18 posts tagged “school”
i have one paper to finish tweaking. it's the last paper i'll have to tweak before i finish this degree. why can't i bring myself to open the file and work on it already????
i am such a clusterfuck of mental blocks.
I know he was born in Russia, and is fantasmic, but how could he possibly act in The Brothers Karamazov will William Shatner and still respect himself? I know the book is like, the book, but guh. I can't deal with 2.5 hours of depressing Russian movie. I can't even fast forward through it.
AAAIIIIYYYYYYYYYYY.
Thank god, tomorrow's my last day of class. EVER. Until I try to get another degree or get cabin fever again.
AAAIIIIYYYYYYYYYYY.
Hmm. I smell Tiger Balm in the air.
What I think I might need is another hammock session. I was sleeping outside last night contemplating the stars. It was sad, because I didn't recognize anything. Except the Dipper. I wonder where that semester of astronomy knowledge went.
Go, college.
I just sent away my portion of a group paper. It's been five years since I've bored myself this severely with my own writing. I read my recently written paper on US economic failure to study for an exam. I fell asleep. I tried to read through my pages on the economic failure of the Middle East. I fell asleep. I really wasn't mean to be a numbers girl. Nonetheless, it's done!
To celebrate, I went to the kitchen and grabbed a tangerine out of the basket. Of course it was sour. I've eaten over a dozen this week carelessly, and they were all sweet. I go to eat one with intention, and it was bad. My solution? Juice it! I mixed it with some honey and soda water, and I quite like it. Very fizzy, kinda kicky. I give myself snaps for resourcefulness.
But now I want to make oatmeal raisin cookies. I have neither oats, nor raisins, nor a tried-and-true recipe. Anyone? Perhaps shoving a handful of dried cherries and granola will suffice?
Clearly I'm being v. productive in this business of sleep. I had actually gone to bed a little after 10 -- the spa-ing pooped me out....that's a post to come. Spa-ing! In the mean time, I just woke up twenty minutes ago and that put me here. I followed lemon's post on the Book Quiz to Blue Pyramid -- ps, my book is not one I've read, so I'm not dealing -- and tripped onto the University Quiz. And would you know, I am my alma mater. Witness:
You're the University of Virginia!
A fan of nickels and the Declaration of Independence, you
are an established member of the good old boys club. You spent a long time
trying to exclude people, but now you have managed to get a lot of
publicity for being good at publicity. Though you do have a darker side,
delving into Poe and pyromania. Some have said that you're best known for
being a bit rotund. Still, people can't wait to meet you.
Take the University Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.
I'm inclined to say: typical. They brainwashed me so well during my time there, that they even affect my quiz taking abilities.
ETA: Ahah! I traced back to the one question that threw me. I picked randomly, and it took me down the road to Virginia. However, I am indifferent. I found that if I had gone the other way, this is the school I would have been:
You're Monash University!
Though your origins involved violent travel, your current
state is rather placid and tranquil. You believe that you never stop
learning, and this is evidenced in your continued efforts to visit lands
both near and obscure. You love to say the word "synchrotron", even if
you're not entirely sure what it means yet. Hey, you're still young! You
like the knight life, baby.
Take the University Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.
Check it, Fly!
I'm discussing my day. If you don't want to listen to my vapid rambling, this might be the time to check out, but for those of you who either indulge it or enjoy it, buckle up. Although, since it's itemized, it may be user-friendly...I don't know.
1. My semester started today. I count this a victory, because that's eight hours I don't have to deal with work issues. Although, when I think about the fact that I'm using academia as escape, I worry myself. Especially when I realize all this academia will eventually lead to more crap-laden work. It is after all a terminal degree. How terrible that sounds.
2. I love listening in on children chatter at the student bookstores. They really do sound like they think they're worldly and know everything. I'm willing to bet money that I sounded that stupid in college. What an idiot I was (am).
