Monday, January 28, 2008

Monkey is HIGHLY entertaining. She's sitting beside me, attempting to "blind teh eyesh" with a makeup-less compact. It would work if a) the lighting in the room was worth crap, and b) she could get the angle right.

Aside from that monkey business, I have a few observations :

"If I can't tell what it is when it's on my fork, it shouldn't go in my mouth." (courtesy of the Monkey)
Both Saturday and tonight, the cafeteria served something. That, and the observation that it was probably originally an animal were all the we're certain of. In both cases, actually, none of the people at the table were able to determine whether it was chicken or pork. (Monkey after a visual study, me after eating the damned stuff!)

I have an astounding capacity for mess when it comes to art class. When we're working on charcoal, I've come in with the stuff smeared, streaked, or smudged pretty much anywhere from elbows down and shoulders up. I doubt I've ever washed my jeans with such frequency, either. Today we did wash drawings (NOT, by the way, my favorite technique thus far), which use ink. Black India Ink. SOMEHOW between 8:30 and 11:30 I got it in both cheeks, nose, and neck.
I blame art gremlins.

Finals are Wednesday, sketches, portfolios, and exhibition reviews due then. Urg.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Books

I have finally finished a book Mum lent me...just after I left for college. It's From Boys To Men: Gay men write about growing up. A collection of short stories/anecdotes (truly the best kind for my fractured, ADD-type brain), one would think that I'd've finished the darned thing earlier. No, I got about 2.5 stories into it, got distracted by something shiny, and didn't pick it up again until this past week, mostly during car trips with Monkey or lounging around the dorm.
Due to the vast number of writers, the tone varies throughout the book from lascivious in few parts to precocious (especially those dealing with younguns) to heartwarming to even slightly haunting. I'm hooked on anthologies, especially gay anthologies. Mum still has (and hasn't, to my knowledge, finished) a collection I found in Barnes & Noble entitled Boys Like Us. I hadn't finished it either when I lent it to her. An end note in From Boys To Men said that one of the authors appears in both. I think I'll steal it back over break so I can finish it.
Another really good read is, well, anything by David Sedaris, IMHO. He's one of the ones on my Library Wish List, along with complete collections of Shakespeare (check, thanks to the wonderfulness of the Mum and Da), C.S. Lewis, and at least one complete set of encyclopedias. It occurs to me that I'm going to have a very odd book collection.

Continuing on the subject of books, I finally caved and bought some of the books for next semester. Since, as I said, I already have the complete Shakespeare, I didn't have to shell out $90+ bucks to the scalpers in the campus bookstore. However, I now have an interesting (USED!!!) tome entitled Birth, Marriage, & Death: Ritual, Religion, and the Life-Cycle in Tudor and Stuart England. Potentially fascinating, if it's not dry as dust.

I am being ordered by Monkey to do my laundry; apparently all the washers in the basement are empty, and she finds my method of carpeting-by-laundry unappealing. Alas and alack, I bid thee farewell, my laptop....

~Brill

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!!!!!!!!

Je t'aime, mere. Bon anniversaire et bon voyage.

~ <3 Light

How To (Instalment the First)

How To Electrically Shock Your Ear Canals:
First, you have to wait for winter. Oh, I know, the anticipation will practically kill you, especially in such a sudatory climate! How can you stand to hold off on such a tactile treat? Nevertheless, you must. After the arrival of the acclaimed and brief season, next don your most woolly, long coat or sweatercoat -the latter is most proficient in achieving the desired task- and a pair of rubber-soled shoes, and retrieve your digital portable music device (e.g. MP3 player or Ipod). Inserting earbud headphones -a most emphatically essential part of the process- into both the device and your own ears, place the device into the pocket of your coat or sweatercoat. Then set off on a brisk walk through the arid, wintery, statically charged environment, making sure that your coat rubs your body to build up a pleasant, tingly charge. Finally, if all has gone well, you should fell a series sudden, sharp buzzes in your ear canal as the static electricity leaps between the skin in your middle ear and the metal wires of the headphones.
The feeling is most especially strong if you wear another, similarly static-inclined shirt under the coat/sweatercoat, and take two off, thus creating sparks that may very well be seen in the next county. You may notice a tendency of said device to commit odd malfunctions later on. This may or may not be the cause of these malfunctions; please contact your local customer service representative at 1-800-66INDIA

My ears still hurt. This happened about 2.5 hours ago. (and no, I did NOT leave them in until I took off my coat, I forgot I had them in when I put it on to leave. Similar result: Deafer Brill than even typical)
~Brill ("eh, what's 'at?")

(If I ever use weird, large, obscure, or just unusual words in any of my posts, and you take it upon yourself to look them up, I have yet to use one that cannot be found here. My use of any of the above mentioned is primarily for my own edification. Thanks for your toleration).

