parenthesis and pants.

Last night I realized that the last couple of months have been strangely reminiscent of my first year at UCLA, almost completely because of my speechies. I used to lay on the ground in the hallways in Hedrick Hall (3 North, Baby!), and talk to people I loved for hours, regardless of the hours worth of homework I had to do. I'm pretty much doing the same thing now, only I get to sit in my office or peruse the squadroom. Yay for moving up, and yay for reliving the very, very best of times (Cheers, Charles Dickens). In example, last night I almost peed on myself when Anna McD literally appeared out of a trash can and I literally ran away (similar to that time I tried to go see The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which is a horrible, horrible movie). I have not laughed that hard for a long time (or been so near to heart failure). There you go, Emmap. I totally blogged about it.

Christmas break cannot come too soon, but the above realization is going make it full of miss-age. I think that's one of the two best benefits of Facebook: 1) alleviation of school break friend miss-age, and 2) flat out stalking.

Thank God for academia and weeks that kinda* end on Thursday. Only two assignments and fourteen and a half hours left.

*This weekend, we (as in Baby Thesis** and me) are trying a new plan: the library.
**SD is helping me brainstorm for a Thesis name. Sadly, they don't have books of options for these things. Results coming soon.

--buelsy (ready to take a big, fat sleeping pill)

catch up time.

ITEMS I LOVE ONLY BECAUSE THEY ARE VEHICLES FOR KETCHUP:
-Hard boiled eggs
-Scrambled eggs
-Eggs in general
-Hot Dogs
-Hamburgers
-Chicken McNuggets
-French Fries
-Sweet Potato Fries
-Hash Browns
-Breakfast Potatoes
-Potatoes in general
-Onion Rings
-Cheese Curds
-John Kerry

The No-Drinking-Till-My-Thesis-Is-Born Idea: Decision made. I will not drink until my thesis is turned in to the graduate college. HOWEVER, there will be three preexisting non inclusions to this plan. 1) 1-2 California Christmas Break Instances (in which it would be socially awkward to politely refuse), 2) Valenslime's Day (what's love without a little drunk?) , and 3) Complete-And-Utter (udder!) Nervous Breakdowns. Important Note: These are not intentions to deviate from The Plan, but rather last resorts designed to prevent my admittance to a mental health facility (we really just can't afford that). Furthermore, these non inclusions will be limited to 2 drinks of choice, and will not resemble binge drinking, which I learned from a persuasive speech in Oral Comm. today is very bad indeed.

In other (less interesting) news, I started taking vitamins again and now my stomach wants to kill me. Literally. It is attempting to end my life right now. Vitamins and I apparently do not get along. Ow.

I'll be in my office until late Thursday evening, doing all of the work that I failed to complete over Thanksgiving "Break." Then on Friday, best day of all days, I will collapse face down for several hours and be assumed comatose by A. Then I will doing Anything-But-School for several more hours. This may or may not include: Christmas Present Shopping, Christmas Card Making, Hat Knitting, and Writing More Blog Posts With Too Many Unnecessary Capitol Letters.

--buelsy (ouch. my life hurts.)

headache city.

I'm playing around with this little idea called: no drinking until the thesis is complete (April 15, 2008 is the current due date). I believe this course of action would be beneficial for four (for four!) reasons:

1) Like babies, theses risk birth defects when their mothers imbibe alcohol (Mine has arguably already incurred damage. I'm sorry, little thesis!)
2) Alcohol kills brain cells. If I have EVER in my life needed brain cells, it's now. I can kill them later... when I have tenure.
3) Think of all the calories! This would be a good way to kick start the diet I've been procrastinating on and lose a good five to ten pounds without going to the gym (cringe).
4) Alchie is expensive. No drinks for five months could translate into lots of other lovely consumerism for Buelsy.

I'm not making a final decision yet, because let's face it, five months is long time to be the Designated Driver, the Sober and Snobby Onlooker, the Polite Decliner, and the Crazed Graduate Student without Release (Well, I take that last one back. I in fact find release in plenty of other things such as Reality TV, Really Good Thai Food, Going to Target, and Online Window Shopping). Thinking very seriously about this whole idea, though... final decision coming soon.

I have SO MUCH TO DO today. First and most importantly: eat some oatmeal and take something pharmaceutic to stop the sensation of entire freeways of cars crashing into my head.

--buelsy (all about the excess)

exciting news...

Thanks to K for the above. How awesome is that? I think I need every article of my clothing to be adorned with this announcement-slash-warning so that the rest of the world will finally understand why I am the way I am.

--buelsy (lots of christmas music, not a lot of productivity)

charles shaw.

We're home from Chicago. A got a keyboard at some super Black Friday sale in Palatine, and now there are gigantic keyboard boxes laying all over the living room. Annie and Tuta (Christmas Island's Most Fashionable Kitty Social Lights) are loving it. They are also loving the Itty Bitty Christmas Tree that is now on one of our side tables. Our tree kicks Charlie Brown's tree's ass (proving pictures coming soon).

