I die.

MY WEEK

It's been a kind of horrible week. 

My phone was stolen from the computer lab at school. I was freaking out about writing the scansion in on my sonnet when I didn't understand the meter of my sonnet and I didn't leave the lab until 12:58 for my 1pm class. Bad idea. I rushed out and forgot my phone next to my computer. I got HALF WAY DOWN THE HALL and realized I didn't have my phone. Figured I'd just turn around and grab it since it had only been, you know, 40 seconds tops. The hallways are not very long and I walk very briskly. When I was packing up my bag, a guy sat down at the computer next to me and I was leaving, I turned around and noticed that he was moving over to my computer. When I returned for my phone, dude was gone and so was my sweet iPhone.  That means he saw me packing up and was watching and HOPING I would forget it. I can not imagine not saying "Hey, don't forget your phone!" I just can't.

Yadda, yadda...I went to class all sad and defeated and "WTF" and then remembered the Find My iPhone app on my phone. I ran back to the computer lab and looked up the location of my phone and the guy was  a couple blocks away, so I basically just watched where he went because he was walking around. He came back to the school and the map showed my phone right outside the north entrance of the school. I kept refreshing, but the phone stayed put. I ran down 3 flights of stairs and questioned EVERYONE hanging out outside about my phone. I shook through all of the garbage cans--all of which contained human and/or dog shit, but no phone. I tracked him for the rest of the day and he kept returning to one house, so I went the next day not really knowing what to expect. A woman answers the door and I tell her about my stolen phone and the satellites telling me that it is in her home. She invites me in and keeps saying she doesn't really know what to do. I give her the description and ask that if its a roommate or a friend of a roommate, please guilt him for me. She says ok. I walk home. DEFEATED 4 REAL.

Now for the icing! When I upgraded my phone at the apple store, I don't know if they can't do it there or if I was supposed to do it online, but for the FIRST TIME I didn't get insurance on my phone. I always get it--I think I was supposed to do it online but I was so excited that I forgot and missed the 30 day deadline. Either way, I don't have it, and now I have to pay at least $300 for something I had on MONDAY. 

I didn't realize how much I relied on that thing, but its become a pretty indispensable part of my every day life. I walk most places and frequently use Maps to find the fastest route and figure out which direction I am currently walking (I'm horrible with directions...I'll know I'm on 3rd and want to get to 4th and I end up at 2nd and have to backtrack...not efficient). I use OneBusAway to determine when to leave for my bus. It shows you a map with all of the buses and a fairly accurate time of arrival, whether or not the bus is early or late, etc. Because of that app, I don't have to stand outside for an extra 15 minutes because I know before I leave that the bus is running 15 minutes late, and vice versa, I will leave 2 minutes early because the bus is running 4 minutes early and if I would have left at my normal time, I would've missed it.I use that app so much that I would gladly pay $100 for that app, I tell you. Its my key to the city! 

I just used that thing for so much, and in my head its not really an option not to buy another one. A friend at work recommended a reputable site where he buys used stuff in really good condition, and I think I'll check that out since he bought his iPhone and iTouch (I don't know why you'd want both, but I digress...) from them and they were both rated "Good" (a 2/3 on their scale) and there are no cracks, no chips, or anything of the sort on them. They look great. So I'll probably buy one when I get my tax return and skip my upgrade in October.

Don't even get me started on Instagram. 

Snow in Seattle

My friend Thom depicted it pretty perfectly.

What I learned this week

1. Men are going to end humanity peacocking around with nuclear weapons.
-Can we get some women in power?! Honestly?! I don't know why anyone thought men were the best candidates for global leadership (obviously men put themselves in this role but still...). We had something to do with the scientist killed in Tehran this week and they are absolutely going to retaliate and Americans are definitely going to lose their lives over NOTHING. Hillary probably had something to do with that too, but I bet she argued against it! I bet she did.

2. We are reading the sonnets in my Shakespeare class and I am so in love! I don't know why they bother trying to teach teenagers anything--I definitely couldn't have appreciated Shakespeare until recently. We read the Elizabethan World Picture before starting on Willy's actual work in order to get a better understanding of the common beliefs, sayings, and limitations of his time. This has already helped me understand many of his popular metaphors. Very excited about this!

3. English Lit major was a good idea.

4. International relations was a good idea.
-News involving the Middle East makes A TON more sense. I can actually read, be interested in, and comprehend all of the headlines on the NYtimes now and this excites me very much. Except for stuff involving the stock market. Different language.

