nolechica

I remember now why I buried myself in military and sports history as an undergrad. I've done subaltern history for the most of grad school and it's not fun, or easy. Minority history's a bitch, regardless of form, women, Haitian, Native American. If I ever apply for a PhD program, I need military history again, unless a sports history program magically appears. I've been working on my thesis for over a year and am ready for classes again. The paper is making me nuts. Editing's a bitch, have to rewrite some stuff because I can't cite it. Just trying to get the intro done. Redskins section is planned out though. Hope it' done tomorrow or this weekend.

As for this weekend, need to catch up on my SI reading, like whoa. The Swimsuit Issue is in my mail box, but I'm weeks behind. Need some basketball news, sans discussion of the UNC/Duke clusterfuck, and to read the Colts articles to console myself after last weekend. Speaking of which, Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans on Super Bowl weekend? Crazy! Saints decorations all over sparkly floats. So many floats too, but no better throws than Daphne, as many were just royalty. Brought back cups and decorating beads. And it was cold! And trips to NOLA that do not involve the French Quarter? Weird. Patrick's birthday was busy though. Lunch and cake and presents before the parade. Wish he'd felt better and I'd not been sick. So glad Mardi Gras is later next year.

As for yet another Valentine's solo? No chocolate this year. RENT debuts tomorrow at the School of Theatre and I'm going to the Sunday matinée. This could either be awesome or a train wreck, but I've stayed away from most of the productions this year, as Sean and Kyle graduated. Plus, it gives me an excuse to watch the live on Broadway DVD I have before and listen to the soundtrack for reasons that do not have anything to do with playing name that bridge. Can't wait to see the play again.

It's pouring rain and I woke early because my bedroom was too cold. I need to go to the library and the bookstore, but I'd rather not feel like crap when I do so. My sinuses have been horribly congested despite medication and fluids. Add to this being on my period and life kinda sucks right now. I'm not making much thesis progress either because Dr. Frank and Dr. Upchurch can't agree on a direction for my research to go, so I've read everything from Indian gaming to professional mascots to communes living in tipis. I'm making yet another trip to the library today to find books on white perception of American Indians. I told them when my defense was canceled that I needed direction, but I'm getting confusion, not cohesion. I need to reconstruct my introduction and probably part of chapter 3. However, I've been delayed because I had a second computer crash Monday night, my desktop. Fortunately, my dad managed to fix my laptop, so no extra target practice for Emily.

As for the fun in my life lately, a third trip out of town in thirty days resulted in the reunion I wanted at my birthday, but not without drama. I slept through my phone going dead on the bus and couldn't contact Bryan once I reached Atlanta. I frantically called my family, who proceeded to not answer their phones. I then was going to catch a cab to Grandmom's when Bryan showed up. I'd been afraid to leave the station because I wasn't sure there were phones outside if he wasn't there. I was a bit freaked out. First thing we did was bought a charger for my phone, in the only two-story Target I've ever been in. Then we went to a deli and got heavenly Cuban sandwiches. Makes me want to go to Gordos. After that, we went to his apartment and chilled because Emily was broken down outside of town, so my parents weren't going to be in town until her car was repaired. Fortunately, Bryan didn't care and Tina was occupied with a friend's wedding details. We had some fun with his iTunes, especially after we had talked Idol and I found Gary Jules' "Mad World" on his playlist. Yes, this led to him listening to Adam, but FYE is so not his type of music that I won't push it. Our friendship is definitely based on sports love, not music. After the musical interlude, we watched the Heisman ceremony and commiserated over Bobby leaving/resigning, which a whole other entry. We were both happy Ingram won. Not long after that we headed to Grandmom's and he met everybody, which is kinda scary, but they got that he's just a friend, especially after he revealed that he and Tina are buying a condo together, which is gorgeous, and makes me jealous. However, that gives me an excuse for a spring or summer trip to Atlanta to see the new digs, as I saw moving boxes this trip.

As for the rest of my whirlwind visit, I skipped the white elephant gift-giving portion of the evening and barely spoke to my extended family, but that was just fine. Bedtime was interesting because my mother makes nasty assumptions on where Nick should sleep. I would've gladly taken the couch if he or Emily had said what they really wanted. Instead, after I was dressed and packed for my early bus, I got orders to send Nick upstairs. *rolls eyes* I got to the bus station fine and back to Tallahassee in one piece, but wasn't awake enough to negotiate my refund. Need to do that today as well. So glad my next trip doesn't involve a bus. Long trips are getting tiring.

