A Lighter Note

Well, my last few posts have been a bit...serious. And I'm not all about the sturm und drang. So it's time for a bit of a recap of what's going on in my life.

• I had a really nice weekend. On Saturday, Jimmy and I went to the Regal in Battery Park to see The Kids Are All Right and Despicable Me. Both were very good movies (in very different ways, of course). I wasn't really sure what to expect from The Kids Are All Right; I knew from previews and a few news stories that it was about a lesbian couple that had raised two kids, that were then interested in meeting the sperm donor that had made their existence possible. It was a really well-written story, and I thought Julianne Moore and Annette Bening did a good job of portraying a believable couple. The movie made me cry (of course) and so once it was over I was ready for a cute, fun film. Despicable Me was just that. We were definitely the oldest people in the theater that didn't have kids with us, but it was just such a fun movie that I didn't even feel out of place. Other than wandering, hot and hungry, around the (terrifying on a weekend night) Financial District for a while in search of an open downtown R station (which was my fault, I should have researched weekend service changes before going to an area of town I'm not familiar with; damn my New York cockiness!), and taking the seventeen escalators each way to actually get to the theater part of the Regal building, we had a lovely time. We went back to my place and ordered delivery BBQ, and then spent the evening hanging out, playing Apples to Apples with Emma, Aubrey, Patrick, and Andrew, and heckling guidos from the rooftop: always good uses for a Saturday evening. Sunday was a lazy day. I meant to clean the apartment, but spent most of the day watching episodes of Bones on Netflix. Whoops.
• I'm still working extra hours this week, since Camilla is on vacation (lucky!). It's leaving me pretty tired, but it's going to be totally worth it when I get my paycheck. The thought of impending book costs and tuition bills...sigh.
• I'm heading to Jersey this weekend to see Richie star in Into The Woods. I've never seen the show, and so all of my friends are keeping totally quiet on everything having to do with it (since they want me to be surprised). Either way, I'll just be happy to get out of the city one last time before school starts back up. Plus, I'm going with Ella, maybe Jimmy, and probably seeing Gerard there! Hooray!
• Other than that, there really isn't too much going on. The next few weeks are going to consist of trying to save as much money as possible for books, registering for classes (I guess I should actually get on that...whoops...), and prepping for Welcome Week. It's going to get a lot busier around the office, what with classes starting back up, and I'm so excited to get to see all of my friends that have gone home for the summer!

Highlight Reel

I know I haven't posted in a while (again)...there just either is absolutely nothing going on, or I'm so busy I don't have a moment for thought. Here's a lowdown on what's been going on lately:

• I painted my living room! It's green. Bright green. Like, almost neon. I love it, though, and luckily my roomies do too.
• I went to the Pride parade, and afterwards wandered through the PrideFest in the West Village. It was a lot of fun (though it was wicked hot that day), and we had a ball. I've never seen so many great-looking men in very little clothing all in one place before, and I've lived in NYC for almost two years (holy cow, has it really been that long?!?!?!)
• My mom and brother came down to the city to bring me my box spring, and we went to the Yankees/Mariners game. We had AMAZING seats, and the Yanks lost, so it was a great day. Not so great, however, was Danny's realization that he really hates NYC (like, more than we thought) and being all freaked out on the subway. He said he's never going to come visit me again, and it doesn't surprise me at all.
• I sprained my ankle last Friday night (me+ballet/gymnastics attempts=injuries; this is nothing new, and one would think I would've realized it by now) and spent my entire 4th of July long weekend alone in my apartment. Sigh. On the up side (actually, I don't know that this is something I should be broadcasting, but whatever), I watched every Judd Apatow movie in our house (this includes Superbad, Knocked Up, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall).
• Both my boss and my co-worker are gone this week, so I get to work 9-4 all week. Which means waking up at 7:30 in the morning. Have I mentioned I'm not a morning person? At all?
• Last Thursday Emma and I went to to get our nails done, and on the way back stopped in at a little consignment shop down the street. I found the most glorious alice+olivia dress I've ever seen, on sale, and I bought it. Happy Early Birthday to me!
• I'm going home in a little over a week, and I can't wait. Four days of celebrating my birthday and lounging at the lake. It's going to be magnificent.
• My ex-teacher (and moving helper) Ms. Jenson got married! Congrats!
• I saw Eclipse (illegally online, of course). Best line: Taylor Lautner tells Robert Pattinson "After all, I am hotter than you." That was the only redeeming part of the film, honestly. That and Kellan Lutz.

