mix. BagPipes, Ojibwe, and college.

Relaxing... is that coffee I smell? :-D

Yes, I am sitting in my room, munching on frosted flakes, listening to Evanescence and drinking French Vanilla Coffee. Mmmmm what a morning! Tuesdays and Thursdays are going to be terriffic. Tuesday - I only have a meeting 9-11pm and Thursdays class from 6-9pm. Not bad, not bad.

I need to read some homework - bit of Aristotle, Plato, and Giambattista. Nothing I can't handle. Another thing I need to do is read my chapter in german (which brings me to the fact that French is being offered next year!!!!!) and then study some wordage.

Of course, Columbo is on in about an hour. Heheh

Behind on other things - so my time isn't just lazing around - but I think after the summer I had, I needed it. :-)

Incoming!

No, I'm not back to playing Everquest - I have incoming residents who are moving into their rooms. So- here is a rundown:
Loft
keys
lofts
inventory
loft?
shocking plug-ins
lofting
mom and lunch (BTW Nicky is fine and is following her around again)
Lofts
running
work order
lofts
phone
walking
room - computer

:-)

Metallica? Did you say M E T A L L I C A ?!

Metallica, Metallica, Metallica

Won't be back until Wednesday afternoon - and then I'll be moving into my dorm room. So, perhaps Thursday night? :-)

Enjoy the beginning of the week, I know I will!

Fun, fun, fun!

These days have been hectic - and then suddenly the world stops and it feels as if its crawling away.

I just got back from staying over at Daryk's place - he and Alan had come to my house yesterday afternoon for a homemade supper of chicken, bread, and green beans - they seemed to love it. After dinner, we talked on the couch and Daryk invited me over to his parents house to play cards. He lived an hour or so away and so I thought maybe it would be too late, but then he said there was an extra bedroom to stay in and then we could go out on the lake the next day. I took that invitation! Fun!

So, I got packed and we went in his car. I enetered to a room of about 8 people I didn't know - but they were all happy go lucky and talkative - I fit right in! So, we all sat around the table and chatted - they brought up the name of "Gary Paulson" and I was floored.

"He lives around here?"

"Yeah, we keep asking about his dogs, why?"

They didn't know! "He writes books, he writes childrens novels.... you know, Hatchet..."

They looked at me as if they just lost the lottery ticket. Apparently they have talked on the phone and seen him but never got to see him. We even looked up his website and they wanted to hear about the Writer's conference dinner where I met him. It was fun to have something in common - poor Gary Paulson probably had burning ears all night - his name popped up a lot. :-) He is such a cool guy!

Well, Daryk and I played games the rest of the night and then went to sleep. I woke up to some techno music and thumping on the floor - Daryk had gotten up and was stomping on that dancing pad on the floor. hehe I gave it a try when I was dressed and I was terrible at it! But, then he got me on the four wheeler and we went all over the place on it - he let me see the whole farm. I loved everything! It was so cool!

Then we got home and his mom (his parents are the best) had made soup and we ate in the gazebo - beautiful fountains and such, then Daryk took me on the boat to go on the lake and he even let me drive ! Eeep hehe I did have fun tho.

We ate dinner at the county fair (small but cute) and then headed home. Gave Alan a call (RA) and he came over and I showed them how to play Shang Hai - hilarious! Then they both left - /sigh. I had too much fun. :-) I want more! hehehe

We are all three heading to Alien Vs Predator tomorrow - should be a good movie. :D

8 Days Left!!

Yes, everyone may rejoice - there is only 8 more days until the Metallica Concert! I have my hair dye (red of course), my hyperactivity, and I did get my brothers ticket and he will be sitting right next to us! Yay!

I have my library books still and they are due on the 25th (reminder to self) - but I need to finish up my paper in the next week here, so I can not worry about it anymore.

Holly and I colored up my RA on Duty pictures, going to make a Charlie Brown and co. poster and all the RAs will be different characters - I think I either picked out Marcy or Peppermint Patty - haven't decided yet. :-D

Hmm sounds familiar!

Check this out - a few years pass and nothing has changed - ah well!

Countdown to Metallica Concert- 12 days

Done

• Parking ticket paid
• Paper typed
• books checked out again
• office cleaned up
• basement cleaned
• PS2 played
• CWI website done
• new computer in office grabbed
• Helped Bill with blogging
• folded clothes
• mailed Jeremy his package

Not Done

• redecorate upstairs at 507
• go to metallica
• Move into Dorms
• Finish up B paper
• flooring in small kitchen (D may do this for me)
• moms closet
• moms papers
• more playing PS2
• clean up car
• german look-over
• talk to Alan about bookstore
• rough syllabus draft - have to make a final now
• bring in new puter to comp services
• call Amy and help paint?
• Grad forms/grad advisor....
• help bill some more
• Zelda Game
• Talk to Jeremy about college

Metallica, here I come!

