| Miscellaneous Observations |
[17 Jul 2006|05:10pm] |
#1: The smell of my hand cream makes me think of the beach. My hand cream, which I bought in Cork, Ireland, where there is definitely no beach. Go figure.
#2: The entirety of UMBC reslife is entirely unreachable. I'm starting to worry about my job security.
#3: I was invited to pay $15 to go to a concert with a person I met online for the sole purpose of watching this actor named Jared Leto crawl around on the stage singing "I wanna fuck you like an animal..." Interesting.
|
|
| Hey look, it's a layout! |
[14 Jul 2006|05:16pm] |
A little grainy, yes, but I like neon. And black. And I really need to figure out how to bump the header stuff down under the banner so that it shows. *frets*
I got straight As in Ireland which does NOTHING to my GPA b/c study abroad is pass/fail. Grrrr. Also having a minor crisis about changing my class schedule. Mid-summer; right on time. And I'm thinking I might use idealist.org to find a job in January. Damnit, sandwiched between election years. I hate that. Campaigns love nine month full time employees. Boo.
|
|
| Holy shit, I'm back |
[14 Jul 2006|03:12am] |
|
I have mixed feelings about returning to LJ, but I realise that I've lost touch with some people and will undoubtably lose touch with more when I graduate in december, and so I'm going to give it one more shot. Please don't be offended if I don't check my friends list every day. If you have something to let me know personally, remember you can email me at judithavory@gmail.com. I'll try to remember to update this thing from time to time but who knows? Anyway, um, hello to all of you. Right.
|
|
| Farewell to Jump and to me... |
[31 Dec 2005|10:37pm] |
This may (or may not) be the last LiveJournal post I make for quite awhile. I’m actually writing this message from Washington Dulles, where I am waiting for a flight home. Tomorrow, I fly to Ireland for the semester, as most of you know. Before I give you the update, though, one BIG ANNOUNCEMENT:
IMPORTANT!!!
Please do NOT call my cell phone between now and June. My father will be using it, but he doesn’t know how to check voicemail or read texts or anything like that. I will disable AIM forwarding, but any texts you send will probably never get to me, and any voicemails won’t be received for awhile at least, as an international call to check costs a lot. The best way to reach me is through AIM or email (judithavory@gmail.com). If you do not receive an email from me in the next week, you are not on my Ireland update list; if you’d like to be, please let me know!!
So…
( Dock Street/Charleston Update Cut for Length )
|
|
|
[25 Dec 2005|12:39am] |
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
I know I've failed to update in ages. That's not actually going to improve. However, I should be sending out an email as soon as I get to Ireland for all on the twice-a-month update list. If you do NOT receive an email from me in the first week of January and want to be on the list, please drop me a line at judithavory@gmail.com and I'll add you. Or just email me for fun! Because you love. Seriously, I've been overseas a fair amount and I always love just getting those "how you're doing" emails in my box. Anyone who tells you they can leave the country for 5 months and not get homesick is lying.
That said. Plans are:
December 25-27: Charlotte, family.
December 27-31: Charleston, friends.
December 1-2: Raleigh to Chicago to Dublin. Lots of time changes. Very confused Judith. Sore fingernails from twisting the little button on my watch.
December 2- late May: Cork!
Incidentally, if any of you are or are going to be in Europe this semester, let me know! I'm trying to plan visiting dates. And Jennifer, just so you know, looks like Russia's out but I'm planning a week or two in Southern Europe (Germany-Italy-France) for April and if you want to join I'd love to have you. Otherwise, we'll hook up somewhere on the island at some point :)
|
|
|
[10 Dec 2005|04:58am] |
Welcome, ladies and gentilhommes, to five o clock AM.
So yeah, insomnia sucks. I find that these days I'm always going to bed with something on my mind, and I have to get up and deal with it and then I can't sleep again. Tonight it was my iPod, which I suddenly decided I wanted to listen to on the bus tomorrow to DC, but then I couldn't find the charger after half an hour of looking. Sometimes it's some obscure fact that I have to Google. But at least after the fruitless search I was able to get some work done on my American Colonies paper. The topic is the transfer of Moravian concepts of sexuality, marriage, and family to Indian converts. It's actually rather interesting, but I'm having trouble finding enough sources. That's what you get when you put it off, I guess.
