Professional Development

This weekend our department is hosting a conference. It happens every year and is a fairly notable one. I presented today on narrative structure in Orlando both Virginia Woolf's novel and Sally Potter's film. It went okay. I was a little nervous, and I think I went over my twenty minute time limit. Another notch on the cv. I wonder how much a school is really going to look at my conference presentations and if that'll effect my being hired.

I'd much rather spend my weekend cleaning my room, watching Angel, and working on my term paper (though not grading papers and that I'm going to have to do). It's so frustrating that I'm expected to participate in the profession at the level of a professional, while being a student and a teacher all at once. Plus, I'd like to have some semblance of a life. I feel like the only thing I'm capable of doing when not working on school stuff is being at home in my pajamas, watching tv and going for the occasional walk in the woods.

I know its just a matter of gritting my teeth and cranking through, but I'm a bit overwhelmed at the thought of another three-plus years of this.

Shout-out's and Frivolities.

I know I've plugged it before, but I don't think you're listening: Watch Veronica Mars...yes, you! It's just fantastic and looking like its going to be around for awhile longer. So, you'd save yourself the trouble of coming to it later when its wildly popular by getting in at the ground floor now. Last night's episode (an interesting return of Troy for those familiar) started two Arrested Development actors, one of whose character was from "Wheaton, Illinois." Huzzah! National recognition!!

The question of the morning (before I grade annotated bibliographies) is how to spend approximately $150 frivolously? I won a department award for a paper I wrote for my post-colonial/post-imperial class last semester, and they gave me money! I've decided to be decadent, but how will that best be optimalized? I welcome all suggestions. Right now some of my thoughts include Season 1 of VM plus a Best Buy spree, a digital camera (haven't decided which and I'd have to cough up my own money too to get anything worth having), some sort of day spa package, or there's a bracelet at Tiffany's that I quite like.

*Sniff*

I was very sad when my perfume Grace (from Victoria's Secret) ran out because it has been discontinued. Ever gamely, I bought a new scent (this time from Gap, department stores are just too expensive); this one is called Heaven.

I even smell redeemed.

Well, Golly

Its been quite awhile since I've posted. Where do the days go? Especially since I clock daily time on the internet reading other people's blogs.

The past two weeks have swung rapidly between the busy/not-busy* ends of the spectrum. I had spring break in which I was productively lazy. I didn't sleep for ten hours a day (as has happened in the past), but read lots of books and watched lots of movies/tv shows for fun. That meant that my dreams for productivity were not realized, and I spent the last five days sleeping very little and writing very much (ooo, that sounds awkward, hopefully I was more eloquent in my papers).

Between the true breakyness of spring break and when I got educational religion, I went on a retreat with my junior high youth group. It was basically fun, but my girls were crazy. They all brought excessive amounts of candy and caffeine and were hell-bent on sleeping as little as possible. The first night it was after 3:30 when I finally put on the mean-teacher-voice and told them "You have to stop talking on the phone/text-messaging the boys in the next cabin and go to bed!" The second night I slept in the adjoining room and gave them a one o'clock lights out. They were rather tired then, so I think it was upheld, but I fell asleep before getting a chance to check on them.

Amusing incident of the weekend: after being told they should probably only use their cell-phones in an emergency, one girl justified aloud to her friend that a broken hair-straightener was one and she needed to call home. I listened to her explain, twice, to her dad why she was calling, and at one point, she vehemently said "It is the end of the world."

*I accidentally typed "not-busty," and we all know I'll never live on that street. Hehe.

What's a Girl to Do?