Friday, January 18, 2008

1+1=2? Never!

Monkey has a tendency to be very bright, and more far-seeing than I, particularly where I am concerned, so one would think that I'd listen to her, wouldn't one?
She told me to take my sleep meds with me on the trip home, but nooo, I'm not getting up for class in the morning, so why on earth should I take the thing that helps me get to sleep in the first place, especially since I have trouble sleeping when switching environments?
Again: gun, foot, bang.

However, I have learned some from previous restless nights, and carry earplugs with my in the Tank (my purse, spawn of an unholy union between a black hole and a button factory). They finally helped with the sleep. Then came the dreams.
Holy crap, some days I wish I could record my dreams and watch them again just so I could get a more cohesive grasp of the gnarled plot lines. Then write them down. But on an interesting note, a lesbian couple of whom I was (sometimes) part made its first appearance in my dreams, even if it seemed like one of the girls was trying to kill the other for the first half thereof.
And I think "Sweeney Todd" had a rather interesting after effect on my mental nighttime wanderings... mainly through the rather bloody sprouting of pointy objects in my poor main characters through one violent fashion or another.

OK, I have no idea whether that made any sense or not, and it is barely past 9 P.M.
Bon nuit
~Brilliant (-ly disturbed)

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Meme

1. What is in the back seat of your car (truck) right now? I don't have a car, but last time I was the main driver of a vehicle, the backseat was a mishmash of sloughed coats, clothes hangers (I found a half dozen at least), my youngest siblings' abandoned/'lost'/forgotten papers from school, a fire extinguisher, and a rather sad looking spark plug.

2. When was the last time you threw up? The last time I remember having done so was two January 1st's (or early A.M. the 2nd) ago. Sangria is NOT my friend.

3. What’s your favorite curse word? Fuckan'bugger!

4. Name 3 people who made you smile today? Monkey, Emily, and Mum

5. What were you doing at 8 a.m. today? Blunderingly attempting to get ready for my 8:30 class.

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Sitting at the computer, reading either fanfiction or blogs.

7. Where were you born? New Bern, NC

8. Have you ever been to a strip club? Nope.

9. What is the last thing you said aloud? "Frick if I know!"

10. What is the best ice cream flavor? Either Deep, Dark Chocolate or Chocolate chip cookie dough...one of the few good things my bloody dining hall serves, if only on occasion.

11. What was the last thing you had to drink? Sprite with lunch, unfortunately.

12. What are you wearing right now? Black mock turtleneck, black leggings, and a long, loose black skirt. With black shoes and socks. Yes, I'm rather fond of the color, today because it attracts HEAT.

13. What was the last thing you ate? Pseudo-chicken tenders (that is, the meal exchange says they're chicken tenders) and lard-fries. About half of it is sitting here waiting for me to go toss it in the trash.

14. Have you bought any new clothes this week? I have too many already, why would I get new clothes?

15. Where were you last? In the hall outside my door.

16. What's the last sporting event you watched? Who won? On TV, Braves vs. somebody, heck if I know. Don't remember if they won or lost the last game of which I caught a snippet, though.

17. Who is the last person you sent a comment/message while blogging? Mum

18. Where do you live? In a dorm

19. What song are you listening to? I've got "Bustopher Jones" from the musical Cats running about my brain when it gets quiet, but Alanis Morissette on the computer.

20. Do you tan? HA! I am PASTEH!!! I barely burn when I try, and Monkey refers to me as the "Moon" when I'm on the laptop.

21. Do you drink your soda from a straw? Not unless there's a lot of (disgusting) ice in the stuff.


22. What did your last text message say? To me: "Glad. how ya doing?"


23. Who's your best friend? Enh, it's a toss-up between Monkey, The Flower, and another loooooongtime from young childhood.


24. What are you doing tomorrow? Class, and HOPEFULLY sending off that thank-you letter to my grandfather....AAH!!! And shopping for a friend's B-day on the 17th!


25. Where is your mom right now?
Most likely, in front of the computer, blogging.


26. Look to your right, what do you see? A larger, old brown teddy bear that somehow came with me, seated beside a littler red one from an upperclass(wo)man


27. What do you think of when you think of where you live? SWELTERING, HICK-INFESTED HUMIDITY

28. Ever ridden on a roller coaster? Once. Dad apologized for the persuasion to so do.

29. What is your birthstone? Ruby.


30. Do you go in at a fast-food place or just hit the drive through? I loathe drive-throughs, and avoid using them -specifically, being the poor soul forced to attempt communication with the evil metal box- unless unavoidable.


