So you probably noticed there's a new layout. I don't know what it is about me and layouts but I just don't have a quick turnaround with them. Had the picture done about two weeks ago but was just now able to get all the coding done. Hah. Done. There are still some weird things, like why my posts are getting progressively more indented as the archives scroll on...guess I'll have to look at the code again. Ah well. Hope you like. Feel free to comment or gripe. It's still in progress, be warned.

And yes, I know that the Peter Pan movie came out last year and the dvd came out way back in May, but I just got it myself and truly adored it. Jeremy Sumpter is too cute for words and another notch in the 'jailbait' section. I don't care. The picture was too much fun. Thank you ohsomuch to Thia for her glorious star brushes. Exactly what I was looking for.

Happy Friday before Halloween! Yay dress-up time!

[ETA: I can't believe how many times I've had to open up this editing window to fix that thing or the other. It seems it never ends! Sigh. Adult ADD anyone?]

Posted by Jen at 10:49 AM | Permalink

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  Something Corporate: As You Sleep

file under: webetcetera

I can't believe the Cards were shut out of the World Series. It's like they weren't even the same team as just a week before when they played so hard to become champions of the National League. Dad said he thought it was the first time that a team had lost four straight right off the bat. Poor Cards. While I'm happy that the Red Sox aren't cursed anymore, I really wish there could have been a better scene for the fans the last two nights at Busch Stadium. Ah well. At least Busch might make it into a Jimmy Fallon-Drew Barrymore movie. It's sad that the last season played at Busch couldn't have ended better. But congrats anyway, Cards, you won 105 games this season and played well until that major bump in the road called Boston. Oy. Alrighty then... I'll send out a big ol' GO RAMS and shush about sports.

I also can't believe that it's the last week of October. Where did the year go? I've been 24 for two months already....but on the other hand it feels like much much longer than two months, what with organic chemistry and attempting to work on writing...of course, with orgo I could stand to have many more weeks between me and the next test, which as it stands now is only two weeks. Sigh. Didn't we have a test last week? Yes. Wasn't it horrible? Relatively speaking, not horrible, but not anywhere near low-stress. I guess we'll see if I can handle writing and working problem sets at the same time. I want an iPod. (That seems random, doesn't it? But it would allow me to get away from the computer which contains a wonderful selection of music, yet is quite stationary sitting on my desk. My other desk, that is, the one at work, which doesn't help me when I'm studying at home.)

Kate's halloween party is this weekend. I'm excited. I hope she will dress up also...I missed dressing up all this year since I didn't do it at the StL renfaire and didn't go to the KC one. Ah well. Too bad I didn't have time to work on a HP robe. One day, grasshopper.

If all goes rightly, there should be a new layout up tomorrow. Cross your fingers that I actually got all the coding to work right. I hope I did.

artorius rex novare

Posted by Jen at 3:05 PM | Permalink

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  Moulin Rouge Soundtrack: Bolero

file under: getmoving

How cool is this? The Missouri Botanical Garden's MBGnet made Scientific American's 2004 list of Sci and Tech awards...Science & Technology at Scientific American.com: Science & Technology Web Awards 2004: BIOLOGY

And oh yeah, the Cards play at home today! Silly American league winning the all-star game and getting homefield advantage. They should have played here last weekend (and won, I bet) when the weather was nice, not this week when it's supposed to be rainy, whereas it was crappy and cold weather up there in Boston last weekend and this week is supposed to be nice. Ah well. I've got my NLCS long-sleeve tee on today so hopefully that will project the winning spirit over to Busch and they will WIN! Go Cards!

Must remember MorgueFile for stock photos.

Posted by Jen at 10:12 AM | Permalink

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  Billy Joel: We Didn't Start the Fire

file under: getmoving , thoughts

Yes, indeedy it is Legolas Day again. Unfortunately I was immersed in making a new layout for my site(s) and therefore did not get to make a cool little plaque commemorating the event. I did put up another Legolas poster in my room yesterday though...the elf-love is not waning!