I don't think I would describe myself as lonely; I'm very good at keeping myself entertained. I just wish I had a partner in crime. I was reading/writing at Starbucks today; I'm generally quite productive when I go out to work, my bedroom having a high concentration of distractors--cable tv, my dvd and book collection, an internet accessible computer... So, my problem at Starbucks (and where ever I try to work) is I need a (mostly) silent partner. I need somebody to watch my stuff when I go to the bathroom. I need somebody to listen to me read aloud the occasional interesting/indiscernible sentence, comment, and then go back to her/his own work. I need somebody that I'm comfortable enough with that I don't feel the insecure need to be witty/clever/memorable/entertaining so that this individual will want to continue our relationship. In short, I need an old friend. Everyone around here is too new; I need to perform, or at least be in active getting-to-know you mode when around anyone. All my kindred spirits are too far away, and when I see them I want to be friendshiping, not companioning (does that make sense?).

Truthfully, I don't see a solution in sight. Once I finish my degree and I can either move near an old friend or spend time making an old friend without worrying about finishing up term papers!

So Good

I know I'm a little late to the bandwagon, but I'd like to think there's still room. I watched Walk the Line for the first time yesterday. Sigh. It was awesome. I think its interesting that despite the depravity of Hollywood and their themes (so raves my father), there were still many redemptively themed stories such as Cash's and oscar-winning Crash. Heck, I even thought The End of the Spear was pretty good.

So, in the past two days I've also bought and watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Pride & Prejudice, and, though my bank account is rather strained until the eagle next flies, I am sorely tempted to buy Walk the Line or at the very least, the soundtrack--just because I so love Joaquin and Reese.

People on the Internet...

...make me laugh. For instance, an amazon "So You'd Like to..." list for "Spending a Fortune and Making the FBI Most Wanted List." To be honest, its rather genius. And such good hearted fun (there's plenty on the net that isn't).

Currently, I'm avoiding working on my book review for Middle English Literature, but I hope to finish it before I go to bed. Yesterday, I didn't finish all my grading (big surprise), but I also want to--at least--get the proposals done tonight.

I did read English as a Second Language (Crane, 2004), which was rather forgettable and silly--people in grad school in England can't drink that much (at least not and still pass their classes!). I read a few chapters in Levenger founder and CEO Steve Leveen's book The Little Guide to a Well-Read Life, which, based on his advice to give up on a book you aren't enjoying after the first 50 pages, I may or may not finish.

This morning I finally started Robin McKinley's Sunshine and am loving it! I'm sure there'll be more to report later. Right now, I can pontificate on the wonders of Neil Gaiman and his Sandman series. These are graphic novels that are Important. They are more truly capital "a" Art than many a novel I've read (see aforementioned chick lit disaster). Visually and narratively these books do some of what I love most--intertextuality that blends pop culture and erudite high art. There's a lot I don't know about this genre/medium, but from what I know, these books are significant for bringing more attention from both the mainstream and critics. So, read 'em.

Oh, and a word of warning. When buying the new Harry Potter, be sure to get the double disc, special edition. Two versions are out there, and I got the single disc. So, I've got to go back to the store to return and make the switch.

Spring Break

While I am quite excited for spring break, I don't feel that I desparately needed it. I have been enjoying this semester, and I don't even feel too far behind on most of my work. Granted, I would have been in trouble for one of my papers had this next week not been free, but still, I feel like I'm on track. I'm at a comfortable pace in my life.

That being said, I have giant, Josh-sized, ambitions and goals that I hope to accomplish this week, but when I sat down and mapped the week out, I felt good. I even have the last Friday-Sunday off so I can go on a retreat with Genesis, my junior high youth group.

Tonight, I'm taking a break. I'm watched the last two episodes of Project Runway; I'm going to read some chick lit I just got from the library, and I'm going to watch Angel (still only in Season 2, grr). Tomorrow's goals: grade research paper topic proposals and synthesis papers, watch Proof, attend a bbq for the Genesis leaders, and maybe some room cleaning.

I'll let you know how it goes.

For Real Free Downloads

I'd never really realized until tonight what an extensive collection of free downloads that amazon has. Some are really good (as in download this now!), some cheery (and appropriate for the upcoming holiday), and some just goofy.