Since my last update:

* I wrote my first Tennyson essay (Hallam's death influencing the revision of "The Lady of Shalott"), wrote my second Tennyson essay (Shalott/Elain poems using the same image as a metaphor respectively for art/life, gender double-standards, and class system critique), and wrote my first Poe essay (Dupin/Minister D doubled as a moral deconstruction). I have also gotten both Tennysons back with remarkably good grades considering that they were being written right up to the minute they were due.) I have the second Poe essay due in a bit, but having written the first one, the second should be somewhat easier.

* For Serial Narratives, I will be writing on the first season TrueBlood. Thus, my Thanksgiving Break will involve watching said season, rereading Dead Until Dark, and coming up with a legit thesis. Have I mentioned that this is the most awesome class ever, and that I want to take everything Dr. Hackenberg ever teaches (especially her Vampire Literature class which I really hope is offered next semester)?

* Did my week of work call for Henry IV costume crew, where I fail at confidence with machine sewing, but ask really good questions to make sure that I don't screw up, so they seem to like me. I also show up when I'm supposed to, let them know if I have a conflict, and call if I'm running late. Novel, right? Start tech/dress runs when break is over, which will make me want to die, but hopefully not too much.

* Have been failing miserably at NaNo and can't decid if I should try to pound a bunch out this week or if I should just leave it be. Leaning toward that latter because of all the above points.

* I fail at keeping up with RPs, and I'm sorry. I will try to at least continue sporadically popping in when I have time/remember.

* Got offered an internship with a web design company in SF. (The guy who would be my boss is an independant filmmaker I stage managed once.) It's a Sales Rep job that would start out as commission only, but if I get enough jobs I could eventually move to base + commission. It might be tricky with my schedule, but I'm at least considering it, since it's not like I have anything to lose by at least trying it, and neither do they since they don't have to salary me to start.

* Went to Disneyland for a weekend when my sister's dance company was filming the "live" Holiday Parade for Christmas Day. The trip was mostly a lot of standing around with fake smiles, cheering at cameras, and seeing the PR side of DisneyMagic. But, I did get an awesome art print of a painting based on the "April/December" painting in the Haunted Mansion. (And if I remember sometime, I'll take a picture of it to post.)

* I am now twenty-one, which means I can sit in bars legally and not drink. Go me.

* I am in sore need of a new Layout and an Icon revamp.

* In lieu of NaNo, and in addition to writing essays, I also intend to make as much of a dent as possible in my GoodReads to-read list to rememdy my "special math". You want to hear about my "special math"? Here it is: My New Year's reading goal was to reduce the number of books on my to-read shelf, then 124, to 50 or less. I currently have 117 books on the to-read shelf, and since 1 January, I have read...(counts books)...117. Yes, you're right, 124 minus 117 is not 117. Ergo, "special math".

And I'm sure I'll come up with more eventually, but that looks good for now.

Yesterday there was a show followed by a cast party at my house which severely dampened my productivity, and then I staryed up very very late finishing my part of the group presentation (or so I though...), so I ended up only getting about four hours of sleep last night.

Today, I had two back-to-back three hour long classes, incidentally ran into the guy who I kinda promised to go on a date with, found out that everyone in my group is either miraculously busier than I am or technologically retarded so I have to do all the editing myself, still haven't read the two parts (six chapters) of Bleak House for tomorrow's class, and to boot I have two entire essays to write, both of which are due tomorrow.

And tomorrow I leave the house no later than 8:30 am and don't get home until usually 11 pm.

I think I'm past tired and on to giddily depressed at this point.

Love you all.

Okay, this entire semester so far has been just a mess. My schedule keeps changing, I keep adding this that I really shouldn't, and everyone around me is falling apart.

The worst thing at the moment is that I just can't focus on anything. Like really, I sit down to write an essay and I'll do anything-or everything-but that. And I can't figure out why, because it's not just schoolwork. I can't focus on reading my books, assigned or not. I can't set my mind to RPing, which I really want to get into again. I can't get my room clean or make dinner or anything, and every five minutes I'm starting to work on something else, so I have a ton of half-finished crap lying around. And it's slowly driving me insane.

So now I am going to turn off the music, take a deep breath, and write my essay. And only when I have finished said essay (or at least to a reasonable point), I will reward myself by finishing cleaning my room, even if it is three a.m. (since I can't sleep until my room is finished anyway because of the stuff on my bed). And If I finish both these things at a reasonable time, then I get to finish my book.

I tried to cold-turkey off caffine today, which around 11am resulted in uberheadache, which not even drinking some coffee when I got home this afternnon helped. So I've decided to go a step smaller and limit myself to one caffinated beverage per day to start and work down from there.