Well that's really about all the interesting news in these parts. I'll post more when I come up with an interesting topic (or the next time I'm super bored).

The Envelope, Please

Well, it's that time of year again: Academy Awards season. I've never really been that interested in the Oscars before, though I would typically watch them just because I love awards shows in general. It was always cool to see the winners announced, especially if I had seen the movies that were in contention.

But this year I've become really interested in the Oscars. I've seen (almost) all of the Best Picture nominees, and since there are ten of them this year, I feel pretty knowledgeable about the majority of the categories. I'm not exactly a sound editing wunderkind or anything, so a lot of these are guesses based on my own personal feelings about the films and some pretty extensive reading of professional predictions while bored at work.

So, ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present:

Amelia's Oscar Predictions, 2010 Edition!

First off, the biggest prize of the night, Best Picture.

Nominees: Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, A Serious Man, Up, and Up In The Air.

Winner: The Hurt Locker. This film floored me. I watched it by myself on a slow Saturday night, and it's been my front-runner for Best Picture ever since. It's intense, suspenseful, and gritty. The other strong contender, Avatar, was excellent, don't get me wrong, but the writing left something (read: a lot) to be desired, and both times I watched it, I got the sense that it was unnecessarily long. I thought District 9 was really amazing, and was shocked that Sharlto Copley wasn't nominated for Best Actor, but it just doesn't have enough critical acclaim to make it. Precious was another absolutely breathtaking film, but it has the same problem as District 9. Inglourious Basterds was thoroughly entertaining, and if The Hurt Locker or Avatar doesn't win, it'll be this one. The Hurt Locker was really an incredible film all the way around, and at the end of the day, it's got to get my vote.

Best Actor.

Nominees: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart), George Clooney (Up In The Air), Colin Firth (A Single Man), Morgan Freeman (Invictus), and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker).

Winner: Jeff Bridges. I haven't seen Crazy Heart, but everyone is raving about Bridges' performance. He's been a great actor for a long time, and has never been rewarded with an Oscar. I say it's abut time for him to get a little golden "dude" of his own. Clooney was very good, but he seems to be playing the same role over and over again, and while I always enjoy watching it, I don't think the Academy will reward it. I loved Renner, too, but I don't think he's got enough to beat Bridges.

Best Actress:

Nominees: Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side), Helen Mirren (The Last Station), Carey Mulligan (An Education), Gabourey Sidibe (Precious), and Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia).

Winner: Sandra Bullock. Of the acting categories, I'm most unsure about this one. Sidibe was excellent in Precious, and it's ridiculous to try to think of an actress that's better than Meryl Streep (I am one of the Streep devotees who will go see a film just because she's in it [like It's Complicated...sigh]), but like Bridges, Bullock has been a mainstay in Hollywood for years and has never won an Oscar. It's her turn. And her work in The Blind Side really was heartfelt.

Best Supporting Actor:

Nominees: Matt Damon (Invictus), Woody Harrelson (The Messenger), Christopher Plummer (The Last Station), Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones), and Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds).

Winner: Christoph Waltz. He is the overwhelming favorite in this category, and for good reason. He was fantastic in Basterds. I originally watched the film for Brad Pitt (and because it was an assignment for class), but I was quickly drawn in by Waltz. If he doesn't win, I think the Academy may have a riot on their hands.

