25 Random Things

I got tagged 3 times for this thing, so I participated (on Facebook). I’m really busy with school and sleepy so this is my post…
1. I recently discovered that I was considered a BJOC at Smith (Big Jew on Campus) which makes me laugh. But, it’s also really nice to be remembered:)

2. I nicknamed myself “Phred” as a toddler. I insisted that it be spelled with a “PH”. I still like the nickname.

3. In Middle School/Freshman year of high school I developed a strange “rebellion against society”: I chose to only listen to music without words (classical and New Age) and oldies (which included Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, etc.) I now regret that rebellion. I missed out.

4. I love sour things–natural things like: lemons, limes, etc. Especially when transformed into desserts.

5. When I was 13 and 14, I wanted to become a hippy. Unfortunately, that never happened.

6. I love bodies of water and can’t imagine living somewhere where they aren’t an integral part of the lifestyle.

7. In my lifetime I’ve lived in Wisconsin (3 cities) , Illinois (2), Switzerland, Massachusetts, and Maine.

8. When I grow up I want to live in Maine with a dog and kayak and a house in walking distance to the ocean.

9. After a career (hopefully) in academia, I want to open a children’s bookstore with a kids cafe.

10. I used to want to act, and even tried out for Children’s Theater once. I was only successful in landing leading roles in “Smoke Free Class of 2000″ plays during elementary school.

11. In 8th grade, my friend Kristin and I discovered the amazingness of cucumbers, cream cheese, and ritz cracker sandwiches. Try it sometime!

12. I wrote a long-ish narrative nonfiction story about a Labradoodle breeder and her family. I fell in love with the breed. Maybe I’ll have one as a companion sometime?

13. I could be labeled “straight edge” if it was the 90s. (that was in the 90s, right?). I’ve never been drunk, never smoked pot (although been around those smoking it), never smoked cigarettes. AND I will not willingly hang  out with people while they are smoking cigarettes.

14. I used to want to be a journalist, a psychologist, a lawyer. Now, I want to be a writer and a professor.

15. I had an accident prone 3 years. In 4th grade I smashed 2 fingers in a heavy classroom door; in 5th grade I broke my pinkie and had to have surgery (and physical therapy!); and in 6th I got hit with a metal baseball bat during gym class. My teacher staunched the bleeding with her shirt. My mom called her to confirm that I didn’t have AIDS. (strange, no?)

16. My favorite color is blue. It’s the color of my eyes. And I love the color brown.

17. I love communicating. I cherish all my long distance friends and enjoy our hour-long phone calls and the emails.

18. I like organizing things. I used have an event plannerish job. I like the idea but in reality it’s a pretty hairy process. I like doing it in a volunteer capacity (without full responsibility), not as a job.

19. I really care about social justice issues. But, I’m more fascinated by the movement itself. And I’m more of a background person, which makes me feel guilty. But it makes me feel guiltier right now, when I only have time to “talk the talk” not “walk the walk”.

20. I’m quietly obsessed with the conception of “home”. I read the New York Times Home and Garden and Real Estate sections (online) with regularity. I long for the day when I can live somewhere that I can truly call my own.

21. I am an avid online reader of personal stories. I read lots of momblogs. I also read expat blogs (still momblogs, mostly). and Jewish blogs, etc. And the New York Times, EVERY DAY.

22. I am a voracious, less-discriminate than expected reader-of-fiction. I figure that since I read so quickly, I can read lots of junk. Besides, it relaxes my brain. I currently love Emma Donoghue and Kate Atkinson (who don’t write “junky books”).

23. I like cooking, especially making “improvements” on recipes. I also like baking.

24. I consider my sister one of my best friends and enjoy our “grown upish” relationship. I lived with her for a year and a half and we did not kill each other. Which is amazing. I am also amused that people think that my sister and I look alike (ask if we’re twins). But, ok.

25. I concern myself, daily, with being a “good” person. But sometimes I fail, which bothers me. To me a good person is someone who is kind, honest, respectful, loyal, loving, fun, and reliable (among other things). I’m constantly working to improve myself.