I just smelled UCLA. Weird-sad. UCLA is such a phenomenon to me; those were two of my favorite years of my life, and they went so incredibly fast. As (completely) happy as I am now, I still occasionally wonder why I was so powerless in 2006 and unable to force a continuation of that... era of wonderfulness. Thinking about it makes me sad-ish.

Best part about the most recent trip: TRADER JOE'S. We stocked up on Yellow Curry Tuna dinners, Soy Milk, Pesto Pasta, Punkin' Granola, Frozen Asian Chicken Breasteses, Holiday Ginger Cookies, and most importantly... TWO BUCK CHUCK! Well, three buck chuck in Chi-town. There's a reason why they call California the golden state. (Unexpected homesickness. First the UCLA smell, then Trader Joe's and two dollar wine... Simi Valley living sounds pretty good right about now).

I'm having a last hurrah right now on two levels (Have I mentioned that I love enumeration?). First, I'm drinking and being food-merry, for tomorrow I shall diet or die, whichever comes first. Second, I'm doing things that need not be done, like blogging, and Internet window shopping, and watching Blood Diamond and knitting hats in pretty colors. Tomorrow there's going to be a gi-normous change of lifestyle. DIET and SCHOOL are the new hardcore life themes until December 13th, at which point finals are over and Buelsy can start remembering the smell of the Golden State and happy times without what-might-be-tears-and-stress-wrinkles all over her face.

--buelsy (wishes she could be trader jane)

happy turkey.

A and I are in Chicago for Thanksgiving with my extended family. Getting here was anything but pleasant. The four hour trip became seven hours thanks to snow, slush, and my unusually slow storm driving (I'M FROM CALIFORNIA, DAMMIT!). Now that we're here though, we're having good time, except for missing the peeps in Simi Valley pretty bad. Consolation on that note: the Christmas trip is less than a month away. Freak out on that note: Two thesis chapter due dates are less than a month away. Do we hear an eek? Eek.

The Midwest Winter Bulge is rearing its ugly head, which means that after this trip, I will be eating tuna fish, oatmeal and lean cuisines like nobody's business. This also means that I will be having an extraordinary, pants-buttons-bursting goodbye session with all other foods this afternoon.

Hillary Clinton on Sunday. There are benefits to living in Christmas Island.

--buelsy (has a date with a boy and a bird).

roller coaster madness.

Wow. Back from NCA, which was a pretty cool and also pretty intense experience. Nonstop brain explosion for 5 days. A and I tried to decide on descriptive themes for the experience. Mine? NCA 2007: How to save $175*. His? NCA 2007: Resort to Violence. HA. We're heading back to Chicago on Wednesday for Thanksgiving. Getting ready for yet another trip means that my life should be ranking about an 8 on the buelsy productivity scale today. However, there are other things I would like to do that are neither prudent nor affordable, but nonetheless very very tempting.

*I definitely did not register for this experience. I knew the "poor grad student card" would serve me well some day.

LIST OF THINGS THAT WOULD BE LOVELY IF DONE TODAY:
1. Shop for new clothes. I need long sleeves!
2. Watch three to four movies.
3. Put up Christmas lights and Christmas tree.
4. Knit hats.
5. Make artsy-fartsy Christmas cards.
6. Work on new Oral Comm. packet for Fall 2008.

LIST OF THINGS THAT MUST BE DONE FOR LIFE SURVIVAL TODAY:
1. Clean Messy Manor and the clothes of its inhabitants.
2. Work her not-super-skinny ass out.
3. Edit Methods Chapter for C-H.
4. Grade.
5. Read/Write Poli. Comm. textbook review.
6. Pay utilities bill.

Thankfully, there are a few cross over things on these lists that must be done but are also mildly enjoyable. Like working out, grading and paying utilities bills. Good places to get started.

--buelsy (she thinks she can, she thinks she can).

insane or just sleep deprived? you decide.

I feel like I'm losing it. I'm misspelling my favorite words, I'm walking into rooms with purposes that I forget the minute I get through the door, I'm getting teary-eyed when I retell duos I watched over the weekend, I'm writing checks for my utilities bill and not mailing them, I'm thinking about going to bed even though I still need to plan my class, hem my pants, pack for NCA and paint my nails (the important things, people!).

The weekend was okay. Both very frustrating and very fun for the usual respective reasons. I kinda of fell in love with the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Coolest town ever. If the idea of getting a PhD in the next few years continues to amuse me, I'm going to apply there. Let me warn you though, dear readers (all three of you), the idea is verging on NOT amusing right about now.

Next year is pretty much worked out. Arguably the coolest thing that has happened in my life so far.

--buelsy (too bad she still has to write that thesis)

side note(s).

I'm all about soothing life's traumas (see previous post) with animated movies. Watching Flushed Away right now. With Hot Wings/Blue Cheese Doritos. Which are fab.

Bee-Tee-Dub (if you get that sort of lingo, I love you), I was just realizing to A that I'm only going to be home for three days over the two weeks, so if I'm not so much about the updating, this is why:

Friday-Sunday (late, late): Tournament in Wisconsin
Monday: The First of Three Days Home
Tuesday: Tournament in Minnesota
Wednesday-Sunday: NCA
Monday-Tuesday: The Second and Third of Three Days Home
Wednesday-Friday: Chicago for Thanksgiving
Friday-Sunday: Coma-Like Sleep

At this point? Either I'm going to have to become an incredible Work-While-Traveling sort of person, or my thesis (and graduate career in general) is just a figment of imagination.

