8. Just for good measure

I recently got turned on to Iron & Wine after apparently stubbornly ignoring their existence for a few years. They aren't a contender for favorite band, but they definitely have some amazingly gorgeous stuff. For me, their appeal highlights a change I've noticed in my own musical tastes in the last year or so. I've been increasingly drawn to "indie" music, especially the folksy/acoustic/slow/"boring" stuff. I think I do like the musical style a lot, but what really draws me is the poetry of the lyrics. My musical library has expanded to include some artists who I think are not only musically very talented but also brilliant handlers of the English language. Maybe I'm becoming more emotional in my old age, but I am often blown away or moved to tears by the beauty of song lyrics now.

Then again, I've also discovered that I sometimes actually need to stop listening to certain songs or albums because of the emotional impact they have on me. I went off the Fleet Foxes for a few weeks (woah alliteration) because some of the songs were hitting me oddly hard.

Yesterday I was listening to some Iron & Wine a friend gave me while doing homework, and the song Naked as We Came came on. It's not a new song, and I had heard it before, but I really listened to it that time. And then I looked up the lyrics and listened to it again...and burst into tears. Something about the sound of the song and the lyrics and maybe my emotional state made me have a minor, but not unhappy or bad, meltdown. And when I listened to it again last night I cried again. So now I can't listen to it at all for a little while unless I want to cry like a baby. Good grief.

7. Whoops

As you can tell, I failed miserably at This Thing We're Doing. It is March 30th and I am on post seven. So, I can post 18 more times today (heaven forbid, I don't even have that much to talk about) or I can just give the project up for lost. I think we're going with the latter. The friend who got me doing this is so much more interesting in her blogs that I can't really compare anyways.

6. Home!

If you can call this place home, which I suppose I do now.

Headache. Tired. Cold! Yikes!

More blogging to follow when I haven't just gotten off a plane.

5. Excellent day!

1. I love my aunt and uncle, but a few white lies to get some personal time with the bf did the trick.

2. Elephants! Giraffes! Flamingos and tapirs and meerkats and PANDAS! San Diego zoo!

3. And then a lovely rest in the hot tub

4. and a gourmet dinner at...Wendy's! Grad students eating on the cheap.

5. Then Watchmen, to complete the semi-lazy but lovely day.

4. CALIFORNIA!!

The boyfriend extraordinaire and I are now sitting in out lovely apartment in San Diego, enjoying the vacation. My aunt and uncle are spoiling us rotten and everything is lovely. More details to follow, once I'm not so tired. This is a cheat post.

3. Undergrads

When I was thinking about a grad student, I was very sure I would not be one of those snobby grad students who look down on undergrads. I mean, after all, I worked harder in undergrad than I do now. I was a good undergrad! And coming from undergrad straight to grad school, I'm close in age to the seniors.

The freaking undergrads are driving me crazy. Well, actually, only the work-study ones in this building, since I don't really interact with others. But these ones WILL NOT SHUT UP. I understand wanting to chat while bored at work, I do it too. But seriously, if there is nothing for them to do, why do we have three of them at the desk at one time? And why does that guy keep giving really bad advice really badly? And why is printing something such an ordeal? I do not want to hear about their messy relationships, travel plans, or internship frustrations. I would be ok with the chatter if it weren't so loud I feel like I have an army of sorority girls next to my desk. Blech.

Some of them aren't bad. Some are actually quite nice and helpful. But man, some of them make me want to come out of my office, where I might actually be trying to do work, and throttle all of them.

2. Behind already! Bagles!

I suspect I am going to have a hard time with this marathon blogging nonsense. Ok, not nonsense, good-sense, but still. I am not that interesting. I do not have enough to say!

However, a question:
Does anyone else find untoasted bagels hard to chew? I will only eat an untoasted bagel if it is fresh from the oven. Otherwise, it's too dense and gummy or something. I love bagel sandwiches, but I particularly hate it when they are on untoasted bagels, because then it's two layers of hard-t0-chew surrounding lunchmeat and it hurts my jaw.

I mentioned this to my boyfriend last night and he thought I was insane. I insisted I am not alone in my bagel preferences. Right? Anyone?

Can I do it?

A friend, who I am not linking to in case she likes her privacy, is engaging on a challenge to blog 25 days out of the month. I think I will fail, but I like the idea of trying. I also look forward to reading her blog 25 days out of the next month, so this seems like a good idea. So....lots of blogging, starting now!