Up and Running! Again!

I have a camera! I have a lens! I feel like I can blog again! I like exclamation points today!

I let this blog die for a bit because I was just whining about work, school, and life in general. No one wants to read that crap unless there are fun pictures to accompany the crap. I’ve been in a photography funk since my 35mm SLR was stolen two years ago, but I couldn’t afford to replace it. Until now! My graduation present to myself was a DSLR.

Until I have a chance to wander the city with my camera, here’s a cat in a bag. The same cat is currently asleep in the same bag…

Christmas Shopping

Right. I’m going Christmas shopping today. I really only have to get something for J, but I’ll stay on the look out for something for his dad, brother-in-law, and my mom. I’ve got J’s mom’s scarf done, but I’m leaving the needles in so she can decide how long she wants it. J’s sister’s scarf is another story… Crazy, mad deadline knitting to come tonight and tomorrow! My dad is getting a framed picture of either me alone or of me and J. My mom might get the same if I can’t find a cool book for her… I am not looking forward to this. It’s raining, people are going to be stupid because of it, people are going to be assholes because it’s a week before Christmas, I hate Christmas music, and I just do not want to go out today. It’s my day off! Granted, I have another day off tomorrow and another one on Saturday, but still! Do. Not. Want.

I must confess that I am looking forward to wrapping the gifts. That’s the only part I like. I like wrapping them and then arranging everything under the tree so it looks all pretty and spiffy like a really good department store display at Neiman Marcus or Saks or somewhere. I don’t even care about the opening of the gifts. I just like to wrap and arrange.

Oh, and I totally cannot wait until I get my mom’s gifts this year. Southside Camera back home is going out of business, so my mom was going to get me a camera and a lens or two or three for Christmas. Yay! I have been in a creative funk since my camera got stolen last year. I could use my digi cam, but… ugh. It’s just not the same at all.

Ok. Enough procrastinating. Time for a shower and Christmas shopping. *sigh* I might wear makeup today just because it’ll make me feel a little better. Pfft.

Amish Cinnamon Bread

I seriously hate making this shit. It’s so messy, sticky, sweet, and impossible to mix that I’m about to throw the whole lot of it away. I fought with it for an hour before getting to the point of pouring the batter into two bread pans. Two NONMETAL bread pans. So. I don’t own nonmetal bread pans because nonmetal bread pans are EXPENSIVE. I ended up baking the bread in one giant glass baking dish, so I’ll either have one really big “loaf” of bread or I’ll have bread baked onto the bottom of my oven… Also, this shit ain’t Amish. I’m too lazy to go look it up, but I’m highly doubting any Amish person would make anything that includes “one large box of instant vanilla pudding” in the ingredient list. It doesn’t seem right to use instant pudding in an “Amish” recipe for some reason. Oh, and that thing about how you can’t make the starter because only Amish people know how to make it? Please. It’s literally 1 cup each of milk, sugar, and flour and a package of yeast left to ferment for however many days (with occasional feedings of milk, sugar, and flour to keep the yeasties happy). There. I ruined the fun for EVERYONE! Oh, noes! Won’t someone think of the children?! I am sure that I am only one of many, many people who have ruined the chain letter-esque tradition of Amish Friendship Bread.

One down, two to go…

My architectural history final went really well last night. I am pretty sure I got more than a 93 on it, which means that my score on the final replaces my crappy score on the midterm. Sweet! The only pieces of data I couldn’t remember were the dates on S. Constanza in Rome and Alhambra in Spain. I’m also just now thinking that I got Cordoba mixed up with Granada for the location of Alhambra. Fuck shit fuck. That should still put me over 93 since we get 3 free mistakes before he starts taking points off. Arg!

Now for some tea and alternate crammings of Japanese art and history of math. I am so full of fail this semester. I blame it on my job. I told them I only wanted to work 24 hours, but noooo. They scheduled me for 32 hours every week and now don’t even give me the full time benefits that I am entitled to. Fucking cocksmacks. I hate it there. I need a new job so bad.

I talked to my mother last night and she yelled at me for wanting to take a year off before I go to grad school. *sigh* I knew she would. So now I’m being forced to take the GRE and try to find a school with a math or structural engineering deadline in February. Wonderful. My parents are assholes. Shouldn’t they be glad that I am actually graduating at all? I’m the first person in my family to EVER get a college degree of any kind. I think a BS in applied math is plenty, but obviously I’m wrong. Thank fuck I live 3000 miles away from them. I couldn’t handle it if I lived ay closer.

So tired.

