Move those feet to the rhythm...

Because I hate using the phone...

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 03:03:47 GMT

I hate using the phone for more than a couple of calls in a row. Additionally, I hate using the phone to call to tell people big news, especially when I don't really have a big reason to call except to tell them news that they might not even really care about. But when I've got big news, it's kind of a problem because I don't actually SEE a lot of the people that I care about. i.e. you guys.

So, before you find out over facebook from not-me but facebook,

Noah & I are engaged. :)

Writer's Block: Cookies

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:24:53 GMT

What is the strangest advice you've ever received from a fortune cookie?

Submitted By merrytook92

View 501 Answers

I don't remember the strangest advice I've ever received from a fortune cookie.  But I will tell you a strange fortune cookie story:

Once upon a time in high school, I was dating a boy named Rob. This story begins after we'd been dating for a pretty long time-- one day we watch a couple of movies and eat Chinese food. Whatever it was we watched and ate, the meal ended with a fortune cookie. My fortune cookie's advice to me was: "Stop searching forever, happiness is just next to you."

I melted a little.

Well, I didn't get to stop searching forever because that relationship ended, as relationships do sometimes. Rough ending, but things got better, I went to college, moved on, etc. One February, almost exactly 2 years ago, a friend from summer camp and I got together for an afternoon, just for fun.  We went out for chinese food at the end of it-- I got a fortune cookie that had the exact same message.

I couldn't stop giggling. And then I couldn't explain, because it was way too awkward.  He probably thought I was a loon, but he asked me out on a real date anyway.

We've been together ever since.

Providence? Maybe.  Coincidence? Possibly. Really, really strange?  Definitely.

I love pay caps for executives.

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:19:11 GMT

Really.  I am pretty psyched about this.  Thank you, President Obama et. al.

Maybe it makes me a "pinko-commie-socialist" (in one man's extremely redundant and not entirely accurate words), but I'd love to see more of this stuff. How can one justify giving oneself so much money in a bonus ever, not to mention when you just begged Washington to give you a bunch of cash so that your company would not go under?   Lifestyle changes, please!

In other "pinko-commie-socialist" news, I watched this video yesterday-- it was basically a summation of everything I learned in my sociology classes and in environmental classes.  Love it! It's a little bit propaganda-ish, and I find Annie a little bit annoying from time to time, but the illustrations are fun and the overall message is good (if not extremely familiar...).

In other non-communist news, I'm going to spend a little bit of my "snow day" (okay, so I'm not employed yet so snow day doesn't mean very much except that I can't leave the house) experimenting with making truffles (the experiment might not last very long, since I can only use what is in the house)... How very bourgeoisie!

I don't know why it seemed like a good time to blog, but it did.

Ugh, I can't believe it is still almost a month until I start my job. I want to start NOW!

I should really go to sleep instead of doing this, but it is too late.

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 05:22:33 GMT

1 Where did you begin 2008?
my house with Tara, Noah, Austin, and Megan, playing rock band and watching bad horror movies.

2 What was your status by Valentines Day?
First anniversary. :)

3 Were you in school anytime this year?
all year, in fact.  Besides the summer.

4 Did you have to go to the hospital?
Just that time I got a nosebleed and passed out on the floor in the bathroom. I looked like a victim from a gory movie. So um, Ash took me to the hospital.

5 Did you have any encounters with the police?
I don't think so.

6 Where did you go on vacation?
Hmm... Pawleys' Island for the family reunion (hardly a vacation...)

7 What did you purchase that was over $100?
Nothing, not even rent. I guess my college education

8 Did you know anybody who got married?
Everyone I know got married.  Okay.  Not everyone, but 8 people I know got married.

9 Did you know anybody who passed away?
Mikeski... no one else, I think.

10 Did you move anywhere?
From home to the Castle, then home again.

11 What sporting events did you attend?
I can't think of any.

12 What concerts/shows did you go to?
Wow, it's been a long year. Um, Kathleen Edwards, Andy's band, the XPN festival (!!), Wilco/Neil Young, I seriously can't think of any more even though I'm sure I went.

13 Describe your birthday:
I had a dentist appointment. Then I did nothing until Noah and I went out for drinks at Uno's.  I had a bad coffee and Bailey's, but only because the coffee sucked. It was nice though.

