First off in the awesome news, I'm watching an episode of "Murder, She Wrote" featuring a very young Neil Patrick Harris. Je s'adore.


Second, today was pretty awesome because I spent it at Epcot in celebration of Cinqo de Mayo. We lunched at Mexico and drank at nearly every other country. Lovely.


Third, both my birthday and my half-birthday are holidays. Like, real ones...not "Sweethearts' Day" or "May Day." Who else can say that? Neither are American holidays, though...damn.

[For the curious, the aforementioned holidays are Guy Fawkes' Day and Cinqo de Mayo. Rock.]


Fourth, I like the idea of being able to watch tv episodes online, but it's been my experience that most of the network websites are crap. Except ABC. ABC.com's full episode videos are the most reliable and easy to use of any major site. Well done, ABC.


That is all.

Exciting news (well, not that exciting)...

I went to Borders earlier to waste time before a movie and they had some bargain bins up front. I rooted around and found a bunch of books that a) sounded interesting, b) are supposed to be good, and/or c) I'd thought about buying previously.

So, for $4 each, I bought (in paperback):
The Ruins of California by Martha Sherrill
Bride Island by Alexandra Enders
The Saffron Kitchen by Yasmin Crowther
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

And despite some of those titles, none of them are crappy, women's beach-reads. Though I didn't notice until now that they are all female authors. Interesting.

For $6, I got Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty (it was more expensive because it's hardcover). And this one is a frivolous read, but I had the first two a while back and remember enjoying them immensely. So I figured I'd take the chance.

Then, as an impulse buy while in line, I picked up Ella Enchanted (the DVD), on sale for $8. Alright, so it's not a great movie, but Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy in a silly fairy tale? Why not?


After, I went to see Priceless, a French comedy with Audrey Tautou and Gad Elmaleh (of The Valet fame). It was cute. Could have been better, it felt a little disjointed...like they weren't quite sure what the focus of the film should be. But it was interesting and fun.

So I've been marathoning "The Office" (seasons two and three yesterday and today). And I do really enjoy the show. It's fantastic, though not my favorite. I like "How I Met Your Mother" better. And "Psych" beats it out, too.

Probably because Michael Scott is my least favorite character. Sometimes he can be funny and most of the time he's not incredibly annoying, but he can be so over the top and awkward. That's hard to watch. I love almost everyone else better. Creed, Kevin, Oscar, Angela, Dwight, Toby, Meredith, and even Ryan the douchebag. And it really goes without saying that Jim and Pam are my favorite(s) (either as a couple or separate). I mean...come on. They alone are worth watching the show.


Though that's not the point of this post. What I meant to say before I got off on my tangent was that they have really interesting people writing and directing episodes of the show.

I watched one last night directed by Joss Whedon. And the one I'm watching now was directed by J.J. Abrams. Whoa and what? A bit of a different genre for those guys, but totally awesome none the less.

And I suppose it makes sense that the writers would come from the creative team behind "The Office," and guys who write themselves into the show as well. B.J. Novak is credited as the show's creator, as well as a producer, has written episodes, and plays Ryan. Paul Lieberstein is a co-executive/consulting producer, episode writer, and Toby.

I don't know if people pay attention to the little white credits that flash across the bottom of the screen, but I do. And I think that's really cool and crazy interesting.

So...this is REALLY geeky...but...

It's the third of May, 2008.

Which is exactly 200 years to the day from the events portrayed by Francisco Goya in his painting "Third of May, 1808" (which he actually completed in the year 1814).


Oh yeah. Art History is my life.

Oy.

I'm lame. But every time I've checked the date today, it's come into my head.

Mark: Hey, if you were sleeping with Rose, I could understand why you're spending time with her, but you're not. And it's... it's just I thought that uh... you know. I thought it was just gonna be you and me!
Derek: Having sex?
Mark: After! After Addison, after Meredith. I have been patient. I have waited when you partnered up with these chicks, but now they're over. And it's supposed to be just us! You and me; two guys on the prowl, on the hunt.
Derek: You're having trouble getting laid. And you need my help.
Mark: I can get laid.
Derek: Mm-hmm.
Mark: I can get laid whenever I want.
Derek: Uh-huh.
Mark: I do get laid whenever I want.
Derek: Uh-huh.
Mark: That's the point. Women are everywhere. I only have one person I can talk to.
Derek: That's sweet.
Mark: Shut up!
Derek: No, it was really warm and fuzzy; very sweet.
Mark: Shut up.


