A Bag

My mother and my sister-in-law are both crafty ladies; I like to think of myself as rather crafty; I like to quilt, knit, crochet, scrapbook, make cards, etc. However, I haven't done much in that vein in awhile, being that most of the time I'm studying (or feeling guilty about not studying). Over Thanksgiving, my sister-in-law was making Christmas cards, and she and my mom were working on a quilt they are making for a cousin who recently got married. The combination of jealousy that I wasn't projecting, plus a brief excursion to a quilt store where I fell in love with some fabric, ended up in a few hours diversion in which I made a purse, bag, thing.

Look at those birds. I couldn't leave it in the store. It's not highly crafted; there are exposed seams on the inside, but I don't particularly care. And, there is a lining and specially designed pockets to hold my essentials with room for a book, stack of student papers, and a water bottle.

My ipod and two pens.

My cell phone and keys.

I'm pleased and only slightly distraught. Rather then satiating my crafty gene, it just made me realize how much I miss it!

Talk Nerdy to Me

At a recent conference, I met a fellow grad student who made an insightful point: gamers make excellent boyfriends for grad students. She suggested that they are inclined to spend large chunks of time playing, perfect for getting work done; if he wants to spend time with you, you can just encourage him to finish his level, and you're guaranteed another couple hours to yourself; and all of your preoccupation with school can be guilt-free!

Much of the tv that I've watched of late has been G4, and I've become rather enamored of Attack of the Show and one of its hosts, Kevin Pereira. The guy is rather cute, especially funny, and has serious geek cred--what's not to love? The other new tv in my life is The Big Bang Theory, and I will admit that I am deeply in love with Sheldon, the uber-geek with a PhD in physics. Seeing as he's just a character though, it may be harder to imagine actually meeting him (or someone of his ilk).

So, I'm sold on the theory; I'm ready. But now the question is, how do I find a real one?

Blerg

I'm sick. I have some sort of sore throat issue that refuses to become a real cold--my nose isn't especially runny, and my infrequent coughing is not "productive." I felt so awful on Monday that I canceled my classes, a first for me. But, I was giving a presentation in my class, so I still attended and did my thing, which went as well as can be expected, I guess. Because I was going to be on campus (and because I canceled classes), I went to the health center. I haven't been to the doctor in like eight years, so I was a bit scared, but it turned out okay. She said it was probably just a virus, not strep, so I guess that's good. I so rarely get sick that I don't know how to deal with myself. I can't concentrate on anything, so I feel negligent (of my studies and classes). Sigh, I just want to feel better.

Dog!

So if you're local, you've heard about the tragic pet hoarding situation that was recently discovered. If not, a woman had over 300 living cats and dogs in her house and 200 dead ones. While they were not abused per say, they were not fully taken care of. Since their rescue, they've been taking care of by the TAILS Humane society in DeKalb.

Today was the first day that the animals were available for adoption. I didn't go (studying for exams) with my mom and brother, but they said there were a lot of people there. Ultimately, Nathan ended up choosing this one.


And he seems like he's going to be a good friend.


***UPDATE: His name is Gibson.

Finally

It's been a long time coming, but I finally saw Across the Universe, and I loved it! Now I'm willing to admit when my personal entertainment and aesthetic desires trump my critical eye*, but I don't think this is the case. Yes, I went into the film wanting to like it, but after Eden's disappointment, I was on my guard.

Since I had the soundtrack, I knew which songs were going to be used, but it was still a delight to see how they were used: US Army posters singing "I want you; I want you so bad;" a girl forlornly singing to her oblivious crush "I want to hold your hand." In addition to the new and interesting levels the film brought to the songs, the visuals were stunning with their unique juxtapositions (e.g. the near-opening sea waves crashing over and through newspapers and video clips of war and race riots). Not having any first-hand experience with the 60s, this is a fairly inexpert opinion, but the film really seemed to capture a wide multitude of experiences and emotions that were jostled together in that time. I can't wait to own it, look at some of the scenes in-depth and then write about it!

I'm sure people will make various levels and depths of comparison to our current war, but ultimately the film was hopeful and uplifting, not so much anti-war as pro-peace and love, which I quite liked.



*I probably should be ashamed of my deep-seeded love of Hudson Hawk, but I'm not.