(Correction to previous post: It's not 'Badhanguliasana," it's spelled 'Baddhanguliyasana.' my bad. ...That was today's final, on which I think I actually did fairly well).
South Carolina has approximately 12 seasons, or 4 oscillating year-round. They are as follows: Summer, Almost Summer, Just After Summer, and Very Chilly Fall (aka winter). It is December the 10th, and SC is in a high snit of Almost Summer.
My college turned on the heat (or, switched the HVAC system from AC to H) about mid-November; before this occurs, the temp must have fallen below 30 for about a week, and once the system is set to Heat it cannot be turned back until the 'Spring' (see: "Almost Summer," above). We were (almost) all freezing, and very happy when the 'blessed event' finally happened. Howe'er. Today is December 10th (first day of Exam week, incidentally) and the high today is in the high 70's. Little to no cloud cover. The forecast reads the same for today, tomorrow, et cetera et cetera ad nauseum at least through my departure for Christmas break.
The typical SC year goes as follows (with few, though not non-existent, exceptions):
January: Mostly Very Chilly Fall, with as much as a week of Almost Summer.
February: V.C.F. Wet.
March: rapid oscillation between V.C.F. and A.S. Wind.
April-October: Summer (sometimes extending into early November).
November: Just After Summer, a sudden freeze that raises everyone's hopes, and then more J.A.S.
December: Usually V.C.F., but one can never be too certain. Don't pack the short-shorts and T-shirts too far away.
This year, as I'm sure many know, our Summer included a week of frost that killed most fruit in the region. Frickin' weather!
I have painting to do, but the weather just needed to be vilified.
~Brill
Monday, December 10, 2007
Sunday, December 9, 2007
More procrastination
It occurred to me to put something else up here while waiting for my final project to dry more (instead of studying for tomorrow's Yoga final....If I don't know what the benefits of Badhanguliasana are now, I doubt that 20 extra minutes of studying will help a whole hell of a lot) I should put up more random junk here that pretty much no one outside the people mentioned on it read.
I hate shopping for Christmas presents. I had to go to the College Town mall yesterday to get a present for my upperclass(wo)man mentor-person (she rules. Totally.). Any excursion off-campus takes almost as much planning as the military invasion of another country. I have no car. The car I drove at home was an unmitigated piece of shit and when I left would only accelerate over 35mph with a strong tailwind on a downhill slope (don't get me started on how many times I got honked at on either of the 2 -read them, 2- basic ways from our house to WalMart.) I could vent my spleen on that P.O.C. vehicular device until the next coming, but today I shall stop with I have no car here. *cries*
However, Monkey does poses (via parental units) a vehicle, and was willing to, yesterday, venture into parts infrequently traveled to assist me in the procurement of said gift. We arrive at the mall, go inside, and I immediately want to either find a nice, quiet bookstore or leave ASAP; however, Monkey had made me promise to not let her into any bookstores, so that option was out of the question. (Neither of us would leave for a few hours...she literally had to drag/push me out of the local B&N last time we went). Thankfully, we found the Bath & Body Works in the mall quickly (and no bookstore had yet reared its distracting, lovely head) and went in to get a gift.
Frickin'. Holiday. Shoppers! I seriously had to dodge around tables to avoid the hordes, walk stop-go behind people who stand on the other side of the aisle from the merchandise at which they look, and once I got my stuff was prevented from exiting by two guys (around 16 and 12, I'd guess) goofing around with sprays/lotions.
I hate holiday shopping. Last year I took the Hyperactive Hypersonic Demonspawn (8 at the time) to WalMart so that 'he' could get his Christmas shopping done (read: So that he could bounce like a BB in a boxcar off of everything/one and ask for a treat while I got presents to label in his name). on the 23rd of December!!! I am bloody suicidal. This year I am not at home (though I doubt the Dibbuns/Mum have presents prepped this early) and I got all shopping DONE save the one thing that needs to be bought fresh. (I do, however, still have to make rather a lot of biscotti for some friends here for whom I either could think of no present or could not afford a present).
Also, EGADS, the idiots to whom driver's licenses are issued! There should be reissued tests at regular periods to prevent people who should not be from driving. Of course, I also think there should be parenting licenses. (more on that later).
My back hurts. This chair is SO NOT ergo dynamic. Wood, pokey-into-backey, but it does rock! I think I'll need chiropractic help before I am 30. That, or a knee replacement. Ow. I just want to go home and sleep now. I still need to take exams (4 and a 'final critique') and pack...and make sure that I'm not leaving any food in the fridge or dishes around the room.
