Out of Hiding

Considering the length of time it's been since my last entry, I think it about time I emerged from my little hole and updated.

It's Christmas break. Hurray. Rather, break is almost over--classes start in a week and a half. Back to school I go. Last semester wasn't so horrible. While entrenched in it, I thought it awful, but looking back, and ahead, you sort of forget the annoying bits and remember the fun parts. Like drinking cinnamon spice tea while waiting for my next class. Or watching my pansies and Johnny jump-ups bloom.

Break has been going well. I've gone to several get togethers with church friends, multiple shopping trips with my sister, done numerous su doku puzzles. Laundry has been washed, and will be washed again before I return to my scholarly duties. But the fun will end: I have to find a job when I get back to my apt. This past semester, being jobless was perfectly fine. (I didn't manage my time very well, but other than that....) Next semester though, I will need one. Oh applications... what did I ever do to deserve you?

Random fact: I'm taking four classes and so far I need nineteen books. Those are for only three of the classes. I don't know what books I need for the other class yet. Not sure if that is abnormal or not. Considering my major, I think it is going to be the norm for the next couple of years.

Always Go to the Store First

I moved. No longer do I live with my immediate family. Not because of any fights, mind you; we love each other dearly. No, college is starting in a few days, so it would sort of be nice to live a little closer to the establishment than where my parents live. Actually, the moving day was around a month ago, but you know how often I update this blog. Anyway, the apartment is darling, my roommates are great, and I love the city.

About the store.... When doing online shopping, if there is a store associated with the site, always check and see if the store has the item you want in stock. I ordered some rugs from a certain site. I wanted the striped. They came in plaid. I spent a good half hour on the phone with the .com customer service trying to get it sorted out and they finally just ordered me a new one. When it finally arrived, guess what color it was? If you said plaid, you have guessed correctly. I called corporate. Possibly a little drastic, but still. The hoity toity secretary transferred me directly to the .com customer service; this time it was a very sympathetic person who kindly explained that the reason I was getting plaid was because they didn't have striped in stock. !!! Then why in the world was the link to order the striped rugs still on the website!?! He said they would take care of it and that there was nothing they could do for me. After about a week I decided to take the darn ugly plaid rugs back to store and complain. They returned them (even though we had been using them :p ). But they didn't do anything, no discount nothing. HOWEVER, the striped rugs were in the store the ENTIRE time. And there were at least twenty. So, the moral is... ALWAYS go to the store first.

Interesting Tidbits

A few things, just for the heck of it. I find Agatha Christie to often be simply hilarious. And did you know that she stole a subplot from Jane Austen? If you know your classic literature, it stares you in the face. See "The Seven Dials Mystery."

On a more personal note, I really don't like it when mediocre authors write in the first person narrative. They tend to repeat the word "I" much more than necessary. It is acutely annoying. Began, and didn't finish reading, just such a book the other week- almost every sentence started with the  pronoun.

Has anyone ever noticed how, when at any sort of function, the men and women tend to separate themselves into groups? I was at an openhouse a few weeks ago and the women were in one room discussing their lives while the men sat at the dining room table discussing... who knows. Work? Anywho, the celebrated one and I were chatting and he said that he was rather intimated of going and talking to the roomful of women. (There really weren't that many, maybe five or six.) He never did; though being the dutiful person I'm sure he is, I'm fairly sure he spoke with each individually. Which part of the human psyche makes males and females intimidated by groups of the opposite gender? Is it a survival instinct? Or "I identify with you because you're the same gender as me."? Honestly, I'm not really complaining. It's just something to ponder.

( See? I use "I" too much too. (:  )

The generation of today is... how shall I put this... uncultured. Yes, dear reader, another rant about the present group of developing adults. And I have every right to rant because I am a part of said [sad] group.

By uncultured I simply mean that if you asked a random person on the street or in the store, aged seventeen to twenty-five, who Gregory Peck was, they would probably ask if he was the weatherman on channel 16 at six o'clock. Not to mention Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, Audrey Hepburn, Vivien Leigh, and Katherine Hepburn. (Among others.) Has no one seen Casablanca, Sabrina, Roman Holiday, The African Queen, Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, or Breakfast at Tiffany's?

I realize this is quite the leap, but this same person, when asked what children's authors they are aware of is still completely clueless when it comes to the classics. Bill Peet, William Steig, Arnold Lobel, James Marshall, Brian Jacques? I don't know who you're talking about, they say. At least they know Dr. Seuss. Perhaps this lapse in their parents ability to provide them with decent literature as a child has spilled over into their adult lives?

One can only shudder when contemplating the other things a person like this might be unaware of. Baroness Orczy? Robert Louis Stevenson? George Eliot? Oscar Wilde? Perhaps even current authors like John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, and Louise Erdrich.

If the generation of the moment is unaware of things at a cultural level, then is it such a leap to assume they might be unaware of things at a global level? And which is worse?

Dear reader, if you have not heard of these people, I implore you, go to a library and look them up; go to your video store and have a movie night.  A little culture never hurt anyone.



(photo credits~ a: <http://atavism.radnauseam.com/browse/by-name/vivien-leigh/>

b: From The Pinkish, Purplish, Bluish Egg by Bill Peet <http://www.spertus.edu/exhibitions/past/everypicture.php>)

Opinions and Binkies

Why is it that the young people now days, at least where I live, refrain from framing their own opinions on debatable topics? Really, I must protest. Even if it differs from my conservative view, have an opinion, d--- it! Where does this random rant stem from, you ask? Maybe a month and a half ago I was talking with a girl I work with about a particular brand of ice cream. One of their flavors is called 'Chubby Hubby', and in some areas, the packaging has two grooms on it. I asked her what she thought of this issue and she said she didn't care. Which is not an opinion. She claimed that it was, until I forced into deciding one way or the other. So what do you think? Is "I don't care" a valid opinion? Is today's generation decidedly lacking in the "I can think for myself" area?

On another note, you know that I work in retail, as I have regaled you with some slightly horrific stories. Lately, I have seen a trend. People are stealing an alarming number of ... binkies!! Honestly? They are only a few dollars! I realize your child won't shut up and that you can't instantly find the binky buried in the bottom of the diaper bag, but that doesn't give you license to steal one and leave the packaging stuffed behind some baby toys in the diaper aisle!!

Just what is the world coming to?!?

Schkool

HaHa!! I know it's been a few weeks since the semester ended. In fact, the next is starting in about a week. But I just thought I would let whoever (ie. no one) wants to know that I finished a fall semester for the first time ever! Exclamation points are appropriate. And, why yes, I did stay up to par, and received all A's. Since nobody reads this, I suppose I can brag.

I applied to the school I would like to attend next fall. Everyone says "with your grades? You're a shoe in." Not sure though. There is fall semester '08 on my transcript. Four W's. Ick, ick, ick. Also, the aunt I wanted to live with decided that it would not be a good idea because our lifestyles are so different. According to her anyway. She and her husband don't mind having beer in the fridge and they watch adult movies. By adult movies I think she meant pg-13 or r rated. Neither of which I have a problem with, but oh well. She did take it upon herself to find some housing on campus. It is extremely affordable. A whole year's rent costs about half a semester's rent if I were to life in the dorms. I'll gladly live there, thank you very much.

That's my news. Now on to enjoy this final week of vacation. At least I have four days off. There are so many possibilities...