Socio Survey

I am currently working on a sociolinguistic research project about job titles. I admit that I say mailman, even though my mailman is actually a woman. Sure, I know that I should say mail carrier or postal worker or something gender neutral or politically correct, but I really love the word mailman. Others, like police officer, I prefer to use the gender neutral term. Of course, I occasionally use the waiter/waitress distinction, when I know I should use "server", but I'm ok with that.

So I am spending this lovely fall Sunday in my room, unshowered and still in my pajamas. I took a break and watched Aladdin on The Wonderful World of Disney, but now I am back in my room, eating cheese, drinking cream soda, and eagerly waiting for people to respond to my online survey. I fully realize that my survey is far from perfect. After a discussion with my prof, I revised it to look like this. While I still stubbornly believe that my way is superior, I figure he is the one with the PhD and actual work in the field, and I should listen to him. At least if this way has some major glitches, I can blame him, whereas if my way had some debilitating problems, he could just say, "I told you so!" and give me an F.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=O7Ejvc5xD83j61qzvoRIrw_3d_3d

I feel so technologically advanced using an online survey. In the past, I've been a real paper or at least microsoft word as an attachment type girl, but Future, here I come!

My cheese is gathering condesation at an alarming rate. Maybe it is more humid than I thought. I need to go eat it now.

A Splendiferous Evening Out

Yesterday I had a fabulous evening out with my fabulous friend, Lisa. We did many fabulous things in a few semi-fabulous places, but the most fabulous part of all, other than being with Lisa, was that it was all free!

We began our evening at the Linguistics lounge up on Dr. Penfield where SLUM was holding a linguistics students pizza party. After getting some drinks (I had a pepsi and Lisa had strawberry lemonade), we managed to snag a prime piece of pizza party realty - the blue couch in the corner. From this position, we could easily reach the pizza and napkins without standing up, place our drinks on tables, remain out of people's ways, and perhaps most importantly of all, we had an excellent view of the other present parties. I'd like to say that we were civilized, but that would be a lie. Secluded and unable to be overheard, we made some snarky comments about other people in our departments while munching on the chips and pizza in front of us. To be fair, we also said nice things about some people as well.

After dinner, we made a short trip to the McGill Bookstore where my fabulous curly-haired roommate works. She had won 2 tickets to a 7pm screening of "Choke", but was unable to attend because she had to work until 7:30. Lisa and I were happy to take those off her hands.

With still some time to kill, Lisa treated me to a caramel frappacino at Starbuck's. She had received a gift card, and, luckily for me, chose to share it. Sipping our sugary, caffeinated beverages, we chatted about linguistics and other academic and social matters of import.

We arrived at the theatre with plenty of time to spare, which just gave us time to read the free entertainment magazine, which is basically advertisements, but was amusing nonetheless. Then we saw the movie, which I will not discuss here only because I cannot decide whether I liked or disliked it.

Lisa kindly walked me to the bus stop afterwards, where we met my curly-haired roommate, coming home after her stint at the knitting club meeting. We three chatted for a bit, and then I rode the bus home and that was that.

All in all, it was a rather splendid and unexpected Thursday evening.

Angry! GRRR!

AHHHH!!!!!!!

After hours and hours of uninterrupted school work, job searching, and attempts at figuring out the grad school process, I have become increasingly rageful. My anger is not caused by anything in particular. Unfortunately, this means my anger is not directed at anything in particular and everything is causing me further stress and angst. A noisy car drives by my window, and I glare angrily out the window; my rug is scrunched up on the floor by my bed, so I call it stupid and kick it; my music becomes annoying, so I growl at my computer and turn off the tunes; the silence makes me angry, too, so I turn the music back on; my computer stalls for a second, so I begin frothing at the mouth and throwing myself up against the wall. Really, it is amazing my roommate and the two cats who are in the apartment with me right now can still stand me. The constant groaning, growling, moaning, incoherent mumbling and banging from throwing myself up against the wall has not alarmed them in any way yet.

Grrrr.....

Now I am frustrated because I don't have the patience to write anything of substance.

My new future plan is to drop out of college right now. Sure I only have part of a semester left, but screw it. I will then move into a large box in the woods by my parents' house. When my folks go to work, I will sneak into the house and eat and bath if necessary, then return back to my make-shift dwelling. It'll probably get pretty cold in the winter, and I'm sure I'll smell pretty terrible after a bit. I can deal with it.