It's cold and rainy and I slept too late today to go to the library. And as mrsmaggiemae pointed out on Twitter, Strozier's not open all night yet. I have however started looking at the edited copy of my thesis Dr. Upchurch sent. *gasp* Actual help and an encouraging note as well. I did have to transcribe his notes though because his chicken scratch is the worst. And after that, still need to actually talk to him and get more info. He wants more sources and footnotes that I've never done. I want to get a new intro finished this week, so that family drama doesn't ensue. If I skip Birmingham and Atlanta, life will not go well. Plus, I want to see Bryan if I have to tolerate Atlanta relatives. Can't believe it's been almost a year since we saw each other. Totally should've gone to Atlanta for my birthday. Especially since trips to Mobile have become less desirable. Daddy had me in tears on Sunday, but had the good sense to chill on the drive back to Tallahassee. Of course my having the good sense to burn a copy of For Your Entertainment for him helped. How our favorite song is the same, I have no idea, but Mom would not approve. Oh and discussing Down The Rabbit Hole? Very funny. We both came to the what were they smoking conclusion. I told him I was only leaving the CD if he liked it. He left town with it still in his car. ;-) Nice little break from fandom Hell. Unfortunately, we found parking Hell in Tally, as my mom has my parking sticker on her car. Had to park at Kleman Plaza after checking all the on campus options. Fortunately, I live two blocks from there. This meant he set up my computer, we ate Chinese food, cleaned my apartment, and watched the Pats/Saints game. He enjoyed, I didn't, as he's a Saints fan now. Saints are still undefeated though. He's finally figured out what I learned long ago, rooting for a winning team is fun.

Speaking of which, now that I can watch ESPN guilt-free, tonight's Lakers game was amazing. Last second bank shots are awesome and Kobe hit one tonight to win. When one of the league's best says he just got lucky, you realize that it is definitely better to be lucky than good on occasion. That makes eight in a row and preserves the league's best record, which after last year's Cavs/Lakers fight for homecourt, every game matters, even before Christmas. Which reminds me, I need to see if the Lakers are on Christmas Day because I think they are. Normally it's Finals rematch time. And yes, I do watch basketball on Christmas Day, My family knows that's a battle they won't win. They discovered this back when it was MJ and the Bulls around whom the day revolved. And since I don't expect gift opening to take long this year, I will be watching.

As for the fun part of my trip last week, New Orleans without the parents is fun. I was exhausted all day courtesy of the bus ride from Hell, but it was worth it. Went to the WWII museum and saw the film in the brand new theater with vibrating chairs. It was good even if being in a dark room by then was a bad idea. Need to see it again so that I'm not half awake. Did the fastest tour through the actual museum ever. However, it was worth it to get lunch at Parasol's and text Emily while there. Roast beef po'boys are yummy. Dinner, not so yummy. There are reasons I don't like buffets and the bland Cajun food I had at Harrah's is why. I won't argue with free though. Next, was the shortest trip to Bourbon Street ever. The Tropical Isle is closed due to fire damage and good jazz was just not happening. I did go in the replacement bar to get my Hand Grenade though. Sara was amazed I finished mine first, as that usually never happens. After drinks, we headed back to the hotel and went the full impact of the drink hit, she fell asleep. I was merely less tense reading AMA news. The next morning, we went to Cafe du Monde and Jackson Square, which was kinda freaky with everything closed. After talking to a jazz musician on the Moon Walk, and getting a CD, we left to head back to Mobile for Thanksgiving, which was fabulous. It was a good trip, and I can't wait to go back. Might actually go before Mardi Gras, after Greer and Patrick move.

That thesis thing I was supposed to defend this week? Didn't happen. A meeting with Dr. Gray on Wednesday and Dr. Frank today clarified things. They want my paper better organized and my argument more coherent and transparent. This might mean rearranging chapters/combining them in addition to topic sentences and removing the historiography from the intro. I need to go back and look at my conclusion, as I think my ideas are more clearly explained there despite having written the intro after the body. As such, no new date has been set and I have no idea when I'm graduating now. Need to self-delete with the Dean's office when I send Dr. Upchurch an e-mail. Anyway, I apparently have a long way to go, and if I want to save money, a short time to get there. Whomever figures out the lyric I just used knows one of my favorite movies ever. Random though it might be. ;-)

I'm in Mobile for the weekend, trying to finish the thesis from Hell. I can't get internet on my laptop, so having to go back and forth between it and my mom's computer. Have the bibliography done save one citation and checking a few others, but need to do abstract and acknowledgements. I've called manuscript clearance three times for different things to make sure this is right before my defense on Wednesday. Reading sample abstracts is next, as acknowledgements are optional and therefore have less format.

