We Interrupt This Regularly Scheduled Sabbatical...

Because once I say "I don't have anything to write about," I start coming up with things to write about.

For example: I was browsing web-logs the other day, and I came across one in which the author recounted, "It is -25 C out today. My tea froze between Sid Smith and Emmanuel College (ten minute walk). In the thermos."

Where is she studying? University of Toronto. Oh, heh. I, um... think I want to go there...wimpy Californian that I am...

I do recommend that journal, by the way, for two reasons. One: It will make you feel really, really guilty about all the writing you should be doing. Two: Spectacular lines such as, "Then I came home and did my writing, which according to Rousseau is not attractive, so I suppose I shall never score with either Kant or Rousseau. I am not crying."

"So, Alice," you may ask, "What did you do with your weekend?"

"Well," I might say, "on Saturday night, Veronica and I stayed in and made posters about the English Monarchs."

"Excuse me?"

Well... perhaps I should show you:



Those three pictures are from Veronica's poster. I really wanted to do one of the Welsh Kings, but 1) it was too complicated for one sheet of posterboard, and 2) The English Monarchy is actually more useful for my BA, because I can see what dynasties were interacting with the Welsh at different times. However, my poster was done in its own...Celtic...idiom.




There is an egregious error in this last picture, and I'll find some sort of a reward for you if you find it. Emily, my dear, you are ineligible for a reward because you do this in grad school. You may still scold me for not paying attention.


Sunday was January 28th, so we had a dinner party for St. Tommy A, just like last year. To refresh your memory:

This year looked pretty similar:

I made Penne with Portobello Mushroom Rago from The Best Recipe, which I highly recommend, and Steph made a (also highly recommended) irish cream chocolate cake. Steph also brought a "special guest" to the dinner, having semi-absconded with Calvert House's statue of St. Thomas. Here's her account.

Oh, and Friday I went to a "Jersey Party" dressed as the token California Hippie, but I went home early because I wanted to finish the book Emily sent me for my birthday more than I wanted to dance. Nota Bene: you know you're a medievalist when you're reading a historical mystery and, coming across the line "it was instant chemistry between them," you think, "well, that's anachronistic!"

Yo.

I'm not dead, I'm just taking some time off of this particular writing project. I haven't felt particularly witty recently, and I need all my writing energy for the BA of doom.

Have a good February, y'all.

-Alice

Let's get this clear.

I was informed by at least one ex that I have objectively bad taste in popular music... at least, according to his taste.* That said, Christmas and my Birthday left me with a great deal to spend in the way of iTunes gift cards, and so I indulged in albums from some of my second-year favorites. Review: Carbon Leaf's 2006 Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat has all the good qualities I liked in Indian Summer and Echo Echo. American Hi-Fi's Hearts on Parade, however, was just disappointing.

Conclusion: I need KFOG.

Second Conclusion: Favorite Song EVER: Guster, "Barrel of a Gun"

Lemma: New Theme Song (via KFOG): The Killers, "When You Were Young"

Second Lemma: New Musical Obsession: Carbon Leaf, "A Girl and Horse" (Isn't that the obvious choice?)


____
*I'm pretty sure alternative/rock/punk is a like ice cream. It's to your taste, or not. It's not Bach**, for crying out loud.
** "If someone says, "I like chocolate ice cream" and you reply, "chocolate ice cream is bad," that's a nonsensical statement. If, however, they say, "This new song by Britney Spears is the best piece of music ever," then you're allowed to say, "well, there's this little piece by Bach I'd like you to listen to."-- Prof. Dan Brudney. I think about this a lot during discussions of liturgical music.

One more back-up plan:

6) Start a goat farm.

Oh, and it's snowing.

Things I Can Do If Grad Schools Don't Want Me:

1) Go to Wales, join a radical political group (trials are expensive and extradition is messy)
2) Join the Poor Claires and/or found an order on the Amalfi Coast
3) Get a crappy job, move to New York, hang out with Anne's friends until I find a nice Catholic Morgan Stanley Corporate Lawyer of my own
4) Move home and work in a plant nursery, taking language classes on the side
5) Take out more loans, go to Culinary School, become a baker

Seen at Hutch Commons:

An NPR reporter interviewing students about the Uncommon/Common applications.

And here's your conversation snippet for the day:

N: So I looked at my schedule and I was like, oh man, another 9:00 class?
A: And you cursed the gods?
N: No, just the one.
A: Really, Neil, if you're going to be blasphemous, I'd rather you did so in a polytheistic way.
N: "By Odin's Hammer, this sucks!"
A: Thor had the hammer.
N: Right. Was Odin the smart one? "By Odin's One Eye, this sucks!"

"If you will not communicate for your own sake, the communicate instead for Jesus Christ. To communicate for Jesus Christ is to console Him for the neglect to which the majority of men have abandoned him; it is to confirm His wisdom in instituting this Sacrament of spiritual sustenance; it is to open the riches of the treasures of grace which Jesus Christ has stored up in the Eucharist only that He may bestow them on mankind; nay more, it is to give to His sacramental love the overflowing life it desires, to His goodness the happiness of doing good, to His Majesty the glory of bestowing His gifts. By receiving Communion, therefore, you fulfll the glorious purpose of the Holy Eucharist; for if there were no communicants, this fountain would flow in vain; this furnace of love would inflame no hearts; this King would reign without subjects."

"Something divine will then come to pass in the one who communicates; man will labor, and Jesus will give the grace of labor; man will keep the merit, but to Jesus will be the glory; Jesus wil be able to say to His Father: 'I love Thee, I adore Thee, and I still suffer, living anew in My members.
"This is what gives Communion its highest power: it is a second and perpetual incarnation of Jesus Christ; between Jesus Christ and man it forms a union of life and love; in a word, it is a second life for Jesus Christ."

-St. Peter Julian Eymard, Holy Communion

Last Week of Break:

6:10 am flight to New York. Used bookstores and pizza with D Robes, Veronica, Greg et al. "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". The Met Costume Institute w/ Vee & Gaby. Vegetarian Chinese, McSorley's Ale House, NJ Diner. Pretz-Reboredo Wedding (!!!) Train to Massachusetts. Vanessa. Sukie's family's New Year's Eve party. Many many members of Tom's family, and home to Chicago.

Some Quotes:

On the Phone:
Samantha, to Veronica: Alice is like, 'I'm Catholic...and I'm bad-ass.' She's Catholic... with a little bit of Jewish.

At the Ceremony:
A: I didn't bring enough tissues.
Margaret: I know. Amanda has a big thing of tissues.
Amanda: I have 45 tissues. We each get nine.

At the Reception:
Margaret: My wedding will be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on my parent's front lawn.
Alice: This is an improvement. My first year it was, "I'm going to elope. Alice, what would you do if you received an invitation to my elopement?"

At the Lawler's
Sukie: Did you know that in (I forget which language), 'suki' means bazaar? ...Not the adjective, bazaar, like a market.
Alice: Oh. I was going to say...that sounds about right.
Rosie: I knew there was a reason I liked you, Alice.

Alice: What part of [the gingerbread train] did you make, Bridget?
Bridget: The circus car.
Alice: Are those lions in there?
Bridget: They're ligers.
Alice: Even better.