15 What have been your favorite moments?
Winning tickets to Ave. Q might have been one of my favorites, but seriously the year has been so long that I don't know what to do.
Tara's return!
My summer was pretty good.

16 Any new additions to your family?
I feel like I'm an addition to Noah's family. Seriously, his entire family got me Christmas presents. Like, even his sister's future in-laws got me a present.

17 What was your best month?
Either January or one of my summer months. Both were good.  The times in-between definitely had their ups and downs.

18 Who has been your best drinking buddy?
I don't think I drink enough to have one of those.

19 Made new friends?
um. sigh.

21 Other than home, where did you spend most of your time?
school, princeton

22 Have you lost any friends this year?
not lost, just... continental drift.

23 Change your hairstyle?
No, not really.

24 Have any car accidents?
No.  Well.  I hit a car on the way home from work one day, but not hard enough to cause any problems.  I seriously shook the whole way home.

25 How old did you turn this year?
21

26 Did you have a New Years resolution?
I have resolutions all the time.  I'm in a constant state of resolution.

27 Do anything embarrassing this year?
I'm sure.  Nothing embarrassing enough to remember though.

28 Buy anything new from eBay?
CDs! :)

29 Get married or divorced?
Nope.

30 Get arrested?
Nope!

31 Been snowboarding?
There hasn't been much snow.

32 Did you get sick this year?
Not seriously ill, but a little sick, yeah.

33 Are you happy to see 2008 go?
Eh. Days come and go. It's sad, because it means the end of a lot of things, namely college life. But the latter half of this year was often bad, so I'm glad that part is over.  I could have taken the end of december a few more times over.

34 Been naughty or nice?
Um, I don't know what that means.

35 What are you looking forward to most in 2009?
Ch-ch-changes, a new job, hopefully maintaining my lovely friendships, Ashley's wedding, Wende's wedding... actually, living at home might be cool for a while. I like not having to buy my own food.

Mortality Salience or Remembering Mike

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 03:08:26 GMT

Mike-ski,

I didn't know you that well, but you always remembered my name. I didn't always remember yours (though eventually, I did). Thanks for that. It's something that makes a day brighter, even on the worst of days. I probably wouldn't have seen you ever again, but the knowledge that your kind heart is no longer skateboarding this earth will make my heart just a little sadder. Rest in peace, brother.

love,
Allison

Done?

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:46:53 GMT

I just turned in my last papers. Now all I have are the revisions to my french paper and I am officially graduated.

I don't really know what to do.

Really have no idea.

I guess I'm entering those times...

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:37:08 GMT

I realized something today:

I am now entering the years of constant unsolicited advice.

Seriously. It's going to suck when I'm engaged; I can't even handle all of the unsolicited graduation advice, let alone unsolicited marriage advice. That will be hell. And let's hope that unsolicited baby advice is many years away.

Enjoy the non-advice years while you can. That's my unsolicited advice to you.

I'm going to start telling people that I still have six years of college left.

Skies cry frosty flakes.

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:43:48 GMT

The library on Fridays is significantly better than the library on Mondays. I am so into this.

The whole school is quiet right now, and I'm not sure if it's because it is snowing and classes may or may not be cancelled (Eastern's website is different and so I have no idea where the class cancellation page is)... but I'm hoping not, since I have 5 professors to interview today and my group collectively has 9 to interview. Sigh. I'm going to go to them all anyway, and hope that the profs are there. This project needs to get done, and quick!

I'm kind of nervous about the interviews though.  I think it'll be fine.

Yesterday it snowed, too, and I played with Baby (the child that I babysit.  I think it's kind of weird to call her Caitlin, because... I don't know.  It seems weird that she has a name for some reason.  Maybe that makes me a terrible person, but it just seems to me that babies should just be Baby for a while until you can pick a name that fits them.) in the snowflakes. Generally, hanging with Baby makes me really not want to have kids until Obama is done his second term (haha), but playing with Baby in the snow and watching her discover snow for the first time was a really cool experience.  She's 17 months, so last time it snowed, she was so little that she can't possibly remember it. All that to say that don't expect kids for a pretty long time, but feel more optimistic that they will happen sometime.

I know I say this all the time, but life is so strange.

My week of Thanksgivings starts this Sunday, but it kind of starts sooner only because Noah is coming over tonight and staying until Monday, which is something to be immensely thankful for.  And then we hang out AGAIN on Thursday, and then again again on Sunday.