Yes, my life will now be complete. I have purchased tickets to Metallica and Godsmack - I will be enthralled for more than two hours in a booming, heated, sloshing pit as I enjoy the entertainment. I got aisle 11 and am fairly close - YAY! They say the stage will be rotating and I will be able to see every nuance of those remarkable men of the 90's metal! /jump!

I spent all my excitement and a full cup of coffee this morning as I had finalized my decision to go - This, besides the NIN concert I attended when I was 16, is one of THE concerts I have wanted to see. :-)

Life is Good!

A surprise on my windshield

And no, it wasn't bird dooky. It was a parking ticket! Of all things, I got a parking ticket!

I do admit that I was wrong in parking there - but let me explain something first.

Our parking on campus stinks - I admit. We need some kind of garage - hopefully within this decade. But we have calendar parking and you park on one side of the street every other day. Well, during the summer the rules are usually relaxed (I thought... after 6 years of living on campus, I would know, wouldn't I?) and there were cars parked on Both sides of the street - which I have seen off and on on summer. So, I just picked one side to park on (not really sure what day it was anyway-odd or even) and went to go help teach a friend. Well, I come out only 2 hours later and the nice neon orange ticket is sitting on my windshield and MY car is the only one on that side of the street.

Figures

so... grumble grumble, parking, grumble grumble, cars... BAH!

The Village and some creepy monsters

As you can guess from the title, I went and saw The Village tonight with Alan and Deryk. Fun! That movie totally blew me away - made me wonder who the heck I was! I especially enjoyed the love story - why can't I find a guy like that? Who cares if he's a bit off. (Not talking about Noah! Talking about Lucius! heheh)

Which - on the fact of his name - good lord, all I could think of was Harry Potter throughout - "Malfoy" kept popping in my head! Ah well, couldn't possibly get those two mixed up - just through name.

tired though - got up early to help out a friend - teaching him the ins and outs of blogging. He seems to have the gift of chat with the long posts :)

Oh crap!

noooooooooooooooooooo... but but but
yes yes yes yes yes gimme

back, back you evil spawn of late nights and wasted hours... back I say

ooooOOooo so pretty... look at the pretty lights...

eep!

What a day yesterday!

It was my cousins 14th B-Day and I had her spend the night before because I took her to go see Catwoman - which we heard was a bad movie?! No. We enjoyed that movie - all we expected was some story, lots of cats, and a huge load of butt-kicking. It was what we wanted - oh and of course the cute guy ;-) hubba hubba

Then we went home and looked at different haircuts that we wanted. I seem to keep going back to the pixie-like cut and she wants that old haircut that has the hair down in front past the chin and the back is a bob close to the skull. I remember waanting that cut when I was in highschool.

Then, I took her to Perkins for breakfast (noon....) and we went to the mall to get her a birthday present - it was the new Kittie CD and a long sweater she wanted from Deb.

Took her home.

I went home and talked to mom a bit.

Then I went back to her Birthday party for the family and everyone was there! Chuck and Heather talked us into going to the fair so we set up their baby with the auntie and grandparents and left for a couple hours. Chickens, rabbits, hogs, horses, popcorn, junky toys, rides, caramel apples, the usual... It was fun for all of us to walk around and talk. Chuck and Heather signed up for a giveaway horse - $5 a ticket - I should have done that for mom, but then she is allergic to everything. hehe

I got home about eleven and caught the rerun of the new Monk and then passed out.

*squeal with happiness!* Monk is out with a 1st season DVD set - omg omg omg omg! /sigh poor college student = no new Monk DVD's.

There it is - a fun birthday for who?? :-)

And so it begins...

I'll be working on my papers again, speak fluently with no mistakes in tense and edit out any of my slangs - students tend to latch on anything you may misspell or mis-pronounce. There is also moving back into the dorms, moving back into my office, preparing sylabus' (i?), getting a haircut - you should see the curls I have with longer hair!, enforcing rules, helping the new generation of RA's to get into the role, having fun, going out too much, spending money, laughing, playing PS2 with friends, reading, writing, listening to classical (keeps me calm), drinking coffee to stay awake, eating pizza (oh gads, keel me now), and paperwork.

Now, it is a lot and there is more - but I live for this stuff! I need to do something at all times - I can never relax, it doesn't feel right. If I sit for more than a day, I get so restless that I will rearrange furniture or organize something, anything, everything, and all in-betweens.

I did do a great job in choosing my classes for next semester - grad classes are usually night classes. So, Monday and Tuesday nights from 6-9 I have class, then my German (an undergrad course to get the language requirement) is at 11-12 on MWF and I teach MWF at 1pm.  Not bad! Gives me planty of time to work with my Masters Thesis and to do a great job on RAing.

Just a few of the things running through my mind.