Best Supporting Actress:

Nominees: Penelope Cruz (Nine), Vera Farmiga (Up In The Air), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart), Anna Kendrick (Up In The Air), and Mo'Nique (Precious).

Winner: Mo'Nique. Hands down. If any category is a lock, it's this one. Her performance in Precious was nothing short of amazing.

Best Director:

Nominees: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), James Cameron (Avatar), Lee Daniels (Precious), Jason Reitman (Up In The Air), and Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds).

Winner: Kathryn Bigelow. All of the press about her being the first woman to win this award aside, she absolutely deserves it. (I suppose my bias towards The Hurt Locker is a little apparent, but really, have you seen the movie? If you haven't, get on it. Now. Seriously. I'll wait.)

Best Original Screenplay:

Nominees: The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, The Messenger, A Serious Man, Up.

Winner: For me, it's between the first two, but I think I'm going to have to go with Basterds on this one. Tarantino rewrote World War II, and did it with a great combination of comedy and suspense.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Nominees: District 9, An Education, In The Loop, Precious, and Up In The Air.

Winner: Up In The Air. I really did love District 9 (another one that if you haven't seen it, you need to, right now) but Up In The Air was extremely well-written. Another reason is that UITA was a critical darling in the earlier rounds of predictions (before the BAFTAs, etc.) and this is an opportunity to give an award to a film that deserves at least one.

Best Cinematography:

Nominees: Avatar, The White Ribbon, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Hurt Locker, and Inglourious Basterds.

Winner: Avatar. While I wasn't a fan of the writing or acting, this film was one of the most visually stunning things I've ever seen. It deserves this one.

Best Editing:

Nominees: Avatar, District 9, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, and Precious.

Winner: The Hurt Locker. To me, the nominees for this category seem like the ones the Academy "really" wanted to nominate for Best Picture. The Hurt Locker was edited beautifully, with lots of suspense. All bias aside, it should win.

Best Art Direction:

Nominees: Avatar, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Nine, Sherlock Holmes, and Precious.

Winner: Avatar. Duh.

Best Costume Design:

Nominees: Bright Star, Coco Before Chanel, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Nine, and The Young Victoria.

Winner: I haven't seen any of these movies, but Coco Before Chanel and The Young Victoria are the current front-runners. I'm going to have to give my vote to Coco Before Chanel, purely because it's a movie about Chanel. And I love Chanel.

Best Makeup:

Nominees: Il divo, Star Trek, and The Young Victoria.

Winner: The Young Victoria. Roger Ebert says Star Trek, but I think that there should be a bit more to it than Vulcan ears. Stills I've seen from The Young Victoria look lovely, so I'm going for that one.

Best Original Score:

Nominees: Avatar, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Hurt Locker, Sherlock Holmes, and Up.

Winner: Up. Seriously, the music in this film is so excellent. Even listening to the theme now brings tears to my eyes. I really like Michael Giacchino's work, and I think he deserves this one wholeheartedly.

Best Original Song:

Nominees: Crazy Heart, Faubourg 36, Nine, and two songs from The Princess and the Frog.

Winner: Crazy Heart. I didn't much care for any of these songs, but listening to "The Weary Kind", it seems to be the most likely choice for voters.

Best Sound Mixing:

Nominees: Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Star Trek, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Winner: The Hurt Locker. I don't have any idea what this category means, but anything that Transformers is nominated for makes me giggle. The Hurt Locker is the clear front-runner among experts, so I'm going to trust them.

Best Sound Editing:

Nominees: Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Star Trek, and Up.

Winner: Again, I have no idea about this category, but apparently it's a toss-up between The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds. I guess I'll say Inglourious Basterds, because The Hurt Locker wins Best Picture and Tarantino needs something to keep him warm at night.

Best Visual Effects:

Nominees: Avatar, District 9, and Star Trek.

