You! Shook Me, All Night Long:

Yes, YOU!

So a late night at Earnestine & Hazel's coupled with a bit of fiction...

turned into my latest piece over at 6S.

I had never seen this sign before (the one with the shoe) until I started searching around the 'Net.

What makes me really feel proud is when I saw a series of photos in the Oxford American several years ago and KNEW exactly WHERE they were taken.

I wanted to include something about the Soul Burgers in my little flash fiction piece, because let me tell you--the SOUL BURGERS are the best thing you'll ever eat at 1 a.m. after walking the cobblestone streets of Main with a group of friends.

I mean, that's what I've heard anyway.

I finished Little Children and have almost finished The Abstinence Teacher (both by Perrotta)...then I plan on getting back to F. Scott and working on my "other" blog a bit.

In addition to all this reading (can you tell how much I miss class?)...I want to "revisit" knitting. I started a scarf before Christmas, but got stuck when it was time to bind off.

That may sound a bit kinky, but that's what it's called when you take your work OFF the needles...

reading! knitting! yoga!

~~J

Did You Get My *fill in the blank*?

Maybe the most exhaustive thing I have ever done is apply to graduate school....

Ten graduate schools (which may have been part of the problem)…but it is frustrating when you have to depend on others to send/write letters...or institutions to send transcripts and scores.

I just had to have a university B resend transcripts today. Now, I believe the graduate program when they tell me that they received a transcript from university B for a different student who is NOT even showing up in their files.

Did B send the wrong transcripts? I will go ahead and say, “Yes.”

Now it costs money to have B send transcripts—nearly $10 PER transcript. Thanks a lot, B! Now I know how you fund your football program. I am not amused.

ALL I can do is wait.
ALL I can do is hope that every tiny bit of information arrived…

& I haven't even considered the fact that my written/creative pieces will be judged and considered by a panel of unknown professors. That hasn't even crossed my mind (until now).

And I just realized the amazing amount of poise I must have to not be worried about the judging process. Am I nuts? These are my hopes & dreams in written form!

The work stands on its own.

The work can stand on its own!

Just tell me everything else arrived, please.

~~J

Brrrrrrr:

(weather channel graphic)

So they are calling for "the white stuff" and people have already hit panic mode. Leaving the pharmacy last night, you'd think the end of days was upon us--I can't even imagine what it will be like today...

Goodness gracious, people! It will be all done with in three days, you're going to BE OKAY! A friend of mine is jokingly calling it "White Death 2010"...but see, people are really acting that way...

I've enjoyed listening to CNN banter away about the arctic blast though (yes, the COLD part is quite unnerving)...and yes, I really enjoy listening (watching) Rob Marciano talk about anything (but he does do the weather)...

"Someone needs to tell Canada to close the back door!" Banter Banter.

(insert all the inappropriate comments here)

"My friends are in St. TropeSanJuanIslandsblahblah and they keep telling me about the weather...I don't want to hear about the weather!"

I can't find a decent picture of Reynolds Wolf (another CNN Weather cutie) though...he is like me, possessing the type of beauty that moves...

Let's all just snuggle, then we'll be okay.

~~J

I said: brr... it's cold in here
there must be some Clovers in the at-mos-phere
I said: brr... it's cold in here
there must be some Clovers in the at-mos-phere
I said: oh e oh e oh
ice ice ice
Slow it down!(slower)
oh e oh e oh
ice ice ice
Here we go!

Reading for Pleasure:

I've spent the last week or so completely immersed in the world of F. Scott Fitzgerald--and believe me, I don't plan on leaving it anytime soon...

BUT

I got two new books by Tom Perrotta in the mail today and I couldn't be happier.

(Graduation gift cards!)

It's a little "escape" from the world of "not in school"...aka spending way too many hours in the pharmacy doing my "regular job."

Little Children & The Abstinence Teacher will have my full attention for at least a week.

I may have to rewatch the movie (Little Children) and maybe not just for Patrick Wilson aka The Prom King.

I know I'm a little late to the Perrotta party, but at least I showed up!

I can't wait to tell you more!

Other than that, I don't have too much to say, EXCEPT:

BE SURE to bring your new insurance cards to the pharmacy--and wait until next week to get your refills, please. You'll make the life of the technicians and pharmacists SO MUCH BETTER!

~~J

Mot Juste*

So yes, I went to the “second edition” bookstore this afternoon....

WHAT?

I see you looking at me with those eyes—but I was already on my way to pick up my “lost” phone at the movie theater and I had about 30 minutes to kill…

There it was: Tender is the Night NOT The Great Gatsby in the literature section.

I almost made a “YIPPEE” noise (which would’ve scared the volunteers behind the desk, but I digress)…in my almost 8 months of “second edition” book-buying, I have yet to come across an “annotated” edition of Tender. And whoever owned it previously, did a lot of underlining.

I was as giddy (obviously) as a schoolgirl.

I also picked up Save the Last Waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald too! I think they knew I was coming, because those two books alone made my day! Thanks for mentioning it to me Ms. Tara Mae!

Then there was the Poetry Handbook filled with definitions and explanations of devices--the "instructor's edition" of two writing rules handbooks (spiral bound, oh yeah)...and the Disheveled Dictionary for fun!

I know you're still making faces at me or trying to burn my brain with your eyes!

I got my phone back--it was still operational (hadn't run out of juice) and thankfully when I removed the mini SD card, all my pictures (and songs) transferred to my new phone.

~~J

*mot juste: exactly the write word or phrasing (in this case it might be bookworm, word-soaker, word-lover, nerd, smartie college girl...)