My reminder for the next couple weeks

• finish redecorating the upstairs at 507
• Finish up my Beowulf paper
• Check-out books before they become overdue
• clean up office to make room for officemate
• fix up the basement in moms house
• do flooring in small kitchen
• fix moms closet
• work with mom to go through her papers
• play a little bit more PS2
• Look over german a bit more
• Clean up car
• Work on the new website for my CWI class
• Get a rough draft of my syllabus for class
• See about the new computer for office
• Help paint the offices in Oak
• ---Talk to Amy
• Work through my paperwork
• Fill out Grad forms before I start school
• ---Find out who my Grad advisor is (oops)
• Help Bill with blogging and Wikis
• Fold the clothes that have piled up on my couch on my right
• get my little cousin to give me back my Zelda game I let him borrow . . .
• talk Jeremy into coming up - mail his packet to him tomorrow (heeheee yaaaay)

I'll probably add more next time - ugh!

 

Jeremy - gimme a call soon!

Mom is sick today - I fed her some tomato soup and it didn't sit well. =(
That means I couldn't go to my cousins house and go play (well, paint the rooms anyway) hehe

Guess I'll go ahead and work on moms house a bit - it isnt finished yet.

My fishy died =( The last of the hobbits has passed on. I gave him a proper sea burial along with his worldly goods. My mom has asked me to take her fishy with me next year so he has someone to play with - she works too much.

Paint and e-mail

I am working on the upstairs bedrooms for my cousins in their house - we emptied out all the older toys and cleaned it all up. Right now we will fix up the bathroom so everyone can use it - painted it today - will paint the trim tomorrow and then I will look at tiling the floor - it is an old wooden floor atm.

Three full days were spent in cleaning out the area.

Jeremy on phone - BBIAB

Happy Birthday!

As I worked on my blog all day yesterday, I found that it is celebrating its 2nd year in running! What a hobby! Sometimes I wonder if I like playing with the HTML more than writing in it - but heck, I get to do what I want with the space. :-)

I like this simpler and cleaner look - adding in my favorite color of the year - a nice deep red and putting my own touches onto an already made template from Blogger. I don't know if you'd be able to tell which one now - but that's the point ;-)

I guess some of you need to know why I haven't been around - most of you know already. Mom had surgery a week after that conference and we had to go to Fargo. I stayed there for a full week at my brother's house and they didn't have internet or cable - we played PS2 ;-)

Then I have been taking care of my mom non-stop. She needs me to do so many things that I just didn't have the time to go to my office and do things like I had planned.

Yesterday I realized that I wasn't going to get anything done so I went to my office and brought my computer back home. Ran into Renee and chatted with her for a while and talked with Alan on MSN. So I am back in touch. I still need to get in touch with Bill - I remember Bill, I *will* send you an e-mail soon! I have plans again for today - maybe we can start working on Monday, I'll write you tomorrow or tonight.

Yes.. yes, I have my computer back at home

Apparently leaving my computer at my office wasn't the brilliant idea that i believed it would be. :P

But I am back and am going to work on the blog - it's a bit haphazard atm. Sorry!

I am so sorry everyone...

I forgot to post that I would be gone for a week and it seems a lot of people have been looking for me

You know... you expect some things...

like my day to be really terrible the rest of the day. And then you finally check your e-mail.

Thanks back to you D.H. I did recieve your e-mail and I would like to send you some good vibes since you just brightened my day. It just reminds you that there are people that run into your site and that they don't think you are half that bad - even if you feel like an ant trying to run away from a steam roller

but after that e-mail, maybe I am the steamroller laying down a smooooth layer of tar that will... oh forget the metaphor! I am not that cheesy, believe me. ehehe

No... I haven't blogged or checked e-mail in a while

It's not that im ignoring anyone - I am just keeping so busy that it gets lost in the backburner.

Besides the fact that my computer is in my office - which has all my programs for easy access and the ones at my Moms house are usually being used or are inaccessible.

I dont feel like using punctuation today so here we go I would like to go screaming down the driveway which I have no idea on why
frustrated?

((Deleted a lot of text that was pure rant - please move along... nothing to see here))

Hints of advice from myself to myself - Aya, don't get into someone elses business - you just insinuate yourself into their business and it isn't your place to be there.

Argh! So many problems now!

1. My swap image is gone
2. My comments aren't working atm
3. My About Me page isn't loading right
4. My Archives still collect onto a single page if a direct link is taken
5. It needs a whole revamping and that will take a lot of my time that I want to use sleeping! hehe


To Do
*Sleep
*Mow Lawn
*Shop
*Clean fish tanks
*Fix my flower garden
*Fix the vegetable garden
*Check the pool
*Clean up the two rooms upstairs
*Work on Aspens Scrapbook
*Blog about the conference
*Sleep some more
*Grow out my bangs
*Organize moms Scrapbook
*Relax in the sun

Trying out the new formatting options that Blogger has given us...

What a crazy ride. As I went through the new fangled toys that Blogger gave us I ran into troubles. The worst was losing my swapping image in the top right. I also promise to update that picture of mine - I don't have that long curly hair anymore. eheh

Amazing Video
Sand Sicaf - ebaumsworld.com: "Turn off the lights and turn up the sound!
Warning: This video is a very large file and will take 3 hours to download if you are on a slow dial up internet connection. Broadband users only! 18.5 Megs"

Me - E-Baums World has this in their Hilarious Video selection - and I am glad to find it again.