Winner: Avatar. Again, duh.

Best Animated Film:

Nominees: Coraline, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess and the Frog, The Secret of Kells, and Up.

Winner: Up. As only the second animated film ever to be nominated for Best Picture, Up should win this category no problem.

As for the rest of the categories, I'll confess I've only seen one nominee (Food, Inc., nominated for Best Documentary). So these are purely based on professional predictions I've read, and as such, I'll only put who the winners will be.

Best Foreign Language Film:

The White Ribbon

Best Documentary:

Apparently it's between The Cove and Food, Inc., but The Cove has won a ton of awards already this year, so it'll probably win.

Best Short Documentary:

Rabbit a la Berlin

Best Animated Short Film:

Wallace and Gromit in 'A Matter of Loaf and Death'

Best Live Action Short Film:

Miracle Fish

That's really about it for the predictions...the rest of the technical awards aren't covered by anyone, and I don't know anything about technical aspects of filmmaking, so I guess I'll leave it to the experts.

Weekend Update

No, they aren't actually here.

Sigh.

That would be so cool.

But anyway...

This weekend was pretty lovely. There was another huge snowstorm on Thursday evening, and NYU closed the university on Friday. This may sound logical and normal, but it most definitely isn't. Prior to this year, NYU hadn't had a snow day in years. This makes sense; we live in the middle of Manhattan. The public transportation system is one of the best in the nation. And the majority of students and faculty live within walking distance of our "campus".

But this year we've had 1.5 snow days (we were closed Friday, and then they closed early another day). I don't know what's going on with JSex- if he's just getting kindly in his old age or what, but I enjoyed not having to go to work on Friday. I slept in until noon (I haven't done that after going to bed at a normal hour in ages) and then Richie and I went to the movies. We had planned on going to see Shutter Island last weekend, while Jimmy was here, but it was sold out. So I thought we would go see it on this "found day" (because it's pretty rare these days that Richie and I are both free at the same time to go see a movie). But he's been trying to get through all of the Best Picture nominees before the Oscars on March 7th, and he hadn't seen Avatar yet.

I saw Avatar back in early January, and I really enjoyed it. The writing left much to be desired, but it was visually stunning. Richie was planning on watching it on his computer, but Dan and I had talked to him about it, and he realized that in order to really understand it, he needed to see it on the big screen. So I watched Avatar again.

I was in a hell of a mood on Friday night, and I had planned on just staying home by myself, but somehow it always ends up that I have four people in my room until all hours of the night on those days. It wasn't bad, just not what I had planned for my evening.

Saturday was a busy day. I got a lot of homework done, which was really good, and Saturday night we went to see "The Vagina Monologues". I'm not a big-time feminist or anything. If it were up to me, the feminist movement would probably be about extinct by now. But we went because the endlessly lovely Alex and Jenni were in it.

I had never seen a production of VM before, and I thought it was really interesting. This production was being done to raise money to help victims of violence in the Congo, and at the end the entire cast told the story of one young woman who was a sex slave for two years. I've been learning about this for a while in my Human Rights class, and the story just affected me so deeply. The entire experience was really moving.

That's really about it. I'm pretty on edge about a lot of things lately, mostly because I really want to know if I've made it as an RA. So much hinges upon it, and I don't quite know what I'll do if I don't make it. Sigh. Stress!

"The sun is so underappreciated!"

The end of last week was pretty busy. Thursday was probably my busiest day- after classes and work, I went to Third North to interview for the RA position. This was my individual interview (instead of the group sessions that I did on the 31st and that I have again on the 14th). I don't want to jinx it, but I feel like it went really well! I'm just really anxious about the whole RA process. This means so much to me (if I don't get an RA position, I don't know if I can come back to NYU next year) and I feel like it's going well, but I don't want to get my hopes up too far only to have them crushed. And at this point it's not even about the money as much as it is about the fact that I really actually want to be an RA. It seems like it would be fun, and I'm really interested in passing along the knowledge that I have to the next generation of freshmen. But the more I think about it, the more nervous I get, so here's hoping!

