have a holly jolly christmas

As the child of an alcoholic, I find this song deeply and darkly hilarious.

things to make you cackle

strive to be happy

I have a quote on my fridge from Max Ehrmann that says:

Be gentle with yourself. 

You are a child of the universe 

no less than the trees and the stars. 

In the noisy confusion of life, 

keep peace in your soul

It's actually a carved up bit from a larger poem, Desiderata. The whole poem is pretty wonderful.

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others,
even to the dull and ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter;
for always there will be
greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career
however humble;
it is a real possession in the
changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you
to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit
to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore, be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham,
drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Break (v.)- separate or cause to separate into pieces as a result of a blow, shock, or strain

Sometimes I forget how it feels to feel broken. The kind of intensity about it that it brings to even the smallest tasks, because there is a simultaneous attempt to escape it and and resoluteness to bear it out by way of completing these simple missions. Turning the shower on to exactly the right heat. Watching a tea bag slowly seep into water. Minute details become exquisitely important, as you try to will your entire self into them to blur the pounding temples, the rising nausea. Everything must be quiet, quiet so your mind will be quiet too, so it will stand very very still, so those shattered pieces won't fall out of the frame.

validation

So I was turning in my final on Monday night and had the following exchange with my professor:
Prof. K: Your paper was excellent. You did a great job.
Me: Oh! Thanks!
Prof. K: I hope you've enjoyed the class.
Me: I have! This is actually my last real final of my masters, so it was a nice way to end things. I've enjoyed both classes I've had with you. Now I just have to write my thesis.
Prof. K: A thesis? What are you doing after this?
Me: I'm applying to Ph.D programs and I felt like writing a thesis would be helpful with that.
Prof. K: Absolutely. Well, if you need a letter of recommendation, I'd be happy to write you one. You've been an outstanding student in my classes.

He's the head of the graduate section of the English Dept. at Tulane. So. Awesome.

the minimum

me: boobs. stupid face. arbor mist in a bag.

Alyson:  OMG BEST PHOTO EVA

 

Taken: At the Fly on a day when we had lots of other things to do but didn't want to do them so instead drove to the river with screwtop wine (because we forgot the corkscrew) and some guitars and made up songs about random things until the sun went down.

101 in 1001- November update

23)See 26 movies I've never seen, starting with each letter of the alphabet.
J- Jakob the Liar (1999)
Z- Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

24) Learn 1 new word a week.
Somnambulant- walking or having the habit of walking while asleep
Glazier- One who cuts and fits panes of glass, as for windows
Presentment- semblance
Specie- A coin or coins of gold, silver, copper, or other metal

35) Give up soft drinks for 2 months.
Forgot to throw this one on there when I first typed up this list. I found I didn't really miss them at all and I'm hoping this means I'll drink a lot less from now on. Of course, I did promptly go get a Mountain Dew yesterday, but only because I was at Taco Bell, which has become a very rare thing for me.


83) Review 20 places on Yelp! and/or Urbanspoon.
16) Back To The Garden
17) Cochon

97) Take the GREs, both the general and the literature.
What an awful, nerve-wracking experience. Do not recommend. Especially within a couple of months of one another.

101) Host a fancy dress party.
This was so much fun! Definitely DO recommend. Lots of people commented on how fun it was to get dressed up and go somewhere.

Full list here