I got the love

For New York. Yes. That's right. I can't stop watching I Love New York. Its all the trashy TV I need. Oh god. Yes. So many douchebags.

Three things

1.) They just don't make sci-fi dramas like the X-Files anymore.

2.) I'm DONE with my comprehensive exams. They way sucked. But they are DONE.

3.) It makes me sad that Brazen Hussy, La Blonde, Prairie Oyster, Silk Stockings, and Mr. Brazen Hussy are not here. New York used to be fun.

Ah and so it begins

First day of First Exam. Made it this far without anxiety attacks. Eye beginning to twitch.

Hooray!

My computer hates Word and shuts down every time I try to open it!

*sobs quietly while cursing graduate program and all associated with it*

Blog for Choice Day - Bulleted Points Edition

To honor the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision it's Blog for Choice Day! So I'll participate in blogging on why I support the right to choose. Bulleted point style.

• I don't think large groups of crazy people should make decisions on how all women should treat their bodies. Especially when these people are basing those decisions on sensationalist views and narrow "moral" standards that are tied to religion.
• Women are not walking uteruses. We are real people with different needs, abilities, expectations, and views. Just because some people think our only purpose in life is to have and care for babies doesn't make it true across the board. Being a nurturing mother is great. But some women just don't want children. Not all women hold the same religious or life views as others as well. If you think abortion is evil that's your own thing. You can't impose that value on all other women.
• Quality of life needs to be considered when people talk about the right to life.
• I am terrified of people who try and blame their own psychological problems on abortions as another means to sensationalize anti-choice arguments. Abortion is not the cause of your heavy drug use. Child abuse might be. Abortion is also not the cause of the problems in our society. Close-minded politics, blind hatred supported by supposed righteousness, and inequality are definately not innocent.
• There are over 6.5 billion people in the world and a limited amount of resources. Yeah kind of a weak argument but the point is we need to be responsible.
• I think the people who argue most fervently against abortion rights have thier motives rooted less in the rights of cute little unborn babies and more in the oppression of women.
• If women don't have the choice to pursue legalized abortions, they will seek out other options that are far less desireable. Think coathangers, unlisenced doctors, dumpsters on prom night. Taking away a woman's right to choose to have an abortion will not necessarily reduce the number of abortions that occur. It will reduce the options that women have and drive them to jeopardize their health.
• Rape, incest, sexual assault, sexual abuse, spousal abuse, child abuse. The list goes on like that.
• If a friend of mine gets pregnant and wants to keep her baby, that's fantastic. If I get pregnant at this point in my life, I know I would not be able to support myself or a child through pregnancy at the least. Let's not think about the rest of my life. I would want the ability to choose.

It's always harder on the weekends

It's usually Saturday and Sunday late mornings when I go into serious withdrawl over the breakfast taco.

Ah, the breakfast taco. Eggs, cheese, bacon, spicy peppers, potato, salsa, grease. All in a warmed soft tortilla. You can be accompanied by your friend coffee in endless refills. You make hangovers seem miles away. To eat the blessed breakfast taco on a sunny patio with the paper and some friends.... please pardon me while my heart breaks a little bit.

Oh breakfast taco....why is it that you remain so far south? The bagel just can't compare to your majesty and deliciousness. A country style breakfast just represents you in your dismembered form. The bacon is just too nervous to mingle with the potatos. The eggs may come in some form other than scrambled. And salsa or guacamole is nowhere to be seen. It doesn't even matter if your wait person forgets to bring out the forks...you, oh breakfast taco, have shown us that it is acceptable to eat with our hands.

Of course I could always assemble a breakfast taco or two in my kitchen. But that, my friends, is beside the point. There is something far less satisfying when you have to drag your hungover ass out of bed and make this heavenly food. It should just be there. Smiling when you enter a decent mexican/tex-mex restaurant.

This rant was brought on by my sad little egg white omelet, which lacked the special something I was looking for this morning.

Was it wrong that I was drinking whiskey when I read this?

Feministing had a blog post on educated women drinking more. Now I wonder what the conclusions would be if they had focused on graduate students...hmmmm.

This has been brought to you by the council for "Kick Comps Studying in the Balls."

A case study on why you should never get your hopes up

This is a lesson I should have learned already. Getting your hopes up can lead to dissapointment. Luckily I've dealt with enough dissapointement that it doesn't leave as much of a sting anymore.