3. I was in a store and overheard this girl talking about how she worked over the summer and how terrible it was. She swore she would never work again, and then discussed how she was planning on going to LA next week, but now she's going to go to Greenwich to shop and chill. *blinks* What do I need to do to get her life? I don't think shivving her and assuming her identity is going to work, as we look nothing alike, but sweet Jesu.
4. There is a certain amount of comfort in chain restaurants. You have certain manageable expectations, and that works for me.
5. I bought five books today. Only one of them was for school. I think they're pretty.
6. I left my cell phone somewhere, and I don't know where. It's on vibrate, and it's black, and dudes, I wear and own a lot of black. This fact this both terrifying and liberating. Although 60% of me wants to let it go and wait to stumble over it, 100% of me knows that I'm going to go around later with my house phone calling my cell phone and looking for the glow in the dark.
7. I bought a scarf with pockets today! I've been looking for this scarf for four years now. It's been a battle. I know they're out there, but some are not worth the cost in spite of the pretty, and some don't inspire me. Today I found one that was suitably amusing and was cost efficient. How cost efficient? $5 efficient! Now I can engage in the age old battle between warmth by winding the scarf around my neck, and strangulation because I've wrapped it around my neck and now I have my hands digging into the pockets. It's a fine balance.
8. I had an Arby's sandwich for breakfast this morning. So right! How did I manage to find such a thing for breakfast, you may ask. Why, I utilized the 5 for 5.95 deal and bought me some roast beef sandwiches. So good. Ahhh, college nostalgia.
9. My professors today, are thinkers outside the box. I could kill someone. Maybe them. This is not to say that they're bad, or mean, in fact, I think they're all about the feelings, and the thinking, and the creative. Uncool. Why? I have been in grad school for too damn long with professors who gave me a rigid agenda to follow that was both predictable and routine. Now, in my last semester, I end up sacking myself with not one, but two profs that want us to challenge ourselves with creative thinking? Shit.
Example: I have a term project worth 40% of my grade, and it has no set parameters. It just has to be about leadership, and be academically valid. Seriously? SERIOUSLY?! Help a sister out. Anyone. Please.
10. I love my four hour block between classes. Today equaled shopping. And likely? So will next week, and the next week, and the next.... Bliss.
11. I learned that there is an industry for Career Salvaging. How depressing must that be?
12. If I use STA Travel, a round trip to Madrid is $313. Hmm. Spain 2007? Signs point to yes.
Non sequiturs.
I.
I'm going to declare today a success. Some of you may have noticed my general saltiness. Wish Bear listened to the craptastic attitude firsthand, but chica was effing off the sane hook with her own crazy mood...no one need that much caffeine in their life. Nonetheless. My semester was over as of three hours ago. There were hugs. There was joy. I turned in my field research, and really didn't care about it after nine o'clock last night.
We turned in our environmental analysis, which we trimmed down to a cool 80 pages. I have to say, I think ours looked damn nice with its binding. It stacked up especially nice against the paper in the manila envelope and the one in the plastic binder. You know what? Screw not judging a book by its cover. We took the damn time to bind ours at Kinko's. We win. Our prof can bite me if he thinks he's giving me less than a B+/A-. I'm expecting an A after the bullshit we all dealt with. Especially in light of the fact that two, count 'em, two of the groups in the other class couldn't be bothered to finish their papers because there was some group member or other that dropped the fucking ball. Ew. How The Apprentice do I sound? Meanwhile, these groups are apparently trying to weasel out of getting punished for the failure of one member. I say MBAs are mostly asshats, and in what world do they think a prof in this department would cut them slack? Failure is not an option, and buck passing? So unattractive. (I say this from the comfort of my position in a functional group, and on the happy side of a well finished semester.)
Did I mention I stress-shopped in the past 24 hours? I was feeling 'meh' last night, so I went onto a website and bought a pair of trousers and a navy bathing suit. Then this morning I woke up at 6 thinking I had to pay off my bills, so I rushed to the BR website, paid way in time, and ended up buying a cashmere shell on sale. And a skirt. V. uncharacteristic. Not a skirt girl. I'm going to regret this on the flip side and end up keeping it anyway out of laziness.
