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OMG! One Final down, one to go!!
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Dec. 3rd, 2007 @ 09:43 pm
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I am one final away from finishing this semester! OMG! I am not squeeful, I'm entering the early stages of a nervous breakdown!
*keels over*
I shall revive tomorrow to write and read fanfic and do much-needed research for Boss Prof. |
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The snow is coming!
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Oct. 19th, 2007 @ 07:24 am
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Hey all, I survived my GRE! With flying colors, I might add. ![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) bewarethesmirk, you'll be fine! (Which is what everyone told me and they were right.) If you work through the practice tests and questions the GRE people send you (or you can download the powerprep), you'll be well prepared. I also read through the essay question pools on their site and used a prep manual, Barron's Pass Key. My final scores on the GRE were the average of my scores on the practice tests. The only thing I'm worried about is the essay because I never had a practice one looked at (although I think you can) but I'll be happy with a three or four out of six on it.
I had the scores sent to UNLV, even though they don't require them for the Master's program. But I figured, what the hell, that way they will have them. The first four reports are free. (or at least included in the rip-off cost of the damn thing! Dude, even if I'd gotten 400s on both sections (very poor)I wouldn't have cancelled the scores. I couldn't afford to retake the thing!)
So, the snow is coming! Accumulation on the valley floor is predicted for Saturday afternoon. What to do with Plucky Pumpkin. ... He was not turning white, as you may recall. The other night, it hailed on him! The temperature dipped to 38* f. (3* c.) and when I went out to check on him, he had become speckled! Green and white! So he needs to stay out there in the cold in order to turn the fabulous shade of white that white moon pumpkins are known for. It's not supposed to dip below freezing, but darn close to freezing so I think he must weather this first real snow. Have no fear, I'm still collecting pictures of him and this is my vacation weekend! I will gather them up and post them. I think I'll wait for a snow picture. :-)
The problem now is what do I do with my pumpkin after I harvest him? Notice that the pumpkin has gone from an "it" to a "him." I simply can't EAT HIM!! We are harvesting the seeds though. I think he may become a decoration, as his parent was. But he's lop-sided. *giggle* So I thought, maybe I'll paint him. I just don't feel like carving a jack-o-lantern this year. I think I'm allergic to the pumpkin guts, they make me itchy. Do they make anyone else's skin itchy? (I'm also terribly allergic to grass in this way. It make me extremely itchy all over when I touch it with my bare skin. I had always assumed everyone felt this way when they were on the grass and could never figure out why people insisted on planting such an aweful plant all over their yards! Then it dawned on me (read, my brother had an allergy test when he joined the military): I'm allergic! (My brother said afterwards, "no wonder the grass is always so itchy!" And I said, "Dude! The grass is itchy for you too?! Then I turned to my friend and asked, "Is it itchy for you?" and she said, "um, no...") ... :-)
I owe 12 hours work today and tomorrow for Boss Prof. He really liked the last article I sent him on Blood Atonement. I'm trying to decide if I should stay home and read the electronic versions or if I should go out. I definitely need to go to the research center tomorrow though and read through some microfilms.
Dude, who saw Supernatural last night? Was that the funniest one ever?!
*hugs*
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Star the political activist
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Sep. 7th, 2007 @ 01:59 pm
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<td _base_target="_blank">Â </td><td _base_target="_blank">Dear friends,
This weekend, leaders of 21 nations--including the USA, China and Japan--are meeting at the APEC summit in Sydney, Australia. The summit has become the epicentre of a vital debate: whether to set binding global targets to avert catastrophic climate change, or to retreat to voluntary "aspirational goals" amounting to nothing more than hot air.
We've teamed up with Australian allies GetUp to create spectacles inSydney, the climate-endangered Great Barrier Reef and around theworld—heading off an "Axis of Global Warming" through a mediafirestorm, and sending our petition to key leaders. Can you help us break the half-million barrier this weekend? You've already signed the petition, but you can help by forwarding this email to five more friends to ask them to add their voices:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/apec_petition/i.php
Over 400,000 people have already signed, and on Friday we're launching a massive 144-square metre floating canvas "target" at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach where it will be taken out to sea by surfers. Next stop, Saturday, swimmers will float this banner over the Great Barrier Reef --which current predictions suggest will be killed off by climate changebefore 2030. Thousands of people from every continent have joined in byuploading climate target pictures of their own.
George Bush of the US and Australia's John Howard are seeking to derailour efforts for a new global climate deal, and to convert the waverers.But both are lagging behind their publics, with elections expectedsoon. We need to reinforce the efforts of leaders like New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark,whose chief of staff has confirmed to Avaaz she will be working forbinding targets at APEC. Let's win over the undecided countries, andadd hundreds of thousands more voices round the world: only bindingtargets can prevent a climate disaster.
http://www.avaaz.org/en/apec_petition/i.php
The APEC summit isn't just a talk-shop. It's the kick-off to a stringof top-level meetings in the coming months, all leading up to alandmark conference in Bali, Indonesia which will begin to write thenext Kyoto Protocol. What happens in Australia could set the direction,for good or bad. But thanks to the worldwide movement that has beengrowing all year--from the G8 to Live Earth--we now have a real chanceto shape the outcome.
