So, yeah...

I haven't been posting much over the past couple weeks because it's crunch time right now at school. Tomorrow is officially my last day of class, during which I will take my last (undergraduate) college exam ever. I'm flying back to California next Wednesday, December 20, and I really can't wait to be home. This semester has been so strange because I feel as if I've been here on borrowed time. But I don't really think I have too many qualms about having spent a semester away from Smith and then getting this bonus semester, if you will, at the end. I used to feel pretty bent out of shape about it, but that was a while ago, and I really don't think I could see it any other way in retrospect. It's been delightful to sing with 'Poofs and to be back here with some of my nearest and dearest friends who were either away last year or who I don't know that I'll be around again. Angela and Allison are joining me at my completion ceremony at the Alumnae House tomorrow evening, so that should be funny/nice. I'm mad my class ring hasn't gotten here yet, though. Bah-humbug!

Anyway, I do need to study for my exam and revise my final paper for art history, so I'll leave it at that. Expect more updates as soon as this madness has come to pass, and watch the Vitalic video I posted below. It's special.

G-R-E-A-T!

This is probably my favorite Vitalic song, but I just saw the music video for it today. And it is obviously the best music video ever.

Wowey-Zowey!

This video is scary as balls, and my mother loves it, obviously.

Sooo funny!

Thank you, Matthew, for sharing this amazing video with me:

If you know our friend Ali, then you will laugh twice as fast when watching this.

Home.

Dude, sometimes I forget how awesome my cats are... Wait, no I don't. I never forget. My cats are fucking AWESOME. Better than yours. Way better.

Being home is pretty silly. I am always surprised (although I shouldn't be) at the exceptionally dense population of hipsters and wannabe hipsters that reside in the southern California basin. Seriously, Matt and I saw this 9-year-old dude walking outside of Barnes & Noble today wearing spandex leggings and 90s-era Nikes with a tight black tee and long, girly hair to match. We breed 'em young. Yes we do.

I'm going to Rombi's now with my parents to eat Italian food that is good. Then we are picking Matt up from work (at See's Candy!) and hitting up a movie at Bella Terra. So much changes when you're not at home. Seriously. Bella Terra (a fancy, schmancy shopping center in Huntington Beach) is all but complete, and my house is essentially nothing more than concrete on the first floor. We are renovating the downstairs in a huge way, and there are not even functioning appliances to speak of. Picture this: lots of wrapped up shit plus a dining room table in the middle of a concrete-floored room, and that is my house.

I got my hair(s) cut today. I always hate the way I look immediately after getting a haircut, but that feeling usually subsides within a week or so.

My cats are better than yours! Huzzah! And one more thing: remember this song? So good.

Love Is All - Felt Tip.mp3

Oh my gosh! Remember this?

Yeah, amazing. Alex Weiss and I rediscovered this on TV tonight.

Also, Ales Weiss thinks she looks like pre-skinny Nicole Richie. So ridiculous, right?

Wake Up!

This is actually one of the cutest pictures I've ever seen in my life:

This dog is so adorable, and I want him/her to be my own. (Notice, Angela, that I do not refer to living things as "it.")

After complaining about how horrible Blogger has been to work with in my last post, I logged in today only to find that Google has re-vamped Blogger to be much more user-friendly. I am hopeful that this update will, in fact, make it easier for me to share media with you. For starters, uploading the above picture was pretty simple this time around. Hoorah!

And now, the ultimate test, can I upload a Fujiya and Miyagi song for your listening pleasure...?

Fujiya and Miyagi - Photocopier.mp3

Yes! It worked! Cheers to future blogging productivity!

I hope you enjoy the song. It's pretty suh-weet. I'd write more, but I'm in the middle of studying for an exam for my social psychology class that will more or less determine whether or not I can even pass the class. The first exam was so difficult (mostly because I didn't have enough time), and I actually failed it. Despite my persistent slacker modus operandi, I had never before gotten an F on an exam. It's not a great feeling, especially since I now know I'll have to get a 90% on the next two exams to pull off getting a low C in the class. Ahhh, shucks... :(

I almost forgot...