Also, Tara is coming home, and my heart is so glad. More thanks! I am excited to see her in person, because I think when I try to talk on the phone with her, there is so much to say that I don't know where to begin. Sorry, love. I will see you soon!

Finally, I'm thinking about getting some lunapads, and it makes me want to tell everyone. Including my sister, who was kind of pissed that I posted the website on her facebook wall. Oh well.

I have to go interview soon!

<3!

And the current reality is...

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:29:58 GMT

Ah, the Monday entry... it has become kind of a trend, I think.

On Mondays, the week ahead usually seems so endless. But I think I'm coming to the realization that I'm going to wake up tomorrow and it will be Friday. Or so to speak.

That means a number of things: when I wake up, I will be closer to seeing Tara. I will be closer to Thanksgiving (Dad's stuffing and the smell of home and chatting with my sister and hugs from my brother and drinking coffee in the fireplace room with Mom... that just sounds so nice right now). I will be closer to more than one full day with Noah (thank God!).

But I will also be closer to donning the cap and gown and a big, big change in my life. A whole lot of uncertainty starts soon.

I don't think I've ever been so thrilled and terrified all at once.

I guess it's not that big, you know? I mean, high school grad was no biggie. It was exciting, new... I don't know. But this. This seems colossal. Overwhelming.

I'm feeling better after having talked to my mom last week about how I will probably be her unemployed daughter for a little while, seeing as Servant Year hasn't bothered taking the time to call me or drop me an email even though it's been almost three weeks since I sent my resume in and a week since I called and left a message. There's still a chance, but chances are, I'm going to be crashing with my folks for several months and trying to find a job close to home or in Philly. Something transitional but good. Preferably with at least minimal health coverage.

And then, and then, and then.

I just needed to get on here and blah, blah, blah for a few minutes. Sorry for my incessant chatter. I'm just tired of people asking me what's next, because I don't have an answer.

Thai food, Kathleen Edwards, and the Library on Mondays

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:57:21 GMT

Sigh, it is Monday.

I am seriously struggling against the urge to drop out of school.  Okay, not seriously. I just want to have time to read what I want, and to spend a larger block of my time hanging out with people and a large block of that time hanging out with Noah, specifically.

But this weekend, I went with Noah's family to York to see Kathleen Edwards-- we got Thai food first, because this outing needed to be a little bit extravagant because it is in honor of Barack Obama's victory. Excellent. I love thai food. And Noah's family.

And Kathleen was great.  Oh, I appreciate her music so much more now that I've seen her live.  She's cute, funny, a great performer, and an excellent musician; I was impressed at the instrumentational skills she had.  She played the guitar, the violin/fiddle, a mouth harmonica (simultaneously with guitar), and a tambourine with her foot. Oh, and a Mando-guitar, which is basically a 12 string strung really high. She played with John Doe, who was less of an excellent musician... but together, they were good.  John Doe was basically my uncle Darin, I think.

When we left, we were accosted by Repent America folks because David was wearing an XPN button (Heathens!) (and we were, you know, walking by).  I don't think I've ever seen RA folks so aggressive.  Well.  It was one adult man and a bunch of adolescents.  The adult man was very hostile toward David. He actually called him hateful! It's tough, I never know how to deal with those guys.  Like, I think that they're wrong but of course, we're brothers and sisters in Christ... and I don't want to be rude or mean to them because then I'm stooping to their level, you know? But also, I have no interest in talking to them, because in my experience they'll keep talking until they can find something to pick a fight about. And then blast you for it. And call you hateful. So it seems like the solution is to walk away. Turn the other cheek? It's just so hard when even that turns into a fight.

Also, it's Monday and I'm in the library, and after my reprimands last week, the Monday Morning "let's talk in the library" crowd has quieted down. Hooray!

Okay.  I've got to go write a paper for Monteiro.

<3, allison

Writer's Block: Revolutionary Thought

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:00:50 GMT

It's the anniversary of the Russian Revolution, marking the Marxist overthrow of the Russian government. Karl Marx once wrote that "religion is the opium of the people." What is the new opium of the people?

View 500 Answers

I saw this and it was just too good to pass up. Mostly because I've been thinking about this a lot.