It's sort of sad that the last entry that I wrote was all happy about the Cards moving onto the World Series and here they go losing two in a row. Sigh. Come on Cards! You can do eet! I have faith. I even spent money on a tshirt or two and a hat...no jersey though, as most reproduction jerseys cost upwards of $100. Ugh. Still want one. #27 definitely. Let's go Redbirds! Let's rock the place tomorrow!

Eek. Better get over to class shortly...we'll get our tests back. I almost don't want to see how I did, I just know it was horrible. One can only hope that the curve wasn't blown by someone who read Chapter 7 like it looks like we should have, even though the test was ch's 4-6. See, she doesn't look in the new editions of the text, so when things have gotten moved around (like they most assuredly did here) she doesn't know. Sigh. Should have read ahead. Anyhoo...hopefully will get a new layout up this week. I still like Peter Pan. But the coding is giving me trouble and I'm not quite sure why, so I guess that's what I'll do tomorrow...

bye!

Posted by Jen at 5:55 PM | Permalink |

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I'm so glad it's friday. I wish I could have gotten that new layout up but what with the orgo test and the Cards making it to the World Series (I'm gonna fit that in as many places that I can today) it just wasn't gonna happen. Maybe next week, after I've made a new archives layout and a few new banners and buttons. But I'm quite proud that I've managed to figure out what the heck was causing weird CSS on Mozilla Firefox. Which is a much better browser than IE in my opinion, except that it doesn't display color scrollbars. Though, since regular Macs don't do that either, all is well.

Speaking of Macs, I really need a new laptop. The flickering is getting worse on my laptop, which is scary. I keep telling myself that I just have to not spend two paychecks worth, and I can have the new iBook with more memory AND an iPod. I just have to have self control. Will have to work on that. Well, that and pay rent. Ugh. I truly do hate paying rent. But buying a house sounds so scary, so final...so single, if I'm doing it by myself. Which I probably would be doing, as things are going for me. Bah.

But I've reached a stopping point on the layout-ing, so I'm going to head over to Dilliards and pick up some Clinique stuff and see if they have any Cards stuff. Yay Cards! Whee!

Posted by Jen at 5:42 PM | Permalink

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  Chris Rice: Deep Enough to Dream

file under: muses

THE CARDS ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES! Yahoo!

I luff my hostee Sara. Yay for Californians cheering for the Cards!

Cardinals at Boston, Saturday. I really want a Cardinals shirt now. Sweet! The hometown team is going for the whole show. Rock on, Redbirds! I guess I avoided the 'no watch and they win' bit tonight since the AHS drama rehearsal was tonight and they 'happened' to have a tv in the room, so it was on while we were singing. I was holding my music up in front of my face so I wouldn't stare at the screen. I saw the replay of Edmond's (ouch!) diving catch that probably saved the game (and was incidentally the cover photo of the early edition Post-Dispatch that was printed up sometime around the 7th inning, before they knew we'd won. I love that my dad works for the newspaper. You learn the most interesting things.) and I was the only one who noticed that we got that first one. Not so good for 'not watching the game,' eh? lol.

But I guess it was a good thing the rehearsal was tonight, even if they decided that we really do need weekly practices instead of just monthly if we're going to be the slightest bit ready for this celebration, even if they decided to do every other tuesday/thursday so I'll miss more tv (I know, I know, tv should not be so important to me, but hey, it's not like I've got anywhere else to go, so I've gotten attached to it...), even if they want to have the next rehearsal this coming tuesday when I was finally going to get to go to a Writer's Meetup before NaNoWriMo started (which I think I'll go to anyway, just because I really do need to get whatever kind of jumpstart on the 'novel' that I can, and I already know how to sing "America" from West Side Story), but I got to go home and 'watch' the last few innings of the game with the 'rents. My dad is so happy. He really gets into the games, and I know how much he would like to go to one in the stadium, especially since Busch is being torn down this year...*sniff* Tickets were something on the order of $125 for bleacher seats. Ugh. Would be cool to go though. Unfortunately I don't trust my record of watching games to even think about jinxing a World Series game. Superstitious? Who, me?