31. What is your favorite number? 17. It's a pretty, dark, mesh of colors. Kind of Greenish Gray-Blue


32. Do you have a dog? Personally, no. I am an affirmed cat person, and typically tolerate dogs at best.


33. Last person you talked to on the phone? I forget, but the last person I remember talking to on the phone was Le Batard.


34. Have you met anyone famous? Not to my knowledge.


35. Any plans today? Food, or what will pass for it, then either fanfiction or possibly (rare glimmer of hope) an honest to God paper BOOK.


36. How many states have you lived in? 2, but only remember this one. Many, many houses in it, but just the one muggy state.


37. Ever go to college? Therein enrolled currently. The true question is, Do I feel like a college student (not really)


38. Where are you right now? In my bed, should be at dinner.


39. Biggest annoyance in your life right now? The looming cost of books, or rather WHICH books. (I thought I would never have to read Things Fall Apart ever again....*whimper*)

40. Are you struggling to forgive someone right now? Not that I can remember, so probably not.

41. Are you allergic to anything? Cats, the "cillin" meds, most everything that blooms between March and Decamber, and one other med whose name escapes me.


42. Favorite pair of shoes? The ones I'm wearing now. Black, I think the style is called mocs, but I'm not sure. They're slide-on-and-not-fly-off shoes required for a (practically useless) class my senior year of HS. Technically guy's shoes, they were the ONLY black pair in Generic*Mart that didn't have pink on them, and were close to my size (they're still 1/2 size too small at men's 8 1/2). I love them .^__^

Again...

Well, I didn't wake Monkey up. Woke myself up, muttering rather loudly either admonishments or summons to the three siblings, who I also named. Sleep meds sent me right back to sleep, though, so I'm happy!
Ever gotten a song stuck in your head, but not been able to remember all of the bloody thing, so whenever you start singing it you end up stuck in some kind of verse-overlapping perpetual song loop? I've been that way with the Kingston Trio's "Haul Away" for the last few days. So very annoying.

Re: the current 12-ring monkey circus commonly referred to as the presidential races:
USAToday has a very interesting little quiz where you answer mult. choice questions and it matches you to the top 3 presidential candidates with whom your answers most agree.
(ooh, look! a long link:)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/candidate-match-game.htm?loc=interstitialskip

My top 3: Hillary Clinton. Barack Obama. Bill Richardson.
Richardson didn't creep me out horribly/disagree on a fundamental issue.
He's dropped out.

I have yet to register to vote (although I do have a voter registration form from last year, don't know if it works this year, too) and looking at the current lineup makes me want to go hide in a hole in the ground until everybody goes away.
*shuffles out of frame sideways*

~Brilliance & Light

The word "politics" is derived from the word "poly" meaning "many" and the word "ticks" meaning "blood sucking parasites."
~Larry Hardiman

Monday, January 14, 2008

Somniloquence, or Monkey's Ticked Off At Me Again:

As I have frequently related here, I have a repeated issue with insomnia. As I have to get up at 7:30 every day during the week (at least this month), I'm medicated for it on those nights when I have to get up early. Lunesta is some good stuff, aside from the side effect of making everything I drink taste like crap.
However, that doesn't explain the annoyed-ness of the Monkey. Apparently Lunesta is better that I thought; it was strong enough to keep me sound asleep when, at about 2 this morning, I shouted, "I'm coming," and woke up my poor, long-suffering roommate. (and yes, I realize other interpretations of such a statement...I was very confused and startled when Monkey first told me). I've had a lot of dreams about home recently, so I guess I was answering an imagined summons.

Re: my posting habits...I really, really should stop posting in the early A.M. hours. Monkey (one of an estimated 2 readers) went back last night and read through a bunch of posts she'd missed... and caught a buttload of misspellings and other assorted typographical errors.
Brilliant. Really.

::*WARNING* Some movie SPOILERS for "Sweeney Todd" after this point::

Ooh!!! I got to see "Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street" on Friday! I did (most of) my laundry, and when the last came out, we went over to one of the local cinemas and wheeeeeeee, movie! I'd been looking forward to this movie for a number of reasons: Johnny Depp, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, and all of the above SINGING.
"Sweeney Todd" is a slasher musical.

When we got back, after watching Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett slitting/stabbing throats and cooking people in pies respectively, the only comment Monkey and I had was that the blood was not exactly realistic (she said it was too watery or inconsistent, I said it was too bright, and held up my BBQ sauce as a closer example).

A random thought: TV is stupid. Especially the commercials. One that just let up went like this: "We couldn't say it on TV if it wasn't true! Eat all you want and still lose weight!" and on and on ad nauseum about some or the other die(t) product.
Honestly, my first thought in response to their first sentence was, "Um, it's election year, what about them apples?"

I found someone from whom I can get a much cheaper copy of a book for a major class next year, so off I go to do that and check what else I'm gonna need for the other 4 classes for which I do not yet have books.