Neave.com

This site is something I will be coming back to for a closer look. The ameoba like feel is something akin to a rubber walled cell - fun to be in if you have the right outlook.

Writer's Conference
This has been one crazy week! The best day yet came from the dinner last night where we had the visiting writers and the local writers eat dinner with the conference staff. I sat at my table and chatted with the people I knew when an older man in a jean button down shirt and suspenders sat down with the administrators. My jaw literally dropped to the ground when he was introduced to my neighbor and then to me, "This is our local writer, Gary Paulson."

Gary Paulson!!

Gary Paulson....
Images of my childhood flitted through my mind and I was once again with that little boy stuck on the island with a little Hatchet. I had the luxury to sit down and eat for two hours with an author I loved since I was old enough to be read to. What a treat!

If that wasn't enough, he talked most of the time so I was able to listen to him - full of tales and rough stories about his boat and planning on running his dogs in Alaska. I would have fainted if I hadn't been eating something to keep me going. I tried not to act like the school-girl meeting their first rock star - but to me he was much better. He was Gary Paulson - the writer.

Fragmenting my thoughts
1) Or have they been fragmented all this time? My friends say that I have a mind that is opposite of a steel trap - I go from one subject to another. Perhaps a mild form of Adult ADD - but I think its the caffienated drinks - Coffee, Cappucinos, Mountain Dew, and mellow Yellow. I *have* been trying to cut down on these - but if I don't have any I will fall asleep by 1pm.

1.5) I vividly remember in one of my creative writing classes form years ago that memory should be seen as a large storehouse of information. What you have is a dog - name him whatever you would like - and he is there to fetch your information for you. Well, some people may have overactive dogs, some dogs may be deaf or just plain lazy. I believe my fetching dog chases his tail more often than my information.

1.53) Cats wouldn't be much better I suppose.

2) What am I going to do with myself for the next month and a half? I have no classes - I have perhaps the one livingroom to redecorate downstairs and then I guess Holly wants me to help redo her bedroom in town. She is getting older and needs her own life away from her younger syblings.

3) I have to remind myself to watch Monk this Friday - I have a fascination with strange people apparently. Lets list off those favorite actors of mine:
Bruce Willis
Vin Diesel
Tony Shaloub - Monk guy
Peter Falk - Columbo guy (If I could meet him in person I would cry - he is an old favorite of mine and I'd want to adopt him as part of the family)

3.5) There I go with lists again - can't help it.

4) Some people say I am anal - which is an interesting way to describe someone who likes things listed and in order - which apparently I get from my Dad. As I was redecorating my moms guest/computer room I ran into folders he had filed before he passed away and they list off every single thing my mom and he bought in the last 10 years or so. And some of this stuff we don;t have anymore. So, I do have that project yet, to go through and start organizing what files we need or don't need. He even made a 3-ring binder named "Tools List" and listed and categorized with ID numbers all the tools he had in the garage.

4.5) Although, in his line of work he did have to take his stuff with him back and forth (model maker) - so he probably used it for something. It is heartbreaking to get rid of the things he had worked so hard on. I keep telling mom to just keep the main important things and then let the other things go (its been 5 years) and make the space livable by giving her more room.

Updated Goals
*Finish Masters this year
*Write a {{brilliant}} thesis on the interwoven stories in Beowulf
*Graduate
*Study Abroad (See Post Below)
*Teach Abroad
*Live Abroad
*Learn more German and then take on French
*Get a great start on Old English
*perhaps learn Latin
*Get my PHD before I turn 30

Insert "find love, have a family and live happily ever after" somewhere in there

After all that - then I guess I will come up with more goals - much like
*Get a History Degree
*Bring my mom to Egypt
*Publish a few books
*Write fairy tales
*Live until I am 99 or so

New beginnings

I have been talking to the professors about my dream of going overseas to get my PHD. I convince myself daily that there will be some way to get over there to do what I want with the Old English Literature and to translate/rewrite many of the works that I think others would appreciate if given a chance. The children today are not given the training in classics enough and the literature will begin to be forgotten except by dusty ibrarians - that shouldn't be true. Everyone should know what Lais are, who beowulf was or wasn't, who wrote Morte d' Arthur, or what Hamlet meant when he said, "Get thee to a nunnery!"

Which reminds me of the Italy trip in Spring break - I think I need to save my money so I *can* go overseas!

Leysin American School in Switzerland
CEA
ISA

Another class under my belt
and I am sad to see it over. I am not wholly finished yet, as I still have to write the paper for it.

Here I am sitting at my moms computer, Celebrity Poker is on in the background and I am trying my best to add more items for the conference I am interning at next week.

Meaghan called and she will be coming in on Saturday and staying the week in here. She is also an intern at the Writers Conference. She is a great friend and was a wonderful resident to have on my floor last year. We'll all three (me, Aspen and Meaghan) have a blast this next week!