Scientists agree, now is humanity's window of opportunity to stop aclimate catastrophe. The world can't afford to miss this chance -- soplease, spread the word today.</td> |
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Whacha up to?
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Sep. 5th, 2007 @ 02:05 am
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I'm told I have an accent. A Utah accent. Apparently, we have a hard time finishing our words, slurring and dropping the final consonants. So, "What are you up to?" becomes "whacha up to?" I loffed because it's SO true. Now, not only do I have a slight lisp from time to time, I have a lazy consonant accent.
Today, I spent most of my time working on a submission packet for a literary agent. I'll be shipping it off this week. Expect a rejection in three to six weeks! And remember, statistically, I must be rejected at least ten times before I have a chance of being published. :-) This will be rejection number four. *giggle*
I also worked on my research work, though I'll be spending most of my hours this week reading a diary downtown at the church archives. We had a huge thunderstorm roll through, drop hail, and flicker the lights and satellite.
I went in search of Eureka comms and found some loverly people to discuss this wonderful show with. But I think I'll still torment you with thoughts on tonight's episode. Tonight, they changed love interests on us. Now Sheriff Carter is not in love with Allison. Well, I think he might still be in love with her but she has sort of gone back with her estranged husband Nathan Stark. Stark is a genius scientist who is very snarky and always makes fun of Sheriff Carter. He brings a smile to my face. Anyway, it was kind of sudden. But then, the dry cleaner lady Sheriff Carter went out with did save his life. So maybe it's one of those hero complex things?
You can expect much squeeing over Burn Notice on Thursday. And I shall refrain from bouncing around and saying, "Why aren't you watching these shows?" (I know, they're not available everywhere.) :-) *innocent*
I also found a program that I can use to sort my thesis notes. Yay thesis!
Okay, I'm off. I'm sure I have more important things I'm supposed to be doing.Mood of the Moment:  chipper |
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Saturday Morning Update
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Sep. 1st, 2007 @ 11:45 am
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Phew. I'm exhausted and I realized last night while working on a rough draft of my thesis proposal that I have a TON of research piling up around me.
I am only taking a moment off to set up a thesis friend's filter. If you want in on it, let me know. Otherwise, I'll spare you the details.
The thesis is on American culture in the 1980s and the preoccupation with psychology which led in some unknown way to an explosion of psychological thrillers featuring serial killers.
...
I know, this is NOT Asian history oriented. Nor is it Western American History oriented. *shrug* I am a bear of little brain with varied interests that don't fit into neat little boxes.
I have come to terms with the evil that is the speech class. I was able to read the textbook last night without hyperventilating. I will not let "Sadistic Adjunct Who Needs a Vacation" ruin my second to last semester.
I am terrified of heights but I go on rollercoasters anyway. I changed my desktop to a picture of a wooden rollercoaster at sunset. See? Facing my fears in all ways. ... But, you'll still hold my hand, right? *puppy eyes*
Okay, I'm going to have to find my way to the library and check out a bunch of books.
*hugs*
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First Day of School Continued
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Aug. 22nd, 2007 @ 09:12 pm
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Boss Prof emailed me this morning. He would like me to house-sit again in a few weeks while he goes out of state again. Sure! says I. Hurray for biting parrots and three hour watering trips!
I did all my running around on campus today, renewed my student ID, checked my financial aid, library, books and such. All was well, mostly. There were only six students in the senior thesis seminar. Some may remember the school's policy of cancelling classes with less than seven students. So they changed all six of us to "Directed Study" and cancelled the class. This doesn't change anything except the title of the class. So odd. Then, I got an email tonight telling me I had to pay tuition. Um? Excuse me? I replied, telling them it had all been fine earlier when I checked in with accounting services and to please let me know if there was a problem I had to fix or if the email was a mistake.
I've had an email hoping that we will continue our Phi Alpha Theta electronic newsletter. I think that will be fine, hopefully I can get more people to write for me. :) History buddy emailed Boss Prof about joining our club already! Sheesh.
OH! But best of all!! We have stuffed griffins!! OMG! I'm so buying a flock of them on payday! *twirls* ... hmm... a pride of them? a convocation of them? Why do I know a group of eagles is called a convocation? What would you call a group of hippogriffs? A herd? What about a group of gargoyles? Or dragons? Hmm....
I've posted my hp_summergen fics at Immeritus. I will add them to my fic archive also, me thinks. They're both G to PG and were beta'd by the same loverly people.
