Saturday, March 25, 2006

all our crying voices, they can't turn it around

Back and broken from spring! I mean, returned from spring break. Ireland was grand, simply grand--though a bit on the cold and rainy side. Locals said that the weather was the coldest it's been there all winter. Yep. That's to be expected, I suppose, whenever I travel someplace. Torrential rains in LA, snow in Las Vegas and Alabama, 50-degree days in Hawaii, nor'easters in New Haven... I've learned to pack sweaters. Lots of sweaters.

Also, I've been catching up on my many sundry Internet reads from the past week (it's AMAZING how much reading material accumulates when you're not vigilantly scouring the 'net on a daily basis), and saw the blurb on Reuters about the shooting/suicide at a party in Seattle wherein the gunman killed six people before taking his own life. It's a sad, confusing story, particularly after hearing of two suicides of acquaintances in the last three weeks. What it it about March and suicide? In March of my senior year of high school there were two suicides within a week of each other, a sophomore and a senior. Is it that the beauty of spring re-emerging from the bleakness of winter is simply too much for an aching heart to take? Or is it purely coincidence? I'm not sure, and I haven't dwelled long enough on this connection to really make anything of it, but I did find the final line of the Reuters article startling and inappropriate:

"Neighbors said the house was a party spot for young people with dyed hair, body piercings and elaborate makeup."

...and? And this makes them more likely to get shot by their friends? More likely to lead a sordid lifestyle that ends in tragic death? More deserving of their fate, somehow? Ridiculous. Equating the behavior of a severely disturbed individual with his physical appearance (or that of his late friends) is grievously unacceptable stereotyping that does not enlighten the substance of the story in any way, and I certainly expect better reporting from a world-wide news source.

On a lighter note, I really did have a great spring break. Relaxing and lovely. I'm just realizing that it's coming to an end, and I'm feeling vaguely crabby and unsettled. Not to mention, I'm sure, the nascent tree pollen that will fire up my allergies any day now. grrr arrrgh.

Back to the reading for class I should've done a week ago. AWESOME Saturday night. *throws metal sign and bangs head*

Saturday, March 18, 2006

all the air we breathe is clean

Spring break sure is flying by. I had the grandest of plans to get reeeeeally caught up on my studies... but instead, I seem to have gotten reeeeeally caught up on my sleep and my tv shows. Oh, well. I'll pay for all this later, I'm sure, but for now, I can't seem to muster enough concern to do anything about it. I foresee an intensely stressful exam period spent feverishly outlining... but that's a good month from now, so ehhhh.

Ireland tomorrow! Should be wonderful. I'm very, very excited--it's been so long since I've traveled to a foreign country! Well, at least, a foreign country that's not Canada. (Not that Canada doesn't count--it just feels like, er, a second home! Oh, dear. Now I've alienated my Canadian readership...) The Boy and I agree that we probably should have booked an additional day abroad, since our schedule will likely be fairly tight and involve a lot of driving, but I'm well-versed in living out of a suitcase. Besides, this just means I'll have to return to Ireland someday to catch what I missed this time around.

Back to memorizing lines for Wigmore (since it's less than two weeks till opening night!)... did I mention that it can get darn expensive financing an 80's costume? Did I also mention that our Robert Palmer video spoof has provided the perfect excuse for me to buy a pair of black Fluevog heels I've had my eye on for awhile? Ahh, to be *making* money, rather than just spending it... someday.

Friday, March 10, 2006

cities in circles drawn perfect, complete

one. more. day.

Spring break is so near I can taste it. mmmm.

...but I have 30 pages of property to read, a (final!!!!11) CLR memo to edit, and two more classes till it's officially here.

Oh, and pancakes. Pancakes for breakfast tomorrow. but that's a treat, not a burden. And I'm having sushi for dinner tomorrow at my favorite sushi spot in the city pre-Belle & Sebastian/New Pornographers... and THAT combination is the BEST SPRING BREAK GIFT EVAR.

so excited.

almost.

yes.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

just tape the numbers to the bed

Well, I emerged from the cave of my CLR brief, still alive.

So this is hedging on a "yay almost-spring-break" post, which may disappoint those of you who seem to delight in my sorrow. (Well, perhaps that's phrasing it incorrectly. But you get my point.) Unfortunately, the beast that is CLR is not yet tamed--there's one more assignment due friday, but it's a short one, and hopefully I can knock it out tonight and wash my hands of the class... till it's time for moot court oral arguments, anyway. But that won't be till April.

In other news, I have some shockingly 80s costume-wear for Wigmore, I have tickets to see the New Pornographers/Belle & Sebastian on Friday, and friend Erica is coming to visit on Saturday! We're road-tripping up to Milwaukee to see Ben Folds on Sunday, and then after she leaves Tuesday I'll be seeing Jenny Lewis's solo gig here in Chicago. yaaaay concerts! Makes up for missing BOTH Aqualung AND Nada Surf this past weekend. Yet another reason I harbor such vitriol for CLR.

And finally, one more development: I've been appointed president of Habeas Chorus for the coming year! I just found out yesterday, so it's still sinking in. I'm very excited, though. My main institutional goal is to get us a website ASAP after exams, because as an admitted student last summer, I was bummed not to be able to find out more about the Habeas audition process online. I'll keep you posted as this project progresses.

Sunday, March 05, 2006

you're the funny little frog in my throat

ARRGH I HATE CLR ACK ACK ACK

*bangs head on desk*

No, not talking about this. I'm referring to my legal writing class. My brief is due bright and early tomorrow morning and it's making me sad.

I'm even sad about going to Wigmore rehearsal tonight, and it's been nothing but joy so far--it's just the fact that I'm losing 3 hours of CLR working time.

I really, really, really hope I'm not on call in Con Law tomorrow... but with my luck, I will be.

anyhow. that's what's up. more soon when I don't feel so much like whining. 'cause who wants to read more of that? nobody, that's who.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

start... please start... please start

Ooof. This is going to be a LONG week. It's already been a long week and it's only Wednesday. On the flip side, hellooooo March! I'm counting on winter to be on the long, slow slide outta here. I'm tired of cold weather.

More importantly, I'm tired of legal writing assignments that seem to provide me more stress than benefit, and I dread the hell that will be this weekend in trying to finish my brief. *sigh* Wigmore rehearsals are fun, but they leave me exhausted (even when we're *not* practicing choreography) and eat up my evenings. I loved watching the Olympics, but they cut WAY back on productivity because it's really impossible to "just have them on in the background"--at least, *I* find it impossible. Lindsey Jacobellis was a fool, Bode Miller was a tool, and Sasha Cohen choked like we all feared she might--but it still made for quality programming.

Ho hum. I swear my life feels more exciting than this on most days, but I'll be damned if I can think of anything more remarkable to share with y'all. And I feel bad for just coming on here and complaining--but it's how I feel right now, and BLOGGING is all about FEELINGS, right? And since I'm not in an emo band, all these hard emotions have to go SOMEwhere, right?

Right. *sigh* back to work...