I think that maybe safety is the opiate of the people. All kinds of safety. I don't have time to develop this entry fully because I really shouldn't be writing an entry at all. But I feel as though the primary goal of people today is to remain safe. And it causes us to do stupid and oppressive things. And allows larger entities to convince us that we need to do stupid and oppressive things to be safe. Financial safety, physical safety... all kinds of safety. Or perhaps the reduction of risk? My thoughts are being developed and undeveloped at the same time.

That said, I think that religion is still the opiate of some people. I don't know a whole lot about other religions besides Christianity, but... it amazes me how many people use Jesus as an excuse to not do anything at all. Or to do horrible and oppressive things. However, there are certainly a lot of people who are seeing that being a Christian is something far more radical than maintaining the status quo and protecting 'murka.

Also, I made the comment in my globalization class the other day that perhaps fair trade is the opiate of the people pursuing justice (as in, it makes us feel good enough about ourselves for helping some people out that we don't worry so much about the larger systems...)...

And perhaps mindless television is yet another opiate. We're so dumbed down and inundated as to not have the power to think revolutionarily.

Excuse the utter confusion of this entry; I haven't slept well in a week and my mind is elsewhere. The writer's block was just too good to ignore.

:)

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:42:43 GMT

"So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other."

That got me. Very teary-eyed.

I love this man.

MUH.

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:09:00 GMT

I'm reading about Jacques Roumain for a french presentation I have to give on Monday, but I'd rather be reading for sociology. It's terrible how much I hate french these days.

But I think it really says something when you'd rather be reading about depressing things like how much globalization screws everyone in the world except Western countries and rich people/corrupt governments in poor ones and about sex trafficking than doing anything having to do with French.

I am, however, pleased that Jacques Roumain was a communist.  It makes this whole thing just a little bit nicer; I've got the Communist Manifesto off the shelf and I think I'm going to talk a little bit about how the Haitian coumbite is kind of like communism, but on a smaller scale. :)

Also, there is a couple in the library having kind of a loud conversation, and I moved all the way across the library as to not have to listen to it, but it's so empty in here that I can still hear them.  I like them, and it's a good conversation, so I don't want to be a jerk.  But um, seriously, go somewhere else to talk.

Also, also, I hate that sports teams winning make people really dumb and ridiculous.   Like, two days afterward, people are still being dumb.

Also, it is the third year in a row that I am doing nothing for halloween.  I think Noah and I are going to carve pumpkins and go in search of costumes for Viking Christmas tomorrow, though, which will be kind of hilarious.  Maybe I'll bring my camera.  Oh, and I might make pumpkin something tonight while Beth studies for the GREs and I write this french presentation. Guess I should go buy a can of pumpkin. Or maybe I'll stop at the farmer's market and pick up a butternut squash.

Maybe Beth and I should be eskimos for Halloween, since we'll be hanging out in our apartment.

Okay.  I am getting nothing done.

Oh, and I like that tara uses tags, so I might start using them. :)

My application is sent!

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:26:17 GMT

I sent it! I sent it! I sent it! (Servant Year)

All that's left to do is hope and pray. Keep your fingers crossed for me, ok?

But seriously, big burden lifted off my shoulders... now to focus on french paper, french presentation, and all kinds of other crap that I have to do in the next month-point-five.

Wee! Just wanted to share some excitement. <3, allison

I should be doing work, but instead I'm being pissed off.

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:00:41 GMT

Reading this makes me so sick.  So very sick. Especially the comments afterward.

Homeless people are people, too.  I don't know why so few people understand this.  When it is impossible for them to find jobs, when difficult upbringings and terrible social situations and lack of education leaves people with no options, this is what happens. Enforcing laws on the homeless of Philadelphia is not going to solve the "problem" of homelessness, it is only going to a) cause people to migrate to other locales where they will undoubtedly encounter more "NIMBY" ("not in my backyard") syndrome, or b) foster resentment and frustration that will lead to more drug abuse and more crime and more problems in general.  You don't want a large mass of people who have access to guns and drugs to be pissed off at you, Mayor Nutter.