I realized that I don't think I've ever had a Cardinals jersey, and I'm about at my limit of red shirts, although my mom pointed out that I still have a Fredbird head that I suppose I could wear if I wanted to freak out my coworkers (Apparently I went through a phase when I was three or four when I absolutely loved Fredbird, the Cardinal mascot. And my mom [whom I love] made me a Fredbird costume. I worry about myself sometimes). I really want a Cards jersey now, perhaps Rolen (27, my favorite number!) or Pujols (5...that vision of Pujols really pulled through! For those of you who don't know, my dad is a very accomplished artist who did a painting of Pujols for an art show recently. It was really good. ) or Edmonds (15, after that spectacular catch). But I'd settle for one of those Band of Sluggers shirts.

Heh. I didn't even realize it, but this morning, I chose to wear RED SOCKS (or at least white athletic socks with a red puma) instead of my blue socks of the same type...and the Cards are going on to play the RED SOX...

It had to have been the rally beads. And the hot dogs that my dad made. And me not watching. I'm so proud of my hometown team. GO CARDS!

I guess I should get to bed. Even though it seems like it should be a friday night, it's only friday morning, and I have to be at work in eight hours. Sheesh. See you on the flip side. Yahoo! Rock on, Redbirds!

Posted by Jen at 1:02 AM | Permalink

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Are you eligible to vote in missouri? Want to mail in your vote--now? Fill out this form and you can do so. Vote Kerry!

So the Cards pulled out a win last night, forcing game 7 tonight...come on Cards, let's go! I want to see you in the World Series this year! It's funny because I was talking to Eileen last night after the test (at least she sounded like it was hard for her too, so that's somewhat comforting) and she's married to a guy from Texas, so she's turned into an Astros fan...ah well. We can't both be happy. I have to admit a selfish desire to have my team win. Go Cards! Win Game 7! It's my favorite number! Whee! I even wore red, the second day in a row. My mom got extra rally beads. I'd shake 'em if I had 'em.

Yeah, so in other news, orgo test #2 last night. It was awful. I guess what I'll have to do is just do all the problems over again until I figure them out completely. The teacher focused on details, most of which I didn't get. And I totally blanked on some important parts and actually didn't finish the last question. I'm so dead. I don't know how to study for orgo...it seems like too much to memorize, and I thought I had most of the general things down, but then she hits us with details. And some of the stuff she grudgingly told us we should know she didn't even entertain. Sigh. Common names vs IUPAC names...nothing. Why couldn't I remember anything other than carbocations are used in Sn1 and E1 reactions? Guh. I guess I'll have to start going to those workshops, at the lovely times of sunday nights from 9-11 or wednesday nights at same...meh. Isn't it sad when I say that's too late for me?

I was hoping to raise my grade up with this test. Not going to happen, unless everyone else was caught as off guard as I was. Doubt it. Two more tests, a regular one and the final. Dear God be with me. At least I don't have to think about it for a while (though I should) and I can start thinking about NaNoWriMo. I hate disappointing myself. I should go home and read orgo, just because. Oh, right, there's the monthly high school drama alumni birthday rehearsal thing tonight...oy. And when am I going to exercise? I can't wait for Halloween.

Enough of a ramble for you? I really need help in orgo. Ugh. I can't stop thinking about it. Bah. I won't make you read any more about it though...

Posted by Jen at 4:56 PM | Permalink |

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  Greenwheel: Dim Halo

file under: education

A bit of page 7: GOOOOO CARDS!!!!

and: Kids Pick Kerry to be the next president. And they've been right the last four times. How uplifting.

Wish Me Luck! Please! Pray! I need all the help I can get!