So after that long intro...I wanted to discuss a bit of "Grey's Anatomy." (Feel free to skip the rest of this entry if you are not a "Grey's" fan.)

I was initially sad when I discovered Kate Walsh would be "returning to Seattle Grace," which I assume means that "Private Practice" has been cancelled. I had been enjoying "Private Practice" more than "Grey's" lately for the simple fact that it was less dramatic and more fun and Tim Daly is ridiculously good looking (especially given his age). Though I am glad that Addison isn't being dropped entirely. I do love her so.

[Edit: I just saw a commercial that "Private Practice" is returning in the fall. So ignore all of that...and yay! Tim Daly and his 52-year-old sexiness will be returning.]

And when I watched an episode of "Grey's" from January (three episodes ago), I was disheartened by the amount of drama and found my favorite parts were Mark Sloan and Erica Hahn (with whom I'm secretly in love).

I'm glad that Derek and Meredith have split up. I was a supporter of theirs for so long, and I have always been a staunch Meredith-lover despite her crazy commitment-phobic-ness (or possibly because of it, because I see a lot of myself in her). However, it got to the point where she was backpedaling and protesting and digging her heals in the sand too much. He had been patient. He waited. She was given the time and if she doesn't feel sure about things yet...it's time to cut loose. I still love Derek (who doesn't love some McDreamy), but Meredith is falling by the wayside.

So I'm concerned. I feel less for the characters than I used to. Their neuroses tend to piss me off more than make me like them, and I'm hoping for some changes in their lives/behaviors. I think a good example is George. After his disastrous marriage to Callie (who I only like now because of her relationship to Hahn), his awkward fling with Izzie, and his failure of the residency exam, I'm really glad he's moved in with Lexie. He can get passed the drama and the really crappy parts of his life/character and try to get back to the good old George we all knew and loved. It's Etch-a-Sketch style, perhaps, just dropping everything and moving on...but I think it's what the show needs.

I do have a good feeling that it will try to return to the humor and lightness that it had when the series began. I liked it because it was mostly a comedy with a little seriousness peppered in. It wasn't all train wrecks and ferry disasters and depressing storyline after depressing storyline. It was witty and interesting, and the characters were fucked up in really good and fascinating ways.

But I'm still concerned. Concerned that the characters will not change. Concerned that the plot will continue down the strictly dramatic route and forget its roots. And if that happens, maybe I'll be able to start watching "The Office" and "30 Rock" on a weekly basis, because "Grey's" will fall from my TiVo's To-Do List.


Just some thoughts.

For the first time since probably sophomore year of high school (so...7 years?) I left my place of residence without ANY makeup.

No foundation, no powder, and (most shocking of all), no eyeliner.

Whoa.

(To put it in perspective, I don't even take out the trash or walk across the parking lot to get the mail without putting on foundation and eyeliner.)

I'm so Tilda Swinton. ;-)


Additionally, I went out in public without a hoodie over the tank top I'm wearing. Bare arms outside...so not me.


Granted, I was just going to the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market to return a couple Redbox DVDs and get some dinner via drive-thru.

Which brings me to my next talking point...I love the Redbox. I had a promo code for a free rental, so yesterday I went and rented The Golden Compass (about which I expressed my disappointment earlier) and Cloverfield (which I felt was ridiculously good in many ways...mostly in filmmaker-y creativity).

Both movies cost me a total of $1.07.

Perfect.


And as a final note: I'm having my weekly "why the fuck is everything on at 9pm on a Thursday night?" dilemma. My TiVo is currently recording "CSI" and "Grey's Anatomy."

And I know I should be grateful that it can record two shows at once. Except that I'm missing out on "The Office"/"30 Rock" AND "Don't Forget the Lyrics" featuring Bret Michaels.

Boo.

Apparently, my TiVo needs to be able to record 4 shows at once. Damn you Thursday night TV!!!

Keep in mind that I haven't yet read the book (though I have read the first chapter twice)...but I'm watching The Golden Compass and it's not very good.