5. R is a really solid man. Just real great.

I have become obsessed with the Timbuk2 Commute 2.0 and really, really, want one for school/work. On school days, I often go straight from school->cafe to study->45 min bus ride to work->work and I take the bus home from work as well. Mind you, I carry my macbook, 2 HUGE anthologies, notebooks, pens, highlighters, sometimes my DSLR, and the rest of my school crap. So either I stop at home and switch bags (carrying my huge, floppy, purse with my computer, charger, planner, and whatsits) or I carry my giant 8 pound backpack full of things I'm not going to need until the next morning. My backpack is also not too sleek on the bus (during rush hour in particular) and I almost always hit someone with my backpack upon turning my body. Lot of apologizing going on here.

BEHOLD!

All roomy and sexy and efficient. And TSA compliant (don't have to take the laptop out of the bag at security). And most importantly--waterproof. Its ugly--I'll give you that. But it gets the job done, and its not like I'm going to carry this thing to a wedding or anything. Strictly weekdays. We will see. 

B.O.A. (Burnt Out Already)

ITS ALREADY HAPPENED! Second day of the school/work combo and I'm already behind.

Three days out of the [school] week I have a total of 2 hours in-between school and my commute to work. Each of those days I will be assigned 30-80 pages of reading between all my classes. I mean, I read pretty fast but I am by no means that impressive of a reader. I get home from work around 11:45pm-12:30am and I CAN.NOT. read another 30 pages of anything that late! I can skim it, take notes on what I'm getting. But really! I can't be impressive in the class discussions if I didn't read the shit thoroughly! Which is what education is all about.

I think I'm gonna go down to 4 days a week at work next month. I'm sure I'll hardly miss the money considering I worked 4 days a week all of fall quarter and saved a lot of money for the move regardless....pretty sure.

There's just no way I can be a good student and work this much as well. I hate when other students can discuss the text better than I can. I just really hate it.

Hottest French chick on Leno right now.

I love the first day of school. I really do. I love getting new notebooks, folders, books, PENS and new teachers full of information I want. I skipped a planner last year which was a HUGE mistake, so I'm pretty excited to drop by Elliot Bay Books to pick up a new moleskine (& their bomb house arugala salad) as well. And a planner pen! A perfect planner pen. I LOVE FIRST DAYS! Also love that in college you get three of them each year.

My schedule this quarter:

10-10:50am: Literary Masterpieces of the United States

11-11:50am: International Relations

1-1:50pm: Shakespeare I

Since I was still 15 credits away from my A.A. and enrolling without it would cost me a lot of $$$ and time at SU, I am taking another 3 classes at at SC which are all, conveniently, electives. The english classes will fulfill major requirements for my B.A. Eng. and international relations is to help me comprehend all of these NYTimes articles that seem so far away from me and my realm of knowledge. I read them anyway and try and piece together what back-info the author divulges, but the authors always assume you know something about Israeli-Palestininian conflict & shit! I just want to know a little more about how the world works, essentially. Essentially. 

The last two quarters my classes weren't until noon or one and I assure you I began my day accordingly. Waking up at noon stopped feeling good, so this quarter I vowed to take earlier classes to force myself asleep earlier and to start my day earlier. 

We'll see how I feel about this in a couple weeks.

2011

Happy new year, internet! I spent NYE with my boy, some palz, some beerz, some rock&roll, some dancing and lots of walking around Seattle arguing about whether or not we should take a cab! Appropriate I think.

Its been a damn good year.

I enrolled in school full-time after a 2.5 year hiatus from academia and totally kicked some ass. I boosted my GPA earning an A- average at my current school. I was accepted at Seattle University and (for once) my financial aid package actually matched my real-life income. My amazing 52 year old aunt and my Grammy both passed away making the first deaths on either side of my family in several years.  I learned to manage my money better. I bought myself a DSLR as a result of learning to manage my money better (Best Purchase Ever).  R and I got our first apartment together!!!

R and I became a beautifully functioning couple as I learned to speak my mind instead of analyzing the situation and compartmentalizing my findings/feelings. I realized what an amazing man I have loving me and trying to work with me. I realized I don't need or want anyone else, maybe ever. When I tried to imagine my life with and without him ten years from now, I didn't want to give up the 'with him' version for anything else. Mind that "without him" featured me as a successful attorney in a city that is not on the Pacific who dates her pick of beautiful & intelligent men until she's ready to "settle down."Also in this version, I am wearing Louboutin's. And I didn't want it! The "with him" version looked a lot like this. So I think that explains things.

I wanted to try and find a fun photo that summed up the year but, alas, nothing is appropriate. Instead, have some festive adorable.

My little sister and I circa 1993.