This seriously freaks me out:

It's been a long time...

I really am frustrated with my utter lack of posting over the past several months, and I want to apologize to anyone and everyone who visits this site in hopes of stumbling upon fresh material only to find that I have, once again, neglected to post anything new or interesting. It is my intention to try to re-work this blog so I can include music downloads, funny videos, etc. without dealing with the awful interface that is Blogger. Ick! Anyway, on to a mini update on me and then a few recommendations for further reading/listening/watching...

This semester is flying by more quickly than any others before. I suppose there is some truth to the statement (which I am paraphrasing), "Time only moves faster as you get older." I've had a lot of excellent visitors this semester, including my step-brother in the beginning of September. My mom came a few weeks ago, and Matt was here for his birthday about a week ago. It's been really nice to have this semester punctuated so frequently by pleasant guests, and I'm excited to break things up even more with an extended visit home over Thanksgiving break! I've only been home for a combined total of 8 days since the beginning of this year, so it'll be lovely to have a little more time to relax and unwind. It's strange to think that I'll have less than a month left at Smith when I come back from break. I'll be sad to leave school - the people, the Smiffenpoofs, King House, the Valley - but I'm ready to move on to the next stage in my life. My job search has mostly been limited to teaching positions and jobs in the social services arena. It is clear that whatever I end up doing in the spring, it will not be making money, and I am completely okay with that. I'm just looking forward to being home for a while, really.

Okay, a few recommendations:

• Fujiya and Miyagi = great new music. Their album, Transparent Things, is pretty solid, and if Blogger would let me upload a few songs to share with you, I would. But alas, that will have to wait until I am technologically savvy enough to defy the limitations imposed on me by Blogger. Check out their MySpace page by clicking here.
• My friend Sara Scott sent me a hilarious YouTube video about a leprechaun. Apparently it's been around the block more than once, but if you haven't seen it yet, then you're in for a treat. Check it.
• True story: I have seen this dog skateboarding before at the Huntington Beach pier.

Oh, and one more thing: I'm THRILLED that Britney Spears and K-Fed are O-V-E-R. I knew she would make her comeback eventually... So good!

Everything Is On

I frequently receive unsolicited e-mails in my Smith e-mail account. For example, I received an e-mail this morning that reads as follows:

Nuclear forces. One tomorrow of the planet, and a double nuclear Washing machines; you have in space knows exactly what.

What does this mean?

On somewhat of a related note, my father forwards me ridiculous e-mails on a daily basis. Oftentimes they are titled, "I thought you could use a laugh!" or "Just what the doctor ordered!" That is, however, beside the point... One of today's forwarded e-mails featured the following, which I thought was a little bit funny:

Wouldn't it be funny to swallow a whole lot of magnets? It could mean temporarily defying gravity! And who doesn't want to do that?

Blah! Blah! Blah!

Yesterday I went to Walmart with Angela and Allison to buy Balderdash, a rather incredible board game. While there, I was temporarily separated from the ladies, and they ended up paging me through the all-store intercom at Walmart. It was silly and fun, and it made me happy to be back at Smith with the gang. On the other hand, it's also strange knowing that I will only be here for a few more months.

Classes started on Thursday, but I've only had one thus far - an art history course entitled, "Realism: The Desire to Record the World." Catchy-sounding, right? Next week I'm going to shop around a bit to make sure the classes I'm getting involved in are worthwhile. I think I'm aiming for a class on continental philosophy, a class on psychology and law, and perhaps a seminar at Hampshire on the significance of time.

On a totally unrelated note, the houses at Smith are so ridiculously nice...I don't know how I'll ever adjust to the real world! I have a walk-in closet, for Pete's sake! I suppose it makes me feel a little bit better about the hefty price tag of my education, which at last check-in was nearly $44,000. I cannot believe how expensive higher education is! Considering the inflation that's already occured in college tuition over the past few years, I can only imagine what it will cost in the future. A lot of money!

My foot is asleep. And convocation was fun, by the way. Some of the ladies and I wore robes with only our knickers underneath. And, in case you were wondering, yes, we were very overdressed.

Shalom!