I did do three loads of laundry last night, and now it is actually possible to get to my closet...if you climb over the remaining laundry. I might need to cut out some clothes...
DINNERTIME! oh, Monkey's "5 Minutes 'Til Food" alarm went off. It's honestly not that good. I routinely make better, if not necessarily better of the same (without the gastro-intestinal side effects) at home.
I showed the Monkey my blog, at her insistence. Reading along, I noticed rather a few typos, mostly in the Oxycodone-influenced posts, but for those that exist, I am sorry. Most days I am just too bloody lazy to reread what I have written. Also, Monkey said she could hear me reading what was written...she says it means she's been hanging out with me too long. Fiddlesticks!
I hate shopping for Christmas presents. I had to go to the College Town mall yesterday to get a present for my upperclass(wo)man mentor-person (she rules. Totally.). Any excursion off-campus takes almost as much planning as the military invasion of another country. I have no car. The car I drove at home was an unmitigated piece of shit and when I left would only accelerate over 35mph with a strong tailwind on a downhill slope (don't get me started on how many times I got honked at on either of the 2 -read them, 2- basic ways from our house to WalMart.) I could vent my spleen on that P.O.C. vehicular device until the next coming, but today I shall stop with I have no car here. *cries*
However, Monkey does poses (via parental units) a vehicle, and was willing to, yesterday, venture into parts infrequently traveled to assist me in the procurement of said gift. We arrive at the mall, go inside, and I immediately want to either find a nice, quiet bookstore or leave ASAP; however, Monkey had made me promise to not let her into any bookstores, so that option was out of the question. (Neither of us would leave for a few hours...she literally had to drag/push me out of the local B&N last time we went). Thankfully, we found the Bath & Body Works in the mall quickly (and no bookstore had yet reared its distracting, lovely head) and went in to get a gift.
Frickin'. Holiday. Shoppers! I seriously had to dodge around tables to avoid the hordes, walk stop-go behind people who stand on the other side of the aisle from the merchandise at which they look, and once I got my stuff was prevented from exiting by two guys (around 16 and 12, I'd guess) goofing around with sprays/lotions.
I hate holiday shopping. Last year I took the Hyperactive Hypersonic Demonspawn (8 at the time) to WalMart so that 'he' could get his Christmas shopping done (read: So that he could bounce like a BB in a boxcar off of everything/one and ask for a treat while I got presents to label in his name). on the 23rd of December!!! I am bloody suicidal. This year I am not at home (though I doubt the Dibbuns/Mum have presents prepped this early) and I got all shopping DONE save the one thing that needs to be bought fresh. (I do, however, still have to make rather a lot of biscotti for some friends here for whom I either could think of no present or could not afford a present).
Also, EGADS, the idiots to whom driver's licenses are issued! There should be reissued tests at regular periods to prevent people who should not be from driving. Of course, I also think there should be parenting licenses. (more on that later).
My back hurts. This chair is SO NOT ergo dynamic. Wood, pokey-into-backey, but it does rock! I think I'll need chiropractic help before I am 30. That, or a knee replacement. Ow. I just want to go home and sleep now. I still need to take exams (4 and a 'final critique') and pack...and make sure that I'm not leaving any food in the fridge or dishes around the room.
I did do three loads of laundry last night, and now it is actually possible to get to my closet...if you climb over the remaining laundry. I might need to cut out some clothes...
DINNERTIME! oh, Monkey's "5 Minutes 'Til Food" alarm went off. It's honestly not that good. I routinely make better, if not necessarily better of the same (without the gastro-intestinal side effects) at home.
I showed the Monkey my blog, at her insistence. Reading along, I noticed rather a few typos, mostly in the Oxycodone-influenced posts, but for those that exist, I am sorry. Most days I am just too bloody lazy to reread what I have written. Also, Monkey said she could hear me reading what was written...she says it means she's been hanging out with me too long. Fiddlesticks!
Au revoir.
~Brilliant (or Something)
Friday, December 7, 2007
I am a lazybum!
...or so the Monkey readily and routinely informs me. She has been sure to do so recently, typically followed by "It's hip-high!" The pronoun antecedent there is my laundry pile. I have reached the point in my laundry 'cycle' where I am almost out of socks something that sould be difficult to do when you own about 60 pairs. It takes an hour and 40 minutes to complete a full load of laundry on the machines here, and although the washers are free and economy sized, I still have about 4 or 5 loads to do. As Monkey says...Lazybum!
