i'm nothing but trouble, baby.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, FLIST!
Had a very delicious Christmas Eve dinner with the family, now relaxing and watching a CSI:NY re-run on CBS - the one where Lindsay has her baby (I really do not want to watch A Christmas Story by myself.) I have, however, watched every holiday-themed television episode I could think of within the past week, I still have 30 Rock's "Ludachristmas" to watch, as I totally forgot about until a few minutes ago; I'll watch it online after my shower and before I go to sleep later tonight. Tomorrow morning will be pretty low-key: church (we always go Christmas morning because my father is a traditionalist and it's always a lot less crowded than the Christmas Eve masses), present opening with the family, and then over to aunt&uncle&cousins in Ann Arbor for the rest of the day, including Christmas dinner.

I'll probably be so busy with everything that I won't be able to make a update for a few days, so until then, have my Christmas mix from last year (I know, very late notice, but most of you still have a few more hours.) And enjoy your holidays, guys! I love you all.

(PS: sarken and yearinla, I got both of your cards this week; they're wonderful. Thank you so much!)

Tomorrow, I promise, I will talk about important things - mainly: COLLEGE. But until then, have this.

( 100 questions meme from Facebook. Yes, AGAIN. )

UM, THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY IMMEDIATE POST-FINALE REACTIONS FROM ME UNTIL SOMETIME LATE TOMORROW, AS I AM STILL PROCESSING THINGS. LIKE, TONIGHT, ONE SHOW SORT OF BROKE MY HEART INTO A MILLION LITTLE PIECES AND THE OTHER FILLED MY HEART WITH JOY. I LITERALLY CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY RIGHT NOW OTHER THAN "OMG" OVER AND OVER AND OVER.

AND NOW I AM TOO WIRED TO SLEEP, GOSH. TOO BAD MY RACHEL MADDOW PODCAST ISN'T AVAILABLE YET...

I'M DONE!


REALLY. At least, I'm pretty sure I'm done with that college for good, barring any failing grades (which might actually happen, given all the English 102 drama I had this semester.) I can't find out my grades until tomorrow, which has made me all nervous and tense over the past few days. But I'm just going to put myself in the mindset that I did pass all my classes, because I'M DONE, AND I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER. I'm so ready to start things at Grand Valley in August.

Honestly, I can't tell you how I survived this week. I made a to-do list everyday, and (mostly) stuck to it. I looked for something to get excited over each day, whether it was The Rachel Maddow Show every night, an ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC lunch at the on-campus restaurant with Dad on Tuesday, American Idol's Big Band week on Tuesday&Wednesday, President Obama's "100 Days" press conference (and by extension, THESE PHOTOS ZOMG) or 30 Rock on Thursday. I de-stressed the weekend before by watching the NFL Draft with the family. And even with that, I still was moved to tears after I sold my books back on Thursday afternoon because it was storming outside and the phrase "I made it through the rain" couldn't have been more fitting at that moment.

So what am I going to do in the interim five months between now and then? Take it easy, I guess. Finding a job is priority one, but I'm a little wary because a) Michigan's economy is in the toilet and b) I am not the ideal "job" candidate, as I still do not drive despite being 18 - though I did apply to a bunch of places, so I'm just going to wait that out. I plan on reading lots (and not just political stuff!), as well as writing - I have a new inrevelations assignment that I'm anxious to start, even though I don't know what I'm going to write yet. I want to go to the gym more, and go swimming - I have all kinds of time now! I'll keep obsessing over TV - from season finales that are coming up in the next few weeks (CSI:NY! Numb3rs! The Office! And House, for some reason!) to stuff I get excited about watching over the summer: In Plain Sight, which has become exponentially wonderful now that Joshua Malina has joined the cast; Eureka, for which I've been anxiously waiting months for - JULY 14TH CANNOT COME SOON ENOUGH; and Mad Men, which won't return until August, but I'm just thankful we're getting a third season after how the last season ended. There are no plans for big vacations this summer (we're not going to Camp this year due to financial circumstances, and I highly doubt we're going to Omaha for the College World Series), but my cousin Claire (who goes to Notre Dame) is staying in South Bend for the summer and will be coming to visit! And I've made it my goal to go to a Tigers game this year (my wish is to go to one of the Red Sox/Tigers games in June), but I highly doubt that's going to happen. But I can always hope, right?

