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Things that make one busy:

1. Moving back into Risley.
2. Doing RisOC stuff.
3. Getting back into the Ris-swing of things.
4. Moving people in.
5. A debauched Tuesday.
6. An even more, believe it or not, debauched Thursday night of RisOC partying.

Things that one should do:

1. Print out haiku board material.
2. Get papers out to people who need them.
3. Finish putting room together.
4. Buy rest of books.

Things that I'm going to do right now:

1. Go into pleasantly near-exhausted sleep. God I'm tired.

Today = overall better mood-wise. Also, tonight = incredibly busy, what with moving out Friday. Packling, laundry, using up refridgerated food. . . .

I'm ironing out in my head the busy of this upcoming week, and it's crazy. Moving out, spending the weekend at my parents' house, moving in, RisOCs, new work from Amanda that's actually some of the most complicated labeling work in her entire project (click and stop labeling in N|uu), getting forms and this and that done. . . . God. It's going to be so crazy. Since when is the start of the semester this crazy?

* * * *

I really want to go to Nakanishi-sensei's funeral on Friday, but I don't think I can take off work (I've missed far too much this week with crazy errands). I feel so bad for Prof. Whitman and their family. It's got to be so hard for them.

:(

I love that a cranky mood can be changed by a job interview. I had an interview at the library today, which was essentially, "Hello, this is background information about the job, when can you work?" The lady was very nice, and I have seven and a half hours a week now at Olin circulation desk. I'm happy about this - it means I can eat.

I also have a meeting tomorrow with Amanda for even more work (I suspect photocopying articles from journals, because I can't imagine any more technical phonetic work she needs done on any of the projects that I've worked on for her). I love getting piecemeal work from professors.

I also love that the cranky mood was caused by a dream. Not a bad dream, or an odd one; it was one of those dreams that you normally laugh at and go "aw, I <3 you, subconscious, you're so funny". Unfortunately, due to current life-situational things, it was quite bittersweet and Not Funny. And made me wake up cranky. Stupid cranky. >P

I don't actually love any of the above, of course. They just amuse me. I only love my teddy bear.

Edit: Nevermind, cranky again. I just got an e-mail saying that Japanese writing is cancelled this semester due to "last minute staffing changes." I am now killing people, kthxbai.

Edit #2: And the joking killing people comment from the last edit is totally not cool because staffing changes are due to the death of one of our sensei, Nakanishi-sensei, from cancer. That just sucks. She was such an amazing woman. :(

Irrationality is both the bane and joy of my existence.

I really, really want school to start. I am absolutely sick and tired of this job - of sitting here, bored, reading or chatting on AIM because there's nothing to do. I could be at home, doing all the chores I need to do and am energized to do in the morning (and not at night after a full day of tedium), or in the library with books spread about comfortably instead of in tight piles without space. And I just want to be back in classes and Risley and my normal brain. Knowing that I'll be moving in ten days just leaves me restless. Let's make it RisOC week already.

I should start packing. That would be comforting, I think. (Except, wait - I'm stuck here in Uris all day! Unable to do anything like packing, cooking up food so that it gets eaten before I move, laundry, etc.! Oh! Failure!)

I'm just cranky and complaining. I'll shut up now.

Edit: Cute Overload is definitely good to cheer yourself up with.

Fun, amusing, useful, or otherwise memorable links.

Comics
Achewood
Dinosaur Comics
Dr. McNinja

Cuteness
Cute Overload
Kittens!

Humor
Kim Jong Il (the illmatic)'s journal
Under Odysseus

Language Resources
Akerbeltz - Gaelic Resources

Linguistics
bLing Blog
Jabal al-Lughat
Japanese for Life
Language Hat
Language Log
Linguistics Anonymous
Omniglot

For some reason, hookah hits me really hard. It gives me more of a rush than weed, cigarettes, alcohol, anything I have tried. It's just this amazing slam to the head, leaves me reeling sometimes. Pretty awesome. Also, kind of discombobulating.

Plotting my hammock making. This is pretty awesome. ^_~

As for things mentioned previously:

My mother had her surgery today. She is doing well - she's just doped up on Vicodin for the pain. I'll be seeing her tomorrow evening, as I am going back to Naples for the weekend again.

I also decided that I really want to do the Tokyo program. Not as cool city-wise as Kyoto - would much rather be in Kyoto than Tokyo - but the program at Sophia is more what I'm looking for than the program at the Kyoto Center. So, it looks like mid-February to the end of July in Tokyo, providing all paperwork goes through properly. *crosses fingers*

I am seriously reeling from the hookah. Calm, brain, calm!

Today was a day of many things.

In order of occurrence, because it's easiest that way:

1. I will be spending part of next year in either Kyoto or Tokyo for study abroad. I'm not sure which; we'll see. I need to make the decision very, very soon - within a week, really.