Yeah. So, Orgo test tonight. Freaking out. Would like to do better than on last test so I could be solidly in an upper grade than the lower, and don't want to disappoint anyone, namely Mother, who is so darn confident in me I just hate to say I did badly. I don't want to do badly, but there's that realistic voice shouting at the back of my head, you will fail. Where did that come from? I used to be confident in my test taking skills, I was smart enough to figure things out, and suddenly now I'm not. How did I prepare for tests back in high school when I hardly ever got anything below an A? I hate not feeling prepared but then I hate studying. I'm just screwed.

I just wish I was able to channel the same single-minded determination to studying organic chemistry like I can to reading, or writing, or drawing, or anything I like. Had a few ideas for my NaNo story last night, of course. Thank you Lauren for telling me about teh music.

Right, so I was going to tell you how this day has been stressful...

so I stayed up late last night 'studying' (with the attendant procrastination tactics, of course) and sometime during the night, the LCD screen on my cd player decided to not light up anymore. But the rest of it works. Does anyone see an unwelcome trend here with things I own not lighting up properly (re: the watch I'm currently wearing decided it wouldn't let the Indiglo part of the light work, but everything else does...) This stressed me out, even if it's a small thing. I don't want to have to get a new stereo. I didn't get enough sleep (OF COURSE), so when the alarm went off, I hit snooze...and somehow missed the next one. And it didn't go off again...so I slept for an extra 45 minutes. Which was probably good for my body, but bad for my mind, since I woke up and freaked out that I was almost late for work. Which isn't terrible since I didn't have anything that HAD to start at 9 am, but I would have liked to have been done earlier. Anyway.

Then there was traffic. Ugh. And they've blocked off a good portion of the lot that I park on so I had to go all the way down to the boonies to get a spot. Ugh. So when I finally get to work (lugging the heavy backpack with the stupid orgo text and solutions manual inside) I got right to work, but it was so hard to get into the 'work' frame of mind. I guess I got there. Eventually. Then I tried to study during my time off...which sort of worked, except I kept finding things I didn't remember. Ugh. And I almost got to leave really early, but Luigi wanted me to find some samples. So now that you've read through this really long entry it's going to stop abruptly so I can go study and cram as many homework examples into my head as possible in two hours. Wish me luck.

Posted by Jen at 4:19 PM | Permalink

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  Dave Matthews Band: Two Step

file under: rants

WARNING: This is a reconstruction of a rant about Organic Chemistry, since (OF COURSE) IE decided to 'unexpectedly quit' on my after I had a really long one written, just before I had saved it...ugh! Feel free to skip it, I doubt there is much of import in it to anyone but me.

[ETA: Page 7. Hi Nile!]

Orgo + Jen = stress, not a lot of time to write, and a need to let off some steam. I really hate orgo. I am so scared right now, I have a test on wednesday and I know that I am not prepared for it. I haven't even finished the homework yet, because I really need to ask some questions about it, and I'm scared to ask the teacher because I'm stupid like that, and I don't know anyone else in class except Eileen who is ten times smarter than me. (How's that for a run-on?) I should have followed up on that Cornerstone thing, which is apparently the new tutoring system at WU...maybe I'll be able to get a 'mentor' before Wednesday night.

I hate that orgo is sucking up all my time like some educational vacuum. I'm already two weeks behind on my tv shows because of it, which I know is a stupid thing to be worried about, but I like my vices, thankyouverymuch. I didn't finish a book in three weeks because of it. (And re: the book...no one had checked it out in A YEAR before I requested it...and of course, the time I don't finish the book in time, someone else requested it. Just one person. So when they've finished, I'll get it back, but for heaven's sake. Irony. My life. I shouldn't be suprised.) I'm not making up an outline for NaNoWriMo because of it. I will be disappointed if I don't 'win' NaNo (aka write the required 50,000 words) because of it, but I have to keep telling myself to be realistic and remember that I will have at least one test during the month. I didn't get to spend time with Leo, who moved out this weekend, because of it. Hi Leo! I hope you like Champaign...I'll miss you.

