Saturday, May 28, 2005
new look
I know you'll all be incredibly shocked, but I got my hair cut yesterday! Okay, actually, I got my hair cut in February (my hairdresser took about 7-8 inches off the length and gave me honey-blonde highlights), but yesterday I decided that just the decrease in length wasn't enough. So, I got my hair layered, and I have to say, after the inital shock at the fact that my curls now brush my shoulders (!), I have to say that I absolutely love it. Why didn't I do this sooner? Oh, and I got new glasses today as well (although they won't be ready until next week). I told the clerk that I wanted something totally different and he was really incredible--found me at least five pairs that I actually liked (a big feat, since I seem to always end up with exactly the same glasses everytime I get a new prescription). My new glasses are sort of cat-eyed, but with polygonal edges, and have gorgeous, metallic teal on the inside of the rims (brown on the outside). I'm totally in love. Hopefully they'll arrive before I leave for Europe!
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
On Saturday, not reluctantly, but with a bit of trepidation, I competed in my first horse show since I was about 12 years old. All in all, the experience was incredibly rewarding and not nearly as traumatizing as my memories of childhood show experiences. My horse (okay, the stable’s horse, but for those few moments he was mine), Cezar, was an absolute dream—he listened, he collected (that pretty thing horses do with their heads, also known as “on the bit”—you’ll see this particularly during dressage shows), he was calm and sweet and perfect. And to make up for all the near-misses of my childhood, I came out of the adult intermediate division as Champion (two 1st place ribbons and two 2nd place ribbons), although I should add the caveat that there were only three people in my division. Still, I could have gotten third. And, as one of my fellow riders pointed out, if we had ridden in the Open division instead (considered more advanced) we would have gotten our asses kicked by 13-year-olds! The jumps in my division were slightly shorter than I’m used to jumping during class (only about 2 feet), but I think it’s probably a good thing to start slow. Maybe when I show again in August or September I’ll take a risk and join the Open division…
A few pictures, taken by the lovely April who, despite the fact that she claims she can’t use my digital camera, took some great shots.
Such nice head carriage...I think Cezar's my dream horse.
I know, it's a tiny jump. But don't we look pretty going over it?
A few pictures, taken by the lovely April who, despite the fact that she claims she can’t use my digital camera, took some great shots.
Such nice head carriage...I think Cezar's my dream horse.
I know, it's a tiny jump. But don't we look pretty going over it?
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Hello world
I've been haunting LiveJournal for a while now, but I thought it was finally time to transfer some of my personal posts to a format I actually would want to share with my real world friends. I've made too many new online buddies on LJ to want to post personal pictures and such stuff on that site. On the other hand, Blogger and LJ seem like good ways to keep in touch since I know we're all often too busy to email or call regularily. So, below, I've reposted a number of my old LJ posts from the past few months and I hope to update this site regularily. Feel free to comment or drop me a line to say hi.
Monday, May 16, 2005
dear nbc...you suck!
I'm incredibly furious that NBC cancelled my new favorite television, Law and Order: Trial by Jury, so I wrote them an angry email:
****
To Whom It May Concern:
I would like to register my sincere and deep disappointment that NBC did not sign on Law and Order: Trial by Jury for another season. I’ve been a long-standing fan of the NBC network and was very pleased to see this innovative, sophisticated and intelligent new Wolf spin-off grace the airwaves in March. I particularly appreciated that the show’s two main characters were women, accompanied by a varied and accomplished cast of supporting and guest stars. Most television shows—while purportedly presenting a “diverse” and/or “balanced” cast—are, in fact, still disturbingly skewed towards the masculine despite the supposed equality of our society.
I was hoping that Trial by Jury signaled an end to this trend. Looking at NBC’s 2005-2006 lineup, I see less and less that I would actually have any interest in watching; the network’s standards seems to have lowered considerably in the past few years, substituting more and more quality dramas and sitcoms, with rich, textured plots, well-developed characters, and narrative substance (Trial by Jury was one such show), with insipid drivel. On the one hand, I’ve noticed several more reality television shows crop up, much to my chagrin, since reality television is at best mildly entertaining (in a mindless sort of way), and at worst a carnivalesque freak show. On the other hand, the description for Inconceivable, the show NBC has chosen to replace Trail by Jury, reads like the back cover of badly written and ill-conceived porn.
Furthermore, while I cannot assert any real knowledge of company finances, I would imagine that a show with some chance of syndication (and the Law and Order shows have proved time and again that they are incredibly popular, especially in reruns) would be a far better investment than any reality show or drama that only caters to the lowest common denominator.
Overall, I’m very sorry to see that NBC is doing away with some of its more intelligent programming, such as Law and Order: Trial by Jury. I can only hope that this disturbing series of replacements does not become a trend. Many of the programming changes speak very poorly to NBC’s integrity as a network, and I doubt I am your only previously loyal viewer who would not hesitate to move on and find quality television elsewhere if this disappointing regression continues.
