Blogging Hiatus

Apologies, blogging friends, for the recent dearth of posts. In all likelihood, I will return to the blogging world in August, full of random ruminations on the raucous risibility of all things beach-related.

Until then, I leave you with this reminiscent sonnet by dear W.S.

--Adieu

Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore,
So do our minutes hasten to their end;
Each changing place with that which goes before,
In sequent toil all forwards do contend.
Nativity, once in the main of light,
Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crown'd,
Crooked elipses 'gainst his glory fight,
And Time that gave doth now his gift confound.
Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth
And delves the parallels in beauty's brow,
Feeds on the rarities of nature's truth,
And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow:
And yet to times in hope my verse shall stand,
Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand. (Sonnet LX)

Favorite Things

Friends. Flowers. Guitar chords. Candles. Poetry. Ice cream.

I like these things.

Life in 10 seconds

Now slowly reading Nervous Conditions, Wandering Stars, and One Hundred Years of Solitude--not particularly optimistic nomenclature, now that I think about it. Working six days a week at three jobs. Considering finally finishing my novel as part of NaNoWriMo. Applying to PhD programs. Wandering through autumn foliage on Sunday afternoons. You know. Life. And such.

Life in 10 seconds

This morning brought to you by my anti-aging medications of choice-- COFFEE, sour patch kids, the Mountain Goats, and noticing [pale green] things.

Life in 10 seconds

Now on a binge of J.M. Coetzee, I'm reading Age of Iron after checking out eight of his books from the public library. Currently listening to: The Sunset Tree by The Mountain Goats. Working a lot. Adding to the legitimacy of my house by getting a real adult table and a table runner. Subsidizing the local Starbucks. Adding new bruises at Frisbee and dance. Trying not to kill my marigolds before autumn. You know. The works.

This.

Life in 10 seconds

I'm getting flashbacks to sitting in an unfurnished living room, reading Terry Eagleton, and feeling excited about getting a new ThinkPad.

Two years go by pretty fast.

Life in 10 seconds

Working a lot of hours on ever-evolving projects. House hunting before my lease runs out: lots of "exotic animal print" themed rooms and 1948 original fuse boxes. Pool time. Getting ready to celebrate my big sister's wedding. Not reading much, but currently Salman Rushdie's The Ground Beneath Her Feet. Very good. Watching (falling asleep during) movies, including The Science of Sleep, I Love You Man, Bridget Jones's Diary, An Education, The Dark Knight, and 27 Dresses. Dancing infrequently. Frisbee-ing.

Just have to make it through June.

Life in 10 seconds

New Zealand: Tuesday! Still haven't packed. Spent 11 hours in the same chair yesterday, working. Switching it up to work at the winery today. Might not get to the last 20 pages of Ah, Wilderness! before I leave. Heat! Sleep! Coffee!

Haha.

Life in 10 seconds

Now reading The Book Thief, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and getting ready to start Drood (Simmons), There a Petal Silently Falls (a collection of Korean short stories), Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Foer), and Foe (Coetzee).

Recently watched La Vie En Rose, Empire of the Sun, Maria Full of Grace, and Across the Universe for the first time.

Working. Planning summer travel. Gardening. Dancing. Movies. Not a bad life, overall, with the exception of arctic air conditioning over the only library desks near windows...

Life in 10 seconds

200 post-iversary!!!!

Now reading Derrida's "Force of Law," Griggs' Imperium in Imperio, Venice Preserv'd, Bain's Best College Teachers, and Austen's Mansfield Park. With a little Loomba's Post-colonial Shakespeares, Sensational Victorian (bio of M.E. Braddon), and Zizek's Monstrosity of Christ for light bedtime reading.

Abstract due tomorrow, conference in 2 weeks, work projects, summer research application due next week, three papers within the next two weeks...

And I don't think the germs got the memo that I didn't want to be sick this week.

Sometimes I think the grocery stores should not be allowed to put lemons on sale. Life has been stocking up on them lately...

