Figures

So this past week, I had a lot of homework. I needed to read six short stories, workshop a classmate’s short story, write a book review, and write a short story, all for my fiction class. I also needed to read and respond to two scripts, and write a four-page outline for my own script idea for my screenwriting class. My fiction class is Monday nights and my screenwriting class is Tuesday nights.

I wrote the script outline Saturday (it took me at least 4 hours) and also have already done the scripts and responses. For my fiction class, I’ve still got to write my own short story and write the book review, and it’s already 11pm on Sunday night.

Guess which of my classes just got cancelled?

I’ll give you a hint: it’s not the one that I’m prepared for, nor the one that’s furthest away.

Grrrr.

Family pets and crosses

So the other day (well, like two weeks ago) me and Diana were sitting in the living room, talking. The lights were off in the kitchen. As she was talking, I noticed a movement on the floor in front of the fridge and my initial thought was, “Oh, that’s nice.” I then recalled that things shouldn’t move on their own, and just as I pointed out, “Oh, there’s a mouse!” he scurried back behind the fridge.

Personally, I think mice are cute, and the idea of killing him appalls me. Alas, I have not seen him since; I suspect he is being much more careful since he knows he’s been spotted.

Regardless, we’ve named him King Xerxes. This was selected via the Bible we’ve got on our mantel. I suppose I should explain that this is because the guys in my room left a crucifix nailed to my wall. I took it down, but then Diana put it back up, and its currently still over my guitar until I find time to take it to a Catholic church or something. It it was just a wooden cross, I would keep it, especially if it was all natural looking and made of sticks. But it’s not, and I’m sorry if it makes me a bad Christian, but crucifixes make me uncomfortable in a home setting. But one can’t simply throw a crucifix away.

Anyway, in response to this, Diana had put her Bible on the mantel in the living room, because she was possibly bringing a date back and the plan was to also put the crucifix out there. Unfortunately, a few days ago, I walked into the apartment, began complaining about my day, the Bible fell FOR NO REASON off the mantel, and it kind of freaked us all out, so all Bibles are now safely on bookcases.

But when we were needing to name our mouse, Diana suggested it be the first name we found in the Bible when she opened it randomly. I told her to go Old Testament because those are the best names. First she saw Jacob which is too normal, and then two other odd names we didn’t like, so the FOURTH name we found was King Xerxes, and I knew this was the one.

Coincidentally, that is now also the name of our wireless internet.

-Oh, and I suppose I should also mention that Diana and Fidan are my roommates, so that’s while you’ll see their names popping up.

So what’s been going on?

In bullet form because there is SO much:

*First movers bailed on me and I had to open a paypal claim in order to get my money back. Second movers I found the next day were wonderful, two Romanian guys, very helpful.

*Had no internet or tv at the new apartment for three weeks, and even now the signal is so weak that the internet frequently cuts out and the tv is hardly watchable. Comcast has visited us three times, the first time being disastrous. Fortunately, they wisely decided not to charge us for this first month.

*Maintenance is constantly in and out trying to fix the place up. To name a few: we have no shelves or drawers in the fridge; every single lightbulb was burned out (did the guys before us just live in darkness?!), the closet doors were removed, there was a huge leak in our bathroom and then a hole in our ceiling.

*Classes started. I had some scheduling drama because I refused to take a lit class where the best I could get was a B, and Emerson thought I’m already overscheduling myself anyway and didn’t want me doing my senior thesis project early. The result is that I only have three classes this semester: Photoshop for photographers, Screenwriting, and Advanced fiction seminar. I am SWAMPED with homework.

*Work has its ups and downs. The little boy I regularly nanny (his older brother is in school most of the time) has decided he doesn’t like me, and just wants to wrestle with me, and has no interest in any of my arts&crafts or outside adventure ideas.

*Went home this past weekend to visit Mom and Jerry. Even though I spent about six weeks at home this semester, it didn’t feel like enough, and still doesn’t.

*Had a dental appointment whereupon I was told I needed one, maybe two root canals, plus I had five other cavities to fill. This didn’t surprise me TOO much (I have some inherited thing where my tooth enamel is ridiculously weak and I just am constantly getting cavities) but they were trying to convince me that the tooth that needed the root canal had hurt (it never did) and didn’t care that others of my teeth DID hurt. In fact, I was told cavities don’t hurt. Now, I have had my fair share of cavities. I know what they feel like. And furthermore, when a doctor/dentist tells me “that doesn’t hurt” and it DOES, I call foul. Fortunately this morning I had my first appointment with an amazing new dentist who agrees I don’t need the root canal — at least not yet — actually cares that my teeth hurt, found a crack down the side of a tooth that the other dentist didn’t (and this, we think, is what’s actually causing most of my pain), and wants to treat what hurts first. All in all, I think I have found the dentist I’ve been searching for all my life. Oh, and she’s also from Ireland.

*Writing wise, I’ve submitted two things for publication. One came back quickly but without an attached letter of rejection or acceptance, so I e-mailed the magazine and the editorial director emailed me back and told me to resubmit because he doesn’t know if it was rejected and they forgot a letter or if it was sent back too soon. So basically I still have two possible publications in the wings.

*It is autumn, which I’m excited about. Frank bought me a beautiful gerber daisy plant for the new apartment, which I killed in about two weeks. He and I went to King Richard’s Faire (a renaissance faire) weekend before last (SO fun; pictures are too cute; I’m sorry it’s not getting its own blog entry) and he bought me a rose which I’m currently drying. Monday he brought me a big beautiful sunflower. i also bought two pumpkins to put over my faux-fireplace.

I realize this was uber quick. I’m going to force myself back into the habit of writing now that I have semi-stable internet and will hopefully soon be settling into a life schedule. Also soon (once I’m finished hanging things on my walls and find a mirror and a desk chair) I’ll get pictures of the 519 up. Now I’ve got LOOOOOADS of homework to do, so I’m off!

Happy Moving Day, Boston!

Today, September 1st, is basically the day that almost everyone under the age of 24, and some above, move. So to all my fellow movers who are also stressed and frazzled and anxious to just be settled into their new apartments already: good luck, and congratulations.