No guitars. No leather. No fun.

This morning I woke up to find that Matt had left a very special Wikipedia page open for me on my computer: Tupac Amaru Shakur's (AKA "2Pac" and "Makaveli"). It would probably be worth your while to peruse it (if not read it in its entirety). When I asked Matt why he had chosen to leave the page open for me to find on my computer, he said he had earlier been searching for "great American poets" on Wikipedia when he stumbled upon 2Pac's wiki. Fascinating.

Yesterday Matt also found an abandoned mix-CD on the street, which he quickly seized and has since been listening to. We have decided that, in the same vein as Found Magazine, it would be extremely worthwhile to found a similar publication that would showcase "found" mix-tapes and mix-CDs. A true window into the soul.

It's been a long time since I've updated, and a great deal has transpired in my life in a remarkably short period of time. For example, I turned 23. I also went to Montreal, Quebec, with Matthew the weekend after my birthday, and to a lovely wedding in Villanova, Pennsylvania, not a week after that. A stop in New York City on our way home from the wedding rounded out two weeks of non-stop traveling. While in New York, we had dinner with Evonne Sturm, a highschool friend neither of us had seen for a couple years. She now lives in a charming flat on 83rd and 3rd - an abode to match a lifestyle that many (myself included) would envy. My roommate, Elly, is currently packing her life up into a U-Haul so that she can make the move there herself. And so it seems that New York is the place to be.

My younger brother, Justin, who is 19, is coming out to Smith in less than two weeks. I am so utterly excited about his pending visit that I can hardly contain myself. To be able to show one's younger brother the unrivaled glories of a woman's institution of higher learning is any young girl's dream. Am I right?

I will post pictures of my birthday, Montreal, and the baby skunk that raided the trash on my porch later today, perhaps.

This is why I love Alex Weiss...

While driving back from the mall the other day, Alex came up with a brilliant plan to snap herself into shape. She then posted it on Craig's List: READ ME.

Amazing.

Also, Sarah Sanchez came up with a brilliant plan: PR for homeless people so they can maximize their profits while pan-handling. Such a good idea!

I googled "teacup poodle."

The Round-Up

Yesterday was somewhat of an eventful day. After work I met up with Matt and Aileen, and we saw A Scanner Darkly in town. Unfortunatley, the movie was awful. It was boring and unengaging, and the "impressive" visuals, which I actually found to be quite dizzying, couldn't even make up for the severe lack of character development. In fact, the only redeeming value of the whole movie, in my opinion, is its soundtrack, which is mostly comprised of Radiohead songs.

After the movie, we returned to "Center Street," as we so fondly refer to Alex's, Aileen's, and Sarah's apartment, for hamburgers, corn on the cob, Cool Ranch Doritos, and freeze pops to be followed by a few heated rounds of Uno and one hilarious game of Balderdash. It was the first time I'd played the game and needless to say, I will be purchasing it in the very near future.

In a little over a week, Matt and I are going to Montreal. We are both really excited since neither of us has been. Today I booked reservations for us to stay at this incredible B&B called Absolument Montréal. The place is in the heart of the city and is film-themed. Each room is modeled around a film, and we happen to be staying in the room that is based on The African Queen. The owners even allow guests to borrow from their extensive film and music library. It is going to be awesome. So if you've been to Montreal before and have any recommendations for where a girl (and boy) can have fun, please do let me know.

Okay, I have a headache right now, so I'm going to read, I think.

A horrible, horrible poem...

...can be found here. "But why would I want to read it?" you ask. Because it's so bad.

So awesome!

Pitchfork featured a news update about Bishop Allen, the band whose male members have starred in Andrew Bujalski's Funny Ha Ha and Mutual Appreciation, respectively! Read the story, listen to Bishop Allen, and support Andrew by seeing an upcoming screening of one of his films!

WHOA!

I finally figured out how to upload images and other media files onto my weblog - all I needed to do was use Mozilla Firefox instead of Internet Explorer! This is really exciting, guys, because now I can post all kinds of crazy shit on here...starting with this ridiculous "doll" that I spent about a half-hour on today after getting home from work:

It doesn't really look like me (although I wish I had wavy locks...), but it was fun to make regardless. If you'd like to give it a go yourself, head over to the Elouai site.