I did finish up my moms office - it is now a multifunctional room. She has her TV, files, 2 computers, playstation, futon/bunkbed, and mailing center all in one bedroom sized room. I feel the paint and the organizing has helped a L O T!

To remember is all good and fine
- but don't remember the bad - remember the good - don't keep grudges for a people by being as unforgiving and rehashing when it cannot be undone.

On that note - The redecorating project is well under way. I have unearthed her closet! It is a rather nice size and I took out the shelving for clothes out to install the new shelves I had cut at home Depot. I left Aspen at home and she volunteered to get started in painting the insides - a nice light sagey green. Hard to explain. I48835.
The other colors are a deep creamy white and a dark red with a dark olivish green. The large roomsize carpet is green, the drapes will have panels of cream and red. I am hoping to buy extra fabric for the bedding too.

Almost class time and I have a bannana bread to eat yet.

BeAuTiFuL DaY!

Shaking the Foundations
Actually, its just me that is shaking. Didn't have enough to eat I guess and by the end of class I was willing my tummy to not growl. I then headed back to my office for a last minute snack of warm sandwiche and I think that leaving the sanwiche on my desk for three hours wasn't a good call. I ended up just munching the meat that hadn't touched the Mayo. Bleh!

Also, I told my mom that I would call her after class so we could go shopping for paint for her study. Bah, no answers. Called home four times until I rustled Aspen out of the pool so she could tell me they weren't there. I also had tried my moms cell phone numerous times and that wasn't answered and it seems Aspen had to once again get out of the pool to go upstairs and answer it for me. Grrrr... technology is good mom - and even when she knew i was going to call :-P

So, to sit here a bit longer and meet her there or go ahead and go home. /sigh. I didn't want to go home again to that room. I am so sick of sharing a room with two desks, two computers, a huge armoire, an even more huge bed that is in actuality a futon with a bunk, my clothes haphazardly tossed into three bags above and a closet so full that the doors cannot be fully opened or closed on account of the overthrow of order into chaos.

I have beautiful drawings and dreams for that room. And I will fix it - oh yes - it will be done. When I get the urge to redecorate, watch out and watch your wallet!! hehe I want to go in there, toss everything out, paint the heck out of it, put up curtains, tear things down, organize, and make it into a guest bedroom/study where she can relax and not be lost in the clutter. {{rubs hands together in glee}}

I should have gotten a second major - something in interior design. I love it. It is more than just a hobby - it is a huge part of me that just wants to explode from the books and go crazy with all the ideas in my head.

Does this passion surpass English? Even Old English? No... it's just different.

It's Miller Time!
Funny story - can't write it here. :-) It doesn't involve alcohol, just a saying.

Busy - if you have been e-mailing me, I am so sorry. I am actually scared to even open up my e-mail account and see how many I have. If you are one of those e-mailers, I will try to get in there tomorrow before class.

Class - yes, I have class right now. Another two weeks of it in fact. But, who can complain about a class about The Lord of the Rings and Beowulf.

uops, gotta go again - im late, im late, im late for a date! As they say.

Summer?
It has been unnaturally cold the last few weeks. I have been wearing sweaters and long jeans throughout. But, finally, today it seems there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Sunlight!
But, the problem on my end is that PS2. I should have learned from my EQ days not to go out and buy RPG games. They are too much fun to get involved in and you never want to stop! Crazy stuff. What makes me take breaks is the fact that I know I have to get ready for my summer class and the hopes that I will be totally ready for the LotR class.
Which, in its own way, is an addiction. I am fascinated by the old past. Not recent past, but old, old past. Give me a story on the warriors, the kings and queens, the monsters, the churches gone bad, the dictatorships, the romantic love.

Hopefully *everything* works out. I am a little stressed on my financial basis this summer, I am not quite that good with math ;-)

Lists
New haircut
at home now
missing my own computer already
Champions of Norrath
Lord of the Rings
Summer classes
Masters thesis collaboration
Mowing lawn
weeding garden
soaking in sun
sleeping soundly and all day
eating real food
homework done
grade anxiety
new hair color mixed in with old (red?!)
unearthing of my summer clothing

Crrraaaazy
Yesterday and the day before was nutso!
I have my whole room cleaned out and am now officially checked out of the dorms for the summer.
Instead of dragging my computer to my moms house (taking up too much space) or leaving it in RA storage in the basement, I decided to bring it to my office - which I have access to at anytime. Yay! It takes up a lot of space on my desk (I forget how big the sucker is).

I dropped off Holly at school this morning. Boy - she helped me out a lot. I wouldn't have been moved out by 3 yesterday if she hadn't been there, working right alongside of me. whew.

I may just have to take a nap in my chair tho - I am exhausted.

Well, it's Friday!

Congratulations to Aspen on gradumatating! She will finally be done with school. /Whew!

It's a cold morning, been working since 8am this morning - busy RA work. Running, carrying, paperwork, checking, opening drawers, closet, checking beds, checking alarms - basically everything. My left wrist is keeling me.