As for the rest of my week, my birthday was fun after a little towing scare. Went to dinner at Samrat with Rachel, 'tis becoming a birthday tradition. Thought about Masa, but I was broke, and so was she. I might need to ask to go to Stix tomorrow night, as Manci's was yummy last night, but not my choice. I did get more gifts though. A crap load of money, NOLA's gonna be great! And the music on my iPod for the trip? Even better if Em delivers my bday gift soon. Unless I decide I need a hard copy at midnight after the AMAs. However, first, I plan to see 2012 this weekend, hopefully tonight, as tomorrow will be football. The FSU season has sucked so hard that the game is on at 11am on ESPNU. That will require going somewhere to watch it, which Daddy and I discussed at 3am. He slept through my music snippet fest, but woke up ready to talk NFL relocation and NBA. WTF, he never wants to talk basketball now. The news of the day isn't the Lakers being in first place, but rather LeBron wants to change his number to honor Michael Jordan. Apparently having MJ show up at your games sparks something, who knows. I'd love to see him succeed in getting the number retired, but I don't see it happening. Too many players wearing the number now.

Got a phone call at 11:00 tonight from my dad end a slightly hellacious couple of days on the thesis front. I am officially not actually graduating at the end of this semester. I say actually because I have to format, revise and defend my thesis in the next few weeks, but it'll be after the deadline for Fall graduation. I'm just glad Gray decide today on mid-November instead of the early December idea he had Thursday. I need to be done by Thanksgiving so that I can enjoy New Orleans and the album I will be inflicting on Sara unless she wants me in my own little world. She did like the first single, whose debut was the only thing that kept me from crumbling after both parents reduced me to tears last night. Do they know how much it kills me to be bitched at about money when I just got another job rejection from the temp agency and haven't worked since January? There are some things beyond my control, unless they want to let evil Kate play hardball with a neurologist, or have they forgotten part of why I moved to Florida to begin with? Anyway, hopefully being in touch with a temp agency will net me some actual money soon that is not the result of a cap and gown refund.

I woke up from my pre-baking nap to somewhat horrid news from Dr. Gray. He doesn't think I'm ready to defend. However, if I can rewrite my intro and link my advertising chapters to my mascot chapters better it my be possible. Why didn't he tell me this about the chapters this summer? Did he not read anything until he had everything? I'm hoping my dad can help me figure things out because I already ordered my cap and gown and am ready to finish this. I had no idea changes this big were looming. Also, this may mean that the job I found may not work out, as I have no idea how many hours of reading, writing, meeting with /e-mailing Gray it'll take to be ready. I'm dreading telling my parents. Called them when I found out, but they were in bed already.

As for why I was baking after 11pm? Rachel's birthday is Sunday, so I took her cupcakes, a card, and a copy of Details. She was amazed I got her anything, but after the card, balloon and flowers she gave me last year, I owed her. She hasn't read the Details article, didn't even know it existed, but her reaction to the pics wasn't surprising. Not amused is the best way to describe it, as well as shocked because she's apparently been under a rock. However, after she was weirded out by the Wicked clips, I wasn't surprised. Eh, I'll check back after she's read the article and see if she gets the spread then, as she knows nothing of tour shenanigans. Need to link her a different Time For Miracles vid as well, as the one I sent was yanked, oops. I offered to gift her either TFM or the first single off the album, when it appears, her choice. We'll see which she chooses. And we tentatively made plans for Indian food on my birthday because I can make teriyaki, but haven't ever attempted Indian. I miss the homemade samosas my friends gave me in high school. Need Samrat, or takeout Indian, soon. However, I need to defend to not make my birthday miserable. I wasn't at Kellum long though, walked back in the rain as she was called to deal with trouble in another dorm. Hope the next visit's longer.

Ok, game tomorrow, no game last weekend, guess it's time to relive the Georgia Tech game. I swear to God, if we don't find a defense soon, we'll lose Homecoming and get plastered by Florida. We spent the entire FSU/GT game playing what Sara dubbed musical endzones. Meaning we'd score, then they'd counter. The entire first half. We were lucky to be up at half 35-28, but that didn't last long, as they received to open the half, and had tied the game before the 13:00 mark. GT took the lead just before the quarter ended at 42-38, but we ended up losing 49-44. Scoring 44 points is evidence that the offense isn't the problem for the first time this decade, but we now have our worst record in probably two decades at 2-4 and the head of the Board of Trustees is calling for Bobby's head on a silver platter. There were signs at the game supporting him, but the students seem to be divided. Personally, I think it's his call when he retires, and calling for him to step down won't expedite the process. Bobby's scared to retire because of what happened to Bear and I hate to think that's why he's stayed so long, but I know that's at least part of it.