Our social system does little to aid those who most need aid.  Free market capitalism (which REQUIRES an underclass to function, mind you!) without any kind of restraint only exacerbates the gap between the rich and the poor.  There is so much more to this issue than getting the homeless off the parkway. Give them a home.  Give them some food.  Give them someplace to work. Offer them reasonable way to climb out of difficult situations.  Give them access to HEALTH CARE, damn it, if you want those with serious mental disabilities to be able to get off the streets. Reduce inequality between and among different classes.  Offer equal access to education. Offer family counseling. Require family counseling! For God's sake, if you don't want people urinating and defecating in the streets, reopen public bathrooms!   Contrary to popular belief, being homeless and not having access to a bathroom doesn't make bodily functions stop.

I hate that people think the way to "solve" the "problem" of homelessness is to create more laws restricting what the homeless do. This is hardly a solution. This is a good way to make things way more difficult for people who already have a shitty situation.

I'm seriously shaking and a little dizzy right now.  I forgot how much a lack of social justice kills me.  My bubble of people who understand the causes of homelessness made me forget how ignorant people are.

All that's left to say here is that if they require a permit to feed, all of YACHT will be going to jail on a weekly basis. How about that?

I really should be doing work... but instead I'm writing about my craigslist adventures

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:55:01 GMT

Continuing the trend of writing in my livejournal only when I really shouldn't...

Tara has been writing really long and wonderful entries lately, and it makes me want to write really long and possibly less wonderful essays all the time. But we'll see how far this one goes. The theme of this entry is Craigslist and why I love it so much.

I found another job opportunity on Friday by accident (on Craigslist), right after I finally submitted my stupid Americorps application (can I just say how annoying those things are? They only allow for 200 CHARACTERS to describe how you developed specific skills! Also, 200 characters to describe your duties at former places of employment. When I learned how to write resumes and apply to things, they always said to really sell yourself, which is REALLY hard to do in 200 characters. But I digress...). Anyway, it's this program called Servant Year, which is affiliated with americorps, but not listed on their site, and you have to apply directly. But you still get Americorps health care benefits and also

... some girl in the library just said very nonchalantly, "We're engaged. I'm using her ring. me and ben are."

what?

Anyway. You still get americorps health care benefits, the $4,250 award for paying back loans, and also housing, and a $500 a month stipend (not much, I know), but I'd get to live in a big house in Philly with a bunch of other people (Christians... but probably liberal Christians because they're social justice Christians), and they place you in a social service organization in the city. Not to mention that THREE of the listed organizations (I think 6 in total) are organizations I applied to last summer or thought about working for.

I just don't feel like I'm ready to plunge head-first into the world of working. This seems like a nice way to ease myself in. PLUS, everyone who lives in the house eats dinner together every Wednesday, and I love cooking for people, and yes. It sounds very cool. Not a good way to save a lot of money, but could be really good.

So we'll see. I have to do my application first.

My OTHER recent positive Craigslist experience came by way of my wanting to buy one of those hand mixer things so I could actually make cookies (creaming butter is nearly impossible without one. It seriously takes forever). So, I finally found one for $10 on Craigslist and was very pleased, since it was in Pheonixville, which is, I thought, about 20 minutes away (I work in P-ville).. So I dropped an email to the woman, who replied that I could pick it up that day, and then called Brian because we were supposed to hang out anyway, and I didn't really want to drive to a strange place by myself.

So Brian and I set off; it ended up being about 40 minutes away rather than 20, which was a bummer but still okay because I hadn't yet seen a nice mixer under $30. We drove through farmland (what???) and a ridiculous country song came on XPN (we thought we'd driven out of range, but we were wrong) all about how the singer "lost a girl to Jesus" and if he ever met him, he'd "kick his ass". Which was hilarious and terrible all at once.

We finally found the development, and, as Brian said, "They've got rolling hills in their backyard!"... it was an upscale development in the middle of a lot of farmland. We got out and went to the door, and a young woman answered and ushered us inside. The first thing she says is, "Are you guys over 18?"

um, what?

But then she continues, telling us that she can't drive and she's been stuck in the house all day, and all she really wants is a packet of cigarettes. So, if we'll drive to a Wawa 2 miles away and buy her a pack of Marlboro Menthols, she'll trade them for the mixer.

Guys, I bartered! It was like traveling in time! Farmland and bartering for goods!

So, I ended up getting the mixer for $4.45 (plus the cost of gas, but you know), and I bought the first packet of cigarettes I've ever purchased. I think the woman at Wawa could tell. She didn't ask to see my ID though.