The story is probably too complicated for a movie, which is why it is ridiculously dense. But I'm sure the same can be said for the Harry Potter films.

The issue I have is mostly with the writing. It is too minimal and thin, and by that I mean that there are parts that could and should be used for exposition, that either aren't and so it feels like something is missing, or they are used poorly and only reveal certain information, and do so in a very clumsy manner. It feels unpolished and not as concise as it could be.

Additionally, the structure of the film is very uneven. Long, uneventful and unfulfilling scenes are followed by very short scenes, densely packed with loads of complicated information. Not only that, but the dense scenes often featured a character who only appears briefly and then leaves you wondering what the hell just happened (the first appearance of Eva Green, for example, in which she comes, gives a shitload of backstory and a little insight into the future, and then leaves and we don't see her for another 45 minutes). It was difficult to follow along and highly inconsistent.


I do like the actors, for the most part. I wish there were a little more Daniel Craig, but that's for purely selfish reasons (damn, that man has the most amazing blue eyes). Eva Green was nice, too, and Sam Elliott might have been my favorite character overall. And while I liked that Freddie Highmore and Ian McKellen provided voices, it would have been awesome if they were actually in the film. Oh, and I feel it necessary to just mention Christopher Lee, and leave it at that.

It was an interesting story and I feel like the book would have been very good. But as a film, it is simply clumsy.

And now I really need the sequel because the whole second half, I was waiting for the big confrontation with Daniel Craig and then nothing. It just ended. Ummm...boo. At least Harry Potter resolves at the end of every book/movie (except possibly Deathly Hallows which is currently listed as having "Part I" and "Part II" on IMDb, with release dates a year apart. Boooooooo).


Alright. I think that was all. Or at least I'm close enough to having finished putting all of my thoughts in the post that I don't feel the need to complete it any further. Just call me "Leonardo."

I think today was "phone calls from friends" day.

I received calls from Zoe, Caitlin, and Candace. And I called no one. Because I'm clearly a terrible friend.

But it was so cheerful!


Anyway, so I'm back in Orlando after a week of traveling to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for my cousin Tiffany's wedding (she just turned 22, BTW).

The wedding was pretty good. The night I stayed at my sister Fayanne's house and got to meet my newest niece (who is a total cutie) was the best part of my week. The worst was most certainly spending 50 hours in a car with my parents. Ugh.


In other good news, I got an email today from my art history professor/thesis advisor about a possible internship, so I sent a resume to a woman at the Orlando Museum of Art. Still waiting to hear from her. If I don't by Monday, I'll start applying for other jobs (movie theater, Disney, whatever).


So yes. Family, friends, possible job. Things are feeling good.

Plus, I'm back in my own apartment with my own bed in my own room and my own bathroom. Which always feels good.


Oh, and I watched NPH on Ellen (he watched the Idol too!), and started watching "How I Met Your Mother" before Idol started. I love him. I really need to go see Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay...just for my NPH fix.

So...


I'm done.


Like. Forever.



All of my papers have been turned in. All of my exams have been taken.


And in super cool news, before the exam today, my professor was talking about how he'd finished grading all of the extra credit papers from all of his classes and said that the best papers were from our class (go History of Prints). Then, he singled me out as having the best paper of them all. Wow. Flattering. He also mentioned how I hadn't missed a single class and proceeded to "bow down to me."

A little embarrassing, but I'm not going to lie, I love getting recognition like that.

Then after I took the exam and was handing it in, he asked me to send him a copy of my paper by email so he could use it as an example for the future. Sweet. He also lamented the fact that I'm not going to grad school (as my other art history professor had), but said I should keep in touch.

So, nice.


I am having a bit of trouble with determining when I "graduate." I'm not walking or attending the ceremony, but do I still consider May 3rd to be my "graduation?" Or, since I'm done with all the work I'll ever have to do for my undergraduate degree, have I graduated already? Certainly, it can't be when I receive my diploma in the mail...that could take months.

Eh, fuck it. I'm done, I've graduated.

For the second time recently (and by "recently" I mean the past 3 or 4 days), I've had a dream where I was in prison.


Aside from the obvious interpretation, any idea what that means?


To give a little context: the first time, I was falsely accused and was being somewhat mistreated (I would get punished for doing things wrong when I didn't know what I was doing in the first place). Also, Hannibal Lecter was there, but that was obviously from watching Silence of the Lambs recently (though it was a source of great anxiety in the dream).