This past weekend was a nice slow one. I had a bit more homework than last weekend but still not a terribly large amount. I didn't have to work Friday, which was excellent, so I stayed in for most of the day and worked on some papers that I had due. Saturday was Jayson's birthday, but he was going uptown to spend the whole day with his mom, so we all went out Friday night. Of course, this meant that I needed a new dress (well, okay, maybe "needed" isn't exactly true, but really, I didn't have anything that was appropriate club wear). So I went to Forever 21 (my default "need a tight short cheap dress now please" store) and actually found...a really excellent dress. This is a good one. I don't even feel guilty about spending the money on it (I stress for days about taking the subway 40 blocks each way, but I'll buy a dress no problem...interesting). It's black, and yes it's tight and short and strapless, but it makes me look even taller than I am (I didn't know that was possible) and thinner...plus it's the kind of dress that with tights and a blazer could be appropriate for a different event, or with a shirt underneath and leggings could be daywear...I haven't really played with my options yet (must...do...laundry...) but I'm just really glad I've found my little black dress!

So we all went over to Constance's (Jayson's best friend) room to have dinner and get ready to go out...we finally headed out around 12:45 and got to the club at 1ish. It was really fun, and I'm really glad we did that. I didn't get home til about 4 in the morning...but hey, that's what weekends are for :)

Saturday was a very slow day...I got out of bed around 2 and met Richie for a late lunch at 3N...then came back to UHall and did some more work on my paper...he came over to hang out for a bit later...and then I spent the evening catching up on my Academy Award-nominated films. I'm actually trying to watch all of the Best Picture nominees this year, so I watched Up In The Air and The Hurt Locker on Saturday.

Up In The Air was really good. It was definitely a movie made for adults, which I appreciate (it's nice to see something other than fart jokes and gag humor every once in a while [not to say I don't love The Hangover and Judd Apatow films and other such things, but really, I like a smart movie now and again]) and I understand why it was nominated for so many things. The acting is excellent, the story is good, and while I don't know much about filmmaking, it seemed to me, anyway, to be a lovely film visually.

The Hurt Locker is currently my front-runner for Best Picture. I've read some of the comments made regarding Avatar vs. The Hurt Locker, and honestly, I think that this one comes out on top overall. It's a really powerful, intense film; I had to pause it multiple times just to calm myself down and remind myself that it's only a movie. Again, I don't claim to be a film buff by any stretch of the imagination, but I really thought that this movie was incredible. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Sunday was a pretty frantic day...I had put off finishing my papers until the last minute (of course, since I am the biggest procrastinator in the universe). So I ended up having to write papers while watching the Super Bowl. Now, I'm a pretty big football fan, but I was having a really hard time caring about the game. I didn't really care about either team at all, so I actually ended up paying more attention to the commercials than the game itself. Oh well. Good job, Saints!

My best find of the day (so far) has been ArtsyGirlNYU's YouTube channel. This guy, Johnathan something, has started a vlog of a girl named Gramercy (perfect choice) satiring the typical NYU artsy student. This guy is only a freshman, but it's clear that he's been here long enough: his impression is spot-on. It makes me wonder how many self-proclaimed artsy girls (like this one) will take offense at it and take to their own vlogs to describe how completely ridiculous it is (if they deign to acknowledge it at all). It makes me giggle, honestly. NYU Local interviewed him; suffice it to say that some of his quotes are priceless...only because I've heard them in the halls of Silver.

And with that, I'm going to end this post and watch the student film being made across the way. i love UHall...I can spy on the people across the commons. There's some really pale guy in tighty-whities. It's the little things, people.

Stuff I Know Now

Whoa! Two posts in one day! The girl is out of control!