Now, to include something I've been wanting to share with the world for a long, long time, check out this ridiculous postcard I received in the mail about a month ago:

Ummm...who would do such a thing?!?! Anyone who knows me well knows that I cannot stand the word...ummm...you know what I'm referring to. So I was befuddled to find this postcard in the mail WITHOUT A NAME OR RETURN ADDRESS!!! I had no clue who it was for a good month or so, but I finally figured it out after comparing handwriting from this and another letter I received from Dan Elortegui. Needless to say, I was very amused...

Allergies are not fun.

They really aren't. I never used to "get" allergies, but this hot and humid summer weather makes my nose itch a whole bunch.

My social life has been a bit more varied over the past few days than it usually is. Last night I went to Packard's with Aileen and Elly, and we had a lovely time. And this past weekend Matt and I went to Boston on quite a whim Friday night to visit Alex and Aaron and Jen Maurer. We decided at 7:45pm to go and left at 8. It felt good to be doing something so spontaneous. Saturday we hung out in Boston - we went to the South End Buttery where Aaron works, and then we hit up Anna's Tacqueria and Party Favors in Brookline for Mexican food and cupcakes, respectively. In the late afternoon, Matt, Jen, and I drove to Providence, RI, to visit Yumi Aikawa (Smith '04). We hung out and caught up in her beautiful apartment until ten or so and then headed to this silly lesbian bar, Pulse, in a strip club-turned-lesbian club in a rather sketchy neighborhood. So sketchy, in fact, that when Matt and I hailed a cab to get back to Yumi's place, the driver told us we had no business being in the neighborhood we were in because "some people at least look like they could fit in, but [we looked] like we didn't fit in at all." He continued to say that, by picking us up when he did, he saved our lives that night. It was pretty funny. Sunday we came back early, early in the morning because Matt had work, and the weekend rounded out with falling asleep to two incredible specials on the Discovery Channel about primordial dwarves. The shows were seriously fascinating. Apparently primordial dwarves are the rarest type of the 200 types of dwarfism that exist - there are only 100 in the world. What's interesting about them is that, unlike any other type of dwarfism, they are normally proportioned. For more information about primordial dwarfism, click here.

Mmmk. I think that about wraps it up for this entry because I have food to eat and work to go to. More later.

Uhhh, yeah...

I've been having trouble posting pictures and songs lately - which is one of the primary reasons I bought this website in the first place - so that's why I haven't written anything for a while. It's a little frustrating because I'm sure you would have enjoyed my posting a phat re-mix of Skee-Lo's "I Wish" last week, which I was really inclined to do, but I suppose that will just have to wait until I figure out how to do that.

Angela Serratore will be coming into Hartford at 6:30 tonight, so that's pretty fly. She's coming in from LA and will be sticking around through Lauryn's bon voyage, which I've been anticipating about as much as a gorilla mask. She is a special fucking girl, very near and dear to me... When she leaves, it will be pretty sad. (That is an understatement.)

Angela, Alex, Sarah, Aileen, and I might go see The Devil Wears Prada tonight. Wouldn't that be hilarious?

A few closing thoughts: snow globes are silly in the summertime because, as much as you want them to come to life to cool you off, they never do; Target is still one of my top-five favorite destinations in the world; dust accumulates much too quickly; and dancing to Top 40 songs is big pimpin'.

Wow-ey!

There are 46 registered Facebook users named Jennifer Paul. This does not make me happy. There can only be one Jennifer Paul.

It's hard to believe...