Then, last night, I was trying to find a way to escape and discussing the prison's weaknesses with other inmates (though I never got a chance to actually attempt escaping). Oh, and Jason Segal was there...you know...because that's normal (and I saw Forgetting Sarah Marshall on Saturday).

Both were quite odd, and I can honestly say that I didn't like being in prison.

Mmm...Pirates is on USA.

It really goes without saying that it makes me exceedingly happy and pains me greatly to have to turn it off.

But alas, I have work to do. And I've seen it close to 10 times already.

And to be completely honest, I think I like the second one better. Evil Tom Hollander, a scruffy and dirty Commodore Norrington, a three-way battle between the hottest men, a lip-lock between Jack and Elizabeth, and Elizabeth dressed as a boy pirate? Really...it kicks the first one's ass.

Not to mention that it has significantly less plot holes. Because honestly, the Aztec curse makes no sense.

Though the original does have some great lines. So very quotable.


Damn, I love me some Commodore Norrington. And to be honest, Will is a bit of a pussy. I'm not a fan.

"The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder." - Alfred Hitchcock

Hilarious and so true.

----

In other news, I went shopping today and bought two dresses.

I was definitely not intending to do it, but they were on sale (40% off - I saved $52, plus I had a $25 gift card). I almost immediately regretted the purchases, and I may end up returning one or both. I think I'll see what the roommates think of them.

Additionally, I have two new bras. Exciting, no?

----

And some fun news: I mentioned before how I needed an 83 on my Geography exam to get an A for the semester. I got a 98. Which is crazy because I was estimating I got 3 or 4 questions wrong, but apparently I only missed one (there were 50 questions, so each was worth 2 points).

But that means I most certainly have an A for the semester, I most certainly won't be taking the final exam, and I am most certainly done with that class forever!

----

John Edwards doing the "Word" (or rather, the "EdWord") on "The Colbert Report" last night was HILARIOUS. I adore him. I was so looking forward to Kerry/Edwards '04. How on Earth did Bush get reelected?

And, though it probably goes without saying: Obama > Hillary. (Much like his cameo on "The Colbert Report" was better than her cameo). I like the lady, but come on now.

PS - Is is bad that I like Obama more because he's an elitist?

A truly fantastic night of buffalo chicken pizza, 101 Dalmatians (which was SO much better than I remembered...I mean, I remembered it being good, but it's REALLY good), Lady and the Tramp, and a round+ of Disney Scene It with Colleen.

Oh yeah. We're hard-core.


BTW - I'm ridiculously good at Disney trivia. Like...too good to be human. The first game of Scene It we played, I had gotten to the end and won the game, while Colleen was still only 6 spaces away from start. Granted, she kept rolling low numbers and getting All Plays, and I consistently rolled 4s and 6s and got an even number of All Plays and other challenges (My Plays, trivia card questions).

But still. It's almost embarrassing to be this good. She's good, too. I'm just freakish.

After that, we just did the Party Play so we could both participate.


Also, we have tentative plans to have a "Disney Day" and watch all sorts of obscure Disney flicks (like A Goofy Movie) as well as some more popular mainstream ones (I'm thinking an early-90s mini-marathon of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and The Lion King...and for those perfectionists out there, technically The Little Mermaid is "late 80s").

Oh, lofty goals. ;-)


PS - I think if I get a boy cat, I might name him "Sergeant Tibbs." It's a pretty kick-ass name for a cat.

I take back what I said about Ted Levine not being entirely recognizable as Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs while portraying Capt. Leland Stottlemeyer in "Monk."

It turns out that in the earlier years of the show, when his hair was darker and shorter, and his mustache significantly smaller...he is very much Buffalo Bill.

Eww.

I will still watch the episode, of course, but I never really liked the early seasons anyway. And Natalie is ten times better than Sharona (she was so annoying and kind of mean).

----

In other news: I just took my Geography exam, so I'm done with that class FOREVER. Sweet.

And grades will be posted later TONIGHT. Double sweet.

----

It's my Mom's birthday today. She turned 60. Whoa.

Additionally, I was the first of her children to call and wish her a "happy birthday" so I think I get a gold star for that.

