i dare you

I know I'm living in a good place when I can hear amazing songs like this. Makes me smile.

Indeed, we should. I know this probably has something to do with the Anti-Saloon League, as it appears these ladies are sitting on a barrel that could be full of whiskey or some other liquor. The Anti-Saloon League was actually run mostly by women back in the day. It was pretty empowering when you think about it: these women were sick of their drunkard husbands coming home and hurt them, their children or ruining the household that they worked tirelessly to maintain.

My former home of Westerville was the home of the Anti-Saloon Leauge. I worked on a ton of research about it when I was helping out in the college archives. THOSE WERE THE DAYS LAST YEAR, AMIRITE?


Virginia is good. I am ok. I need a break. Thank God for Thanksgiving. My brain feels so crispy. No wonder! I've produced five full-length personal essays, 1 short story and 18 poems. HOLY HELL. That is pretty much the equivalent of all the writing I did in TOTAL last year. I didn't think I had this much to say. Poetry has been my saving grace lately, though. I'm much better at it now than I used to be. I don't want to post any poems, though. No one reads poems, anyway.

I love the world where someone made this.

Fall not here yet. Only a few trees have changed. I've got friends, good friends and a job where I teach little kids how to write sentences. I tell every one of them that writing is my most favorite things in the world and that it could be their favorite thing, too, if they practice.

I have a refrigerator full of delicious food, wine, beer, hummus and take-away sushi. I have books on the cafe life of late 1800s Paris. I just finished my first paper for grad school. I bought a Glamour magazine. Some Otterbein friends are visiting next week. I feel full of life and so very lovingly young.

But...I kind of like this song. It is hypnotic, like most techno music, but in the best way possible. Anyway, I was 9/10 in 1996. I wouldn't have understood what those people were doing in the bathrooms. Also, I was listening to Hanson and Spice Girl nonstop.

I survived my first class. It was fairly painless. In fact, it was rather enjoyable. I have my own mailbox and cubby hole. There is a lounge just for grad students where I am now, eating my ramen noodle and orange soda lunch. A second year is sitting in the couches to my left and hasn't said a word to me. Perhaps it is because he is reading a book of poetry and it appears like I am working on something Very Important. He probably is working on something Very Important and I am here updating my LJ. Dear Lord.

Anyway, I like it. David Huddle is my tutorial leader. He is older and kindly and tall. He also has these kick ass big plastic frame glass. He looks super distinguished. We did nothing but read out loud and discuss what we read. It was like story time, but the stories were fantastic and every had amazing, wonderful things to contribute to the conversation.

Still no job. A little depressing. Not depressed, though, which is a good thing. I often have people over at my place or we go out for cheap, terrible beers at a place called Lew's. The name is all the description you need to understand what goes on at Lew's.

I'm really afraid of this poetry class that starts at 1:00. It's a lit course so I won't have to write poetry (though I have been writing terrible poems all summer, for whatever reason). I am afraid that my silly little exultations of word choice are not going to cut it here. Alas. Such is.

To quote Peggy from Mad Men, "I am in a very good place right now."

What the HELL is this? I love how good old fashioned gender stereotypes are bringing this amazing female athlete down: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-worlds-gendertest&prov=ap&type=lgns
Just because she doesn't fit the typical profile for a woman and looks "too masculine." Gurrr rawr!

Now, if the test DOES come back the she is actually a he, there is still something worrisome here. Athletes are forced to choose a gender. What happens if there an exceptionally talented trans man or woman who qualifies for world championships or the Olympics in their sport? No one seems to talk about how limiting that is!


I made banana pecan muffins for a get together tonight. In a 1/2 hour. Which means I need to go about...oh 20 minutes ago since it takes about 30 minutes to get to the other side of town.

PS: The property where I'm living is called "Turtle Bay." How cute is that?

So, uh I have an interview at Macy's at 2:30 on the 20th. Yay?

Tomorrow. I leave tomorrow to take nearly all my belongings and move 450 miles away to Roanoke, Virginia. This is all I've wanted since I was 13 years old; I just wanted to get out of Ohio. Now that it's here...I...I feel a little sad, nervous and apprehensive.

There's a few specific things I'm worried about the most:

1. Friends. Mainly, will I find some. I mean, I know I will find SOMEONE whom I am friendly with but what I mean are the main people I hang out with three or four times a week. People in the program and I already have at least one thing in common. I'm a very nice person, if not a little shy when I first meet people. I'm just flashing back to freshman year at Otterbein where I feel like I was so uncomfortable with myself. But now, at least, I can firmly say I do indeed love who I am, though I know I have a ton of improvements to make (who doesn't?).

2. Money. Enough said. The loans don't come in until the first of September. Which reminds me I forgot to pick up my checks from the bank today. DAMMIT.

3. Being unable to keep up with the pace of my program. I am a good student. I work very hard and am very, very dedicated to my writing. I've only turned in one thing late in my entire life and that was because it got buried in my papers, not because it wasn't finished. But this program is more about thought than being timely. Is my quality of thought up to par with everyone else in the program? Am I in over my head?

We'll see what happens. I'm predicting I cry within...2 weeks.