...that four years ago I, along with a great many of my friends, had just graduated from high school. Even though I have one semester to go, I'm fairly certain that I'm just as worried about job and future as the rest of my peers. With grad school applications approaching much more quickly than I would've presumed, I feel ill-prepared to make the decision that I've apparently been preparing for all my life: What do I want to do with my life? If I go to grad school, should I choose a program in clinical psychology, or should I opt for a degree in education? The former is a commitment roughly five to six years longer than the latter, but I am equally passionate about them both. The other option is, of course, to march straight into a career, which has its appeal, too. Graduating mid-year will be strange, but it will give me a bit of an advantage in terms of getting a job in a slightly less competitive market. I could try my hand at PR in Boston or New York, or I could work at a mental health agency almost anywhere with the long-term goal of returning to school in the same field. Simply put, I can't possibly do everything I want to do...at least not all at one time. There's also the added pressure of having to immediately begin paying off my student loans if I don't enter grad school directly upon graduating from Smith, and my eligibility for receiving a tuition-free education at any CSU or UC school under my dad's Veteran's benefits ends promptly at age 27. This is the point at which I'm regretting not having tried harder at school. I've managed to make it through the majority of my college career with decent grades for not having worked up to my potential, but that leaves me nowhere because decent grades aren't decent enough. It's frustrating that I've put myself in this position, but rambling about it will do me little, if any, good. I just needed to throw that out there, though, as it's what's been occupying my thoughts lately...

In other news, Northampton is quite lovely in the summertime. It's especially lovely when many of your close friends are in tow. Aileen, Sarah, Alex, Lauryn, Matt, Elly, and me have been having quite the time in the valley - throwing BBQs and housewarming parties, going on long bike rides, eating popsicles while being eaten by mosquitos, sweating it out in the humidity, playing ultimate frisbee and soccer, and spending entire days watching Freaks and Geeks on DVD. Aside from having to interrupt the fun for summer school and work, I have little to complain about.

I'm excited to get back to Massachusetts, but I'm sad to be leaving home again. I just got here yesterday, hours before my brother's high school graduation, and I'm already leaving in a couple days. Four days simply isn't enough time at home. I drove along Pacific Coast Highway earlier today and regretted not being able to do that more often. Huntington Beach has its problems like every other city, but I do love it. I miss it, and I miss my family immensely.

Home is where the heart is, suckers. I really, really mean it.

The Worst Poem Ever

The Purple Island of Desolation

By Aileen, Alex, and Lauryn

Walking down the road

I stumbled upon your abode.

Rising in the mist

it emerges from the abyss

like smoke traveling from a lit cigarette.

The mist leads me to the power within.

A butterfly emerging from its cocoon

Your heart pulsing with a rhythmic beat draws me near

thump

thump!

Maybe I am queer.

It's official...

I now have a legitimate website. I've been looking forward to buying the domain name, "Kittens and Frosting," for a long effing time, and I've finally gone and done it. The look and features of the site will change quite a bit as I continue to fiddle around with it, and I promise to recommence updating my weblog regularly.

I'm pretty excited about all of this, and I hope that you are, too. ;)

I am a horrible blogger.

Bob sent this to me:

I think it's funny.

Thank you, Angela Serratore...

Check it.

I think I might have the flu. I'm not really sure. Basically, my body just aches like a mother-effer, and I've been really tired and headache-y.

Essays are dumb, by the way.

I'm a bad person for not writing more, but I'll write more later. This time I promise FOR REAL, FOR REAL!

Thank you, Alex Weiss...

You have inspired me to procrastinate in the following way:

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Jen Paul!

1. The first American zoo was built in 1794, and contained only Jen Paul!
2. Reindeer like to eat Jen Paul!
3. California is the biggest exporter of Jen Paul in the world!
4. Jen Paul can pollinate up to six times more efficiently than the honeybee.
5. Every day in the UK, four people die putting Jen Paul on.
6. The horns of Jen Paul are made entirely from hair!
7. You should always open Jen Paul at least an hour before drinking her!
8. During the reign of Peter the Great, any Russian nobleman who chose to wear Jen Paul had to pay a special Jen Paul tax.
9. If a snake is born with two heads, the heads will fight over who gets Jen Paul.
10. All shrimp are born as Jen Paul, but gradually mature into females.