As far as the rest of life, my thesis is finished and sent to the committee. First revisions and defense to come. So damn happy to have the thing written. Kinda scared of what Gray will do to it. Hoping it's not much, as I still have citations to insert. Ordering my cap and gown this week as well, graduation's finally starting to seem real. I don't have a permanent job lined up, but a temp agency called and I might be making phone calls for the Muscular Dystrophy Association for their next fundraiser. That interview was fun, much of it was 20 questions about my rings, a claddagh, gecko, and kokopelli, the latter of which is great fun to explain. Oh, and since when do I turn my room inside out looking for boot socks and get mad when I read the mail. First thing on the inside of my Vera catalog? An espresso clutch, which I desperately need, as I have no dressy brown purse. Since when did I care about this? Where is my jeans, t-shirt, no bags self? And can I have here back? I put on a ribbed turtleneck sweater and boots with my jeans and full jewelry to go to the library and write because I planned to go to the on-campus Chilis to celebrate when I finished. I finished, I went, I didn't get carded, but the Pats game wasn't on when I got there. Still not sure why I dressed up.

My body hates me. I had a partial seizure about an hour ago. I think I missed a dose somewhere, but am too close to needing more Keppra and Carbatrol to be able to compensate right now. This means that my plan to write my entire conclusion today may not happen. However, I did finish the intro from Hell on Tuesday. Haven't heard back from Gray since I e-mailed it to him though. Hoping to meet with him Monday, so we can finalize my defense. I'd like to be able to look for a job more thoroughly. Did apply for two positions this week not really expecting that to pay off though. I need a job soon though or I have to move to Mobile and sublet after graduation, the thought of which breaks my heart. :'(

On a lighter note, my journal's been public for ages, but I have a question for my readers. Would friends locking it change the likelihood of commenting on entries for any of you? I don't mean to sound like a comment whore, but I get so few comments that I can't even tell who reads my stuff.

Ugh, my body hates me. My sleep is out of whack again, so I'm wide awake at 5:30am, but I had to take Valium because my meds are screwy and my hand's been tight all day. I met with Dr. Gray on Monday and he wants my intro finished ASAP, but the wedding will consume the rest of my week and I have reading to do before I can write the advertising portion of my historiography. The mascot portion is finished though, finally. Hoping I can at least finish the reading before next week, but we'll see. Might actually be sleeping on the bus, as Em's meeting me in Atlanta, with Nick on his birthday, poor him. Then we have to go to Augusta for manis and pedis for the wedding, the latter of which I desperately need, as my feet are shit and my heels are open-toed. I have managed to get out of any extraneous shopping due to a casual rehearsal dinner and having acceptable bridal luncheon clothes. Yay, but I do need to tan, my top is way to white, should have been wearing sleeveless tops and and studying on Landis, not in Strozier. If I still had my crazy creek, I'd probably be tan by now, damn it.

Anyway, my weekend was entertaining. Surprise trip by Sara to town for the game, but we mainly partied. Went to Bull's on Friday with Meg and Katie, that was interesting. I hate playing follow the leader around bars with staircases. We actually hung out on dance floor for a while and I had fun thoughts of the songs that should be playing the next time I'm on the dance floor. Shots were taken and Meg and Katie met up with old "friends". Good night over all. Until Sara dropped them off and didn't come back for a while, as her rendezvous was cut short by frat brothers arriving in town. She's lucky I was up at 5am. I paid for it later though, as I got up at nine for the game and was at the stadium to get seats at ten. Got sunburnt and dehydrated, and we lost, oh and it rained. Where did Murphy find me, and why last week? Lack of ability to defend a running quarterback, or convert at the goal line cost us dearly. Oh, and our kicker still fails at life. Why have home games sucked this year? Fortunately, our loss was small potatoes after UF's golden boy got a concussion and the whole state freaked out. They have this week off though, so he should be fine by their next game, hence me not getting the freak out. And yes, I've had a concussion, and dealing with mine was a pain in the ass, as it involved a trip to the neuro and much hovering, which I hate. This definitely colors my perception.

As for the rest of the weekend, we went out for drinks at the Painted Lady, but a Sex on the Beach is best made by your truly, Tally bartenders fail. Also, Sara and I are planning a trip to New Orleans for my birthday, possibly instead of Gainesville at Thanksgiving. The timing of the trip with depend on when I get the CD I'm awaiting. I hope I can pre-order, but am broke now. This should be fun, as Sara's never really been and I'm always up for playing tour guide and finally having a fellow history geek to go to cemeteries and the WWII museum with, doing that with the fam resulted in Twenty Questions about D-Day. Fortunately for them, I knew the answers. And the timing of this discussion was amusing as pics of Adam Lambert surfaced (with facial hair, never seen so much fandom drama ever) from his New Orleans trip, including a Hand Grenade container from the Tropical Isle, only my favorite drink on Bourbon St. I love hurricanes, but prefer mine from scratch, not Pat O'Brien's mix. Yes, too many Mardi Gras has made me picky, but I'm worse about King Cake. And on the food front, Sara and I discussed frying a turkey for Thanksgiving, which apparently Emily wants to do as well. I wish I still has the Emeril Thanksgiving special I watched years ago. Anyway, Thanksgiving could be an adventure this year, with a fabulous soundtrack. ;-)