wNov 1, 2009


Third Eye Blind

So I haven't gone to Halloween on State Street for the last couple of years. My freshman/sophomore years of college, it was like, 90,000 people and there was tear gas and it was bad-ass.

Now you have to pay to get on the street and there are bands all over the place, and you can actually comfortably walk from one place to the next (previously, it took all night to go five blocks).

But this year, Third Eye Blind was the headliner band so I went! It was weird being on State Street this year: in the past, I was always impressed with everyone else's ingenuity, but this year I was kind of like, "WTF, that's all you fuckers have? Pick something and figure out how to wear as little clothing as humanly possible and still be recognizable as the thing you're being for Halloween?" There were no costumes that made me go, "How clever!/How badass!" [Well, there were at 's party, but not on State Street.]

Kristy and Chad came too, mostly because since 7th grade on, Kristy and I have loved Third Eye Blind with relatively equal abandon.

Also, Stephan Jenkins was my celebrity crush in high school.

Look at the man!

Third Eye Blind was my favorite band during my formative years that I still love listening to. I imprint on songs heavily: when I like a song, I can listen to it on repeat for weeks (literally: ask Steph). I know some of these songs better than I know my favorite books.


My favorite song is probably Wounded, but tonight when they played, it was just AWESOME. Thousands of kids my age filling a street, in costume, screaming the words to Jumper and Semi-Charmed Life. AHHH, amazing!!

ALSO, okay, so Kristy, Chad, and I were about 100 feet away from the stage. Everyone was a dumbass, filled the center path only, so by just being on stage-left a little bit, we had a clear view of everything, were very close to the stage, but were not pressed up against anyone.
Anyway, at one point Stephan Jenkins was getting people to clap there hands AND I SWEAR TO GOD HE POINTED AT ME [there was a clear spot of empty people in front of me and my hat made me stand out a little I think], and then pointed two fingers at his eyes and then at mine in a Barney Stinson-esque way to be like, "YES, YOU!"

OMG HE POINTED AT ME! He wore a top hat and a white collared shirt and a suit coat! He screamed and sounded exactly like he does on the CDs! He called us all motherfuckers and everyone raised their fists and were like, YEAHHH! WE ARE MOTHERFUCKERS!

Ahh! I don't know how I'm supposed to go to sleep tonight!

Labels: , , ,

scribbled mystickeeper at 1:12 AM
0 comments



wFeb 22, 2008


Treading Water

I am an excellent bus-navigator
After dance class, I set out to myself some new car keys.

I took the bus to a car dealership by the West Transfer Point. This dealership could not make me my key (no dealership would answer this question over the phone, for reasons I cannot begin to understand). Thus, my first bus route has been for naught.
That was bus ride #1.

I got myself to the second car dealership okay Luckily, this car dealership was able to make the correct ignition key for my car. With the key in hand, I set off up the street. Perhaps it helps to paint a picture: I am dressed nicely for work, in tights and a dress. Because the streets and sidewalks are full of ice and slush, I am wearing leather shoe-boots, with my nice black shoes inside my backpack. Because it is cold out, I am wearing a sweater, large mittens, a scarf, and a coat over my dress.
That was bus ride #2.

With the key safe in my backpack, I walked a number of blocks and picked up lunch at Subway, and got on another bus. I finally arrived at work around 2pm, only 2.5 hours late, which I think is pretty damn good, considering I rode around half the city.
That was bus ride #3.

Of course, these maps do not show my bus rides from my house to campus, or from the Capitol to my house (it being the internets and all!). But I rode the bus for many hours on Wednesday. Needless to say, I am very happy to have my car keys again. My car did not get a ticket for being parked on the street, so that was another plus.


BWAHAHAHA
Wednesday night, I fell asleep at like, 10pm or something ridiculous, and didn't wake up until 5:15am or something. Thus, Thursday was spent hurriedly preparing my presentation that I gave today, for my Global Cultures seminar. I mentioned this before - it's the class in which everyone has studied abroad, and I did my presentation on representations of gender in U.S. comics versus Japanese manga. I was a bit nervous, and some of my co-workers assured me that, were they my classmates, they would make fun of me for the entire presentation. However, this was not the case. In fact, at one point, my professor asked me if I knew any Japanese. I said, "Well, I've watched so much anime that there are a number of phrases that I could say. I know that makes me sound like a huge loser---" and like, 3 girls were shaking their heads, and said, "Oh, no! You're not!" BWAHAHA. Anyway. So I got to show everyone pictures of Sailor Moon and Nausicaa, as well as Batman and Yorick Brown. A good day's work, in the end.

My professor told me that I had done a good job, despite my feeling inadequate over never having studying abroad. And two of my classmates were asking me questions after class. One of them told me that I had done a really good job, and she liked it a lot. I was feeling so awesome that I realized that this is one thing I don't get enough of, by attending a huge university: affirmation.


WHAT NOW?
I feel like a huge weight has been taken off of my shoulders, now that my presentation is finished. Still, I have an English paper to work on that's due next Thursday, and my Constitutional Law midterm gets handed out on Tuesday. I'd also like to go home for a weekend (maybe next weekend!), not to mention cleaning my room, and spending more than 20 minutes with my boyfriend.