Also, this weekend, she's coming out to Orlando (most likely with my aunt Judy) so we can go to a Norman Rockwell exhibit at the Orlando Museum of Art. I'd say "I'm taking her to the museum for her birthday" but that would imply that I'll be paying, and I seriously doubt she'll let me pay for myself, let alone for her.

But it should be a good time. We might even be heading to Downtown Disney afterward for some shopping.

----

I am TOTALLY craving some Pizza Hut. That greasy, yet crispy pan pizza crust is sounding soooo good.

Methinks I'll be ordering some delivery for dinner.

----

Tomorrow, I'm going shopping after class. I am in desperate need of new bras. Good thing I got a $100 Victoria's Secret gift card for Christmas.

I might also look for something new to wear to my cousin's wedding. I'm thinking of sporting the sweater and pants look...it's going to be cold and I really don't like dresses unless they are princess-y and I can't wear a princess-y dress to a wedding that isn't mine. Can't show up the bride and all that. I'll probably wear heels and hose, though, so that's something.

Florida Mall, here I come!

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I think that's all I've got.

My thesis, when all put together, with a title page, images, full footnotes, and a bibliography (all double-spaced), is 50 pages.

Heh. That's one hell of a .pdf file.

The content is only a little over 32 pages.


I'm really nervous to send it. Because after I do...I can't make any changes to it. I definitely don't want to go through and edit it again...but sending is so final.

[Edit: So I sent it. It was terrifying. (Which is silly, because I already have my grade for it, and I doubt my advisor is even going to read it.) So now it's out of my hands. Done.]


Also, does anyone else hate that Microsoft Word won't allow the first sentence of a paragraph to be the last line on a page? (I looked it up, it's called the "widow and orphan option.")

I understand why it's like that...but it just seems to be a waste of space. And looks like you're purposely trying to make a paper look longer. I don't approve.

Yesterday was a spectacularly brilliant, yet fairly uneventful day.


When I left for class at 8:30am, it was 56 degrees outside. Brrr! And it was lovely (and about the same temperature as back home in Chicago). It made me cheerful.

I handed in my final paper for American Cinema and because we have no final exam...it was our last class meeting ever. So I'm done with that class entirely. Hopefully I'll clinch an A for the semester. Additionally, class let out 20 minutes early, so I had plenty of time to run to the post office and drop off a Netflix, go to Best Buy to pick up Juno (which Colleen and I watched later that night), and even go to Panera during the lunch rush to get a sandwich to go. I knew I was in a cheery mood because the ridiculous lines and even more ridiculous people at the Panera did not make me annoyed, but rather amused.

I ate my lunch with due leisure at home before heading back to campus for Theory and Criticism in Art History. It was a note-intensive day, trying to cram in the last of the material needed for the final exam, while clarifying some of the material that got lost along the way. It was interesting, though, and there were many ideas that struck a cord.

After, I met with my professor to discuss my thesis. I was supposed to turn in a revised copy this week, but she said the draft I gave her two weeks ago was close enough to being finished that I don't need to give her anything else (it was completed, just not fully polished). She's giving me an A for the semester. Sweet. I still plan to revise it, and incorporate her comments, just for my own obsessive perfectionism.

Later, I went to my last lecture of Geography. We have an exam tomorrow (on the last day), and if I'm satisfied with my final grade at that point, I don't have to take the final exam next week. (I don't plan on taking the final exam regardless of my grade...I will be leaving at 2am that morning to drive up to Iron Mountain, Michigan for my cousin's wedding. So a 3pm final doesn't really work for me.)


What's really cool about all that? After tomorrow's Geography exam, I will have completed 3 of my 5 courses this semester...before finals week even starts. Sweet.

So I'll have the weekend to study for my two art history exams, which are Tuesday and Wednesday. And then I'm done. Forever. Whoa. A week from today and my college career is finished. Crazy.


Today, my only plans are to finish polishing my thesis and then study for Geography. I need an 83% on the exam to get an A for the semester. To this point, my scores have been 88, 87, and 94, so if I study hard enough, I might be able to clinch that. But if I end up with a B, I'll deal.

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In other news, I adore Michelle Obama. Not gonna lie. Love her. I think she'd be a kick-ass First Lady. Hillary-Clinton-circa-1993 style.