I need to do laundry. I think I'll pass out first.

--buelsy (bye for now)

sleepy face.

I want this bag. It is very rad. The unfortunate thing is that it's only offered with the purchase of Method products. Don't get me wrong--I'm a huge fan of Method, I think they are everything that is right and hip about environmentalism. However, I'm not really in the financial state to be spending big bucks (yes, $20 is big bucks) at this point in my life. It's the first week of the month. I'm still recovering from the trauma of a rapidly emptied bank account.

I'm also still recovering from the trauma of turning in a paper for Critical Methods. I should keep working on it, because it was not nearly up to par, but I just can't... I need to take the weekend off (and by that I mean go to a Tournament and work on a million other things).

Anyways. I should put some make up on. I overslept and rushed in to Oral Comm. borderline late. My hair was like (insert freakiest idea possible) and I definitely had a deodorant mark on my shirt. I think I scared the kids. How's that for a teaching strategy? If you can't get 'em to respect you, just show up in your pajamas.

--buelsy (late to a meeting)

getting nothing done.

I can not even express how much I need to take a shower right now.

--buelsy (brutal, dude)

two dollar tacos.

This has already been a hard week to get through (yes, I realize it just began), and it's going to get even harder. Paper due tomorrow night, another paper due the night after that (albeit much less of a big deal), a tournament this weekend, a tournament next Tuesday, NCA from Wednesday-Sunday, and then Chicago for Thanksgiving the next Wednesday. OH EM GEE.

So that's that. Heart failure.

Samson by Regina Spektor: Best song ever.

--buelsy (in the throes of academic torture)

seven is the number.

THINGS I ENJOY:

1. Vanilla scented trash bags.
2. Doing dishes instead of writing theses.
3. Smelling my cats.
   
4. Pink hats with ear flaps.
   
5. Fitness magazines.
   
6. Planning future Apple purchases.
   
7. Classy Home Depots.

THINGS I VERY MUCH DO NOT ENJOY:

1. Daylight Savings Time.
2. Sleeping on the floor.
3. Coffee jitters on Sunday nights.
4. Following the advice in Fitness magazines.
5. Spending money on my car.
6. Thinking about PhD programs.
   
7. Regular Home Depots.

--buelsy (has the blues)

boo-yah.

This is very, very rad. I think along with singing, graphic design is the talent I envy the most.

I had a little bit of a break-through yesterday in the category of not smoking. I was standing in the elevator and when some random person got on at the first floor*, I thought: You reek of cigarettes. Reek! REEK! Up until now, the smell of cigarettes was like a particularly cruel waft of forbidden fruit. And don't get me wrong, it's not like the smell of cigarettes bother me now. I just don't really want to smoke them. It was hard to stop smoking in the Midwest, mostly because people still smoke in bars. At least here in Christmas Island. I think I made it though. Cigarettes reek.

*In a three story building, elevator use should be contained to basement to third floor trips only (barring special situations in which stair use is physically impossible or unwise. Like sciatica.).

I'm being snuggled by two very neglected kitties right now. It is lovely, and everything that Friday Funday is about. Oh, and Vietnamese food. And a Netflix movie called "The Incident at Loch Ness," which has the potential to be a fab duo. Speaking of duos, GO PANTS! (And by pants I mean my speechies who are in Peoria, IL this weekend, undoubtedly tearing it up). Exciting stuff.

I have a crush on: Michael Keaton. Almost time to watch my favorite/most embarrassing movie ever, Jack Frost. On that note...

Now that Halloween is over, all of the stores have begun to set up Christmas trees and Christmas merchandise at an alarming rate. There's really only a month of school left if you don't count Thanksgiving break. I remember when I was first at UCLA, academic quarters felt like forever, which was a good thing because I was having such a great time. At this time each year I would take comfort in the fact that there were still 2 whole quarters left! The fact that the speed of time increases with age is what fascinates me the most about life, and makes me the most sad. I can already sense the incredulity that must accompany turning forty: Already? Already?

Well, that was a depressing tangent. Back to nicer things, like Gilmore Girls reruns that A lets me watch without too much grumbling. He loves me.

--buelsy (no thesis today, folks)

holy november.

I have these shoes. I love them, but the heel on the left shoe has a distinct squeak. I notice it every day when I'm walking through the hall from Lang Hall to Maucker Union to get coffee. To be honest, it makes me feel a little psychotic.

This is quite possibly the most wonderful thing that's happened this week (along with that whole thesis getting signed off thing). It's free, which throws me into a mental state of anxious frenzy: how can something this great be free? when will they start charging? when will the bandwidth start f-ing up? why can't people such as myself just be happy and go with it?

Apartment Therapy: aptly named.

Bowling tonight, for potential embarrassment and old time's sake. Something to write on hand: say no to 25 cent hot dogs and 1 dollar beer. Check.

--buelsy (new music makes everything better)