I finished my last class today, so all I have left are exams (hunh, 'all'), so today and tomorrow are laundry days. I currently can't access my closet.... I finally got Monkey her Christmas present and 'hid' it in there!
You know, though, the benefit of attending a women's college is that pretty much nobody gives a rat's ass whether you come to class in a pantsuit and pearls or pyjamas and gnarly hair. I get the impression that quite a few of the girls don't change out of PJs unless they have to go off campus pretty much. ^__^
I have an extremely labor-intensive painting project due on the 13th. I think that by the end of my sophomore/early junior year, I'll have moved into the art building.
In continuing with my apparent theme of utterly random info blurbs, Monkey wrote a paper for a religion class illustrating how a sculpture, song, or other work of art (medieval/Renaissance) interpreted a book of the New Testament, and my wonderful science major person complained bitterly about "that's what I get for getting a liberal arts education" when she realized that she had basically waxed eloquent about a sculpture for 3 pages. I think it took me that many minutes to stop laughing at her.
I will probably put more up later when I should be studying Precal or yogic concepts (shrivels and dies)...and am being a lazybum instead.
~Brilliant (or Something)
I finished my last class today, so all I have left are exams (hunh, 'all'), so today and tomorrow are laundry days. I currently can't access my closet.... I finally got Monkey her Christmas present and 'hid' it in there!
You know, though, the benefit of attending a women's college is that pretty much nobody gives a rat's ass whether you come to class in a pantsuit and pearls or pyjamas and gnarly hair. I get the impression that quite a few of the girls don't change out of PJs unless they have to go off campus pretty much. ^__^
I have an extremely labor-intensive painting project due on the 13th. I think that by the end of my sophomore/early junior year, I'll have moved into the art building.
In continuing with my apparent theme of utterly random info blurbs, Monkey wrote a paper for a religion class illustrating how a sculpture, song, or other work of art (medieval/Renaissance) interpreted a book of the New Testament, and my wonderful science major person complained bitterly about "that's what I get for getting a liberal arts education" when she realized that she had basically waxed eloquent about a sculpture for 3 pages. I think it took me that many minutes to stop laughing at her.
I will probably put more up later when I should be studying Precal or yogic concepts (shrivels and dies)...and am being a lazybum instead.
~Brilliant (or Something)
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Bouncy bouncy bouncy bouncy
I have an extreme sensitivity to caffeine. I can't drink coffee (caf or decaf) at any time of the day, or Black Tea in the mornings due to a tanin sensitivity, so by default sodas provide my main source of false attentivity (izzat a word?), but only as a last resort. I had a huge project due today for my Yoga class, and another large assignment earlier in the week, so a few nights ago I bought a Coke from the dorm machine and slowly consumed about a third around 8. I went to bed at 1. Yesterday I lowered the level about an inch before going to a late morning class and was hyper-aware and almost vibrating until past noon.
Last night, working with a large sleep debt which has accumulated over a period of a few weeks, I chugged the last 1/3 of the coke at around 9:30-ish. heeeee...heeeeh....heh.
literally vibrating now...and singing along with Panic! at the Disco over and over and over...and then Monkey went to bed at 2 when I started randomly laughing at a high pitch like a mental case. I went to bed 2 hours later.
I wrote a paper today. I sleep tomorrow. None of this really makes any sense because my judgemental and reasoning capabilities are at the equivalent a drunk person. Wheeeeeeee!!!!!!!!
Godbye now.
~Br(rrrrrrr)ill (it's starting to act like December here)
Last night, working with a large sleep debt which has accumulated over a period of a few weeks, I chugged the last 1/3 of the coke at around 9:30-ish. heeeee...heeeeh....heh.
literally vibrating now...and singing along with Panic! at the Disco over and over and over...and then Monkey went to bed at 2 when I started randomly laughing at a high pitch like a mental case. I went to bed 2 hours later.
I wrote a paper today. I sleep tomorrow. None of this really makes any sense because my judgemental and reasoning capabilities are at the equivalent a drunk person. Wheeeeeeee!!!!!!!!
Godbye now.
~Br(rrrrrrr)ill (it's starting to act like December here)
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Do I even need to say it?
There's a reason I call Monkey Monkey.
Just now she looked up from her laptop, took off her headphones, and asked, "Do you ever use MonkeyNotes?"
Cue a very blank stare.
"I take that as a no."
"What is 'MonkeyNotes?'"