Two of my friends and I have to go out to some dance concert this weekend (tonight?!), because even though my Ballroom Dance class is only 1 credit, there are a number of extra curricular events we must attend, lest we fail the class. I personally think that this is stupid, and a ploy for the Dance Department to get my money (because, you know, I'm not already paying to take this course!). Also, what the hell! My weekends: I want them.

In the end, I can usually balance work, college, and a social life. But every time it comes down to it, this job-finding business is what I end up setting aside. I need to do a better job at it. One of my Lenten goals is to do at least one thing every day that is related to my finding a job. I need to do much better at it, although my "weekly room-cleaning" goal also needs significant work.

I think that what all of this means is that I need to get off of the Internet.

Labels: , ,

scribbled mystickeeper at 5:26 PM
0 comments



wFeb 9, 2008


Links

I've never gone, but if you live in Madison, Cinematheque seems like a nice way to spend time. Good, obscure movies for free, on various nights of the week. I actually only thought they showed movies on Saturdays, which is why I've never gone (Anime Club), but looking at their schedule, it seems like there are various nights on which movies are shown.

As you might remember, Bob, I spent a couple of days per week this summer being an intern at Bleak House Books. Several Bleak House books have been nominated for some Edgar Awards (a big deal in the mystery genre). Articles are here and here. I just think that's so cool. I highly recommend Head Games - I think it's probably the best thing I read at Bleak House during my summer there. I corrected a lot of the Spanish from the original manuscript! Awesome.

To nobody's surprise, when the Mystery Writers of America announced the finalists for the 2008 Edgar Awards last week titles from the large New York houses dominated the eight (out of a total of 13) categories dealing with books. But one small Wisconsin press is more than holding its own among the 35 books and five short stories selected as this year's Edgar Awards nominees. Three of the 15 titles released this past year by Bleak House Books in Madison, an imprint of Big Earth Books, have been nominated for 2008 Edgar Awards in three different categories: Soul Patch by Reed Farrel Coleman (Best Novel), Head Games by Craig McDonald (Best First Novel), and "Blue Note" by Stuart M. Kaminsky from the Chicago Blues collection (Best Short Story).


I don't know where I originally found the link to this page, but I know it was somewhere on LiveJournal. Anyway, a trope-wiki has a list of all of the tropes found in Revolutionary Girl Utena here. Yes, all of those things really are part of the show. PS: You should watch Revolutionary Girl Utena! One of my favorite shows of all time.

Lastly, everyone needs to see why I was excited about Christian Kane's singing in the last episode of Angel that I watched, EVEN THOUGH IT'S COUNTRY. There are only spoilers in this clip if you don't know who makes up the main cast of the show Angel. Please enjoy the cheesy dialogue that is a staple of Angel filler episodes (and sometimes the dramatic ones, too!).

Labels: , , , , ,

scribbled mystickeeper at 1:41 PM
0 comments



wApr 21, 2007


Shit just got real!

Yes, I am awake! I woke up at 7:15, in fact. I am dressed; I am wearing a skirt; my window is open; birds are singing; people are already walking and biking by. I will be off to the farmer's market, and Steph and Antoine will go with me. I am so excited to buy and sample delicious food.

After he made dinner for me last night, Antoine and I went to go see the movie Hot Fuzz. The movie was directed by the same guy who did "Shaun of the Dead" and the two main actors are also the same. Instead of a romantic comedy with zombies, this movie is a copy action film set in a small town in England. Unlike "Shaun of the Dead," which I believe won me over instantly, this movie took 30-40 minutes to thoroughly convince me. And from there, it was brilliant. Go see it! Unless you hate excessive violence. In that case, definitely don't see it.

Andy: You do know there are more guns in the country than there are in the city.
Other Andy: Everyone and their mums is packin' round here!
Nicholas Angel: Like who?
Andy: Farmers.
Nicholas Angel: Who else?
Other Andy: Farmers' mums.

Anyway, I'm off to make myself breakfast and possibly dry my hair with the diffuser if I feel ambitious. I have a paper to work on, but I feel okay about it. Like, "I can do that. It'll be okay." Perhaps I'll hate myself all day Sunday, though; we'll see.

Labels: , , ,

scribbled mystickeeper at 8:40 AM
0 comments



wApr 7, 2007


A Tower of Babble

You can really tell when writing is a habit. Today, for instance, I feel unsettled no matter what I try to do, and I know it's because I need to write some of my thoughts somewhere. It's a good thing I maintain a blog, right?

All These Things That I've Done
On Thursday after work, I went to the library to get some audio books for my solitary journey. I was lucky enough to run into Gretchen, and meet her girlfriend Jo, who's visiting from Ireland (!). Yay! I picked more manga (duh) and ended up shooting in the dark and making some really nice audio book selections. I got a BBC production of "Lady Susan," which was a story written by Jane Austen told through a series of letters. It's not one of her six novels, so not as many people know it as well. Still, it's a fun story if you like Jane Austen (and a lot of pretentious English majors don't, for reasons I can't fathom. I don't consider her to be heavy or great literature, but you can't deny Austen's command over the English language. The stories are interesting, light, and fun reading.), and I highly recommend the audio version (I'm sure the written version reads nicely, too). It was read by a full cast of actors, so it was fun to listen to.

