ad vitam paramus

today's lyrics

Bring a song and a smile for the banjo,

Better get while the gettin's good,

Hitch a ride to the end of the highway

Where the neons turn to wood.

Up Around the Bend (Creedence Clearwater Revival)

I have the horrible, no good, very bad feeling that I will do nothing this semester but study for my biology course.

I still really, really need to purchase a planner. Seriously. And I also need a separate notebook for biology, because I've taken 12 pages (6 lecture; 6 book) of notes in the last week already.

However, I'm very excited to be participating in four faculty research programs. Which allow me to play with a statistics programs that cost more than my life is worth.

The psychology professors should not be surprised to find me hunched over in the lab, drooling, while murmuring: "Precious..."

sentio aliquos togatos contra me conspirare

today's lyrics

somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond

any experience,your eyes have their silence:

in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,

or which i cannot touch because they are too near

your slightest look will easily unclose me

though i have closed myself as fingers,

you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens

(touching skillfully,mysteriously)her first rose

somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond (e.e. cummings)

Classes begin in three days. Chaos.

• I really, really need to clean out my closet and donate my old clothes to Goodwill. I've been meaning to do this all summer. I think my mother is going to use my sweaters from 7th grade to throttle me if this is not completed by the University Which Must Be Obeyed's winter break.
• I really, really need to organize the remaining clothes. This may or may not require a trip to Bed, Bath, and Beyond or Target for closet organizers.
• I really, really need to procure a planner of some sort. Otherwise, a paper for Cultural Psychology might get turned in at my Language Development, and vice versa. With three psychology classes in one semester, anything is probable.
• I really, really need to purchase a birthday present for Dad. Because otherwise, I'll probably go to Hell with the unbaptized infants.
• I really, really want to re-read The Canterbury Tales

But instead, I'm using tomorrow to go shopping with Mom and the BFF. Which will commence with removing my dad's 70lb kyak from the top of the van, then a trip to the University Which Must Be Obeyed to procure another student I.D.

Yup. That sounds about right.

antiquis temporibus, nati tibi similes in rupibus ventosissimis exponebantur ad necem

today's lyrics

Judex ergo cum sedebit,

quidquid latet, apparebit,

nil inultum remanebit.

Quid sum miser tunc dicturus?

quem patronum rogaturus,

cum vix justus sit securus?

Mozart's Requiem: Tuba mirum (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

When the judge takes his place,

what is hidden will be revealed,

nothing will remain unavenged.

What shall a wretch like me say?

Who shall intercede for me,

when the just ones need mercy?

There are now, officially, twenty-six days until I have to register for fall classes. Blast. But, I still have twenty-six days during which to read...because the University Which Must Be Obeyed tends to not allow for much time during the semester.

I'm thinking this is a good time for Agatha Christie, since we've been having so many power outtages and thunderstorms.

In other news, I wish the parents of the children I babysit would learn basic telephone etiquette. Don't get me wrong, I think they're a wonderful family and their children are surprisingly well-behaved, given current parenting trends. Maybe it's just the way I was raised, but I believe that:

• Phone calls should not be made before 7:30 am.
• Phone calls should not be made during dinnertime (5:00 pm - 6:30 pm). Because seriously, thou shalt not behave as a telemarketer.
• Phone calls should be returned within forty-eight hours. If I cannot accomidate your requests for babysitting times, it is probably because you called me at the last minute and I couldn't rearrange my work schedule.
• Always, always leave a number where you can be reached.

I'm also annoyed that textbooks are costing me my arm, leg, and soul.

veni, vidi, dormivi

today's lyrics

I will dance I will sing and my laugh shall be gay

I will charm every heart in each crown I will sway

When I woke from my dreaming my idols were clay

All portion of love had blown away

Wildwood Flower (Reese Witherspoon)

In other news, I turned 21 about two weeks ago. As I've never been particularly fond of the taste of alcohol and would rather not be the fourth-generation Irish alcoholic in my family, I spent the day at the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga. And then went to a used book store.

