The Christians and the Pagans

Last weekend my parents came down from Wisconsin for a visit. We had a fantastic time exploring Santa Barbara. One afternoon was spent at the beach followed by dinner at the pier. We traveled up North on Highway 1 to ooh and ahh at the scenery and take in the eccentricly extravagant William Randolph Hearst castle. We even stargazed on the bluffs one night. One of the best days was Saturday attending the Solstice Celebrations. My devoutly Catholic parents LOVED it, and so did I. Clearly this festival was for one and all. Below are some pictures from the parade which was just the beginning of the day's festivities.

Confessions of a California Girl

CG: Yeah, my parents from Missouri and that's like the Midwest.
Me: That's funny, because in Wisconsin, we don't consider it so much the Midwest.
CG: Wow, what's the Midwest for you?
Me: Minnesota, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois.
CG: Man, that's like the Northeast.

And then, not less than two seconds later she said:
CG:Anything that is not like ON an ocean is the Midwest.

Sigh. And I should say this was a perceivably intelligent girl, but oh the misperceptions on the West Coast...

I Dreamed a Dream...

One of the worst types of dreams: I dreamt that I had found these beautiful black heels. They had satin fabric that criss-crossed up my feet in wide black strips and then had this fabulous closure around the lower ankle. The heel was the perfect height, not too high, not to low. They fit like a dream which they were. I awoke with the sickening realization that I would never find these shoes. Sad, sad, sad.

On Wisconsin!

I just booked my flight to come home in August. I will be in Wisconsin from August 15-21.
Yay. :)

Exhaustion sets in...

2 1/2 days
5 books on theatre and the revolution
26 pages of writing
DONE

So Close!
The end is in sight. By Friday, everything should be done. I still have one paper I am working on for my Poliltical Science seminar and I have to grade my students' finals and then my first year as a PhD student will FINALLY be behind me.
I am all about 'don't wish your life away' and I am not necessarily wishing the rest of the week away but I will definately (and defiantly) be happy that is over with.
A quick list of things accomplished:
-being able to bike and talk on my cellphone
-developing a taste for beer
-perfecting my guacamole recipe
-baking lots of new kinds of cookies and goodies
-finding my way around campus
-coming to terms with my newly straight, short hair
-getting my lifeguard and WSI certifications
-getting installed on MySpace

Hmmm...that's it, I guess. Not so many professional goals, but maybe I can reflect on those when I have some more distance from school.

In Case You are Wondering...
It is finals week but I had/have the ingenious idea of keeping my laptop in the living room away from the internet hence my lack of posting. This way I can only go online if I carry my computer back and hook it up and rely on the battery.
I think it's made me a little more productive and has helped me avoid being in my room which is a mess and I hate being in messy rooms. Unfortunately this is starting to confine me as the living room has become my new closet and I can no longer see the couch. The kitchen is clean though. I might pull in some big pillows onto the tile floor and live there the rest of the week.

I just need to hone and revise my first paper which is appropriate because it is on the honing and revising of a play through 4 drafts and a published script. Then I have some grading and another paper to do.
I guess it seems like a lot but I have honed my sense of denial this quarter so I am not worried. It will get done. It may not be perfect but it will just have to be good enough.

Can you tell that 'hone' is my new favorite verb? Hone, hone, hone. Can you tell that I am getting loopy?

I have finally taken this attitude after the tortured realization that my perfect was never good enough, so screw it. It's not worth the agony anymore.
This is either a great attitude or lousy attitude, I have not decided.
Loopy, loopy, loopy.

Oh the irony...

It's been some rough times lately and I was looking at the counseling website and went to check out more information on perfectionism (of which I am a victim). 3 out of the 4 links were broken. Does anyone else see the irony?