Did I mention that I went to my last class tipsy? Happy Hour is Happy Hour is Happy Hour. One drink, I tell you, is all it takes.
Four weeks to breathe before it all starts again. Son of a bitch.
II.
Reality TV. Caught up last night and today.
TAR. I knew it. Effing Models! I know they're kind of the least of all evils, but this is why I needed my Cho brothers to stay in so I root for them...in spite of their somewhat offputting self-importance. Integrity. Pffttttt.
ANTM. Suck it Melrose! Could she have possibly sounded less gracious about losing? No one needs to fudge the editing to make her look like a mean and stupid bitch. Misunderstood. Puh-lease. Yeah, Caridee is a crazy bad walker and actress, but she ain't unhinged and all kinds of wrong. *shudder*
Top Chef. Fuckin' aye! Fuckin' aye.
Justice. Jack Bristow, why couldn't you see that Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman was all kinds of drug lordy and not worthy of your awesomeness? (Even though you've been tarnished by association with Jack McPhee.)
III.
Ganked from lemon.
Checked my aura. Orange? Interesting, since I'm kind of in love with orange right now and wore it today, but I'm iffy on the meaning.
Is it me, or is it calling me an anti-social headcase? In many ways, this is quite true:
1. I've eaten alone no less than three times since last week. Excellent lunch at Legal Seafood. Filling lunch at Bob Evans. Leisurely lunch at Four Sisters instead of grabbing a sandwich today.
2. I did play investigator last week. My findings threw me into a mild apoplectic fit that I can't even discuss. Stupid work.
3. This world-wide problems thing sounds a little far-fetched and too broad for such a little bit of amusement, but this does remind me of the shame spiral and headache I had over my inabilities to do anything worthwhile in the future. Disillusionment over my role as a diaspora member and the inherent limitations of widespread corruption and weak infrastructure.
4, See above. I am not with the happy thinking. Must stop before I depress myself any further.
For the first time, homework = love. Shopping as research! Went to Karen Millen to do some research on global retailers in the DC area. Like I previously spoke of. I also went to Sisley and Thomas Pink and Zara (okay, it's not at the same mall, but I went there, and maybe I shopped for myself too), but I lingered at Karen Millen. And they are amusing. I took pictures! Here they are! ... Because bijal also lusts after her clothes and wanted to see them.
I'm trying to find numbers on non-US retailers in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area. This, is an annoying task at best. My professor actually told me to go look in the Yellow Pages. And he's a nice guy, so I think he means this with all sincerity. This concerns me. The National Retail Association has nothing for me. The Chamber of Commerce? Squat. Export/Import volumes...so irrelevant. Better Business Bureau? Think again. HELP!
So I'm in the yellow pages. Naturally this takes me to wikipedia, because seriously, it's the easiest way to tell if a company is foreign or domestic. And where does this take me? The Tysons Corner wikipedia entry. Which leads me to the Nordstrom entry. *Deep cleansing breath.*
This is what I found:
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordstrom
This is apparently some (in)famous Employee Handbook given to new employees.
You all must know by now that I bear grudges against the retail sector, in spite of my deep love and unerring belief in retail therapy. In particular, I harbor a resentment towards Nordstrom. I have systematically ruled out certain items and categories of merchandise I cannot purchase from that store simply because I've had bad experiences there on multiple occasions. The beautiful purchase of shiny brown shoes? Fluke.
This gray card, with this one rule they hand out to the employees leads me to believe that there are flaws in judgment all over the damn organization. From the people that hire, to the people that work the floors. At least now I know where it comes from.