Tonight I went to a holiday get-together at Brian and Crissi's. The snow and ice caused some problems, including a very klutzy move on Back Road that landed me flat on my back in about two seconds, but that was okay. Not as cold as last night when we suddenly decided that five am would be a great time to go sledding in heavy snowfall. The party was good, only about ten people (six of those being those of us from the floor). There was yummy apple pie and a delicious mulled wine, and Brian and Crissi have a great place in the city. They're getting married in June, so I'll have to find a cute present in Ireland or something.
One more week in Baltimore, the last until next August. Tomorrow I go on a bus to DC with UMBC people including Kat, Julia, and James. We're going to go to the National Gallery and the American History Museum (statue molestation!) for sure, and probably elsewhere. I managed to use all my meals for the week, so I'm looking forward to food there. My camera and spare battery are ready, as well. Monday I have to meet with Bobbie about scholarship funds for study abroad, and I have two classes plus the Oral History party in my professor's 50s and 60s basement. Tuesday I have just one class and work, and I think ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=88.8) stealthrabbi and I are going out for dinner, which should be nice. Wednesday there's a Humanities thing at noon, and then we're going to Golden West one last time for early dinner, and then a Humanities Floor holiday party. I have a final on Thursday as well as a take-home one due. If Randi's still game, we'll go see Carbon Leaf that night. Then, Friday all the girls on the floor are going to the Hard Rock, and afterwards Julia and I will see Will Hoge. And Saturday I fly out! Crazy...
|
|
|
[08 Dec 2005|11:57pm] |
|
Whoo!! Two Irish tune concert calls from Atlanta tonight. Thanks to Grace for "Taibhreahm" and Emily for "Do You Love An Apple?" Is it sad that I'll be in Cork for six months and I still think I'm going to miss Matt and Amanda doing trad music? Haha.
|
|
| Judith's Top Songs of 2005 |
[07 Dec 2005|02:49pm] |
10. "Landed," Ben Folds, Songs for Silverman
9. "Lua," Bright Eyes, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
8. "Bible vs. Gun," Will Hoge, During the Before and After
7. "Tragic Keys," Bain Mattox, Prizefighter
6. "Only Son," Jump, Between the Glow and the Light
5. "Magnolia Mountain," Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, Cold Roses
4. "Sixteen Military Wives," The Decembrists, Picaresque
3. "Going Numb," Tin Cup Prophette, Going Numb (single)
2. "Till Kingdom Come," Coldplay, X&Y
1. "Blue Orchid," White Stripes, Get Behind Me Satan
|
|
|
[06 Dec 2005|09:52am] |
|
My new Canon Powershot SD400 has rekindled an interest in photography I haven't had since I was eight years old and my Aunt Tharon got me a little red plastic camera with a "viewfinder" of black plastic framing that popped up on top and didn't actually do anything. At about eight thirty this morning, when sleep just wasn't happening, I decided that the light was perfect and went out to shoot a series I call "UMBC in Winter." The snow just makes the campus lovely, and I think this shall be one in a greater series called "Home," to include photographs in Raleigh and Charleston as well. Something to take to Ireland and think fondly back on, I guess. As for the camera, I'm rather impressed. It starts up very quickly (I was for example, able to hit the power button at the first sound of wings fluttering and succesfully capture the flight of an egret overhead) and the quality is very good. I'm concerned about video quality, as far as what mode I should shoot on, especially for DSX, but I'll fiddle a lot. The flash is also rather harsh, as Amanda Mae warned, but it performs better than most without flash and has a very nice LCD screen. I have a 512MB memory card and I ordered a cheap spare battery last night from Amazon. Woo. I shall post the set to my online portfolio and link here asap.
|
|
|
[06 Dec 2005|06:29am] |
Car rental for one day in Ireland: $30
Ski pass for two days in France: $24
Two day vacation in Baden Baden including hotel, breakfast buffet, free entrance to thermal springs, and two hours of spa treatements: $190
Plane ticket to almost anywhere in Europe on Ryanair: $25
Having an entire month off when you're studying in Europe: priceless.
|
|
|
[04 Dec 2005|03:31pm] |
Just so y'all know, I don't really read my FL anymore, so if you have something important to update me on, let me know in person.
