Leap Day - anything's possible!

Well...not really. But as I sit here at my kitchen table, sipping green tea, combing through a seemingly endless pile of research, feeling the heat of the fire, and watching snow fall heavily outside my window, I'm letting my mind wander a bit. Sure, the snow is pretty on Christmas and having a snow day from school is a good excuse to watch movies all day, (or catch up on your lit reviews as I'm doing now - not as fun as slacking off, I assure you) but wouldn't it be nice to live in a place with abundant sunshine? In order to not let the winter blues get me down, I'm fantasizing about all the places I could move after graduation next winter.

via hemingwaycool

I'd like to live someplace with sun. Being near or in a city wouldn't be a terrible thing. Being near a beach wouldn't be terrible either. I don't mind the heat, but my hair does curl frizz with humidity. I like to hike and eat local foods - having access to fitness - either gyms or natural hiking trails - and farmers markets are my dream. A place in need of teachers with a college or university that would fund some sort of research for me to do/hire me as a professor/provide me with an opportunity to get my PhD is ideal. And then, given my choice of work (read: low income) someplace affordable. This is quite the wish list.

Any suggestions? Where do you see me living and working a year from now?

I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be 'whelmed'?

Anyone who has known me for an extended period of time, knows that I am a huge movie nerd. I am the kind of movie snob that distinguishes between films and movies. I took film classes in college, I'd love to teach a film class at any level, and I have been known to attend a matinee all by my lonesome on a rainy afternoon. Hell, in college I gave an instructional speech on how the Academy chooses the nominees and winners for the Oscars. That said, I usually treat the Oscars like the event that it is: I see most of the films, have a personal opinion about most categories, and anticipate what way the Academy is leaning on that fateful February night. This year however, I was apathetic towards the nominees and most Friday nights or Sunday afternoons you would be more likely to find my nose in a book than my ass in a theater seat. I just didn't feel that excited by any of the films or performances this year. I had more important things on my mind and nothing really grabbed my attention. I do have to say, it was refreshing this Sunday to not care about the awards at all - I barely knew who or what was nominated. Even the fashion - which if nothing else should grab my attention - was underwhelming. I didn't watch the red carpet coverage, but you'd be hard pressed to turn on a television or log onto the internet without seeing some sort of fashion hit or miss, so I have since been inundated with images of emaciated actresses draped in millions of dollars. And I have to say, for all that money, no one really looked all that priceless. I don't think I'm alone in my disappointment - I think Angelina's leg got more press coverage than the entire event.

As if I needed another reason...

I love when I log on to my Gmail account and my inbox is inundated with emails from my boyfriend. Most of the time they are links to articles that are particularly interesting or pertain to a conversation we recently had (i.e. the article from my previous post). But sometimes they're gems such as this, that make me laugh out loud:

I'd like to talk about my feelings.

My co-worker is a copy machine. In fact, I believe he out ranks me. He is described by some as "The paper making machine thingy", "Damn it", "I can't do this" "What the?" and "Is this the phone?". However, his name tag says Canon. He is quiet, like me, except when someone talks to him, and like me, he gets whacked up side the head now and then. We are the part of the office totem pole that is beneath the bottom. We are underground. 

I feel like the runt of the office, getting knocked around and stepped on almost everyday. I mean this in the most literal sense. Last Thursday, Fran stepped on my big toe as she wiggled past me to bang around with Canon. It was an uncomfortable toe-stepping, one that lasted too long to not be considered extremely awkward. I think it was intentional. Canon agrees. He is a good friend Ashley. 

This morning, Merrill Lee appeared to be trying to jam something up Canon's ass when I thought someone rubbed a prune against my neck. When I realized it was her elbow, I almost stabbed her with my pen. However, this feeling of rage I had was quelled by the sense of satisfaction that for once Canon was getting it worse than me. I mean she was really harassing him. At one point I'm pretty sure Canon printed out a page that said "rape". Then just before, Anne came in and had a few choice words to say to him. I thought to myself, "Have I been promoted?", however a quick turn and a hip check to the back quickly answered that question. 