This past weekend I was supposed to sing in a cover show in Texas. I had been led to believe I would do something similar a year and a half ago and it fell through. This was the first crashing of hopes. When the show that was supposed to transpire a few days ago was being planned I had been asked to participate. Hopes increase. Then in October I was asked to not participate for a Very Stupid Reason. Hopes plummit. I plead my case to other people involved in the show, they say "Fuck that, dude, come sing with us" and again my hopes rise along with my determination to hold my ground and not let Very Stupid Things get in my way. My determination did cause some scufling to transpire between myself and the person responsible for inviting and uninviting me, but a musical truce was made.

Unfortunately my schedule did not allow me to stay in Texas through the date for the show, so I decided a weekend trip was well worth it. Practices went well and I had a general feeling that everything would be fun, not to mention the fact that I was growing more validated over other issues. Hopes were almost at their peak. The show was also supposed to represent a moment of closure on something that has put a huge strain on my life for the past six months (longer really). For the first time I really felt good about everything and almost felt peaceful. I was supposed to come out on top and rock out at the same time.

But let's go back to the title of our blog post.

A nasty cold hit me almost as soon as I got back to Texas a few weeks ago. I figured it had run it's course about a week and a half ago and there would be no problem when the show rolled around. That was a terrible assumption to make. Flying back to New York (and colder weather) then flying back to Texas (with high cedar counts and a cold that got to everyone) as well as an immune system that has seen better days subjected me to the Nastiest Cold Ever. I was popping back the decongestants, throat losanges, expired Dayquils, Nyquils, expectorants, and throat sprays like they were going out of style. My voice was absolutely shot by Saturday morning and I couldn't go 10 minutes without a coughing fit. Plus I wasn't terribly rocker sexy with my eyes red and poofy and tissues in a ready position by my nose.

That was big dissapointment #1.

Now for big dissapointment #2. Something people should know about Texans - they can't drive when it drizzles, is dark, or if temperatures drop below 70 F. The weather took a nasty turn on Friday evening and from the sky came that thing called rain, and lots of it. Forecasts were also calling for freezing temperatures in the next few days and people were worried about flooding and ice. SO stuffy, expired Dayquil loopy, Wild-Eyed Rose gets a call Saturday afternoon that the show she flew all the way from New York for had been cancelled. It was kind of a sad sight.

There were a few other dissapointments, but they are not quite as blogworthy. All I can say is that even when you think you know someone better than anyone else, you can be in for surprises.

In all fairness, I had a good time practicing for this shindig. I got to hang out with some people I hadn't seen in a while and was able to meet others who are really cool. Also I was told that since I had paid good money to come out for the show that never was, when it is rescheduled some people will help me with the plane ticket. BUT I will take a cue from the lesson learned. I will not get my hopes up.

What's funny is that today I'm feeling much better. Granted my voice is still subpar, but it still cheeses me off that I have to be completely out of commission when something so important to me was supposed to go down. At least I didn't make a complete ass out of myself, right?

At least that is out of the way now and I can focus more on my studies. Hey... are you laughing? I'm being serious here.

Ok I guess that is kind of funny.

belated goodness

it's late, but happy new year to all you lovely people in blogland. in all honesty, i wasn't so sad to see 2006 go. there were a few prime moments in this past year, but i'm ready to slip into something new and maybe a little more comfortable. what do you say 2007? think you'd like to try? you be good to me, i be good to you? yeah you know what i'm talking about. i'm not really sure what i'm talking about.

i've been in texas for two weeks which has been surprisingly needed. i veged in my parents' house for a week and a half and took on absolutely no responsibility. no papers. no presentations. no grading. nada. when my plane landed and my parents ushered my tired sick self into the car they had two delicious shiners waiting for me in a cooler. oh to drink a beer while riding past the old high school. i think i went to bed at 8:30 that night. yay.

i've been in old university city since sunday and have been occupying myself with friends and tex-mex. i'm also singing a few songs in a cover show next weekend so i've been trying to figure out where and when rehearsals are as well as how to get to them. this is difficult without a car or many people who are willing to go out of their way to get you. sigh. at least i'm living out my big karaoke dreams on a real stage with bands i have been trying to sing with for something like 5 years now.

it can't all be fun though. i have to like...study for stupid comprehensive exams and find a topic for a stupid seminar class and make up stupid makeup exams and syllabi. i liked this no responsibility thing while it lasted.