(Honestly, I just really don't feel like doing more reading for my Human Rights course. It's uber-depressing.)

I got this idea from the blog of a fellow Depositonian and NYUer, Tia (it's a very rare combination, and we are the only ones that possess both titles. Go us!). She's been posting things she learned in 2009, and considering that I've now had a month to reflect, I think I can safely do the same.

So here's my list:

• Keeping a blog is hard. I made it my New Year's resolution in '09 to start a blog. It failed. Then I decided I'd start one for the new school year. Nope. So here's looking at you, '10!
• Lady GaGa is a goddess. The woman is a force to be reckoned with. She makes amazing music (that even my mom has said isn't awful!) and is a really positive influence. Her constant reminders to be who you are, are really important messages for younger kids to hear, especially from someone as big as she is. She loves her fans a lot. Also, she went to NYU, so she's automatically cool.
• Angel hair pasta is a staple of my diet. And there's nothing wrong with that.
• It's possible to fit a 16-lb, fully roasted turkey in a heat bag and carry it through Union Square, while it's snowing, unscathed. People will look at you funny, but the turkey will still taste amazing.
• Allowing Richie to mix your drinks is usually not a very good idea.
• Sometimes you've got to admit when people don't want your help. This was an especially difficult one for me, with my whole "save the world" complex, but it's one of the most important lessons I've ever learned.
• A week can be an exhausting, embarrassingly long time.
• I am not nearly as good at things as I used to think I was. In Deposit, I was a very big fish in a teeny tiny pond. Singing, acting, academics, sports, leadership, community involvement...I did it all. But here I'm mediocre at all of those things (if that). So I've learned to figure out what my real strengths are: helping people with their problems and being someone to lean on.
• It's okay to change majors. Your advisor will help you, and give you more information than you could ever imagine you'd need.
• Money sucks. I'm awful at budgeting and controlling it and basically everything having to do with finances. I need to marry someone with financial skills, because I fail at them.
• My mom is one of the smartest people in the world. Seriously.
• Zach Galafianakis does really good stand-up. I saw him before he got famous with "The Hangover", and he was ridiculously hilarious.
• KenKens are addictive, even to someone that hates math as much as I do.
• Google Reader is one of the best inventions ever.
• I can fix a computer (as long as it's just a basic problem).
• Torrents are magical.
• Sporcle will eat up hours of your time if you let it. Stand strong!
• Seeing a movie in 3-D is always worth paying extra ("Avatar")
• Dancing in a fountain is a perfectly acceptable use of an evening. Getting thrown out of the park by the cops kind of puts a downer on the whole shenanigan, though.
• MT parties are legit.
• I am an amazing cashier. Seriously, put me on a cash register and I will make those groceries disappear.
• Sometimes it really is best to just say what you think needs to be said.
• Sometimes surprises are exciting, huge events. Sometimes they just mean your best friend bought an Entemann's cake.
• Two medium-sized roast chickens feed nine people pretty well.
• You can write on your laptop screen with dry-erase markers and it'll wipe right off (I spent about 45 minutes coloring pictures and drawing mustaches on people when I found this out).
• David Foster Wallace is a really hard author to read, but it's worth it.
• Missing a Mika show is sometimes very much worth it.
• You can set fire to nail polish remover in your bathtub. It'll leave a small mark, but it's really cool to watch. Almost all of your friends will think you've gone crazy. The one that doesn't is the one that'll stick with you.
• Black nail polish is not a good decision. My mother was right.
• Man vs. Food is an addictive show.
• So is 24.
• Be nice to people at work, because sometimes the guy that comes through your line at the grocery store will invite you and your entire family to a gourmet brunch on your birthday. Free.
• A really good friend will follow you into the bathroom of a pizza place and hold your hair while you throw up, then walk you back home.
• Bill Hader is really nice.
• My skills at Mario Party have not improved with age.
• Sometimes you really will have a professor that takes you out for pizza on the last day of class (and sends you home with leftovers!)
• Having an on-campus job at NYU basically means having a set amount of time to do your homework every day.
• The Weather Channel does not lie.
• "Wicked" is completely worth standing in the cold for.
• A+3G+Y=magic
• When seeing legendary performers like Aretha, U2, Springsteen, Jeff Beck, Metallica, Ozzy, Annie Lennox, Lenny Kravitz, Mick Jagger, Black Eyed Peas, etc. live, it doesn't really matter where you end up sitting.
• I can't do 8 AM lectures. I just can't.