Yeah, so I shall have a new roomie at the end of the month, Olga, who is from Colombia (the country in South America, not the city in the middle of Missouri) and works at SLU. Which means that I'll be alone in the apartment for two weeks...sigh. It'll be quiet here. It was weird, Leo stopped by today to pick up her car and leave the keys. How final. If her room's door is open, footsteps echo from the kitchen. It's a bit spooky. I don't think I'm meant to live alone, though it seems I'm going to be that way for some time. Roommate or guy wise. Ugh.

On one hand I can't wait for next month when I can start writing for NaNo but on the other it freaks me out because I know I'm heading for heartache, if only because I won't be able to write when I know I should be doing homework. Mom told me last night she wished I would write more. I try, but there's always something else I should be doing. But it makes me happy, which is probably why I actually sat down and tried to recreate this entry. I just got online to see if Luigi had sent me the template for tomorrow's ELISA (which I forgot to make up, as far as I could, last week) so I wouldn't have to rush quite so much tomorrow morning, but here I am, writing the mother of all entries...I really hate it when he gets so fired up that we must get assays run as soon as possible, even if it's on a day when I have class...I always feel so stressed out. Even if the assay has long incubation times...I'll get so engrossed in doing something else that when the alarm goes off to start the next step I'm startled and have trouble pulling my mind back to science. Hopefully tomorrow whatever I'm engrossed in will be organic chemistry and not the new layout for ATTS that I have planned. Bad Jen did the art on Thursday and a lot of the coding on Friday and will have to wait to do anything more until Thursday next, when this damn orgo test is over. Pray for me, will you? I'm freaked out about it, especially when the last test was borderline ok. Mom wants me to get A's. She's so confident in me, and I know I will let her down. I don't want to, but if I keep typing this entry I know I will. So I will bid you adieu and work for another half hour and wake up late, as usual, and try to hurry to work so I won't be late for class. Good Lord, help me out here.

Posted by Jen at 12:21 AM | Permalink |

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  Chasing Furies: Thicker; Skillet: Locked in a Cage; Nichole Nordeman: Wide Eyed

file under: rants

Superman no more I can't believe that Christopher Reeve is dead. He was such a driving force for stem-cell research and scientific advances. He genuinely believed that one day he would walk again. I suppose now he will, since Heaven is all that's good, but I would have liked to see him do it on Earth. I will miss you, Superman.

(stl plug: a link to WU's spinal research site is included in the article.)

On the good side of things, both the Cardinals and the Rams won their games last night. The Rams won in overtime, overcoming a 17-point deficit to totally stun the crowd. The Cardinals came back from losing the last away game in Los Angeles to beating them 6-2, so they're moving onto the NLCS for a best of 7 series. Getting closer to the World Series! How cool would it be to have the Cards in a World Series again? The last time they went was '87, the last time they won was '82...they definitely need to do it again so I can be around and remember it

And my whole family made apple pies last night. Dad did the peeling, mom did the pie crust, and I picked the apples Well, not last night of course. But I did help in random ways...mmmm. apple pie. Soooo good. Thank goodness there will be some waiting for me after class tonight. Argh! Class! Test a week from Wednesday! Nooooo! I have so much homework to do before then....it seems like this semester (year, really) is going by so quickly. Which is good in that the class will be over soon, but bad that we're already up against another test. Bah.

It smells like turpentine in here. I am heartily sick of all this construction. And I really need to get out and exercise, but I'm not willing to get up earlier and I feel like when I get home I need to immediately eat something and do homework. Ergh.

And especially important this week: I need you to vote for me today and all this week. I'm at the highest level of competition and it seems like whenever I get to this level my support just isn't enough. So please give it a click? Vote links are also after the post

Check this out. Cool astronomy. Thanks D.