Was it good judgment that let three saleswomen ignore me as I circled the women's apparel floor ten times slowly only to then stop and crane my neck as if to say, "Look, if you were avoiding me before because you thought I didn't want to be harrassed, now's the time to come forth because I need help!" because everyone had scurried to their hiding places? There were no other shoppers! Okay, one other, but I'm not going to discuss the argument I heard that woman having with the sales associate. Yeah, they went to her. Just not me. I'm not going to discuss the whys of that either, but I have my theories.
Was it good judgment that had the makeup lady arguing with me over what I needed to also be purchasing when I told her I expressly went there just for lipstick that day? I understand that you want to increase sales numbers and commissions, but I've said no twice woman, so back the fuck off. Be nice to me. That's how you get repeat business.
Was it good judgment that had the men in the men's shoe department eyeing my friend's foot and deciding he couldn't possibly have the size in the backroom without even the pretense of a cursory glance? Instead he's going to shake his head and decide, "No, no, we don't have it." How do you know, you haven't checked! "I know." At least indulge us. It's the men's shoe department. It isn't that high traffic.
Their one saving grace is their women's shoe department, and that's only because I heart my shoes. I would also love their women's handbags, but no. They carry a heinous volume of Kate Spade (just bought out by Liz Claibourne!) and Juicy Couture (*shudder*). No one needs to see that.
I'm sorry. Tedious research and hacking coughs make me grouchy.
And sidebar: no wonder I walked into Ruehl and thought it was so poserish. Owned by AF!
Sorry. Still grouchy.
Making up stories and dates to sell your products...you are not J. Peterman.
I almost killed my friend today. He had to gaul to grin at me when I told him that my laptop was dying. That's right. My laptop. Dying. GRINNED.
I had gone downtown to meet with my group so we could discuss our presentation next week. Of course it took me twenty minutes to find street parking, then five minutes to stomp into Starbucks to buy a cup of black coffee and a vanilla steamer (it was cold and I wasn't going to the library without hot beverages!), so I was almost half an hour late. I was cold. I find my way to the third floor where my group was, turn on my laptop, only for one minute later, to get the blue screen of death.
I'm only used to seeing the really bright blue one that is mad and makes beeping noises that scream at me because I've gone and caught a virus. This one was a deeper, royal blue with grey writing. It said something was wrong with my hardware or software, and I was actually talking to it, like, "Bitch, don't mess with me. I haven't installed anything in months! Don't fuck with me! I have a midterm tomorrow!" But in hushed tones, because I have respeto for the library, even if it is a talking floor.
So I sat there brooding and rebooting, and removing crap in safe mode only to get the screen three more times. I almost cried, and looked mostly mutinous. My friend asked me what was wrong, I told him, he grinned, and then I almost killed him. He didn't look so grinny after I growled, and I think one of the other women in the group actually tapped him and pulled him a little closer to their side. Whatever. You don't mock the sweet laptop when it's in pain!
I thought I was going to have to get another laptop. I started planning when I was going to purchase one. I'd just bought a Sansa on Amazon this morning, so it was really bad timing. But then, click!
It seemed improbable, but just maybe...I don't even know what it's called, but I'd left out the little plastic thingy that goes where the flashdrive is on the side of my laptop. It was at home! So when I got here, I popped it back in, turned on my dear laptop, ran a virus check, and success! All better. Seriously, I hugged my laptop and crooned my love to it. I don't like when technology fails on me. I'm illiterate enough. So when it goes south, I just get confused, feel helpless, and look about like an abandoned child.
My father, the man who analyzes computers for a living? He looks down upon me. My mother, the woman who plays with computers all day? She looks down upon me. My friends, who all know more about computers than me? They mock me. Except maybe Wish Bear. I still have her. :) Three days, man. Three days.
Show us a picture of your own handwriting.
Submitted by eclaire.
Yar. Seriously, if you've read my blog, you've got to know by now that I'm still in school, and I'm always somewhat preoccupied with school. So of course a writing sample will come from school. It happens that I yanked from my notebook and took pictures of some of my notes, just to let you know how mundane my life is.
