Thursday, February 28, 2008

On apologies and memes

Arghblephiz.
That's all I feel coherent to say about now.


Oh, and that I almost tried to pet a raccoon today, thinking it was my cat friend who guilt trips me when I've been drinking.

Life? Is crazy.

I arrived home nearly 15 hours after I'd left in the morning, which included 8 hours at work, 4.5 hours on campus, and 2.5 hours commuting between home and these places.

I'm having french fries before bed. I've decided that calories are an old wives tale.

I just sent the following text message to my guy: "So brain dead. French fries then bed. Maybe bath. Full sentences hard."

I'm also close to paying someone to do my dishes for me, because, seriously, my brain doesn't believe me anymore when I try to trick it into thinking that chores are *real* breaks. 

On top of all I've been stressing about, today at work, my boss thought he was giving me an "opportunity" by having me do an unexpected assessment and report. Generally, I would agree-- when the court doesn't want it in a week, especially the day after other epic projects are due. Someone pushed me back off the tightrope when I was finally taking a step again. 

The truth is, even though I'm already behind on blogs, I am still using what little browsing I can do as a procrastination tool, and I think this needs to be halted for a bit. 
As such, I may be MIA for a week. 
Then again, I may not be. 
While I still find myself wanting to post or comment, and I may do so, the reality is, I can't have another obligation on my plate this week. Feeding myself is difficult enough.

I hope you all can still feel the love emanating from the general vicinity of my laptop. 

As a way to break you all off my princessly words gradually, I leave you with a meme, as I was tagged by the fantastic fellow who goes by Therapeutic Ramblings (who is especially likely to feel my pain at the moment). All of these answers are in no particular order...

8 Things I Am Passionate About
  1. Psychology (though it doesn't feel that way at the moment)
  2. Constant learning (non-psych related-- hence my love for documentary films)
  3. My guy (he's pretty great)
  4. Traveling and random explorations (I find this to be so rejuvenating-- whether 20, 200, or 2000 miles from home)
  5. Films (one day, I will take the full 2-3 weeks off when the film festival comes to town, and just soak myself in great cinema)
  6. Writing (it makes the running dialogue in my head that much more productive)
  7. Photography (I'm an utter amateur, but it makes me see the world in a different way)
  8. Friends and family (cliched, but who would I be if it wasn't true?)
8 Things I Want to do Before I Die
  1. Get my damn PhD
  2. Own a car (26 years old, and still no dice. Wanna see my shiny student loan?)
  3. Husband and babies and kittens and all that jazz
  4. Go to the Galapagos Islands
  5. Own a piece of waterfront property (preferably a home with a very large deck)
  6. Learn to scuba dive
  7. Have visited every continent (though I'd be willing to scratch Antarctica)
  8. Do some valuable research or advocacy in mental health
8 Things I Say Often
  1. Indeed
  2. Fair enough
  3. For serious.
  4. ...Bitches! (primarily when paired with something exceedingly nerdy... like "I'm doing mad multiple regressions, bitches!")
  5. Fabulous! (There's a flamboyant drag queen inside me yearning to get out. He also wants me to rethink my choice in cushions.)
  6. You're a *fill-in-the-blank*. So, if someone asks me to pick up a towel, I will promptly declare "You're a towel!" (points if you know where that comes from)
  7. Over-the-top (apparently the best descriptive term in the world, next to fabulous)
  8. Boooooooo
8 Books I've Recently Read
(caveat-- reading for fun is a little few and far between lately. I'll try to not have the entire list be nerdy!)
  1. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
  2. The Gift of Therapy by Irvin Yalom (I heart Yalom. For serious.)
  3. Can You Hear the Nightbird Call by Anita Rau Badami
  4. Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder by Marsha Linehan
  5. Clinical Neuroscience by Honestly No One Cares
  6. Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier (I just started reading this one in little bits-- it is an ethnography from the Duke's Sociology class, but really fascinating so far, about the street vendor/panhandler culture in Greenwich Village)
  7. Keep Sweet: Children of Polygamy by Debbie Palmer and Dave Perrin (super disturbing, especially as it is happening in our own backyard)
  8. Runaway by Alice Munro

