=/

I have run the gamut of emotions in the past few weeks, from elated to irritated to...magistrated? I don't know.

ELA exit level TAKS is tomorrow. I have to drive a giant suburban to Dennison, TX on Thursday. Denison? I have no idea where I'm going when I drive the giant suburban, I just follow the bus. I do know that to get there, we have to be at the school at 5:00 am. Which means I will have to be out of my apartment by 4:35 am. Which means that I have to be up by AT LEAST 4:15 am. I feel like I should go to sleep RIGHT NOW to prepare for it.

I am pretty tired. That might be a good idea.

The pile of papers there for me to grade has been multiplying when I wasn't looking, I'm pretty sure. There's no other explanation as to how I can grade and grade and mark and mark and still have piles of papers that haven't seen the right side of a red pen at all. I even went to work early today! Earlier than I normally go, and I normally go pretty early! I need a paper-grading robot. Named Rhett. Miller.

February Through the Years

2011

2010

2010

2009

2009

2008

2008

Happy Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Brownies!

Well, I'm a day early. That's alright though, because tomorrow I'll be so busy grading papers that I won't have time to write anything.

I kind of have an interesting perception of Valentine's Day. I realize that it's popular to hate the holiday, the artifice, the superficiality, the rampant consumerism, blah blah. I should be calling it "Single's Awareness Day" and throwing Anti-Valentine's parties wherein I smash heart shaped piñatas with spikey baseball bats. What are they called? Oh yeah, maces.

But you know what?

I'm not.

Because you know what else?

I like Valentine's Day.

If it really comes down to it, it's not about giving or receiving cards, or flowers, or chocolate or whatever. It's not about feeling pressured to show someone you care. It's not even about taking some ancient martyr's memory and twisting it into a day that doesn't really have much to do with the guy who got killed in the first place. I like Valentine's day because it's just about appreciating someone else, and having the excuse to show them that. I can tell people I love them all day long, but usually they look at me like I'm weird and keep walking. But if I do it on Valentine's Day! Well.. they'll probably look at me like I'm weird and keep walking. Unless they're people that I know. Then the chances of them loving me back are significantly higher. Unless they're my arch nemeses. My arch nemeses might love me back anyway, though, because I'm a pretty good rival... I'm getting off the point, though.

When it all comes down to it, the Beatles were right. All you need is love.


And brownies.

I think of you only

I have a couple of bands that I am dying to see in concert and fortunately, the opportunity to see one of them presented itself to me recently. I get to go see the Decemberists when they stop in Dallas in April. So I've been listening to their latest CD to get in the mood. Yes, I realize that April is still a long ways away, but I like to be prepared... and I really am enjoying this new album. This song won't replace my long-time favorite song (Hazards of Love 4), but it's ranking well so far. Colin Meloy+steel guitar=magic. It's like a scientifically proven equation.

I still remember first listening to the Decemberists. I was overseas and dying for new music, so I'd taken to downloading mixes of indie music then going through them to try to find groups that I liked. I'd generally just load the entire batch of songs onto my ipod and listen on the way to work, or while I was at the gym. That's how I first heard the Decemberists-- O Valencia...which is still a song near and dear to my heart. But now there are so many, it's hard to pick just a few favorites.

I could gush for days and days. Well, maybe not, but at least paragraphs and paragraphs. But I won't. I'm just going to sit and (loudly) anticipate the end of April.

화이팅!

You said it, Lee Seol.

Liveblogging: My Day

I have been snowed in for four days, ya'll.

Actually, that sounds way more exciting than the truth. The truth is... I have been iced in for four days, ya'll.

The first day held a thrill of excitement. There was the whole waking up late bit, which was fun. I lazed around and watched television episodes online and chatted and texted with people right and left. Everyone marveled at the weather, made predictions for the next day (would we have school? Oooh, the suspense!) and joked about staying warm. The second day.... not so fun. The third day... even less so, though I did manage to get up the nerve to brave the weather in the evening, because if I didn't get some socialization I was going to start smashing my head on my (sparkling because I've had plenty of time to clean it) kitchen floor. Now, the fourth and hopefully final day. And I'm going to share the excitement with my blog.

I'm not going to talk about waking up, having a headache or losing my phone. Or eating breakfast/lunch/dinner (I'm rationing myself just in case it snows again tomorrow) (Not really). Instead, I'll begin from now, 12:38 pm until I go to sleep.. or get bored.. or realize this is dumb. Any of the above could happen. Let's begin!


12:38 pm: Decide to start liveblogging my day. Until I go to sleep. Or get bored. Or realize it's dumb. Hmmm....

12:48 pm: Things are looking melty! Maybe I can make another go at leaving the apartment. My brain will thank me.

1:15 pm: I did not prepare for this. It just kind of happened this way. Liveblogging is off! I am leaving the apartment! This time, I'm actually driving. Gotta clear all the snow off my car. Wish me luck! 

Snow Day

The view from my kitchen window

Well, it snowed. Finally. I had been anticipating a snow day for weeks now, just reveling in the ideas of freedom and laziness that the mere words "snow day" conjure. I had been hopeful at the beginning of January, seeing a spot of precipitation on the weather.com 10-day forecast, but alas, it came to nothing but a bit of morning mist and as a result, resolved to not get my hopes up regarding the apparent snowstorm of doom that was bearing down on the country. After all, it could have turned into a bit of slush and 60 degree weather. I went to sleep early last night in preparation for my usual 6:10 am alarm (because that extra 10 minutes is very important, it really is) and was surprised to hear my phone ring at 4:45. Answering it, I heard a lovely pre-recorded message saying that school was closed for the day. I slept 'til 8:30. It was glorious. It was triumphant. It was cold.

I learned how cold it was when I finally ventured outdoors for a trek to my apartment's leasing office to drop off the rent. I'm not sure why I bothered, as no one was in the leasing office and wouldn't have known if I deposited the check a day later, but I do have an excess of conscience sometimes and felt compelled to pay my rent on time. Also, I was bored and wanted to go outside to see if it was anything like the cold weather in Korea.

It was.

Other than that brief and exciting excursion (I almost slipped! and fell! But didn't!), I lay on my futon and watched this season of the Bachelor. It made me feel bad about womankind... mankind... reality television and romance all in the course of a few (okay, more like five) hours. That said, I'm totally going to continue watching it because it's fascinating and bizarre and they go on some incredibly lavish dates that, if I had a bajillion dollars and no concept of why it's important to not spend ridiculous amounts of money, would give me ideas about dates I myself would want to arrange. Alas, I don't think I'll be renting out any carnivals for an entire night anytime soon.

Instead, I will read poetry and pray for another snow day tomorrow. It's going to happen, I can feel it.