Posted by Jen at 10:51 AM | Permalink |

vote for ATTS: ER | Wishlist: {Amazon} |

  "Story of the Year: Anthem of our Dying Day"

file under: competition

I hate living in a swing state that's not really swinging anymore.

All hail the presidential debate taking place tonight on the campus of my alma mater, Washington University. Please please let Kerry 'win.' I don't think I could stand it if we were subjected to another four years of dubya. erg. I can't believe my grandparents are republican. Then there's the irony that all three of their children are/were democrats. Sigh.

Did you register to vote?

(x-posted at my LJ because I'm lazy.)

Posted by Jen at 1:22 PM | Permalink

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  Vanessa Carlton: A Thousand Miles

file under: politics

So yeah. This is just a silly entry, really, I just wanted to cheer for my hometown team, since they're playing another playoff game tonight. It's at home but of course it's supposed to rain tonight. Lovely. I'll just make sure I don't watch, and they should win! Right? Right.

I just discovered Ryan Cabrera. His song On the Way Down has been getting a little airplay on Y98 and I liked it enough to get it on iTunes...then I sampled the other songs and pronounced it good enough to get the cd. Which I now have (you can too), and since ELISAs are the most boring thing and take the longest time in the world, I've listened to it several times already today. Check it out. The record is produced by John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls (and he contributes a few background vocals) so it's pretty cool from the start.

One of these days I'm going to get Songs about Jane and II. Once I stop spending money on frivolous purchases. I really need to actively save for that new laptop/keyboard/digital camera. Meh. Hopefully essentially closeting myself in my room in front of my comp (please please stop flickering, monitor!) for NaNoWriMo will keep me out of the stores. Yeah. Need to write an outline for that, btw. Soon. Just as soon as I get some of the homework done for orgo. Ugh. Another test in a week and a half or something like that. Damn. Did I mention how the days were going by quickly?

Posted by Jen at 2:29 PM | Permalink

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  Ryan Cabrera: Echo Park

file under: getmoving , reallife

...to register to vote in Missouri, anyway. Ganked from stlouis LJ.

Reminder: Today is the last day for Missourians to register to vote in the November elections! Register by 5 pm so you can cast your vote for president.

Saint Louis city voting info

Saint Louis county voting info

Make your vote count!

And since I forgot to mention it earlier...GOOOO CARDS! Yahoo! They won the first game in the playoffs. Only 11 more games (hopefully fewer) and we'll be in the World Series again...Yay for hometown baseball! I hope they win. That would make me happy.

Posted by Jen at 2:02 PM | Permalink

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Pablo Neruda's poetry was used alot in conjunction with the Roswell fandom. Punz just reminded me why.

(speaking of Roswell, so I left last night to get the Season 2 box set, and Target didn't have any more in stock. I love my life's little ironies. That was the main reason I went to Target last night. That and the fact that I wanted to get Peter Pan as well, and I didn't realize til I got home that it was the Full-screen version and they don't carry the widescreen. So it's back to Target I go, with a copy of Ros. S2 at the electronics desk for me. Hopefully.

Read on for some pretty poetry.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.

Write, for example, 'The night is starry
and the stars are blue and shiver in the distance.'

The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.

Through nights like this one I held her in my arms.
I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.

She loved me, sometimes I loved her too.
How could one not have loved her great still eyes.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.

To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.
And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture.

What does it matter that my love could not keep her.
The night is starry and she is not with me.

This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.
My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

My sight tries to find her as though to bring her closer.
My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.

The same night whitening the same trees.
We, of that time, are no longer the same.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.

Another's. She will be another's. As she was before my kisses.
Her voice, her bright body. Her infinite eyes.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.

Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms
my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
and these the last verses that I write for her.

--Pablo Neruda, XX, translated by W.S. Merwin.

Posted by Jen at 10:36 AM | Permalink |

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From Time Magazine by way of ElfLady:

Squee!