2. My parents called me today. My mom's infection is as bad as I suspected it was - they're amputating her left foot below the knee. It's a good thing that they're doing it, because it means she'll be healthier and in less pain; it just sucks mightily that it had to happen. I managed not to cry earlier, though I probably will when I see her.

3. I got a free rug (FGSS is redecorating).

German reggae/dancehall is fun.

And that was all she wrote.

Thank you for the hugs, guys.

Song lyrics from nightflight's journal that really resonated:

those summer days we turned our backs on
when I think upon them now, I realize they were the sins
of being so helplessly timid and too young

For many reasons, and not necessarily this summer.

And, a rant:

There are days when I get incredibly angry at the male half of the human species. Not because of fights or some such, but just because of the sense of entitlement men have just because they were born with penises. I'm sorry, but any man who thinks that gender equality has been attained just doesn't get it.

I am tired of men thinking that I will automatically do what they want me to do, just because I'm a generally easy-going female. I am tired of men thinking that because I like to cuddle with girls, or because I will make out with one during a drinking game/if the girl asks/if I feel like it, that they can automatically get me to have sex with a woman because it'd be "hot." Speaking of that, I'm tired of men thinking that they have any influence over an aspect of my sex life that doesn't involve them. I'm tired of men ignoring me because they think they can get away with it. I'm tired of men having superior attitudes. I'm tired of men thinking that I can be controlled. That I can be bought. That I don't know exactly what they're doing. That I'm under their thumb.

I'm also kind of tired of getting more and more jaded, but maybe my skin was too thin anyways.

Edit: And what pisses me off most is that I don't sock them in the face for it, but just sit silent. I = bad feminist.

Bad news: My mom is in hospital. As a few of you know, she's been laid up for a couple of months with a nasty foot infection. Well, it got worse, and she went into the hospital yesterday. She's in the OR on Thursday for them to "clean it out." I, frankly, am terrified of what "cleaning it out" might turn into. When one's foot has been infected literally for months, I think it's conceivable that the doctors may want to remove it if they feel it's a great enough health risk. And honestly, she's been running a fever; it's possible that the infection is spreading. Not that I know anything for sure, as I'm not there and therefore have no information because no one tells me jackshit, and I'm not exactly a doctor anyways. I'm just paranoid and restive, because I can't bear the thought of my mom having to go through that and I can't do anything to help her.

I'm hoping to get to Naples this weekend to see her. *crosses fingers* I mean, the most I can do is to go and sit with her and talk and hug her. I feel especially bad because I'm only ever really in Naples over winter breaks, and I know she misses me.

* * * *

Extremely mundane things: my shuffling is improving (bridge is pretty much down now). Only lost five cents at poker last night (out of a five dollar buy-in) and would've made a meager amount of money if I'd cashed out when I planned to instead if staying in a few more hands. Also, have a ( list of things to do )

I think I'm going to do something completely out of the blue. Here goes.

I got called out last night on my frequent use of the construction "So much ____". I must now endeavor not to use it all. Funny thing is, the person who commented - "What percentage of your sentences? 50%?" - is one of the people I picked it up from. Now, on to some other horrible speech habit which I will pick up from someone. Ai yai.

Bean sprouts are delicious. *eats pita sandwich* Overripe raspberries are less delicious, and lead to infestations of fruit flies in one's room.

Oh, by the way? Sooooo got to chill with Peggy on Saturday. Awesome awesome! (How's that some reduplication for you? I'll be speaking Tagalog soon.) We annoyed/bored people with our lovely ling-major chatter, took pictures of our lovely toes, and managed to effectively waste a lovely afternoon in the pursuit of Hanging Out.

On to finishing this damn book. *pokes it*

Did I ever mention that I absolutely love Robert Hass? He's a wonderful poet, and any of you who haven't read him should. The moods he makes. . . .

* * * *

I am far, far too tired right now to be this damn angry. I feel like a toro bull, ready to charge if someone waves the flag at me. Or, perhaps, burst like a balloon filled too far with water.

I want fireflies. Fireflies, fireflies, fireflies.

Oddly apt, no?

My continued attempts to finalize my schedule for this upcoming semester are, well, not working. This is mainly due to Japanese. Stupid, stupid language schedules; why can't you put these classes at 9 am, not the ever-popular 1:25?

It'll be good to be back at school, despite not really knowing what I'll be taking. I miss classes, and I especially miss Risley. Not that I don't have a gaggle of Risleyites around to keep me Risified, but I miss the building itself. I want to be living inside its lovely walls again. The thought of move-in is so good inside my brain. All tingly and pleasant and suchlike.

More tingly, pleasant things: RisPotluck at Viv's tonight (need to go bake banana bread, eep), not having to wake up at 7:15 tomorrow morning, and seeing Peggy this weekend for the first time since the end of the school year.

Little joys, little joys. They're the best.

* * * *

It's an off-chance, but anyone have any book recs? Either very good fiction, or titles on linguistics, philosophy, or Japanese studies. I'm almost done with my current book, and can't get a hold of a copy of House of Leaves.

* * * *

( list to self )