Which brings me to something I found recently, don't ask me how I got to it, somehow looked it up - no idea. But check out this sucker - it's HUGE!

Well, Blogger has been busy!
Strange and new - may take a bit to get used to this look.

I have my Seminar paper done - a good 18 pages. I feel good about it - not as excited as my Milton paper, though.

I have made a video on what I have left - going to see if it works, if not, I'll make some pictures. Well, it doesn't work, so take this URL:http://cal.bemidjistate.edu/english/alindahl/images/homework.avi and start up quicktime, insert URL in the "Play movie in new player" and there ya go. :)

You'll see my german work splayed out, then my milton... a few shots of my couch and past my blank tv screen (yay, go me) and then finally onto my pile of student papers.

Going to go nuts
Can't get far in paper - don't know whats wrong - motivation perhaps, disgust in myself for actually waiting too long and being tired because of the socialization with my floor residents. Good times though!

Locking myself in room and not coming out except for bathroom and food!

Good times...
Milton paper is done - i enjoyed that paper thoroughly - something like putting together a large puzzle as it slowly fit together - I hope my professor thinks so too.

I have yet to finish my seminar in romantics - crazy stuff. Going to try and compare three poems - which are the next three poems that I have come to love - Cenci, Christabel, and Eve of St. Agnes. Beautiful - absolutely beautiful.

On another note, saw the movie, Van Helsing, with a lot of friends. It was a bit too... child-like, I was thinking to myself how I'd love the movie if I had been 13 or so. But - you have to admit, it is worth it to see Hugh Jackman - merow! /purrrrrrr

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

/rant /rave /grrrrowl

Is it a full moon?
Clutzyness abound
crazy residents
noisy halls

Late night rendevous with Milton, Adam, Eve, and Satan

My own temptation is to go play some PS2 and/or watch a mooooovie (said with Austin Powers Accent)

sorry...
Mid-post yesterday, I was interrupted and so I just posted what I had.

But we all pretty much hung out in my big tent and played games - funfun - and then when ppl started to slowly get tired, we ended up with 6 in my tent (I believe this is a 4 sleeper) and I was squishied against the wall.

Well, that didn't make for a great night - 4 girls and 2 guys barely able to move because of the lack of room. By 5am when ppl started dozing off, I slipped out with my blankets and snuck into the little tent next to us - which was vacant because one of the other campers had given up (too cold...) and so I slept on the hard ground under my down blanket for 4 hours - 9am came rolling around and it was a horrible morning - sore, tired, and downright exhausted.

I got everything picked up and brought to my room (2 trips up the stairs) and then took a nice hot shower - and konked out on my couch until 2pm.

Campout
We had the Oak Campout - we took our tents and set them up in the grounds of Oak and talked all night. We hadn't thought of getting wood for a fire - so a couple of us got together when it started to get cold and walked toward the park to gather some fallen twigs and such - Lo and Behold, there was a neighbor who had just cleaned up their yard and threw out a huge load of wood onto the curb for trash - we were ecstatic! So, we made a nice big fire and roatsed our smores all night. When the fire went out, we left to my tent (pretty big)

Ok... here's the thing...

Wednesday May 5th- My student research papers will be coming in, I have a one on one conference for german at 12:45, and my 18 pg Milton paper is due at 3pm.
Thursday May 6th - RA dinner/Banquet at 11:30 - ?
Friday May 7 - Intern Meeting for the Northwoods Writers Conference at 10:30 in HS 318
Sunday May 9th - Mother's Day
Monday May 10th - 20 pg Romantics paper is due ?pm
Tuesday May 11th - Milton final at 8am, German Final at 10:30am
Wednesday May 12th - Movie Night on my floor at 4-6
Thursday May 13th - Want all my papers graded for my class done and grades turned in, tally up the surveys too, Also am on duty this night
Friday May 14th - Commencement to see Aspen graduate from 1-4:30pm
Saturday May 15th - Have all residents out of dorms by noon
Sunday May 16th - Go home and relax

beautiful!
Yesterday was gorgeous - actually hot! I went home with mom and had grilled chicken and some food - washed clothes and chatted.

Thought it would be as warm today so got dressed in tank top and capris - hehe - brrrrr! I even heard from some people that it would snow this weekend. Which stinks if I'm trying to go to that camput this Friday night. /points at tent in corner of the room

Think I'll take a nap before working the front desk - im a bit tired from playing the lord of the rings ps2 games - heheh /sigh

On Duty Tonight...
I am hoping for an uneventful time. I also have the RA meeting tonight - so we'll see what happens as I am gone. Maybe I'll get some more crocheting in. I got about 2 and a half rows into my blanket during this mornings meeting.

