Write It Down

On the very tip top of my heap of complaints sits this dreadful, evil cold. I knew it was coming, I should have tried harder to avoid it, but I figured it was inevitable as nearly everyone else had already or was currently going through the same thing. Now, laying here in bed with a heavy head and sandpaper-like throat, I'm regretting my lack of proactivity a few days ago. I slept through class today, not seeing a way I could make the hike to school without drowning in a stream of my own snot and hacking up at least one of my lungs.
I woke up to a knock on my bedroom door, which I was somewhat expecting, seeing as my landlady had told me that my direct roommate would be moving in today. Turns out it was the janitor type lady come to make up the roommate's bed. When she saw me in bed she was confused, so I explained that I had a cold and I think the poor woman is now convinced that I have the swine flu.
The roommate has yet to arrive, so I've been sleeping fitfully all morning, afraid she'll come in and see me and be weirded out, or something. Or feel like she can't be in here to unpack for fear of disturbing me. Oh well.

After attending an advisory meeting yesterday, I've decided that I'm going to change my whole plan for courses. The lady from the international students office told us that we probably wouldn't be accepted to courses that we hadn't taken before, throwing my plans for psych and/or natural sciences right out the window. But that's okay! I figured out that even if I take only my 4 history courses while I'm here, I'll be able to graduate on time, I'll just have an odd senior year. So, the new plan is to knock out the histories, take a beginner's french class (no assessment, just language!) and perhaps an intro to jazz, to see if that can count for my fine arts class. If not, I might take an art history, or something that I can only take here, like a Celtic civilization class. Who knows. Anyway, I'm feeling a lot less stressed about the whole course thing.

In other news, there really isn't any other news. Hooray.

ETA: WTF grrrr I am so mad why do all of my posts still say April 17?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?

A little shot of my Cork countdown widget:


In other news, why the EFF are all the dates for my posts April 17, 2009? IDGI.

Shout out to Auntie Erin who asked "what do you BLOG about???"

The answer is "yes!!!"
Also, as we all know, list making is beyond fun, so let the games begin!

Why is Proctoring fun?

• Pee man. He got up to pee after 15 minutes of starting his exam, then 45 minutes after that, with an explanation. "I drank too much water." OK. Thanks for the update, pal. 45 minutes after THAT he comes stomping down the aisle, shaking his head at himself (and probably cursing his tiny bladder). Three times in a 3 hour exam is the time to beat, ladies and gents.
• Mental breakdown man. Not even an hour into the exam he's laughing hysterically, his whole body shaking with the open mouthed silent laughter. What's so funny about "Evidence"? Or is it that you are no longer mentally sound after days of excruciating law school exams? Or were you craycray to begin with? I'm going with the last option.
• Birthday boy. The scantron sheet has a little spot for your birthday (who knows why) and one guy filled it out... I'll be sure to send you a card, number 3---.
  
• Pee:thirty? There's a certain point during the exam (happens to be right now, s'mattera fact) when EVERYONE has to pee like crazy, so it becomes a contest to see who can do the awkward 'my bladder is full' speedwalk to the front fastest without wetting themselves. I blame the dixie cup sized free coffees that the dining hall gives out. So easy to overindulge when you're tossing 'em back to get that full caffeine effect. And that leads me to my next item...
  
• Drinking dixie cup sized coffees. It's like a tea party! Pinkies out, ladies!
• Babysitting without the dirty diapers. I get to be the boss of kids who are far older and arguably more intelligent (well, maybe some of 'em...) than I am. What a power trip. I AM IN CHARGE!!!!
• ETA: The exam passwords. Sunny, Flower, London, Chowder. My perfect, soothing PNW blessing-upon-the-ears of an accent saying the word "chowder" to a roomful of temporary Bostonians cracked me up. Chowdurrr.
  

I just saw a man peeing outside in the bushes on my way to work.

Ew.

In other news, this weekend was action packed and fun - a nice break from the crazy amounts of homework I've been doing lately.

I met a guy from Belfast at Haley House on Friday and that kind of put a downer on my morning... he was just so sad! I was chatting with him about how long he's been here, if he thought he'd go back, etc. and he said that he and his mom (he's probably just a little older than me) had come here three years ago and didn't have anything to return to. I suppose I probably should have expected something like that, but his tone of voice and the look on his face... so sad. Then he said that it wasn't really something they talked about in Ireland and I apologized for bringing it up... and he started talking about the conflict, saying it was no use for anyone to apologize anymore because it had already happened and apologizing just brought up the old feelings all over again.

The rest of my weekend was much more cheerful. We had Relay for Life on Friday night/Saturday morning... nothing too out of the ordinary happened, just a bunch of fun and exhaustion.

I got to see Katherine yesterday and we had burritos at Felipe's in Harvard Square and saw Neil Gaiman's book-turned-movie Coraline, which was amazing. And in 3D so double amazing.

One of the ladies just came into the office here at work talking about the paint she chose for her house... "Well it's called Meditative Blue... which I liked. I thought about going one step down, but that one was called Languid Blue and I thought NO WAY am I having anything LANGUID. That's such a negative word..."
I wonder what she thinks languid means?

Just got this email from An Siopa Leabhar, the Gaelic League's bookstore in Dublin:

Caoimhe a Chara,


Cailíní Beaga Ghleann na mBláth is out of print I'm afraid. Do not hesitate to contact us for any other book enquieries.

Go raibh mìle maith agat

So I guess I don't get my book after all. Curses.

ETA: Well, I just sent the guy an email back asking if he knew of any bookstores in Dublin where I might find the book on the shelf... I'll be there in a few weeks and it doesn't hurt to ask!

Got an email back from the history museum contact person today...

It was addressed to Kevin. So yeah, that's kinda lame. And funny. I figure it means one of two things: a) she wasn't paying attention, or, b) she assumed Keavy is a nickname for Kevin and decided to go all formal on me and call me by my "real" name.

I can't decide which would be better.

Today in Gaelic we came across the word slua... which was cool because I could define it and impress the whole world. All because I included it in my awesome blog title yesterday.

In other news, I guess Indiana Jones, TinTin and all those other "omg there are Nazis in the Middle East!" conspiracy theorists were right. Kind of makes you wonder how hard the "Nazi Hunters" were really looking. Err... maybe that was too soon. But... I mean, how obvious a hide out is Egypt?

I printed out an application for a study abroad scholarship. It's reserved for kids who get finaid (COUGH, dad, do the FAFSA stuff NOW, COUGH) so hopefully I'll be able to get some dinero to help out with next year. I've just got to write a 500 word essay about my study abroad goals, how studying abroad will tie in with the rest of my BC education, yaddah yaddah. I've also got to get a recommendation from a prof, so I'll ask Phil... he'll definitely put in a good word for me.

I had something else to say... something meaningful. Oh well. Haley House tomorrow morning, time for bed.