8 Songs I Could Listen to Over and Over 
(to be fair, these rotate every once in a while)
  1. Rootless Tree- Damian Rice
  2. Ugly Before- Elliott Smith
  3. Breathe Me- Sia 
  4. Amen, Omen- Ben Harper (I actually have a rule about this song that I can't listen to it more than once at a time-- it has such a delicious effect that I want to savour it. Even though it makes me cry.)
  5. Elevator Love Letters/Heart- Stars (To be fair, these are two songs. But they come after one another on the CD, and I always listen to them together, so they just fit like that for me.)
  6. Lodestar- Sarah Harmer
  7. Backseat- Arcade Fire
  8. My Moon, My Man- Feist

8 Things That Attract Me to My Best Friends
  1. Quirky sense of humour
  2. Genuine kindness
  3. Sense of adventure
  4. Passion
  5. Overanalyzing tendencies (need someone to share it with!)
  6. Trustworthiness
  7. Confidence
  8. Compassion
I'm feeling a little apathetic about tagging. I know its a cop-out... but be gentle with me today!

33 comments:

ANA said...

There's a flamboyant drag queen inside me yearning to get out. He also wants me to rethink my choice in cushions.

Hahaha you crack me up. You are fabulous darling. Also dig your taste in music.

Anonymous said...

I hope that you get some much deserved rest and feel more energized - take good care of yourself and know I am thinking about you!

Hope said...

"I'm having french fries before bed. I've decided that calories are an old wives tale."

Haha! I loooooved that. Also, I heart you so very much. Hang in there!

Hope said...

Oh and yes.

I bow down to Yalom in the way others bow down to Madonna.

He's a superstar!

Anonymous said...

I've been behind all week. I feel like a bad freader when I don't read and comment every day. Gah!

And dude, I will not hate if you don't get around this week. You're busy. We all get busy :)

Eve said...

Aw, don't worry about not blogging. If you feel anxious or overwhelmed at the prospect, don't do it! Everyone understands, too.

You're an Arghblephiz.

t.b.f.love. said...

I wish you the best of luck over the next week - and I'm hoping you get a nice break afterwards! My gosh, you deserve it. I know I look forward to all of your posts, whenever they may come - so take time to take care of yourself!

Also? I have to say that my passions list is basically a mirror of yours.

Yoda said...

You want babies and kittens? Never knew you were that type! Kittens are far easier to get than babies, I can tell ya that. Get ready for three months of puking! I just saw a friend go through the first five months and its been a challenge for her!

And breathe. I have time for nothing these days, and its surprising that I even get a blog post out a week!

A Margarita said...

Rest too! Before you get sick from running yourself ragged. Good luck with all your work!

Tonya said...

Funny post, especially about the inner drag queen. :) I hope you get some time to relax and enjoy yourself soon. (and maybe win a car or something).

B said...

Good luck with everything, hon!! And I swear, every time I read people's book lists I'm all, "hmm.. I need to read more." Except? That idea kinda concerns me. A lot. Because I already push off too many responsibilities as it is.

Beth said...

Even when you're exhausted, you manage to create a great post.
If you end up taking a break, enjoy it. (Forget the dishes...)

Jess said...

Torsten tried to pet a raccoon once! Except that he KNEW it was a raccoon. He just didn't know that they are not a good thing to pet.

Feel better soon!

megabrooke said...

I know these kind of weeks! Be good to yourself, and eat as many damn fries as you want before bed!

I SO do the "you're a towel" thing too! How funny and random! Not totally sure where it's even from, I just thought it was another weird quirk of mine!

Love all of your music choices, by the way. And, envy your ability to use some moderation when it comes to a song you adore. I wish I could do that- I end up playing it over and over and over and then I'm totally done with it. Which, kind of sucks in a way!

Therapeutic Ramblings said...

I feel ya pp, I feel ya. How far along are you in your program?

Linehan's book is a classic....though I'm a bit more of a traditionalist when it comes to BPD. :D

Yalom is indeed a great read. I can re-read his stuff and it never gets old.

I are about the author of the neuroscience book! I decided to leave most of my school reading off, though I left on the dev. pharma because I read probably the first 100-120 pages on the plane, so I consider that reading and not just referencing. :D

I love me some Ben Harper.

nicole antoinette said...