Sincerely,
ADV
****
To Whom It May Concern:
I would like to register my sincere and deep disappointment that NBC did not sign on Law and Order: Trial by Jury for another season. I’ve been a long-standing fan of the NBC network and was very pleased to see this innovative, sophisticated and intelligent new Wolf spin-off grace the airwaves in March. I particularly appreciated that the show’s two main characters were women, accompanied by a varied and accomplished cast of supporting and guest stars. Most television shows—while purportedly presenting a “diverse” and/or “balanced” cast—are, in fact, still disturbingly skewed towards the masculine despite the supposed equality of our society.
I was hoping that Trial by Jury signaled an end to this trend. Looking at NBC’s 2005-2006 lineup, I see less and less that I would actually have any interest in watching; the network’s standards seems to have lowered considerably in the past few years, substituting more and more quality dramas and sitcoms, with rich, textured plots, well-developed characters, and narrative substance (Trial by Jury was one such show), with insipid drivel. On the one hand, I’ve noticed several more reality television shows crop up, much to my chagrin, since reality television is at best mildly entertaining (in a mindless sort of way), and at worst a carnivalesque freak show. On the other hand, the description for Inconceivable, the show NBC has chosen to replace Trail by Jury, reads like the back cover of badly written and ill-conceived porn.
Furthermore, while I cannot assert any real knowledge of company finances, I would imagine that a show with some chance of syndication (and the Law and Order shows have proved time and again that they are incredibly popular, especially in reruns) would be a far better investment than any reality show or drama that only caters to the lowest common denominator.
Overall, I’m very sorry to see that NBC is doing away with some of its more intelligent programming, such as Law and Order: Trial by Jury. I can only hope that this disturbing series of replacements does not become a trend. Many of the programming changes speak very poorly to NBC’s integrity as a network, and I doubt I am your only previously loyal viewer who would not hesitate to move on and find quality television elsewhere if this disappointing regression continues.
Sincerely,
ADV
OMG, that was, like, the *best* prom ever!
What a lovely weekend. Today, I went to my department's end-of-the-year party. I had a nice time talking with a few of my professors--one of whom I was convinced was avoiding me (I had no theories as to why, but I was obviously just being paranoid because she acted completely normal and actually sought me out today at the party) and one of whom I absolutely adore, but who's been in NYC all semester so I hadn't seen or spoken with him recently. Good end to a good weekend.
On Saturday morning, April, Amy, and I went to the outlet mall and shopped for about six hours. I haven't been shopping in ages, and after working so hard all semester I'm not ashamed to say it was a cathartic experience. In any case, I bought three pairs of shoes. (I really did need new shoes; for example, I have one pair of shoes that I love, but that were so rundown that my feet consistently got when if I wore the shoes in the rain. Sad, I know, but now they've been replaced.) My favorite purchases are my pretty brown slingbacks and the three button-down summer cotton shirts I found at the Aeropostale outlet for $3 each! I know I'm cheap--I don't believe in spending more on clothes than I would on, say, a nice meal (rarely, I'll make exceptions to this rule)--but you'd never know it from looking at my closet. I'm very good a finding deals.
Anyway, on to the prom! ;) One of my fellow grad students thought it would be fantastic idea to have a prom party (in a very, very ironic way), and, in spite of my initial skepticism, it was a lot of fun. I dressed up--long black velvet dress with glittery gold flames (what I'd like to call sophisticated tacky chic)--and did my hair (a lot hairspray was involved) and put on makeup (full-on makeup, not my more common eyeliner/lipstick combo) even though I was a little nervous that I would be the only one dressed up (especially considering several of my professors were going to be there). I wasn't the only one, thankfully, and one of my friends even wore her sister's old bubble skirt from the 80s. Anyway, it was terribly amusing to slow dance with April to "Bette Davis Eyes," and, of course, it was great to chat with people I hadn't seen/talked to in a while.
On Saturday morning, April, Amy, and I went to the outlet mall and shopped for about six hours. I haven't been shopping in ages, and after working so hard all semester I'm not ashamed to say it was a cathartic experience. In any case, I bought three pairs of shoes. (I really did need new shoes; for example, I have one pair of shoes that I love, but that were so rundown that my feet consistently got when if I wore the shoes in the rain. Sad, I know, but now they've been replaced.) My favorite purchases are my pretty brown slingbacks and the three button-down summer cotton shirts I found at the Aeropostale outlet for $3 each! I know I'm cheap--I don't believe in spending more on clothes than I would on, say, a nice meal (rarely, I'll make exceptions to this rule)--but you'd never know it from looking at my closet. I'm very good a finding deals.
Anyway, on to the prom! ;) One of my fellow grad students thought it would be fantastic idea to have a prom party (in a very, very ironic way), and, in spite of my initial skepticism, it was a lot of fun. I dressed up--long black velvet dress with glittery gold flames (what I'd like to call sophisticated tacky chic)--and did my hair (a lot hairspray was involved) and put on makeup (full-on makeup, not my more common eyeliner/lipstick combo) even though I was a little nervous that I would be the only one dressed up (especially considering several of my professors were going to be there). I wasn't the only one, thankfully, and one of my friends even wore her sister's old bubble skirt from the 80s. Anyway, it was terribly amusing to slow dance with April to "Bette Davis Eyes," and, of course, it was great to chat with people I hadn't seen/talked to in a while.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Releasing a great, big sigh of relief...