"It's like SparkNotes. It's on PinkMonkey-dot-com!" This last quite brightly and normally, as if she's stating that the weather is absolutely glorious (and monkeys abound as always).
Hence, Monkey.
She's drilled the blasted things into my head, randomly saying "MONKEY!" for no apparent reason. Guess what I'm painting on my final project for art class.
I should be finishing my first powerpoint presentation right now, but that little instance just had to be transmitted. Like an airborn virus. Maybe now the monkeys in my head will leave me alone.
~The Brilliant Procrastinator
Just now she looked up from her laptop, took off her headphones, and asked, "Do you ever use MonkeyNotes?"
Cue a very blank stare.
"I take that as a no."
"What is 'MonkeyNotes?'"
"It's like SparkNotes. It's on PinkMonkey-dot-com!" This last quite brightly and normally, as if she's stating that the weather is absolutely glorious (and monkeys abound as always).
Hence, Monkey.
She's drilled the blasted things into my head, randomly saying "MONKEY!" for no apparent reason. Guess what I'm painting on my final project for art class.
I should be finishing my first powerpoint presentation right now, but that little instance just had to be transmitted. Like an airborn virus. Maybe now the monkeys in my head will leave me alone.
~The Brilliant Procrastinator
He's Better, He's Better, He's Better!
Le Batard is improving! His feeding tube was removed, he's been fitted for his back brace, and he's trying to squeeze his hands/talk (though it doesn't make much sense, according to his sister...so I definitely know he's getting better ^______^ ).
I have an entire PowerPoint to do and a paper to finish for my W/E Civ class (both. due. tomorrow.), so I update Le Batard and then go back to my happy caffeine high. Au revoir!
~Brill
I have an entire PowerPoint to do and a paper to finish for my W/E Civ class (both. due. tomorrow.), so I update Le Batard and then go back to my happy caffeine high. Au revoir!
~Brill
Monday, December 3, 2007
A Christmas Quiz, edited slightly for blog format
Welcome to the Christmas edition of Getting to Know Your Friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, (Insert a bunch of email-related stuff that in no way interests me, especially on a blog. Re-posting this simply allows me to wax and rant.)
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Typically bags (I am lazy), but I used a lot of paper this year, as all my bags are 70 miles away and my unwrapped presents are here.
2. Real tree or Artificial? I prefer either a real tree or a 'homemade' tree. That last will require its own separate post. With pictures.
3. When do you put up the tree? It varies. The earliest was about a week and a half before the big day, but last time we had a real tree it was a last minute buy from the lot (surprisingly still well-populated...but then my family tends to buy the trees with...character.)
4. When do you take the tree down? Before it turns completely brown. I am not an anomaly in my laziness. We tend to follow the traditionally prescribed 12 Days of Christmas.
5. Do you like egg nog? Extremely. Never, to my knowledge, tried the 'real' stuff, but I love the storebought with a dash of nutmeg.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I was incredibly fond of both my first CD player and my cell phone. Though I really do believe in the "it's the thought that counts" sentiment (in most cases).
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, we do have a creche, somewhere. We might even have two. If the stars align and hell freezes over, the two might have a complete one betwixt them.
8. Hardest person to buy for? This year S and the Flower's brother (also a friend, and also dating another friend)
9. Easiest person to buy for? Da, followed closely by Mum. I've probably seen 10 things since October and thought, "That would be the perfect present for him!" (I've actually had his gift since AWA in September.)
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. Definitely Mail. The only downsides I can think of are potentially illegible handwritting and postage, but I still feel it's worth it. I am making cards for my grand-people this year.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Heck if I know. Even the ones I don't like can usually be dismantled into parts and reformed... Though the things of Hellspawnness have regifted/handmeup'ed some truely... interesting stuff)
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? How the Grinch Stole Christmas or It's A Wonderful Life (that last is mum's fault...I swear the woman can repeat the damned movie word for word)
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? around Thanksgiving, but this year I completed most before...so happy.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I can remember
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Mulled cider and gingerbread...but pretty much anything Mum makes :D )
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? A blend thereof.
17. Favorite Christmas song? "What Child Is This" at this moment, but it varies. I like the vast majority of the classic Christmas carols and hymns, and even a few of the modern ones, but the rest...*shudders*
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay at home unless we're visiting Mum's side of the family (more room, fewer old people)
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Yes, unfortunately
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Crocheted lacework angel if we can find it, bow if not (seriously, we have a crazy vertically challenged attic and about 20 boxes of christmas shit piled up there ...at least I think it's up there; I'm not sure all of it made it up at the end of last year, and if not heaven only knows where it is now. I miss our old attic)
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? I prefer to open them in the morning... people are nicer then ^___^
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Some annoyance stems from rude and/or pushy people, but my primary sources of pique are the untimely, cheesy proliferation of decorations (not. even. HALLOWEEN!) and the constant, unrepenting, aural assault that is bloody CHRISTMAS POP MUSIC!