I am interested in - do tell me aboutherhimitthem

I think #2 is really funny. I should be studying for my History of Psychiatry midterm, but instead I'm laughing about reindeer eating me. Spring break will be here very soon; although, mine will mostly be spent in NYC at the Hilton in midtown for NHSMUN. This is cause for a commotion. My hair is getting really long, and I want to do something with it (because I always want to do something with it), but I'm just at a loss as to what I could actually pull off. Some people (namely Angela and Jen H., who I work with on B. Zamboanga's research team) think I should cut my hair short again, but I'm not sure that I'm ready for that sort of commitment right now. (Isn't it funny that I'm speaking about hair in terms of a relationship?) The weather was pretty effed up today - bright and temperate one moment, then snow flying about in ridiculous circles the next. I finished reading The Sorrows of Young Werther tonight - such a tragic story. Matt thinks the Werther pictured on my edition of the book looks like Bob Nordheim, which makes me laugh. (Matt also happens to be pretty ineffectual when it comes to playing the "Blank looks just like Blank" game.) I talked to my cat, Sonjia, tonight. She's in California, but I managed to make her purr all the way from Massachusetts. What now?

Are you kidding me?

Yes, I know it's been 12 million years since I last posted, but this latest article about Yanni seemed the perfect excuse to touch base with my limited readership once again.

I have lots to say about this semester: from my kickin' roommate and suh-weet pad to my Research Assistant job in the Psycholoy Department at Smith and a couple phenomenal classes. Stay tuned because I promise to post an extensive update in the next day or two. And if I don't, you can punch me in the face. Ten times.

Post-Script

In regards to Sonjia's paw print mark on my arm as featured in my previous post:

CACutie104: i'm serious, you should get that shit tattooed on

Right-o!

Chasing Liberty?

More like Chasing Jennifer! Ohhh, snap! That's right, I totally just came up with the sequel to the much-coveted romantic comedy Chasing Liberty (featuring Mandy Moore as the President's daughter), and it's called Chasing Jennifer. It stars yours truly opposite Matthew Goode (the ridiculously attractive-makes you wonder how people can actually be so good-looking male lead of the original film), and basically, we fall in love and get married and...you know...do it a lot...and he always looks pretty standing next to me, adoringly whispering sweet British-tinged nothings into my ear all day/night long. Seriously, after seeing Matchpoint last night, which he's prominently featured in, it's pretty safe to say that I'm obsessed with him. And for those of you out of the loop, this is Matthew Goode, who’s not nearly as well-represented on the internet as he should be:

Now tell me, is he or isn't he the most attractive man you've ever seen? Yeah, pretty much the answer is yes.

Sooo, now that I’ve established the fact that Matthew Goode and I will be happy, happy, happy, it's fair to say that Matchpoint was quite surprisingly a good movie, too. Very engaging and entertaining, and visually stunning if you know what I mean (XOXO Matthew Goode). Go see it, and then be jealous that my future husband's in it.

On a related note, here's a picture of me with the other love of my life, Sonjia:

And here’s a picture of me and Christina from my last day of work at Massage Envy. So sad…

Also, while getting the mail earlier today, I stumbled upon the following in my driveway:

And just to prove how dedicated we are to one another (we being myself and Sonjia), here’s a picture of the paw print she left on my arm the other day when we fell asleep together:

Beat that, bitches.

Love is all!

• I just ate an entire box of See's Candies milk chocolate peppermint patties in less than 25 minutes. That translates to 1,020 calories.
• Yesterday was my last day at work. I brought in a couple dozen donuts as a thank you to all my co-workers for a good ride. I then consumed six of them. That is fucking gross.
• I am trying to resolve to lose at least four pounds by the time I get back to school. I think it's possible so long as I stop eating thousands of calories of sweets a day.
• I'm drinking Diet Pepsi right now, and it's 10:18am, so what now? You think that's bad? Well eff you and your value judgements because I've been drinking coke in the morning since birth. Sucka...
• I'm obsessed with the Ladytron song "International Dateline."
• I thought Madonna's "Hung Up" was catchy at first (namely because it samples an ABBA song), but now I'm entirely over it.
• I think my mom and I are getting our nails done today, and I might buy new sheets for my futon back at school, too. And...I'm living off-campus in this charming little place with a charming little cat and a charming little roommate. I'm really excited about this big move, so I'll keep you posted as the time nears.
• I have the best cats in the whole wide world!
• It's sunny today. Maybe I'll go swimming. Hahahaaa...psych! I don't even own a bathing suit and haven't since sophomore year of high school. I was thinking that this might be the year to end that streak. What do you think?
• I'm shipping my car out to school, and the dent on it got fixed, and the woman who hit me was a frequent client at work, so I'm glad I'm not working there anymore - otherwise, she might yell at me for reporting the accident to my insurance company. Also, it really wasn't an accident if you're worried; she just backed into the side of my car in the parking lot at work...right after I had just finished checking her out. True story.
• Optimistic, I am. Join me, please?