I also checked out "Dress Your Family in Courderoy and Denim," written and read by David Sedaris. I've been meaning to check out Me Talk Pretty One Day for some time, and this cements it for me. I think Sedaris might end up being one of my favorite authors.

I did some shopping at the outlet mall, which brought the rewards of a new pair of jeans, polo shirt, and pants that I can wear at work. All were needed, so that was good.

My sister and her family have moved into a new house, and it's really nice. It's a two-story house, and those have always seemed huge to me, who grew up in a one-story home. I've eaten two meals there so far this weekend, and will eat two more before I leave.

Last night, Kristy and Chad joined us at my sister's house and we watched "The Good Shepherd." It was a pretty good movie, although it was sad that the main character was kind of an emotionless jerk. Meh. Secret societies like Yale's Skull and Bones creep me out a lot. Also, why is it that in movies like these, it's always the kids at the top of their class at Ivy League schools who are tapped to head Secret Governmental Organizations? Wouldn't it be more prudent to pick average students at Ivy League-esque state schools? KIDS LIKE ME?! We would be much lower on the radar, you know. Much less suspicious. I would gladly be trained to do badass things in secret, although not the CIA. They tend to do jerkish things, like sensory deprivation torture, and assassinations and whatever. I'm not about that. But like, if I could be spirited away to foreign countries, and read manga or be a Senate Page to save the world? I WOULD TOTALLY DO IT.

I was doing awesomely on the homework situation, but somehow I'd forgotten about my Shakespeare class in the last 48 hours. Still, I've done enough that I think I'll be in a good position for the coming week.

I lament the fact that I can't bring all my books back to school with me. Even though I don't have room for any more, I'll be bringing more back with me. I'm confident that I'll be able to find a cheap bookshelf somewhere during the early summer. Summer! I will have time to browse garage sales, SWAP, and Goodwill. Oh man, I wish it was summer. Although, not quite yet. I need to formulate a plan for what this summer will be like and what I'd like to do during it. But still! Soon, the Farmer's Market will move outdoors again and I am so excited for that to happen! Fresh vegetables, pesto cheese curds that squeak in my teeth, fresh bakery, and other delicious things. It will be heavenly.

Even being home for just these few days, I'm glad I won't be here for another summer. I feel like I've taken all I can from this town, and I'm ready to be in Madison among friends for a summer.

Current Music: The End of Despair - Suneohair

Labels: , , ,

scribbled mystickeeper at 4:19 PM
2 comments



wJan 9, 2007


!

SO. I was gone this weekend, obviously, in Madison. I bought lots of books at used bookstores, but all of the books were for classes I'm going to be taking this semester! I'm pretty excited for the classes I'm going to be taking, although a bit frightened because I don't know how I'm going to stay caught up with the readings. I highly doubt I'll be able to read anything outside of class this semester, :/
Right now I'm signed up for 5 classes: Shakespeare (we'll read 15 plays, 1600 and on), Fantasy & Science Fiction (!!!), English Novel: 19th Century, Topics in Dutch Lit Translation: Anne Frank (yes, a whole class on Anne Frank!), and 19th Century Scandinavian Fiction.
So my book list (which doesn't have all of the classes reporting in yet) contains: Watchmen (Alan Moore), Frankenstein, stuff by Ray Bradbury, Utopia by Thomas More, Gulliver's Travels, Lord of the Rings (!!!!), Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Alice in Wonderland, Great Expectations, "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen (and other stuff by him, Hans Christian Anderson, The Diary of Anne Frank, and of course badass plays like Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth.
Still, I'm a little scared. This is the first time since 8th grade that I'll have more than 4 classes at once. In high school, we had a block schedule, and only ever had 4 classes at a time. One of the classes is online, so we'll see.....
I'm also going to be having an internship during school for the first time. AND I'll be an editor at the Daily Cardinal one day a week, for the Almanac page. It will be an exciting semester, if nothing else.

How did I get so sidetracked??
Anyway! This weekend was really fun! I got to eat at Real Chili, which was as delicious as always, and at Perkin's. And I got to spend lots of time with Antoine, which was very nice, along with some other friends, too. :D

I was hella tired when I got home, though. Yesterday, I worked for a while, and then went to Chad's for the DVD-version of Clue with a group of friends. It was fun!

Anyway. I have lots of things I SHOULD be doing, but am somehow too lazy to do. Hopefully I'll rectify this somehow. I definitely need to write tonight, even if only a paragraph. I also think I'm going to a movie with a couple friends who I haven't seen in forever.

"Porco Rosso" was a really excellent film, but I'm too lazy to go into depth. If you want a review, search the internet for one!

Labels: , ,

scribbled mystickeeper at 3:47 PM
3 comments