I'm trying to take small steps to be be healthier and feel better more and hopefully be less tired and depressed. Next we'll add in an actual exercise routine of sort. Maybe. I'm also thinking of starting a Day Zero project to help me be more proactive with my life. 'Cause I like crossing things off lists!

Anyway, I'm supposed to be writing a draft of an essay on "The Lady of Shalott" (Arthur geek for the win, even if that's not really the topic), but I'm procrastinating, so have me fill this meme out instead!

Comment to this entry with one (or more, if you'd like) of my fandoms and I will tell you:

1. The first character I fell in love with:
2. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now:
3. The character everyone else loves that I don’t:
4. The character I love that everyone else hates:
5. The character I would shag anytime:
6. The character I'd want to be like:
7. The character I'd slap:
8. A pairing that I love:
9. A pairing that I despise:
10. Favorite character:
11. What are my five favorite things about the fandom?
12. What are my five least favorite things about the fandom?
13. Who are my five favorite characters?
14. Who are my five least favorite characters?
15. What are my five favorite pairings?
16. What are my five least favorite pairings?
17. Which character you are most like?
18. What is my deep, dark fandom secret?

And also? Mohammed gave us three hours of Wagner's Ring Cycle today in history of directing. This means that out of 15 total hours of class, six have been spent on Wagner. I'm gonna be speaking German by the end of this semester. (Next week is numerous and sundry Hamlets, apparently.)

Well, I was going to take advantage of the fact that the opera gig is done to stop being such a deadbeat and boot Buddy/Clarence back into action over at Britannia NY if I haven't already been kicked out for being a deadbeat because oh goodness this summer sucked.

But then I got sucked into crewing Sullivan & Gilbert, so I'm going to spend all my free time this week dressed like a Newsie and moving furniture.

Free time fail.

Good:
Turned in my Othello essay of pain and suffering.
Got a 14/15 on my Sophia essay.
Read two more Preston and Child Pendergast books.
Did not die at the BBQ/Party.
Might be adding another class I need.

Not Good:
Stupidly said yes to a date (though he hasn't called yet, thank goodness).
Injured my foot somehow this morning.
Still trying to sort out this opera thing for Saturday.
Nothing new for V. when she gets back tomorrow.

My stomach hurts. Now I understand the whole getting nauseated when stressed thing, because lately I'm always feeling like I'm on the verge of throwing up or crying or both. I need to do something relaxed or creative, but I can't because then I just start thinking about all this crap and I can't focus and then I do start crying and i can't sleep at night for the same reason and...*deep breath*

I'm going to be a hermit when I grow up. People can't get mad or frustrated with you if you don't interact with them in the first place.

So we're supposed to be having a BBQ over in SF today.

But considering that I'm in the East Bay, and we all were awakened by a thunderstorm at 5:30am, we'll see how much BBQing actually happens.

Yay, I finally got around to updating my Office to the 2007 version, so now Victoria matches Wentworth and I don't have brain disparity tring to switch back and forth between the two when I'm woking on the same thing on both. And I have OneNote on Victoria, which is quite possibly the best thing Microsoft has ever produced.

And I have to get up eeeeearly tomorrow for a Player's Club Meeting, which means I should turn the computer off, but I'll finish this episode of The Clockwork Cabaret first. (Which is an awesome Steampunk themed radio show/podcast that y'all should download if you're into that sort of thing.)

This weekend we've got the Welcome Back BBQ/Awesome After Party, so I'll be out helping with all that stuff on Saturday. I'm hopfully going to crash at Abbey's (if her landlord gives her the okay). There will be fun and shenanagans and probably a lot of facepalming on my part. But I don't have to referee the Beer Pong Tournament that we're totally not having because you can't do that at a school-advertised function, so it's all good.

My posts are so boring; but at least I'm trying to be better about actually updating.

Dear Shakespeare,

Othello? Srsly?

Love,
The Girl who is procrastinating on an argumentative rhetorical analysis essay


Right, so I walked to the library to get out of the house full of distractions but, of course, I still have internet and I'm in a room full of books...not my most effective idea. Part two is where I check out books (heh) but walk to Peet's where I have classical music and no internet and COFFEE! I tend to be more productive at Peet's than the library, and I think now I'm remembering why. I did make a sketchy sort of outline though, and I picked the passage I'm analysing. And it's not due 'til next Tuesday, so by my personal write-it-the-night-before standards I'm doing really well!

And updating my LJ is totally not helping me with the actual getting work done. *sigh* I suck at self-motivation.

...and, as usual, I still have patches of my actual hair visible in the black. *sigh* I'll have to double-check if what's left in the bottle on the counter would still be useable tomorrow, so that I can see my hair dry, figure out where the patches are, and do a touch-up. At least it only takes one bottle, since I cut it.

I'm running out of stuff to do to myself short of getting a tattoo or piercing. Definitely time to get sewing and make some funky clothes before I end up with a poem down my back or something.