The first was a stretch for me. I could have turned it down but I thought, eh, why not give it a shot. It was Snape, Hermione, set during HBP with "time traveling" in the form of flashbacks to Lily. I think the friendship I hinted at in the fic fits nicely with new canon from DH. :) Twas written for chaotic_vanity
( A Light in the Darkness )
This second one was a pinch-hitting fic whose recipient dropped out. The prompt called for marriage intrigue.
( Lost in Amber Light )
I PROMISE not to use the word "Light" in my next fic.Mood of the Moment:  content |
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First Day of School! First Day of School!!
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Aug. 22nd, 2007 @ 08:18 am
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Wheeee!!!
Oh, except, my first class isn't until Friday morning. BUT! It's the first day of my last year as an undergrad. Three years ago, I never thought I'd get this far.
How do I celebrate this final hurdle? I sign up for a fest! ![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif) phoenix_flies on Insanejournal. I asked for the Voldemort and Dumbledore prompt. I have been reading prompts and such for a couple weeks, seeing if anything would bite, and this one bit me. I'm squeeful over writing it, but more importantly, I'm 100 pages away from finishing my novel rework and I have finished my contest entries. (If I haven't mentioned that before, but I think I did.) At any rate, I have all my textbooks except for a CD-rom that should be here by Friday. It's for my Monday night class, so that's okay. I probably ought to stop by the bookstore and double-check the books, to make sure I bought the right ones.
Oh, and I'll be able to buy my Portus '08 tickets this week! I'm excited about that.
Giddiness in this post is covering up nervous freak-out!ness. I'm kinda scared. *deep breaths*
Thesis will be something on the mining history of Utah. Maybe limited to the Bingham Canyon Copper Mine and/or possibly Asian miners oriented. I need to do some more research on it.
Other homework will include presentations in speech class on Mondays, not sure how that will pan out. *shrug*
Oh, I know, I still owe a follow-up Lily/Sirius fic. It scares me too, like writing the initial rape!fic scared me. Book first, fic after. Oh yeah, and somewhere in all that, I still have to research for Boss Prof.
I am also to the point of transcribing the oral history segments into my art festival brochure. Yesterday I had two different guests stop by for things related to that project. :-) One was a folk singer. His work is awesome.Mood of the Moment:  nervous |
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Random
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Aug. 19th, 2007 @ 01:17 am
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What do I on a Saturday night? Reading? Writing? Date?? Nope!
I am so pathetic. I redo my IJ layout:
http://conspiratorsb.insanejournal.com/
That took me forever! And before anyone complains, the spacing was tweaked to look nice in my windows, not yours :p (Kidding!) I need to buy GoF so I can screencap David Tennant. *fangirl squee* Oh geez, that reminded me I was going to make Gary Oldman icons. Oh well...
Nighty night!Mood of the Moment: chipper Background Noise: random sci-fi show |
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New fandoms
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Aug. 18th, 2007 @ 09:08 pm
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Okay, I'm not usually much for tv shows. Once upon a time, I never watched television.
Now I find myself watching a bunch of shows! I know I've already asked about Eureka, but what about Psych? How about Burn Notice? Does anyone else watch these shows? (Only applies to US friends, I'm afraid....) |
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A Friday night update before newsletters get put together
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Aug. 17th, 2007 @ 06:05 pm
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I've been terribly depressed lately. I think it's just my normal moodiness, not brought on by anything. I was invited to a movie tonight at the cinema pub by my militant atheist friend but I don't feel like returning her call, let alone actually going out with her. It wouldn't kill me, I can afford a movie and dinner but... *shrug* I really don't feel like it. I have my MSN open in order to not become completely hermitfied. (new word!) Wanky and wankified are also words now. I wanted to be wanky last night but I was not.
You would have been proud of me really.
HP_summergen on LJ has officially ended and I'm happified with my fic and art. I loved them and I loved writing for complete strangers enough that I think I'll hunt out another fic exchange in the future. But not right now. Right now I have too many things to write. I have to fix the ending of my long contest fic. I didn't like the ending as I had originally written it so I started expanding it, but I'm running out of room. For the contest, it can only be 4,000 words, (*glares at mollytype*) and I'm at 3,100. I don't know if I can make a go of it in 900 words.
The things that trouble long-winded historians/novel writers. *sigh*
Speaking of novels, I'm 150 pages away from printing out my book and working up a synopsis. I realized the other day that I will need a new ream of paper just for that! I also need to grab some more paper for school next week. *squeesniff* I have been using yellow paper all summer. See, when I did a presentation last spring, I made "get out of death free" cards for the class, and I printed them on yellow paper (similar to Monopoly cards... anyway...) I had a whole ream of yellow paper afterwards. But I don't think Doc will want my drafts/proposals/etc handed in on yellow paper. Just a hunch. I have all my history textbooks. I've even read one of them from cover to cover! Headstart!
Okay, instead of complaining about how horrid my day was at work, I'm going to go find 'of age' smut fics to highlight for my newsletter. ;-)Mood of the Moment:  depressed Background Noise: something British |
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