A bientot. (and again, I wish I could get accent marks....*sigh*)
~Brill

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Gads.

I so do not post often enough. I think about it. Seriously, I'll be walking to class or in lunch or in the shower or I'll just randomly hear something funny or interesting or something something-ish, and I'll think, "Hey, I should write about that in my blog!"...and then I never do. Grr.
Well, current/new things about me:
-January term class is in session, so I'm fitting 4 months of drawing into one month. This means my butt hurts. Not directly, but the benches in the classroom look like this:

l
l
l___________
l-------------------l
l...................l

WITH NO CURVE OR CUSHION!! (...and yes, that is drawn in l's & punctuation).
I go home next weekend. Hopefully, S can give my back muscles a massage. I hurt from scalp to sacroiliac.

-My laundry pile reached a new high (or low, in Monkey's opinion). I've been rather caught up in this fracking class, and hadn't yet unpacked my clothes from over break.... or done the rather massive amount of laundry that piled up as a result.
As of today, my laundry reached my boobs. I'm going down to the laundry facilities when I get off of here; it's sorted into piles on the floor, taunting me. Ideally, I'll do the impressive pile of dishes sitting on my counter when the laundry is in the machines. (I need to...I'm out of forks, most of my bowls, soup/cereal spoons...It's an early, long, labor-intensive class, and I'm an otherwise lazybum!)

-Monkey has discovered the investive potential of Roth IRAs. Or, rather, has recently further investigated them and brought them to my knowledge. Since my bank waives the fee associated therewith for checking account holders, I may set one up if I get a good enough job this summer.

-I am PASTY!!! Earlier today I was unable to determine if a dark area on my temple was a long smear of charcoal or veins under my skin. I think it's the later, though I'm still not certain.

-Oh, the first weekend (or any time, really) that the weather has finally been consistently precipitant... and our art class has to spray fixative on charcoal drawings before Monday, a strictly outdoor process.

-I saw this this morning:
http://www.comics.com/comics/chickweed/
It's the first comic in my lineup. Dr. Burber's comments just brightened my day, as usual.

I'm going to do laundry...and dishes...and then NOTHING PRODUCTIVE at least until Friday night!

Thursday, January 3, 2008

The Return

School again, School again, coughety-cough....
Well, I am back in College Town, with a rather persistent head cold from Mum. This will be the 3rd semester in a row that I've been sick the first week of classes. Thankfully I still have some nasal spray from last semester.
Christmas, New Year's home-cooked (and me-cooked) food...one would think I'd gain weight while at home, but nooooo.....The odd and rather inexplicable trend towards weight loss continues. Thus far since the commencement of my freshman year I have lost approximately 20 lbs., 5 during the winter break. This is friggin' weird. I need to find a way to give the extra weight to Monkey; she constantly complains of being too light. The girl almost never tips the 100 mark, and you can't give blood unless you're at least 110 lbs. (We had a blood drive here near the beginning of school, and each class got points for however many mambers would participate....poor Monkey.)
Speaking of Monkey, she got 3 presents thusly themed for Christmas, and told me that her mother and I almost got her the same thing! She and I went food shopping last night after we got in, cleaned the room, and unpacked. I'm reducing my meal plan ASAP because quite frankly, my dears, the food here sucks. They can't even keep the milk properly cold all the time! I don't think that there is a single consistently good menu item...I'll have to ponder that. So we loaded up on microwavable frozen pasta dinner entres that I'd had while house-sitting for a former HS teacher...really rather good ones... and other shelf- or freezer-stable items. I have food. I am happy.
We both learned from a friend last night that day classes do not start today as we originally thought, but tomorrow; night classes start today (Thursday). My art class is only M-Th. I HAVE NO CLASS UNTIL MONDAY!!!!!!!! WOOHOO! It rather saddens me, though, that I didn't get to say goodbye to Mum & Da before I left.
Our room is now pretty and clean and SYMMETRICAL (enough)!
we moved the desks to in front of the big window, back to back, and turned our beds to create a small walkway between those two items of furniture. The dressers are both still in front of the closets, and I now have the fridge at the foot of my bed. (so on cold mornings I can just crawl to the foot of the bed under the covers and root around for food! Brilliant! :P)
OHOHOH!!!! I saw Le Batard! he is WALKING, He is HOME (as in his house, not our town), and apparently he's coming back to school for the Spring term! Full recovery is still projected at around a year, but he's made an astounding recovery thus far. I'm so thankful!
OK, going away. I need to go and see if the others for whom I've made biscotti packages are here, and officially tell the cafeteria that they suck....er, that I won't be eating there more than 12 times per week.
Au revoir!

~Brilliant (or something)