For a moment I stop and look around me and wonder: What's that incredible feeling of lightness and serenity I feel? Where did that come from? I haven't felt that way in...well, longer than I can even remeber. And then I realize. I'm elated. I'm happy. I'm done. I feel a bit like frolicking in the park like a puppy. Because yes, folks, I am officially done with coursework! No more writing what other people want me to write. No more writing until the wee hours of the night because I can't seem to make myself work ahead of time (okay, there may be some of that still in my future, particularily if I ever publish anything, but probably not for more than one paper at a time).
I did go to class today, but it's a pedagogy class so that I can learn to teach freshman (oy) how to write. It's very different--there's no final writing assignment, no one's grading my work; I'm just trying to come up with a good syllabus and reading assignments and writing prompts. And, so far, I'm loving it.
Springtime is here in Rochester. The flowers are blooming (I know this because I've been sneezing every five minutes, but as soon as the Claritin kicks in I'm sure that will stop), the grass is green, the sun is shining, and it's hot. I'm sure I'll be complaining about the heat in a few short weeks, but for now I've spent six months freezing my butt off and I'm thrilled with the idea of sweating a little and soaking up some sun. I had lunch with a friend I hadn't talked to in ages today, and we sat on the grass and ate wraps and drank smoothies. Perfect.
Oh, speaking of friends, now that it's summer (well, in terms of the school year anyway), I'm going to dedicate the next week or so to catching up on email, phone calls, and letters. If you haven't heard from me lately--if I owe an email or if I've been incredibly negligent at commenting or responding to comments on posts--you'll probably hear from me very soon. And, if not, drop me a line and remind me (nicely!) that I should get in touch. And I will. I promise.
I did go to class today, but it's a pedagogy class so that I can learn to teach freshman (oy) how to write. It's very different--there's no final writing assignment, no one's grading my work; I'm just trying to come up with a good syllabus and reading assignments and writing prompts. And, so far, I'm loving it.
Springtime is here in Rochester. The flowers are blooming (I know this because I've been sneezing every five minutes, but as soon as the Claritin kicks in I'm sure that will stop), the grass is green, the sun is shining, and it's hot. I'm sure I'll be complaining about the heat in a few short weeks, but for now I've spent six months freezing my butt off and I'm thrilled with the idea of sweating a little and soaking up some sun. I had lunch with a friend I hadn't talked to in ages today, and we sat on the grass and ate wraps and drank smoothies. Perfect.
Oh, speaking of friends, now that it's summer (well, in terms of the school year anyway), I'm going to dedicate the next week or so to catching up on email, phone calls, and letters. If you haven't heard from me lately--if I owe an email or if I've been incredibly negligent at commenting or responding to comments on posts--you'll probably hear from me very soon. And, if not, drop me a line and remind me (nicely!) that I should get in touch. And I will. I promise.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
fight for your right to paartay
Or not. Actually, I would have very much liked to stay home tonight, like a little mole in my little burrow, and work. Or, at least, pretend to work. But my girfriend and I were invited to a housewarming party by a friend who always comes when we throw parties and who's very sweet, and so, despite the fact that I have mountains of writing to do in the coming week, I felt obligated to go. I say "I" and not "we" because my gf has to finish a potential journal article that's supposed to be submitted tomorrow and since we felt that someone from the household should make an appearance at the party and we didn't feel it would be right to send the dog, I took a hit for the team. Always the martyr. That's me.
On the upside, I got at least five compliments on my new stiletto boots and a couple compliments on my whole outfit, which was very fulfilling. Gosh, I don't get out enough. Despite all the compliments and friendly mingling with other disaffected students suffering from the end-of-semester-"I'm unmotivated"-blahs, I managed to only stay at the party for an hour and now intend to try and do some work even though it's after midnight. (And now I have "Into the Woods" stuck in my head--"One midnight gone," etc.--because that's the scary [lyrics for every occasion] way my mind works.)Good night, ya'll. Time to party with my paper elves. I have to keep them well-amused so they'll write my papers for me while I sleep.
On the upside, I got at least five compliments on my new stiletto boots and a couple compliments on my whole outfit, which was very fulfilling. Gosh, I don't get out enough. Despite all the compliments and friendly mingling with other disaffected students suffering from the end-of-semester-"I'm unmotivated"-blahs, I managed to only stay at the party for an hour and now intend to try and do some work even though it's after midnight. (And now I have "Into the Woods" stuck in my head--"One midnight gone," etc.--because that's the scary [lyrics for every occasion] way my mind works.)Good night, ya'll. Time to party with my paper elves. I have to keep them well-amused so they'll write my papers for me while I sleep.
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