Here was my day - it is a strange day. It's a bit gloomy all day, so maybe you'll feel the non-energetic mood I was in.
Woke up at 8am
Rolled over
Woke up again at 8:10
Groaned and crawled off the loft
Got into shower for 7 mins
got dressed
dried hair
flip flopped through the tunnels under the campus to the next building
stopped at the variety store across hall from meeting - grabbed a snack bar and OJ
plopped into chair and ate my so called breakfast
Listened to interesting debates on who does what jobs and how well as I crocheted for 2 hours
walked back to my room
plopped on couch and snoozed for an hour an half (10:30-12)
Looked at clock
groaned and rolled off couch
fluffed hair and put on socks, got my stuff together
went through tunnels again to get to wallys
grabbed some spaghetti at the cafeteria and sat down next to a friend - another friend then sat with us and we discussed financial aid and being too old
walked to class outside - quite windy
sat in German class, talked german, looked confused, understood more
Went to my office, grabbed books and went to Pedagogy class - discussed books for an hour
went to my office, talked to a neighbor about organizing (me, being the weird organizer phreak that I am)
Went to Aspens room
hopped In car with her and chatted
ate at Ground Round - steak fajitas mmmm
Stopped at Fashion Bug (bought some Capris and 2 necklaces)
Stopped at Dollar Store - bought "Stuff"
Stopped at grocery store - cereal, candy, and "stuff"
was dropped off at home
cleaned my room - put away PS2 controls and extenders, threw away candy wrappers, vacuumed my rug, put all my papers in a huge pile, shoved books into bookcase and made it 'look' clean
worked on class plans
made new doordecks
talked to residents
sat down and am typing at computer
Future events include doing round in Oak and then heading to the meeting from 9pm until 11pm.
Then I'll come home, relax and work on my German homework
Probably turn on TV but not watch it
Get into Jammies - sit on couch a bit longer
crawl up into bed and set alarm

Boucou blogs and pedagogically speaking

Finished up the NDSU conference on Friday - went very well, and I felt the question/answer session was the highlight - as we were able to discuss amongst the whole group what we had discovered within our own uses of the blogs. MC Morgan, Renee, Stacey and I gave it our best and I was proud of us for having a presentation outside of BSU.

I have homework - it's slapping about inside my backpack - but I think I'm allergic to it. As soon as I go near, my eyes swell shut and I feel like I can't breathe. Besides, I'm tired.

Finally did my Financial Aid paperwork on the web - don't know if my 7 years is up - I hope not, then what am I going to do?

Today
o Work at front desk
o Clean up room
o Surveys
o Suite Paperwork
o Lesson Plan
o Pedicure and Manicure
o Pack
++ Blow-up Bed
++ Clothes (2 days)
++ Jammies
++ Crochet Bag
++ Broken Speakers
++ Bathroom Shtuff
++ etc, etc, etc
o German Homework

Tomorrow and Today
o Feed Fishy
o Apologize profusely to friend in TX that I haven't even contacted him about his Birthday

And a spoonfull of sugar
makes the medicine go down. Just finished taking three more pills - lets treat this ainus (I meant sinus - but this is kinda funny the way it is...) infection like it should be - TOTAL DOMINATION!!

Be happy with where you are and don't get ahead of what you know.
Is this true? Do you think this way? Who tells someone this? What happens to aspiring to be a better person? I don't think I whine T H A T much - and besides, I wasn't whining when I was told this... I don't think I was.

I just learned something new - as an RA, I need to keep an eye out for tape around the door and empty toilet paper rolls filled with TP. Who knew!? Maybe I'm just too innocent to catch on to this kinda stuff - but good lord - people are sneaky - can't they just make it easier on everyone and just stop doing anything at all that could be against the law? No, of course not - then a big part of our job would be gone - and then it would also be a perfect world - I'm gonna throttle the person who invented this 'free will' thing. :P

Oh, and to the left for your pleasure is my Utopia vending machine©. It only costs your soul and a quarter to dispense a refreshing drink for your thirst. Can only be found in certain places though - I'm sure when it gets a bit more world-recognition - they'll sell like hotcakes!

As an interesting fact - my site has been found through a search of "Ayleen" on all sorts of web browser searches (900 searches have brought them to my site so far) - if you try it, you will understand my concern. It's quite disgusting to think about - but I guess sex sells. But give me a break people. /Shiver

Ah, those are the days...
Can't give details, but it involves being and RA and quite a fun time of raiding a large party last night. Hope they got the point - "Don't come back!" as the doors shut on their @$$es.

Still sick tonight, hoping to make it to the clinic tomorrow morning - we'll see how that goes.

It says it is 1:44am...
What a I doing in my office if my laptop insists it is almost 2am? Isn't the age of the microchip in charge today, can't I or all of us, go by what it says? Although, it also says it is Wednesday - so maybe I am glad I know better. Because, I want it to be Friday!

I just took another German test - it took me an hour and a half for a 50 min class. Maybe I'm slow - I can live with that, but when I'm among about 5 others still trying to write their test - I don't think I am doing anything wrong. I have to admit - I didn't study as much as I should have - I was sick (bad excuse) but I was sleeping a lot and incoherent - just ask my residents. They saw me as most should never see me - drugged up with medicine and hair all over the place, horrible voice, and crying eyes because of the pain. Oh, what fun it was. The hilarious thing is that I took a dayquil before the test - after eating only icecream for lunch (I bought the chilibowl and it was too gross for words) and I felt like I was flying the whole time.