Finals need to be over. Now. Not Thursday. Now.

But I’m watching Wall-E right now and that makes it all better. For the next hour and a half anyway… This movie is just way too cute. I might die from the cute. Except I might not even be able to watch all of it because I have to go to bed so I can get up and go to work in the morning. I really need a work at home job…

Jayne Hat

I am wearing my Jayne hat right now. Indoors. Why? Because I fucking felt like wearing a wooly Jayne hat! I might even watch Firefly tonight while wearing my Jayne hat. Yes. I just might.

So. I have to write a last minute paper on the influence of Japanese art on western art, prepare 6 essays for my math final, prepare one essay for my Japanese art final (different from the influence paper), memorize a shit ton of notecards, and basically just cram my head with bullshit between now and Wednesday night/Thursday afternoon.

I am 90% sure that I’m moving to western VA in June. That last 10% is based on whether or not I can actually find a job and an apartment that I can afford. Granted, I have a palce to stay until I can get an apartment as long as I have a job waiting for me, but still. I like having my own space way too much. Yet another move to another city. I’m 24 and have lived in five different cities and two different states. Shit, I’ve lived in four different cities and two different states since I was 18 years old. Bah. Too much moving. Do not like.

Knitting wise, I’ve actually been knitting lately! *gasp* I get more knitting done when I have other things I need to be doing. It’s amazing. Too bad my apartment doesn’t get clean… I started a pinwheel blanket for H’s baby that’s due in March. Bright blue, yellow, white, and orange. It’s shiny and bright and screams “H’s baby boy!!” at me for some reason. I hope she likes it. I hope I finish it…

Exhaustion.

It’s only Friday. Finals haven’t started yet. I actually have a weekend day off this week (!!). I’ve really have only been sitting on my ass and studying all this week with a few breaks to go to work and class. I am EXHAUSTED from doing nothing! How is that possible? My brain is filled with 30+ buidings built between 400,000 BC and 1500 AD, which means I’m starting to confuse the Parthenon and the Pantheon (wtf? They look totally different from one another…). I’m also filled with chicken nuggets. I like chicken nuggets…

Bleh. I think it’s time to watch The Tudors and knit. Maybe. I might just space out and stare at the wall for another 4 hours until I go to bed. Whatever works.

My boss is a twunt.

But she scares easily. She tried to write me up because I didn’t come in on Friday. a) I wasn’t scheduled, b) it’s not my fault everyone called out on Black Friday, and c) I would have come in had someone called me, but no one bothered. So. She’s bitching about how she’s writing everyone up and blah fucking blah when she hands me a write up sheet and tells me to sign it. I looked at her like she was crazy before saying “Umm… No. I am not signing that. You can’t write me up because I didn’t do anything. I wasn’t scheduled and no one called me. If you try to make me sign that, I will have the DM, the RM, and the ethics hotline on the phone faster than you can even say “write up”.” She backed the fuck down so fucking fast that I thought she was going to trip over her own ass. “Well, I guess I don’t need to write you up then.” *snerk* Twunt. I really need a new job, but can’t find one that is willing to work around my school schedule. Ugh. If the financial aid office would give me my refund, I wouldn’t need a job. But nooo… They’re just sitting on it and won’t do anything about it. Assholes.

Time Suck

So. It’s been almost two months since I updated. College is the worst time suck EVER. I am hoping that by joining the Holidailies thing, I will be able to update more often. Ha! That probably won’t happen, but I can try!

In other news, I’m thinking about pooling all of my Christmas gift cards together so I can get a digital SLR. I’ve been craving photography adventures ever since my last camera got stolen. Does anyone have any recommendations for a decently priced camera that works well? A decently priced kit with a decent lens included is preferable, but a body only would be ok since I can get used lenses at Richmond Camera for a good price.

Time for a quick lunch at Five Guys, then a visit to the sleezy parking people so I don’t lose my parking spot, and grocery time! Yay for food in the house!

GAH! Baseball!

Right. I’m going to be in CA in the LA area October 16-21st. Game 5 of the NLCS is on the 15th. GAH!! I miss it by one fucking day! ONE DAY! I think I’m going to cry… I was really hoping that I’d be able to catch a postseason Dodgers game this year since they actually made it AND I was planning on being in CA at the correct time. *cries* I think I need to order a new Dodgers shirt since my old one got stolen. Yes. An ex-friend stole my Dodgers t-shirt. How fucked up is that? I need a Dodgers shirt. I wonder if I would be able to find one in town anywhere. Doubt it since I am 3000 miles from LA. *whines*