Hello All!  I realize I haven't been seen in these parts in a long while, but I finally remembered my old login information and thought I'd stop by and see how everyone is!  I've really missed blogging about my life and about the many random things I think of and I've really really missed reading about my old friends! In the spirit of reunion, here are some things that have happened since my last visit... 1. School -- I still love school and it still loves me! I've completed my ...

I've been gone for a while -- not out of anger or punishment, but from being very busy. So, here's a quick re-cap of what you've missed of my life (because I know you care so much*): 1. School -- I love school. I was fairly nervous before classes started. I was afraid graduate school would be too hard for me, or that I would be woefully behind the others. As it turns out, this is not the case. I feel right at home. I love class, the professors, and have had some very interesting conv...

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down -- and the sun only shines on Monday. ******************* If no two people are exactly alike, then there can be only one normal person in the world. And guess what! I call it first! ******************** Imagine that you are in charge of a hotel, with an infinite number of rooms. Then imagine that an infinite sized bus shows up with an infinite number of people in it. Now imagine that, after you check in the infinite number of people an...

I don't understand people's obsession with weight loss! I've talked about this before, and it is quite likely that I will talk about it again, but I really feel as though I have to talk about it now. You see, at the beginning of this year, I took all the anger/rage/hatred I had for my ex and channeled it into exercise. I lost a little over 20 lbs. I felt better -- not only because I was healthier, but because I was finding a positive outlet for my negative emotions. But then, people st...

These slide shows looked like so much fun that I had to make one for myself.

I was sitting with a group of friends (all girls) and we were talking about things that had happened to us in the past. One girl admitted to being raped by her ex boyfriend. This was a very sensitive subject -- one that requires tact and, preferably, sympathy. She told her story, and we listened respectfully and then told her how sorry we were that this had happened. At least, most of us. One girl, one lacking tact, said, "Did you report it?" "No." the first girl answered. "I was too...

So, I thought that I would have a little "farewell" party to say goodbye to some of my favorite younger friends. I figured we could come up with some fun ideas that everyone could participate in -- you know, something the under 21 crowd could enjoy. I asked everyone for ideas... but I got no help from them. My brain is very tired right now, and I'm not feeling creative at all. Can someone please help me? I thought about bowling, mini-golf and the movies... but apparently, those ideas a...

Because I have no life, I develop little crushes on TV characters. Not the actors, mind you, because you have no idea what actors are like in their real lives. Nope, I get crushes on the characters. So, here’s a little list of my character crushes: Harry Dresden -- "The Dresden Files" Sci-Fi channel Harry is my latest crush. Any one who knows me should know that I would fall for a wizard. A witty wizard detective who's pretty hot, smart and powerful and has a smart ass ghost as a fri...

I wasn't going to write any more articles today... but the gauntlet has been thrown. Gideon has challenged me to an earworm competition. For those of you who do not know what an earworm is, read this article: Link The battle began with: "I closed my eyes, Drew back the curtain, To see for certain What I thought I knew..." DAMN YOU, SHE!!! LOL I countered with: "It's a small world after all... It's a small world after all..." Gideon quite evilly came back with: ...

A friend of mine posted the video seen below, and I thought it was a good example of how distorted our sense of beauty is. I've written before about the false images of beauty that are pushed on women of all ages and how those images are damaging. Here's a quote from an article I wrote... oh, years ago: "We are sold cosmetics, hair dye, teeth whiteners, hair gel, bikini wax, diet pills, anti-wrinkle cream, lip sticks, self-help books, exercise videos and scary looking tools ...

As most of you know, I am a college student. Every day, I walk around campus, to and from class, to and from meetings, to and from the library... you get the point. In the five years I've been here, I've noticed a certain trend. When I started school, at least half of the students I saw walking across campus would be talking on their cell phones, and another 10-15% were smoking. Only about 10% were listening to mp3 players. Fast forward to five years later, and only about 10% of the stud...

I got a new Dell laptop a little over a year ago. The computer came with a game consul that allowed me to sample several of their games. I played stuff with penguins, and stuff with jewels. Then, I played FATE. It's a silly little game where you complete quests in a dungeon to gain money, fame and experience. You can learn different kinds of weapons, be a magician, and all kinds of neat, dorky stuff. I was dating a gamer at the time, so I thought this would give me something to talk abo...

While I'm supposed to be writing my paper, I've also been watching movies. It isn't exactly conducive to writing to watch movies, but I do it anyway. I usually watch movies that I've seen multiple times so that I don't really have to pay attention to know what's going on. But I digress from the point. I'm watching, appropriately enough, Easter Parade with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire. I really adore this movie. It has one of my favorite lines of all time in it. Judy had been singing...

I presented my thesis on fantasy literature yesterday at an academic conference. I had a lot of fun answering questions, and especially in the 2.5 hour conversation I had with a member of the audience after my panel section was done. I tell you that to tell you this: I heard a paper by a young woman who had an eating disorder, and she opened my mind to something I could have never thought to be a problem. True, her paper had nothing to do with literature, and should not have been include...

Over my spring break, I visited the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and was unimpressed by what I saw. The campus was falling apart, the people I spoke to were snobby and unhelpful. You would think that, since they did let me in, I would be worthy to talk to, yet they each acted as though I were wasting their time. I also discovered that the wonderful English major community that had been described is an illusion. Bleh. Not to mention they add an additional $12,000 for out of state ...