Andrew Bujalski

Please read this article. It's about a filmmaker who represents the very best of the best, and his two films to date are better than most everything else you've seen in the past or will ever see in the future. And after you read the article, go buy Andrew's films. Seriously. Pass on eating out a few nights this week and you'll have saved enough shiny pennies to pick up both Funny Ha Ha and Mutual Appreciation, which can be found at the following websites: Funny Ha Ha and Mutual Appreciation. And if you get a chance to see a screening of either of them, do it because a) That's how movies should be seen, and b) There are two few people who realize the brilliance of the Andrew Bujalski's in the world and are willing to take the beautiful risk of providing a backdrop for their art. In other words, screenings of either film are few and far in between, so drop everything at once if you get the chance to see these rare gems.

I mean it, guys and gals. This is the good stuff.

(Oh, and a fun fact...after I saw Funny Ha Ha at the Boston Independant Film Festival in 2003, I told Matt Boese about Andrew, and wouldn't you know that he ended up lending a hand on Andrew's second film in NYC later that same year?)

Long Time, No See

Okay, a few things I need to get off my chest:

1) Just because it's Winter Break, that doesn't mean I have a warrant to eat whatever the heck I want. Really, this is something I need to remember.

2) In less than a couple hours, Matt is going to get his hair(s) cut so that he looks "mighty proper" for his trip to France. There's a good chance that he will not keep the rat tail I worked so painstakingly hard to shape for him a few short weeks ago when I cut his hair (a first for me). The process of mourning has already begun.

3) The guitar is deceivingly hard to play. It's the least intuitive instrument I have yet to encounter, and while Matt is being very patient with me as he tries to impart his guitar knowledge on me, I am oh-so-frustrated.

4) Jury Duty, which I had the unique experience of taking part in yesterday, is just about the worst thing ever. Not a single trial yesterday required "a jury of one's peers" and so they thought that, instead of dismissing everyone at a reasonable hour when it was obvious there would be no use for us later, they would just let us stick around the entire day. Nice folks. (And I thought Traffic School was bad...)

5) I still haven't gotten a housing assignment for Smith...or sent in my financial aid information...or booked my flight back to school...or figured out how in the world I'm getting my car back to Northampton. In other words, I feel totally and completely unprepared to go back to school.

6) One year ago I was in New York City with Lauryn McCarthy, teaching students at Crossroads Middle School all about the Harlem Renaissance and generally tearing up the city as any person in his or her right mind would given three-and-a-half weeks to do so. And boy, do I wish I was back there right this second. Hands down, one of the best experiences of my life.

7) Seeing Depeche Mode with Angela over Thanksgiving break was pretty dope. I say this now because I'm listening to some slammin' Depeche Mode tunes.

8) New Year's at Jeffrey Goodman's house was fun. Check out The Facebook to see pictures of said night/morning.

9) Christmas was really nice this year. My parents went WAY overboard per the usual, but nothing in the past has ever proved successful in stemming their holiday spiritedness (AKA spending habits). I had a great time, though - a great way to round out a semester that really didn't turn out half-bad at all.

10) I got a message on my cell phone from Sunil Amin last night and since a) it was a drunken message, and b) I haven't talked to Sunil in a good, long while, it was super to hear from him. It's crazy when you look around you and realize that you have all these intelligent friends who've already obtained their Master's (ahem, Sameer) or are in graduate school/medical school (ahem, Sunil), etc. etc.

I wonder where I'll be 365 days from now.