I could just beat something! Nothing that could be alive, like a cat or a stuffed animal that is inanimate by day but certainly comes to life at night. You really don't want to upset the stuffed animals. If they really manage to come to life every night and party together, like I imagine they do, and are quiet enough to not wake me, I am certain they could kill me in my sleep if I were abusive. Don't judge me. I'm just covering my bases.

Excuse me as I go to half-heartedly watch some mindless television.

Schubert's Masterful Booger Imagery

I am currently working on a paper for my 19th century music analysis class. The subject of the paper is essentially "Schubert's 'Auf Dem Flusse': Seriously, what's up with measures 48-54?" Now, if you haven't heard this song, I strongly urge that you run out and listen to it right now. RIGHT NOW! GO! I'm sure your local library has a recording of it. Even if you don't have a library card, you can walk in and listen to the song, then leave. This method of "hit and run" library visiting is common especially among students. I know I am always running into the library between classes and listening to/reading/watching the first thing that comes up on the catalogue that day. Am I crazy? Do I need practice socializing with my peers? Do the librarians think I am a friendless girl who probably sleeps on the couches when the library closes? The answer is "yes" to all of these questions, and many, many more.

Anyway, the song is obviously in German, and the English translation provided seems to be sub par. Granted, I don't speak German, but you know how sometimes you just have the feeling that something is not quite right?

The song begins speaking of a "clear wild stream that rippled so gaily" that is now not so gay. Somehow the stream has been covered with "a hard, stiff crust". What is this crust? Do they mean ice? If it isn't ice, I think EPA or some other environmental group needs to be called to help this stream out! This crust is so thick and hard, that the person begins carving a list into it with a sharp stone. This list includes the date and hour of the carving, the name of his love, the date that the two met, the day he left his love, and a few designs surrounding this inscription. Again, what is this crust? I am imagining something along the line of one of those hard crust boogers...or dried puss.

I'm not even going to touch the part that I am supposed to be writing this paper on. I'm sure by now you have gone out and listened to the song and formed your own opinion anyway.

The Cat House

Today I made a cat house instead of reading about renaissance art and architecture.

I went to the grocery store hungry today and ended up buying approximately half the store. In a moment of decadence, I bought two kinds of cookies and three kinds of meat. As I pushed my cart towards the cash register, it became clear that I would have to have my smorgasbord delivered because there was no way I could carry it all home. Of course I never really intended to carry my groceries home, because I knew I would go a little overboard today. I think I should also note here that I spent enough that I got two free heads of broccoli.

The groceries were delivered while I was making some soda bread, so my hands were all sticky and I couldn't unpack them right away. When I eventually did get around to unpacking them, Mr. Claws and Pistache, my roommates cats, excitedly helped me, hoping to get a bit of salami, cheese, or whatever else they could grab while I had the fridge door open. Mr. Claws then decided to sit in the empty box. Sitting up straight with a look of superiority, it was clear the box was no longer mine. Just for kicks, I picked up Pistache and put him in as well. The two-cats-in-a-box plan lasted less than 2 minutes before Mr. Claws evacuated leaving Pistache alone with a look of smug self satisfaction. Sometimes the two tolerate each other, but mostly they argue and let their annoyance with each other be generally known.

This gave me an idea, and later that day I took out a giant knife from the kitchen and went into our little library. Here I stabbed and sawed at the big cardboard box. I managed to make a normal cat sized door and a Pistache-Legros-sized entrance that can be open and closed. Feeling creative, I cut out windows and holes at different heights and of different shapes and sizes. Since I am perhaps one of the clumsiest, unluckiest people still alive, it is truly a miracle that I did not cut off a finger, let alone fatally stab myself. To make the cat house homier, I put an old folded towel in the back, then hung some strings from the ceiling and placed some toys inside.

I managed to lure Mr. Claws in with a cat toy tied to a string, and he figured out the purpose of the cat house pretty quick, whereas Pistache was confused and only entered when clearly given the enticement of cat treats.

My roommates seem fairly pleased with my project, and we have plans to decorate both the inside and outside of the cat house and perhaps even add another level (for Mr. Claws only).