MLK Day

New post. I know I’ve been lackadasical about writing recently, but there’s nothing  much to say. Last week was so cold that when you walked outside you wanted to die. I walked home on Thursday and after a 1/2 hour in the apartment, my thights were still red. Ugh.

Cold = hibernation, which is what I did this weekend–although not quite willingly. I did get schoolwork done and went stir crazy. I know myself quite well and know that I don’t work well with only doing one thing all weekend without social interaction. It drives me bonkers. I need more things to think about/talk about, even if I’m an introvert.

This is an odd week. We had today (Monday) off for MLK day. I think that’s great. Really great. However, I wasn’t so grateful that they locked Swift Hall. I wanted to sign up for office hours at 2 different professors doors. Tomorrow, class is cancelled for the innaugeration. I only have one class, in the middle of the day, on Tuesdays (and Thursdays for that matter). Instead, we have to watch the innaugeration and analyze it as a myth a la a essay we just read (but have not discussed). Personally I think the professor (who’s amazing) is being a little bit of stinker here, but I will survive. Just going to have to stop in at office hours. I also don’t have my long class on Fridays. We didn’t have it the first week either, so we’ve only had one class. But, by Friday we need to have a topic for our presentation/research paper. Off I go to office hours again. But, for that class, next Friday, we need to read 2 things by Foucalt. They are lectures that I love.

weekend

• This weekend my sister came to visit. It wasn’t the most amazing visit of all times. Snow kept being dumped, all of Saturday which made it NO FUN. We tried to go to the Museum of Science and Industry. It was a very wet process. And, we discovered, after wandering around, that growing up going to the museum made it a rather boring adult experience. And there weren’t any special exhibits to look at.  But, at least January is free month (there) so it was worth the price
• I don’t usually do a friends thing for my birthday, since it falls between Christmas and New Years. But this year, I decided it was about time. The last “birthday” celebration I remember (with friends) is 8th grade and I threw a summer party. This time, I invited my closest Chicago friends and went out to my favorite Logan Square Mexican spot (El Cid II). There were 7 of us, only 1 person +husband ended up sickly  (sadly). First, I have to comment on the number. For me, this is amazing (not that I don’t have more than 7 friends, but after the last 2 years of living in Madison where I couldn’t have invited more than my sister and her friends to a party, this is amazing! and 3 of those friends are Smithies (that came, there would have been 4!), and my sister was there. But still. I was so grateful and it reminded me of some life positives (which in the rush of grad school stress have been slipping away). Back to the “party”. My question is why did I choose to do this? I feel strange getting so much attention, in fact it makes me want to crawl under the table (and I probably make horrible faces). It was fun to get everyone together though–these people that I love. And then, I feel guilty for them paying for my meal because we were almost all poor grad students.  But it was fun. I need to remember that. And I didn’t crawl under the table when attention was put on me (I don’t get this feeling with family, oddly). And we had yummy food and good company.
• At religious school today we went to a Catholic church. It was quite the experience for all of us. I was surprised how strongly ideological the teachers were, especially when interacting with my (very left, liberal) students. Of course we had differing opinions. But, still. It was, though, a fascinating and memorable experience.

First Friday of Winter Quarter

I’m exhausted. I just crawled into bed and took a nap without intending too. I was just “thinking” about what I had to do and next thing Isee is the digital clock turn to 3. Wow. Well, I guess this is not surprising since I have a new, much busier schedule. I am very excited about all my new classes. They will all be interesting and I like the look of the readings. I’ve already been learning new and interesting things in my Jewish Thought and Lit class. Two of my classes didn’t really meet, as the professors had unexpected emergencies to attend to (2 different profs). But, the syllabi were distributed and explained. I’m in for a WHOLE bunch more work than last quarter,  but I will be engaged and interested. Probably always tired, especially since I still have my 8AM Hebrew class 3 days a week. Ugh.

Happy Friday!