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Simple metallic baubles and balls... no neon-y-ness!!!
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? The oneyear we had goose...*sigh* That was the best stuff ever.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Peace on our street. Screw peace on earth, I'm not ready to deal with it yet. But aside from that I want Le Batard to get better.
Materialistically, I want my personal library expanded.
(insert annoying prognostication on email responses)
__________________________________
I'm watching Tin Man on SciFi right now (should be reading up and taking notes on the life of Christine de Pizan, but that's what commercial breaks are for). It's really interesting, and I hope beyond all hope that I have enough time to watch the other installments...I believe there are 2 more.
~Brilliance and Light
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Typically bags (I am lazy), but I used a lot of paper this year, as all my bags are 70 miles away and my unwrapped presents are here.
2. Real tree or Artificial? I prefer either a real tree or a 'homemade' tree. That last will require its own separate post. With pictures.
3. When do you put up the tree? It varies. The earliest was about a week and a half before the big day, but last time we had a real tree it was a last minute buy from the lot (surprisingly still well-populated...but then my family tends to buy the trees with...character.)
4. When do you take the tree down? Before it turns completely brown. I am not an anomaly in my laziness. We tend to follow the traditionally prescribed 12 Days of Christmas.
5. Do you like egg nog? Extremely. Never, to my knowledge, tried the 'real' stuff, but I love the storebought with a dash of nutmeg.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I was incredibly fond of both my first CD player and my cell phone. Though I really do believe in the "it's the thought that counts" sentiment (in most cases).
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, we do have a creche, somewhere. We might even have two. If the stars align and hell freezes over, the two might have a complete one betwixt them.
8. Hardest person to buy for? This year S and the Flower's brother (also a friend, and also dating another friend)
9. Easiest person to buy for? Da, followed closely by Mum. I've probably seen 10 things since October and thought, "That would be the perfect present for him!" (I've actually had his gift since AWA in September.)
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. Definitely Mail. The only downsides I can think of are potentially illegible handwritting and postage, but I still feel it's worth it. I am making cards for my grand-people this year.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Heck if I know. Even the ones I don't like can usually be dismantled into parts and reformed... Though the things of Hellspawnness have regifted/handmeup'ed some truely... interesting stuff)
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? How the Grinch Stole Christmas or It's A Wonderful Life (that last is mum's fault...I swear the woman can repeat the damned movie word for word)
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? around Thanksgiving, but this year I completed most before...so happy.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I can remember
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Mulled cider and gingerbread...but pretty much anything Mum makes :D )
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? A blend thereof.
17. Favorite Christmas song? "What Child Is This" at this moment, but it varies. I like the vast majority of the classic Christmas carols and hymns, and even a few of the modern ones, but the rest...*shudders*
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay at home unless we're visiting Mum's side of the family (more room, fewer old people)
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Yes, unfortunately
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Crocheted lacework angel if we can find it, bow if not (seriously, we have a crazy vertically challenged attic and about 20 boxes of christmas shit piled up there ...at least I think it's up there; I'm not sure all of it made it up at the end of last year, and if not heaven only knows where it is now. I miss our old attic)
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? I prefer to open them in the morning... people are nicer then ^___^
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Some annoyance stems from rude and/or pushy people, but my primary sources of pique are the untimely, cheesy proliferation of decorations (not. even. HALLOWEEN!) and the constant, unrepenting, aural assault that is bloody CHRISTMAS POP MUSIC!
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Simple metallic baubles and balls... no neon-y-ness!!!
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? The oneyear we had goose...*sigh* That was the best stuff ever.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Peace on our street. Screw peace on earth, I'm not ready to deal with it yet. But aside from that I want Le Batard to get better.
Materialistically, I want my personal library expanded.
(insert annoying prognostication on email responses)
__________________________________
I'm watching Tin Man on SciFi right now (should be reading up and taking notes on the life of Christine de Pizan, but that's what commercial breaks are for). It's really interesting, and I hope beyond all hope that I have enough time to watch the other installments...I believe there are 2 more.
~Brilliance and Light
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