I really like that you're taking care of yourself by noticing that there's too much on your plate and taking some of the unnecessaries off.

Oh, and I do the "you're a *fill in the blank*" SO MUCH. Followed by "you're mom's a *fill in the blank*"

I'm a child, I know.

Larissa said...

I wonder what my inner drag queen would say.

Ant said...

Aw sweetie - hope it all calms down soon. Absolutely take a break, and try not to feel guilty - 'member what I said about the test-card? It is incredibly liberating.

*hug*

Chris Benjamin said...

ah yes, the overwhelmed student, i remember when that trope was me. not fun. but, there is a light out there. it's not a train, don't worry.

i love Anita Rau Badami - have you read Hero's Walk? so good. one of my favs.

owning a car is something i hope never to do. for so long i wanted one and couldn't afford it. then suddenly, i could afford it and didn't want one anymore. this may change if children come my way.

Anonymous said...

you're so funny and adorable, my love!

can we put this line on the party favors we give out at our wedding?

"I've decided that calories are an old wives tale."

Maybe we can switch the I to We. You know. In the spirit of marriage.

Ultra Toast Mosha God said...

I too say 'indeed' a lot.

Brunhilda said...

When you're worn out, you should go back to those lists of things you're passionate about and music you love and indulge yourself just a little. You deserve it!

Wendy said...

Princess, you're pure awesome. Sorry I haven't been around lately, I've been mad busy with exams.

I'm always saying fantastic, instead of fabulous, and ridiculous. It's ridiculously fantastic, hee!

Breathe me by Sia is the loveliest song ever. My Moon, My Man is awesome and Stars rocks, I haven't listen to them in ages though!

Hope you're getting some much needed rest. :)

Sheila said...

After seeing the books you've recently read I can understand why that coupled with your work/school load that your brain is fried!

Eat Fries, Take Bath, Go to Bed ~ Sounds lke just what the doctor ordered. Take care!

Silverstar said...

Sorry to hear about the stress and craziness, hopefully things will settle soon. I also dig Sarah Harmer.:)

Crashdummie said...

a fab meme, and the only thing that was better was the text to your guy ;)

how come your blamboyant drag queen has a brittish accent?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the book recommendations! I finished Clinical Neuroscience in one sitting! JK, of course; I'm saving that one for some night when I can't sleep. I put Keep Sweet and Sidewalk on my list, and I look forward to summer (when I'll be able to read them!)

the frog princess said...

I too say "Indeed," "Fair Enough," and "Fabulous!" All. The. Time.

I knew there was a reason I liked you :)

Also, I think this is the week from hell for grad students across the board. I just got an extension on one paper, but that does nothing to save me from the other two that are due on Monday. Ugh!

brandy said...

You have some Harmer on the list! I definitely love that. Also, I can relate to so much of what you are saying- the rush of everything and eating bad things before bed (for me, it was two orange popsicles and a sprite, because apparently I want my body to hate me). Anyway, I hope things calm down for you soon.

The Author Of This said...

Hey, that text message reads like most of my posts! Loads of short senteneces!

You know, it's really strange catching up on your blog, but reading it backwards. Must work on my logic more.

Lisa said...

Love your taste in music, as always. And I'm a huge film nut myself. Like way too much for my own good. Nothing ever gets done here.

eric1313 said...

Woo-hoo! I meet the criteria of your friends! How sweet it is!

I also say indeed all the time. It just sounds so authoritative.

You say 'boooo' all the time, too? I thought only I and my friends did that! I've turned it into an adjective, as in, "that is so boo!"

Somebody once vadalized a picnic table at a local park with the phrase, "white is right". Somebody then drew a line through it and wrote underneath it "white is wrong". and I drew a line through it and wrote "white is boo". I think it still says that to this day.

As for calories, the worst that can happen is they'll give you more curves, so no worries, eat all you want. Me? I have no such concern, since I have the metabolism of a cheetah on amphetamines.

Hang in there, sweet Princess.

You know?

No matter what your name is, you'll always be Princess to me.

Yeah, I'll be quiet now...

Peace out, friend.

eric1313 said...

Damn, on my way out, I got a pertinent song stuck in my head.

"You were just too busy being fabulous..."

By the Eagles.

Yep, I want your shiny nerd crown, sista! Give it up!