A tad overdone, no? The "epic" music, Ben Barnes leaping around in long coats and ascots,Collin Firth in a beard? If I didn't know what Dorian Gray was about I would probably be more confused than excited by this trailer.

That all being said, I'll probably see it...and that Holmes movie with RDJr.

(via <a href="www.feministing.com</a>Feministing</a>. I...really have nothing to say that wouldn't pull me into a 20 page rant on the BMI (which is undoubtedly how this "no chubbies" guy has formed his "expert opinion") and how it is sexist toward women. I bet hundreds of fat women are going to come crawling to his gym now. *EYE ROLL*

As I have mentioned here before, money scares me. Money scares me a lot. The cost of education is rising (like health care, the cost of living, etc, etc, etc) every year, leaving more and more students out in the cold. I don't need to tell you that students are looking at a grim job market, especially students like me and Denis.

I met Denis just a few months ago through facebook. He also has a place in the Hollins University MFA in creative writing class of 2011. I was so apprehensive about talking to the 14 other students accepted into the program, but Denis created a facebook page dedicated for the class of 2011 to meet and talk.

When Denis first told me about his financial difficulties, I felt so sad. If the world made ANY sense at all talented people like Denis wouldn't have to worry about funding his education. The reality is that a top notch education in creative writing doesn't come cheap, and Hollins is a top notch program.

He has set his goal for $13,000+. I know it sounds steep, but I really do believe in the power of people to reach out their hands and support one another. I know we're all broke as a joke right now, but if you could spare anything he would be so, so, so appreciative. It would be so sad to see him unable to attend Hollins in the fall! Click here to go to Denis' fundraising page to read more about him!

I won't spoil for anyone who is planning on watching it later but...

NO. I DO NOT ACCEPT THIS CANNON. DO NOT WANT. I am broken in 100,000 little pieces and I shall never, ever recover. My sister also echos these sentiments: ;____________________________;

Does anyone want to give a $1,000 or so? I need to see this show.

Can't decide if I like this song or not. I'm leaning toward like, since she reminds me a bit of a female Patrick Wolf.

( SPOILERS! )

^______________________________^ Who's a happy girl? I'm a happy girl! Now I'm going to bounce off and watch the next one.

Watching the two part series 2 finale of Torchwood in preparation for my streaming of the new series online. I was going to wait until it came to BBC America, but that's 2 weeks from now!

Ashamedly, I forgot all about my FAVORITE LINE FROM THE SHOW EVER was in the second part of finale!

After Tosh and Ianto rush in to save Gwen from the Weeviles, Ianto points a gun at Captain John.

Captain John: Don't start! I'll make things right, eye candy!

*DIES*

Since I'm not really into (any) fandom much anymore, I kind of forget how good Doctor Who and Torchwood are at fan service.

Anyway, after I finish refreshing myself on what happened last series, I'm going to start the new Torchwood. I have the worst memory in the world when it comes to TV shows and the like, so I really needed to rewatch.

In other John Barrowman news...I've been watch "How To Solve a Problem Like Maria" on BBC America and it has been, to say the least, highly entertaining. Graham Norton...Andrew Lloyd Webber...John Barrowman...It's just all I could ever dream of in a TV show!

When they repeat kiss me kiss me kiss me kiss me it's nearly divine.

FASHION. Seems like I am making a lot of posts about fashion lately, but that's because fashion (or least fashion available to ME) is going into some trends that I LOVE LOVE LOVE. It's been a rough couple of years for me fashion wise; I haven't really bought many new things and most of my favorite pieces have been in my wardrobe for at least three or four years.

So, now on to some picspam of some Things I'd Love to Have, Fashion edition

If there's one thing I love, it's a good bohemian print, like paisley.

From Alloy, one of my favorite mail order companies. Available in sizes S-XXXL for $46.50. The only problem I can see is that it is a bit short. I bought a shirt dress from Alloy that I just had to hem into a regular shirt because it was just too short and my badonkadonk is just too big.

( more fashion funtacular )

MORE NEWS FROM THE PLUS SIZED FASHION WORLD!!!!

Beth Ditto, lead singer of the amazing rock band The Gossip, has designed a plus-sized lined to be sold at Evans, a plus-sized clothing store (similar to Lane Bryant) out of the UK. It is supposed to launch online on July 9th @ Evans.com

THIS IS EXCITING, FRIENDS!!!

This is chicken paprikash and it is one of the best dishes in the WORLD. I ate it while I was in Budapest and I thought of it today randomly while I was hungry for lunch. It seems fairly easy to make so maybe I'll tell mom I want to make it tomorrow for dinner. I'll probably just cook it with regular egg noodles and not with Spatzle, which is a little dumpling sort of thing. I'd be afraid I'd totally screw up the spatzle. Perhaps I'll try it when I'm feeling a little more ambitious.

Anyway, here's a very easy recipe I found for Hungarian Chicken Paprikash, found here.
Ingredients:
24 oz. (1.5 lbs) boneless skinless chicken breasts
12 oz. sour cream
48 oz. chicken broth
1 onion
3-4 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
2 tablespoon garlic
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 bay leaves
corn starch (or preferably potato starch, if you have access to a health food store)
olive oil
( the rest here )

I...I...I have no words.

I can't wait for the new Torchwood series. ^______________________________^