Anyway, not that ridiculous or great of a story, but I enjoyed it. Bartering!

In case you were wondering, I made chocolate chip cookies that night. :)

Always bloggin' toward the future...

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:38:35 GMT

Let me just say:

school has started, and I am hanging out in the library for hours on end. I don't know anyone else who is already over a hundred pages behind in reading who has actually been doing as much work as I have. This semester is going to be INSANE.

On another note, I went to senior orientation the other day and had to check the box on my senior form that said: After school ends I will be: "REALLY NO IDEA!!!"

yeah. that is actually what it said.

So, I ended up hanging out with Tess, the career counselor, for one brief moment... and signing up for a future meeting with her (not this Monday but the next one). But my assignment until then is to come with a list of no fewer than eight, no more than twelve jobs that I would love to have. SIGH. But here is my list so far (in no particular order..):

1. teacher-naturalist
2. interpretive park ranger
3. science/environmental educator 4-8th grade
---(possibly in an alternative school?)
4. houseparent/residential youth care at group home for runaway/homeless/throwaway youth
--- (the only problem here is that many of these jobs require you to be, you know, married. for at least a year. and your spouse helps out, too. Which would probably not be possible for at least 3 years.)

something involving the rural poor?

seriously, can I just hang out with kids and/or homeless people for the rest of my life? and get paid/benefits for it? and possibly do it in the woods?

If I decide to go the teacher-naturalist route, I've already got a part-time position available for me, which is cool. Even the interpretive park ranger job could come from the teacher-naturalist one. and the perks of being a park ranger can include government benefits, which are AMAZING, plus possible housing (cabin in the woods anyone? I mean, that's kind of my goal anyway!)... but... augh. I just don't know. Social justice! I need it! In my life!

plus, so many of the interpretive park ranger/teacher-naturalist jobs are way seasonal.

I AM SO COLD RIGHT NOW.

top 100 books: what have you read?

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 05:16:44 GMT

So I just stumbled across some stranger's blog (brother of a friend) who had this list of the top 100 books that, apparently, most american adults have only read six of. I'm almost positive I meet that goal. Let us investigate:

read it (an * means that I loved it. :) )

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien -- started, but never finished.

3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

6. The Bible (ok, so I've only read parts of it. But a LOT of it.

7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell

9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman (actually 3 books. silly list.)

10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott

12. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy -- I did a paper on Hardy, so I read excerpts from this.

13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller ***

14. Complete Works of Shakespeare-- I've read a few. :)

15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien

17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks

18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

19. The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

20. Middlemarch - George Eliot

21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell

22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens

24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

25. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh

27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky UGH!

28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame (haven't, but I had "Frog and Toad are Friends" out of the library for 5 weeks... this summer...)

31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis --- actually several books.

34. Emma - Jane Austen

35. Persuasion - Jane Austen

36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis ... wasn't this just on here?

37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini ***

38. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres

39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

40. Winnie the Pooh -

41. Animal Farm - George Orwell

42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving

45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery

47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood -- meaning to read it. :(

49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding

50. Atonement - Ian McEwan (second worst book on the list)

51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel

52. Dune - Frank Herbert

53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons

54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth

56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley***

59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt

64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac

67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

68. Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding

69. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie

70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville

71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

72. Dracula - Bram Stoker

73.The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson

75. Ulysses - James Joyce

76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

78. Germinal - Emile Zola

79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

80. Possession - AS Byatt

81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker

84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

87. Charlotte's Web - EB White

88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle-- again, a number of books, right?

90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery***

93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

94. Watership Down - Richard Adams ***

95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute

97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare

99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

38, by the way. :) Not bad, I say!

So bad at sleeping...

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 05:59:41 GMT

I'm working on it, but I'm awake. Serves me right for looking at career opportunities before bedtime.

Now my brain is a-whirl with the possibilities of the future.

It is as if my brain is a toilet, and the possibilities are toilet bowl water and someone is continuously flushing so that the water is never still but always moving.

What is next? I have 5 months to figure it out. D:

ideas:
get tied up in an enviro-ed center for a few years (local... tough to find)
GCC for a few classes, then MA in elem. ed? or enviro. ed?
become homeless.