And I am off to Target to pick up Roswell season 2 and Peter Pan, because I'm silly. Thank you Leo for taping channel 4 for me tonight. One of these days I'm going to have to get those shows watched. I'm already behind. Then again, it is October. And COLD! Sigh. Weird weather.

Keep praying about that roommate sitch, eh? Olga from Columbia came by on Saturday and she seemed nice, but I'm kinda weirded out that only one person has come by. I just think the apartment is too nice to just hoist it off on the first person that showed up. I guess I'm making it too complicated though; if she's the only one than it makes my decision easy. And then Leo will feel better since she knows what she'll be doing with herself. It will all work out somehow.

--How will it?

--I don't know. It's a Mystery.

Little Shakespeare in Love there for you. Goodnight!

Posted by Jen at 7:11 PM | Permalink

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  John Mayer - Clarity (live)

file under: miscellany

On a random note, I finally have my name on the roomnumber panel outside my 'office.' How lovely. I feel all official.

So yeah...the 12th Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter book came out on Tuesday, and I broke my rule of 'buy no hardback books ' for it. Laurell K Hamilton's books are good enough that I'll do that with no qualms. Also, it's 15% off b/c it's a new bestseller, AND I get 10% off for being a member of Waldenbooks. So it's not a terribly bad price. People grew up in this book, in more ways than one. And there was lots of sex. Yeah. Threesomes. Wow. Feels weird to even think that I read it. But it's so much fun! Vampires and werewolves and funky power mishmash. Some people are criticizing her later works because they feel rushed and unedited. This one did seem that way (come on, it's 'retched' as in tossing your cookies not 'wretched' like that poor little homeless kid over there) but I think the story made up for it. I wouldn't want to rush anyone writing, I know how hard it is...but I want my authors to take the time to make things right. All I know is I'm glad I'm easy-going enough to take things in stride so I can enjoy the overall picture. Or focus on the hot guys taking over Anita's life. Bottom line: the book was HUGE (200 pages longer than her last) and fun and worth it. Even if she believes in commas a little too much.

Too bad I missed the signing for the book the day it came out...not only was it the day after my first orgo exam, so all I wanted to do was sleep when I got home from work, it was also the day of a meeting for the Writer's group that I hope I can be a part of, especially if I'm going to try to do NaNoWriMoin a month...but it was also a rehearsal for the Affton School District 150th anniversary Drama Alumni revue. So I get to (sort of) be in a musical again. It's not like we're going to be acting or anything, just singing some popular (and not so popular) selections from musicals that the High School has done over the years. I've only been in oneof the performances at the school and another in show choir in college, and I know of a couple more, but it's a really eclectic mix. Of course they can't please everyone, I just think some of the other songs from some of the musicals would be better choices...ah well. And I realized that as much as I like modern musicals, I haven't heard/seen quite a few of the more popular ones, like Fiddler on the Roof or Hello, Dolly! Or Anything Goes...etc etc. At least we get to sing America from West Side Story.

We're only going to have one rehearsal a month until December or January (the show is in January) so we'll see how it goes. One of the songs they chose from 'my' years in high school worked wonderfully as the duet that it's meant to be in the show, and they were hoping to get the leads who sang in that show to do this one, but they haven't showed up at practice. Apparently this month's rehearsal was the second one, and they only realized that I was still in town after I showed up at the track/football field rededication. I guess that's a good thing...it was so weird to be back in the choir room, learning music. Been a long time, and things have definitely changed. All of my schools seem quite different than what they had been when I was there. I guess it's that one constant: Change.

Thank goodness it's the weekend. BTW, I passed my first orgo exam. Now we'll have to see how much the curve is blown during the rest of the semester, and whether I can pull my ass out of B-/C+ territory. Pray for me.

Oh, and tomorrow, I'm welcoming prospective roommates at the apartment, with Kate along for moral support. Thanks Kate. Pray that I meet someone nice, and that it's not a tough decision between mediocre applicants. Wish me luck!

Posted by Jen at 1:45 PM | Permalink |

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