Now, I hope that when I go to the RA thing tonight, I won't pass out in a medicated coma. Or maybe we can hope. heheh. I'll try to throw in some kind of a snack before going - try being the word of the day.

Tests should be given in comfy atmospheres - my back is killing me and everytime I tried to crack it or get comfortable, I think my neighbor thought I was trying to get a peek at her paper. What made her think I wanted to cheat off of her, I don't know - maybe it was just my own paranoia. Cheating is one of the worst things anyone could do and I hate to even think someone may suspect me. Bah - like I'd chew off my own arm so I wouldn't have to wear gloves. Hah! But my back is still PO'd at me for sitting in such a way as hunched over the desk, skewing my eyes up in hopes of being able to read German without being mistaken. As if blurring my eyes would suddenly make the words swim about until they turned into English. Wouldn't that be fun? But I don't think my medicine is that potent.

Slept in until 10...

Took medicine - was miserable. It's the whole head thing - it comes with a huge headache, throuat aches on the inside, sides of my neck are sensitive, and every muscle is tired out. Also, swallowing all the time to keep from throwing up is making me wish I would just throw up.

At 5pm today, I took another pill and fell asleep on my couch - but woke up with burning throat and so ive been walking around, back and forth between my room and the bathroom with a towel - waiting to see if I will throw up. But, it seems to not want to, so I am sipping cold water and hoping tonight at the sign-up party, I won't be giving a door prize that wasn't commissioned by res. life.

Honestly, I shouldn't go - but im being counted on, I'll go and see how long I last.

Even my toes ache

Hot cocoa, warm sweater, thick socks, classical music, peace and quiet.

Achey neck, achey eyes, achey toes, throat in pain.

Hot cocoa should outweigh at least some - but in all actuality, my headache is coming back. The flu suxors!

Stupid cold...

Here I am, sick, half out of my mind from daytime Tylenol - chalk all over my fingers and me trying to eat my breakfast sammiche with the wrapper on - mmmmm reynolds wrap is good. :P

So many aches and pains from this cold - maybe flu - but I may have to go home, I'm just exhausted. 'Cept, I do have an appointment with a student and need to stick around - who knows what I'll do. Stay in my office of course - I can't let the student down.

I've noticed that I get sick whenever my cousin stays over - what's up with that? Maybe I get the cold because of the 'lil kids germs - but then I hung out with residents all weekend too - and dorms are easy to throw germs about. Seems I'm not the only one sick either, many I have talked to are on their 2nd or 3rd time. Gah!

blah
blah
blah blah blah
arrrrrgh! Don't wanna, don't wanna!
But I hafta, but I hafta!

Durnit!

Where's that darn knight in shining armor who can save me from this precarious pile of papers threatening to tumble upon my poor head and choke the life out of me. Or give me a pretty darn nasty papercut in the process.

/SIGH!!!!

Blogging, stalling, flogging, and jogging!
What is blogging? Do I blog because I have something to say? Or could it be I have nothing to say but just have to ramble on anything that comes to mind? Is it because I know there are people who actually read my blog (you poor things), or is it because I have homework to do and procrastination can be had in 'oh so many ways.

And why do I have a dancing scooby on my screen? Or - why is it that I read, and shop, and do my homework, and go to class, and teach, and RA, and talk, and socialize, and file, and write, and type... and yet something is missing? Could it be hunger?

A whole week is naughty...
Bad Aya... bad *slaps wrist*

Well, back from the movie Hellboy - I actually liked it a lot - cheesy at the right moments - loving the right characters - good stuff. ATM I threw in Ace Ventura 2 - got to see if the PS2 plays DVD's ya know. :)

Had my Milton test today - I vouched for the side of God - instead of Satan - seems Paradise Lost is seen as Satan's story - but I sorta like to look closely at how Milton portrays God in such a way as to make you question those doctrinal truths - yes - 'tis hard to even go into that sort of talk without rubbing a few noses, but ya know, I'm not interested in your "truth" or your parents' "truth" or anybody else's "truth"... just my own. Thanks.

Bit tired, but it is Friday night - had my night already - time to get comfy on my couch and enjoy a night of relaxation. Ahhhhhh

The G-Man himself...

Smitten is as smitten does... 'eh Aspen? ;)

LOL Scooby night
As Aspen says on her blog, we went out to Scooby2 and had a blast. And Aspen let loose a couple Freudian slips.

((As she was playing the Lord of the Rings Pinball game at the theatre)) "But I like it with two balls!" -Very excited voice-
The problem is I don't have that great of memory and since I got my Playstation 2 last night and ended up playing various games until 2:30 am - I can't remember the other quote. Maybe one of the girls will ;)

Wow!
I think these guys live around Oak - if not - where are they, cuz they are kinda cute in their own silly way ;-)

Make sure to have your sound up and it is a video - be prepared. --->Likes the one up front =-)