Life in 10 seconds

Preparing an application for an overseas research grant for the summer is not a piece of cake. Maybe it is, but it's a pretty stale piece of cake. Due Feb. 1, lots to do yet. Now reading David Walker's Appeal, Merchant of Venice, and The Country Wife, among dozens of articles. Just finished a rewrite of a novel I wrote six years ago; bravely stepping out to the next phase--getting feedback from friends. Yikes. Conference next week to present a paper on Plato and Thomas Hardy. Double yikes. Classes, work, homework, and deep thoughts top off the list.

Life in 10 seconds

I have officially become a scholarwuss. I can't even carry a hay bale 100 yards without breaking a sweat. Or carry 4 water buckets without spilling. Sheesh.

Happy Saturday.

Life in 10 seconds

...because that's about all I have right now.

At least one paper per week between now and mid-December. Currently reading Hardy's Jude the Obscure - like it - Lynch's Catching the Big Fish, Camus's "Myth of Sisyphus," and Kincaid's Autobiography of My Mother.

Seems like a lot of my reading material lately is about meaningless. Camus opens by saying that life is absurd, and if people were consistent, we would all commit suicide. The rest of the essay is his attempt to figure out why he doesn't want to, life's absurdity being a given. Happy stuff, this.

Life in 10 seconds

Trying in vain to transition my brain

from Latin to French

between now and Tuesday

for my translation test.

Ad infinitem.

Non omnes qui errant amittuntur.

Et cetera.

C'est tres difficile, n'est-ce pas?

Life in 10 seconds

Finally finished The Iliad and The Woman in White. Still working on The Dark is Rising series, The Well-Educated Mind, and Rescripting Shakespeare, and Literary Theory. Whew. School starts in another three weeks. Praying my computer will hold out that long.

Getting ready for another wedding this weekend. I'll be a pro by the time the year is out. Just discovered the accompaniment track for the song is different from the vocal track I've been learning it from. Yikes!

Life in 10 seconds

Started reading Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series. Now have four books actively reading. Really need to finish these dudes (esp. Lit Theory; hit the post-structuralists and remembered why I don't like Derrida).

Rediscovering how hard it is to remember to eat protein/veggies when I cook for myself. Carbs are so much easier to come by. :-/

Body now complaining about all the *fun!* exercise this weekend. Hush, feet. The end.

Life in 10 seconds

Finished Owen Meany. Still reading The Illiad and Literary Theory. Started Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White. I'm now up to 48 books out of the BBC's top 100.

Found a desk chair at the Habitat ReStore for $5.00. It's nice, with only a little wear on the leather seat. The hydraulics (?) work well. And it's black, so it matches my desk.

Lots of rain and hail this afternoon, so I had to go for a 3.5 mile walk afterward, just to get my feet muddy. :-D Good stuff.

The house smells like Febreeze, Goodwill, sea breeze candle, and burnt bacon. Yum. Not.

The end.

Life in 10 seconds

Just moved. Needing to get a desk tomorrow to avoid further back pain. Now reading The Iliad, nothing like the movie Troy. Also reading Eagleton's Literary Theory; he should be paid by Tylenol for instant headache creation. A Prayer for Owen Meany by Irving is much easier on the brain. In love with farmers' markets. Not so thrilled about humidity.

That's it.

Life in 10 seconds

Lots of dancing (+4). Way too little sleep this weekend (-2). Too much coffee (-1/+1). 13 combined hours in the car (-3). Fun friends (+5). Beautiful warm weather (+2). Not a bad weekend overall. :)

Now reading Perfecting Ourselves to Death (Winter), Love in the Time of Cholera (Garcia-Marquez), Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human (Bloom), and Rescripting Shakespeare (Dessen).  Also listening to Huckleberry Finn (Twain) on CD in the car.

No word from grad schools yet. Another visit coming up next week!

...and it's only Monday...