Quite.

And, I actually managed to have one Independence Day during which I did not contract a third-degree sunburn. Of course, I had to wear SPF 60 and re-apply it every 30 minutes...but, still. It's the little accomplishments that mean so much. Mom finally went out in her kayak...which, hopefully, means that she won't remember that I promised to go white-water rafting with her. Because I can't swim, and I think that would end badly.

And, finally, I'm reading Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. Therefore, I'm realizing that Mormonism isn't a religion to be made fun of so much as it is a religion to be concerned about. Seriously. I've been having the most atrocious nightmares, and they don't make water hot enough.

Now, it is time to hold a cat.

2008 - 2009 schedule

today's lyrics

When the wind picked up

And the fire spread

And the grapevines seemed left for dead.

And the northern sky, like the end of day,

The end of days.

Grapevine Fires (Death Cab for Cutie)

One eighty-page portfolio, four papers, three presentations, and three exams are finished. And, therefore, it is time to plan for next year:

Summer Term (June 16 - July 8)

Introduction to the Fine Arts (FNA 340): MTWRF 9am-12pm

Fall Term (August 27 - December 11)

Principles of Organismal Biology (BIO 113): MWF 10am-10:50am

Principles of Organismal Biology Lab (BIO 113L): T 2pm-5pm

Experimental Psychology (PSY 312): MWF 9am-9:50am; T 10am-10:50am

Language Development (PSY 306): MWF 11am-11:50am

Cross-Cultural Psychology (PSY 224): TR 11am-12:15pm

January Term (January 5 - January 23)

Indigenous Peoples (WRC 350): MTWRF 9am-12pm

Spring Term (January 28 - May 14)

History & Systems of Psychology (PSY 401): MWF 9am-9:50am

Calculus I (MTH 125): MTWF 10am-10:50am

Senior Study I (PSY 351): F 11am-11:50am

Cognitive Psychology (PSY 314): TR 2pm-3:15pm

Cognitive Psychology Lab (PSY 314L): F 2pm-2:50pm

dei gratia

today's lyrics

Ein li davar acher, ein li daver acher

ein li davar acher chutz mimech tavini

Ein li davar acher, ein li davar acher

ein li davar acher chutz mimech tavini

Ein Li Davar Acher

I have nothing else, I have nothing else

I have nothing else, beside you, please

understand

have nothing else, I have nothing else

I have nothing else, beside you, please

understand

Looking at graduate school programs is especially scary when you know that you'll have to start over.

aut disce aut discede

today's lyrics

One of these mornings

You're gonna rise, rise up singing,

You're gonna spread your wings,

Child, and take, take to the sky,

Lord, the sky

Summertime (Janis Joplin)

I consider myself to be a fairly capable young adult. I can manage being a full-time student, with two part-time jobs. I can do ANOVA and regression analysis. I can crank out a seven-page paper in approximately three hours. Most of the time, I can even manage to feed myself.

Until today.

Until today, when I tried to heat the "Sippable" version of Campbell's tomato soup.

At first, things went well. I managed to remove the "Sippable" lid from the container. I even managed to remove the potentially fatal metal lid from the container without incident.

But then, I attempted to remove my soup from the microwave without using my hot pads. I should never, never do this again. My pinky accidentally touched the side of the bowl, which caused me to jerk back.

When I jumped back, I managed to spill boiling-hot tomato soup on my hand. All over my hand. I'm surprised the police weren't called to respond to my Irish banshee shrieking.

At this point, I realized that I no longer remember the "Burn Incident" part of the American Red Cross First Aid training. I should probably remedy this.

However, I'm not completely hopeless. At least I had Neosporin in the bathroom cabinet. Which I technically wouldn't have, but my mom bought some for me. So, I guess I've managed to fail, after all.