Every time I hear the printer kick on, I cringe knowing in seconds another old biddie will come stumbling, bumbling into this over sized closet, smelling like butterscotch and mothballs. It's a sinking feeling, that starts with the sound of footsteps and ends with me believing retirement homes are too kind.

Well now I got work to do... share more later. 

Now, he works in the IT department (which is ironic because he hates technology more that I do) at the Grad School and is probably more of a big deal than he leads on (the whole department consists of him and two other people) but his fear of the elderly is entirely real (and is rivaled only by his fear of sharks). I think he perfectly captures that seemingly useless feeling when you're working in a job that is merely a means to an end.

Monday Musings

I don't mean to get political on this Monday morning but this article from Rolling Stone is too good not to pass along. The purpose of this blog and my writing isn't to disguise a hippie agenda or push my ideals on anyone at all - I just thought this article offers up some unique information and gives you different perspectives to think about. What I found particularly interesting was how the author defines "change" in America:

"They plant their flag in an uncompromising position, and wait for the world to come around – which, quite often, it eventually does. This is because in a media environment based on the ideology of "balance," in which anything one of the parties insists upon must be given equal weight to whatever the other party says back, the party that plants its ideological flag further from the center makes the center move. And that is how America changes. You set the stage for future changes by shifting the rhetoric of the present."

As a future teacher, I would take this into my classroom...

Productive Procrastination... ?

You know those days where you have so much to do? The list is long and you're dying to cross something off that you put something on there just so you can cross it off and feel accomplished? And you feel so overwhelmed that before you start anything you decide you need to get your life in order. Because you can't really concentrate on all that research until your laundry is done and the DVR is empty. So you go through those books you wanted to organize, and you finally buy that frame to hang that poster, and you have groceries for the week and a good dinner ready to make for tonight. And your house is clean - even under the bed and behind all the furniture because you actually took the time to move it - and you took the time to read those articles you were saving all week. And you even caught up on your blogging. But you haven't actually accomplished the work that you're on deadline for. Which begs the question: Can I really justify procrastination if it's productive?

Regardless, enjoy these: 

I miss the sun...

I've been slacking on my blog duties, mainly because I've been away, and trying to catch up on work has been rather exhausting. I was in Florida for a few days to be in my cousin's wedding, and I have to admit, the rainy/icy/windy day here in NY is bringing me down. I miss the sunshine on my face and the warm breeze. As crazy as all the wedding prep was, I got to run around like a crazy person in 75/80 degree weather. What's not to love about that?

They really are an adorable couple. And I have to admit there was something nice about seeing them together, blistfully happy, excited to begin a life they made for themselves. Hopefully, I'll have some more pictures from the photographer at some point. It really was a snazzy wedding.

For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, 
there are no rules to this thing. 

We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you 
make the best of it. 

And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a 
different point of view. 

I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re 
not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again. 

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Making a small difference

Fun facts about Harbor Seals:
- Split their time between land and sea, and sometimes even sleep in the water
- Can eat 10% of their body weight per day in food
- Have no external ear flaps
- Pups can swim and dive at birth, but often ride on their mothers' back when they get tired
- Can dive up to 1500ft and stay under water for 30 minutes

 

via Acadia National Park

Why these random facts you ask? Well, last week I received a package in the mail from the Sierra Club. I opened it with some curiosity...wait, what is this? To explain, my boyfriend decided it would be a unique idea to make a charitable donation to Acadia National Park (in Maine) to save a Harbor Seal. The package included a stuffed Harbor Seal, a small tote bag, and a pamphlet with some "Fun Facts," along with some troubling realizations. Unfortunately, recent visitors to Acadia have been met with pollution, smog, dying vegetation, and vulnerable wildlife. John's sponsorship is helping the Sierra Club work to protect this wildlife.

What a great, thoughtful surprise for me in the mail :)

Artificial Love Day

 

via awelltraveledwoman

I'm not a fan of this day, (Why should today be special? You shouldn't wait for a nationally recognized day to tell the people you love how much you appreciate them) but I am a fan of this classic movie. Cute idea.