Belatedly I want to say a BIG THANKS to ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/user_ontd.gif?v=88.8) extemporangle for the New Pornographers songs. Love 'em. Also belatedly, a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Taylor and Alex, 21 and 20 respectively. I love you two, and I hope you know it, but you're two of the most awesome friends I have and I'm so glad to have gotten to know you. </mushy>
Saw two movies last night- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which was amazing (Johnny Depp is an incredible actor, no matter how much some may call him a pretty boy), and Star Wars: Episode Three which was pretty good, but not my favorite of the series. Hayden Christensen just really can't act. It's painful. But the battles were cool.
Last minute things to do coming up. Have to drop of registration packets for study abroad, see the registrar about dropping swimming late, and make an appointment with Nicole. Please lord say she's not booked, because I can't go a whole year without a haircut but I don't trust anyone else.
|
|
| Welcome to Southwest, the airline with a sense of humour. |
[29 Nov 2005|11:42pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
 blah |
] |
I was reminded this weekend why I love Southwest Airlines flight attendants. They're just so fucking funny. Anyone who can laugh at security regulations is cool in my book. What is not cool, of course, is the fact that they managed to break both my suitcases so now I'm going to need a new one before I leave for Ireland. Grrrrrr.
Speaking of Ireland. I'll be keeping a journal every day in hopes of writing a book about the experience, so I may not update LiveJournal as much with the day to day. Therefore, if you would like to receive an email approximately every other week with an update on where I've been and how I'm doing next semester, please reply here with your email address.
Another important newsbyte is that I am now a proud Mac user. I love my PowerBook to death. God, it's lovely. I don't have any files on it at all, and I realize that we are way too dependent on our hard drives. You are not your fucking dinette set. Thank you, Tyler Derden. But seriously. I'm very low-maitenance right now, and my Mac lets me do that. Also, I can run six programs at once without breaking a sweat. Does anyone whose name is not Alex have some New Pornographers that they could yousendit to me?
Love.
ps- I'm a vegetarian now.
|
|
|
[25 Nov 2005|05:30pm] |
I suck at updating. Hey [Bad username: gorgeouscarpet"], three guesses why and the first two don't count.
Seriously, though. Thanksgiving was pretty good. There's been arguing, but minimally so. I've gotten to play some piano, and see virga at the mall, which wasn't too badly crowded. We had oysters. (I win). I feel like all my money gets sucked away, as my new PowerBook and iPod are in the mail and I have to get a new digicam now b/c mine just died. But what can a girl do? Ireland in a little over a month, and I'll miss everyone but I'm looking forward to it, especially if Emily is in Paris. Whee.
|
|
|
[18 Nov 2005|07:28pm] |
         
This is called a positive affirmation. Jameson's tonight and maybe the fucking dizziness will just go away.
|
|
|
[12 Nov 2005|10:59pm] |
I have shin splints and I'm depressed and gorgeouscarpet needs to get off the phone so I can pout at her :-)
Ever have that feeling where you don't regret something, but you feel kind of weird about it in spite of yourself? Yeah, that's vague, I know, but I'm feeling vague and emo and unspecific. Pizza and doughnuts are my one true love.
|
|
| the word of the day is "intolerance," brought to you by the letter I |
[11 Nov 2005|03:59am] |
-Julia got in trouble for an "act of intolerance" by having lesbian references on our door. To prove a point, I sat in the hallway with Kat and Robin between my legs and fondled Kat's boob. It was fun.
-Bain Mattox was great tonight. I especially enjoyed "Sixes and Fives." We chatted for awhile afterwards and he was quite a sweetheart. He even forgave me for heckling him (onstage he said something about "poor, poor me" and I said "I don't feel sorry for you, man. I've seen your wife.") He said that wasn't "really" heckling, since I know Amanda.