That's really about it for now...I'm sure I'll have to update this one later.

I Hate Money

I really do. It's the worst. It's always on my mind, I'm always worrying about it. I knew that it would be an issue when I decided to come to one of the most expensive schools in the nation, but honestly. This is ridiculous.

I check my bank balance more than any normal individual should. I know exactly, down to the penny, how much a 20-oz. soda costs at Walgreens, Duane Reade, Food Emporium, Space Market, and CVS (my caffeine habit is my guilty pleasure...SO guilty, but oh so good). I buy books for class at the last possible second and spend hours searching for better deals online. I just spent four dollars to do my laundry, and I was honestly contemplating going another week with just the clothes I've got left in order to put off paying (once I run out of socks and underwear, though, I draw the line). I hate being a poor college student. I really hope that I'll be able to get through college pretty well and then find myself a job that'll allow me to not worry about bills and emergencies and overdrafts 24/7 and actually be able to afford little pleasures (like SHOES). But considering I still don't really have defined career goals, I'm not sure if that'll happen.

Sigh.

Anyway, on to more interesting topics.

This weekend was a relatively quiet one. It was far too cold to think about venturing out and actually doing something, so I stayed in both nights (well, I went over to Richie's on Friday, but that doesn't really count). On Saturday, Richie and Jayson came over to my place. We had a movie night and a sleepover. The first film we watched was "Paranormal Activity". I don't know if you know about this movie, but seriously, don't watch it. I'm a huge baby when it comes to horror movies, and I got so scared that I start shaking and crying...it's not a pretty situation. Luckily, both of the boys understand this and I had one of them on either side of me...just in case the demons decided to come get me. It was terrifying when, partway through one of the scariest scenes, my suitemate came in. When I heard the door, I was convinced that it was a ghost coming in to attack me. Don't laugh. It was scary!

Well as I sat on the couch, crying and sniffling after the movie ended, Richie quickly put on "Up". I hadn't seen it before, and while I think I would've enjoyed it more if I had been in a good state of mind at the beginning, I got into it fairly quickly and ended up really enjoying it. I don't really watch many animated movies (I grew up in Disney's golden age of animation, and I don't like CGI as much) but this one was really well-done and pretty poignant. I like that it was the kind of film that kids as well as adults could enjoy. The music was excellent, as well (I think it won a few Grammys).

Sunday was a really quiet day. I'm going through the RALI process in order to be an RA next year, and I had my first session at 1:00. I was pretty nervous (I'm an anxious person to begin with, and stuff like this is always quite nerve-racking for me) but it actually went well, I think. I do well in groups, and there was a point where we had to role-play mediation situations (I have to admit, I used a little of my psych knowledge as well as my own personal experiences with mediation on this one) and I think I did quite well. I've still got two papers to write, homework, another group session, and an individual interview to do, though...so let's hope everything turns out well!

Today's been okay...I was reminded when talking to a friend in Italian of just how great my job is (really, I get paid $11/hr to have a place to do my homework and read the news, and in return all I have to do is deliver and sort mail, make copies, sign for packages, and provide office supplies). I don't have a 9:30 AM class tomorrow (my professor had a death in the family, which is terribly sad, but I certainly appreciate being able to sleep in) so I plan on getting a LOT of sleep tonight and hopefully getting some homework done that I've got for Wednesday. Here's to it!