Brevity and succinctness!

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 23:52:08 GMT

Tara did this, and I liked her one word responses to everything. I am going to attempt to do this meme as well, with the same level of brevity!

A coworker sent this to me in an email today. Since I don't do forwards, I figured I'd post my responses here. Comment if you take it too. (Oh, the communal spirit of memes!)

1. Where is your cell phone? desk
2. Where is your significant other? westchester
3. Your hair? bun
4. Your mother? television
5. Your father? unsure
6. Your favorite thing? friends
7. Your dream last night? forget
8. Your dream/goal? seeking
9. The room you're in? bedroom
10. Your hobby? changes
11. Your fear? insanity?
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? anywhere
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you're not? stressed
15. One of your wish list items? time
16. Where you grew up? 'burbs
17. The last thing you did? facebook
18. What are you wearing? PJs
19. Your TV? non-existent
20. Your pet? loud
21. Your computer? apple<3
22. Your mood? lazy
23. Missing someone? sigh
24. Your car? sandy (D:)
25. Something you're not wearing? footwear
26. Favorite store? thrift
27. Your summer? pseudoadventurous
28. Love someone? always

Workin' 9-5, and the catcall that almost killed me

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:40:44 GMT

Can I just tell you all that I have the best summer job ever?

Besides the commute. The commuting life is not for me.

However, the commuting life DOES provide me with the opportunity to drive my car everywhere with the top down. Which is nice. Except that that somehow provokes lots of catcalls and "HEY BABY"s and other more annoying male pick-up tactics.

Yesterday I decided that I was going to flip off some guy that said "HEY BABY" as I drove by, as I was feeling particularly rebellious that morning for whatever reason. I pulled it off so perfectly and was so pleased with myself that I almost merged into someone on I-295. That's what I get, I guess.

In other news, I haven't been sleeping well at all, but that has led to some hilariously weird dreams. One of which involved "mexican fruit caterpillars" that start as tiny tadpoles that swim in the juice of tomatoes but then evolve into big, gross caterpillars that multiply like it's their job. Ew.

Ok! I have to go to work now.
<3, allison

I can't believe I forgot to bring my camera to the zoo.

Fri, 16 May 2008 03:50:58 GMT

I forgot to bring my camera to the zoo.

But I have a new favorite animal:

(image credit: nationalzoo.si.edu... not me, because I forgot my camera.)
the giant elephant shrew.

cutest. thing. ever.

it's like every tiny girly part of me is screaming for more giant elephant shrew in my life.

Writer's Block: Step into My Closet

Fri, 09 May 2008 05:49:00 GMT

How many pair of shoes do you have? Out of those pairs, how many do you wear more than a few times a year?

View 501 Answers

I have about 8 pairs of shoes, and I wear most of them several times a year besides a) my purple chucks that I keep because they are my favorite even though they are so ragged that they hardly count as shoes anymore and b) my bowling shoes from high school that I loved for years but can no longer pull off.

However, I am cheating, because my mom and my sister have the same size feet as me and they probably have 50-75 pairs of shoes between them... and I borrow their shoes for everything fancy. :)

Why are you alone wasting your time when you could be with me wasting your time?

Tue, 06 May 2008 19:02:57 GMT

I need people to waste time with.

One point five hours until sociology party. What's a girl to do?

everyone has left campus. really.

I wanna waste time and walk the line from my beat routine to where I'm feelin' all right.

Mon, 05 May 2008 16:54:21 GMT

I have mixed feelings about having nothing to do. On one hand, it's really nice. On the other, I am bored. it'll be good to go home though.

PALR went well this weekend... I've never done a dramatic role like that (for those of you that don't know, I was playing a woman trying to hide that she killed her daughter, and a hallucination of her daughter is running around and tormenting her in an attempt to get her to spill to her psychiatrist. Fun fun!)... so it was exciting. There was an audible gasp from the audience at the end when Tara re-enacted her death in my lap and I cradled her dying body. haha. It was good! Apparently we so disturbed the guy in the next play that he had trouble with his part. ROCK!

Anyway. I'm glad it's over... I was lonely. I miss Gateway theater though. It's a whole different ball game here.

I should go eat, but I am really the opposite of hungry and hardly anyone is around. Maybe ash will be there, though.

When are y'all going to be around? :)

<3, allison