-There are a number of new photos up on my Flickr, including some outtakes that I didn't have space for from the Charleston trip and the White Stripes.
-I'm probably going to be living and working in Charleston this summer. If anyone gets any job or apartment tips, pass them along.
-Tomorrow night is Ben Folds with the BSO! I need to be a little more productive, especially with remembering to swim, but I don't feel too bad b/c I haven't been to a concert since October 1st, and after these three I won't see another one until Carbon Leaf and Will Hoge mid-December.
-I got an 80 on a quiz. But I had a 100 average before that in that class, so honestly I don't give a fuck. This pulls my average down to, oh, a 97. Yeah, not too concerned.
|
|
|
[08 Nov 2005|10:32pm] |
1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a liquor I'd take a shot of with you
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered or liked about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal
|
|
| july 10th |
[08 Nov 2005|02:58am] |
|
july 10th. the day taylor got bitter.
|
|
| and now, a less gloomy update... |
[06 Nov 2005|12:04am] |
1) I've been reading Tolstoy's Hadji Murat, which is the most interesting memoir I've read thus far for Imperial Russia class. Granted, it's more fictional than most, but I adore Tolstoy's realist style... almost reminds me of Virginia Woolf or even Fitzgerald. Sure, that's a stretch, but I see correlations. Also on the reading list is Kerouac's On the Road, which the Freshmen are reading for Humanities Forum. I hope to get one of their copies next week.
2) Crafts are speeding right along! I've got a bit done for mom's birthday present, and I bought the rest of what I need yesterday. I just have to sew up the seams for my gorgeous little fuzzy purple iPod sweater, a picture of which I will post to Flickr soon. I'm embroidering Bethany's ckayak cuff, finally, and I've also started on a christmas gift for Tiffany. For once, I think, Christmas may not sneak up on me unawares.
3) I've become obsessed with Lord of the Rings. I guess it was bound to happen sometime. We watched the entire extended series last week, and what began as an innocent crush on Viggo Mortensen escalated into a full-scale LOTR quest for knowledge. I'm sure Tiffany will be proud. I wish I had a more detailed map than the one on the inside cover of the book to go by as I read, though. I've gotten to Book One and I find myself referencing the map in frustration a lot. I still have no desire to read the Hobbit, but I would like to tackle the Sylmarillion. All that backstory stuff is so fascinating.
|
|
|
[05 Nov 2005|03:51am] |
For those of you who have expressed concern about my heart disease, I thought I would relay some information that I've found out...
PFO (or Patent Foramen Ovale) is a condition that exists in 10-20% of Americans. It's basically a very small hole between the upper chambers of the heart. If you cough hard, or sneeze, sometimes a bit of blood will pass between the chambers without being filtered through the lungs. This can cause blood clots and symptoms such as the diziness I was experiencing, migraines, and stroke. The cures include aspirin therapy, blood thinners, catheter surgery (not very invasive), and open heart surgery (scary). I have an appointment with a cardiologist in a few weeks to see what I'll do... I think there wouldn't be much time to recover from surgery before Ireland, and it doesn't seem like it's that urgent, but we'll see. The diziness is a bit of a concern, though I have drugs for that specifically. Also an odd side effect is something called endocarditis, which is basically bacteria getting into the heart valves and attacking them, causing leaky valves. So I have to be really careful about keeping healthy, take antibiotics before dental cleanings, and call my doctor any time I think I have a cold or flu because it might be an infection. Oy. I'm doing okay, but this is all kind of scary and also hard to deal with considering how little time I have before leaving for Ireland (not to mention Charleston). This better not fuck up Dock Street or study abroad, but I guess I have no choice. Dude, if I end up in surgery in late December, *somebody* better send Matt and Ian and the rest of the town my love. Boo hiss. Still, I doubt it'll come to that. I just need to not fuck up school and such b/c I'm preoccupied. Oy. I'll keep y'all updated.
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| [ |
go |
| |
earlier |
] |
|
|
|
|