School continues to frustrate me - I have a topic proposal for English due on Monday, despite the fact that I just turned in the final copy of my second paper on Wednesday and I have only a vague idea of what I want to do this paper on; I took a quiz in English when I was given no indication of the professor giving any type of quiz (or any other type of work beyond writing research papers, WHICH IS WHAT THE CLASS IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT); and I'm pretty sure that I failed my Human Relations test, because I thought it was next week instead of yesterday.

However, I've aced my last two American History tests without taking a single note, making me believe I might have an A in the class; and I can register for Grand Valley classes in a little over a week. I'M SO CLOSE TO BEING FREE, YOU GUYS.

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( Weekly Television Round-Up. )

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Another busy weekend; Monica's Confirmation is on Saturday, and my aunt&uncle&fivecousins (her godparents) from Omaha are coming into town, and we've got several get-togethers planned. I don't have school today, so I'm going to the mall in Ann Arbor with Grandma while Mommy does things at the hospital. And tonight I'm going to a church play that my cousins are in. So I'll have to find a little time somewhere to have to myself to do some homework. I got a few-days extension on my inrevelations story, which is both good and bad, because I haven't had time to go through and edit or type it up, but with this English paper I have to write, I might put it off until the last minute, which is never good. Hopefully I'll have enough time.

1. I haven't updated in four days. But I have a good reason: SCHOOL! I had a shitload of writing assignments to do this week - my final copy of my first English paper, journals on Mystic River&cinematography/Traffic&editing/No Country for Old Men&sound (I'm recommending two of those three films, can you guess which ones?) and essays for American History. I had to skip one English class and both Human Relations classes this week to get it all done, which I'll probably pay dearly for. But everything's done and handed in, so there's not much I can do about it now.

2. Started spring break yesterday. It seems really weird having spring break in early March, when I've usually had a small break in mid-February and then a longer one around Easter. But I've come to the realization that "no school" means not having school and that I shouldn't complain about not getting as much time off as Monica and Graham - not having breaks means I'm done with school earlier! So I'm just going to spend this week relaxing, since I really need the break. I contemplated going somewhere, but I really don't have the money, so I'm planning on staying home, marathoning season 7 of The West Wing and working on my inrevelations assignment. Oh, and attempting to get through a mountain of English homework that the professor decided to load on me.

3. I thoroughly enjoyed Obama's fake State of the Union. It was just so positive and a nice contrast to the State of the Unions I've listened to in the past (which would be two, both Bush's. I didn't get really excited about politics until I started watching The West Wing sophomore year and the 2006 midterms.) Although I may of also had a ton of fun with it given that a) Dad and I made fun of how many times Nancy Pelosi stood up to applaud, b) Mommy asked "who's that?" when a politician she didn't know showed up on screen, which allowed me to show off my knowledge of who's who in the Obama administration, and c) Rahm Emanuel did a post-speech interview with Brian Williams on NBC (in which I had to contain my fangirlishness since my parents were still in the room.)

4. Speaking of the Obama administration, WHITE HOUSE INTERNSHIPS. I'm semi-seriously considering this as one of my internship options once I get to Grand Valley. I could totally apply for it now, since I fit all the requirements, but I think I'd have a better shot once I've had a little more college experience and I have a job and a more complete resume. I really don't know what my chances are, but it wouldn't hurt to apply. Just keeping my options open.

5. ( My two favorite moments from this weeks' television. )

6. I'm giving up getting food from college's cafeteria for Lent. I make a sacrifice to fulfill my Catholic obligation, plus I save money: win-win-win! I think I'll be able to get through it, since the fact that I blew through most of my gift card within a month and a half solely on food from the cafeteria, taking my own food to school (right now it's just a big bag of baby carrots, since that's the only quick and easy food we have in the house.) I'm also going to try and see if I can extend this "no eating from the cafeteria" thing a few more weeks after Easter, since I'll be done at this college by then. And saving money is really important these days.

Apparently there was no review session this morning; It was just a tutor available to answer any questions we had, and I was the only one who showed up. So I got up at 7:30 this morning (after falling asleep at midnight) for nothing. Dad was pissed at me because I wanted to come home instead of wait around at the library for someone to show up, and neither Mommy or Dad answered their phones when I tried to call them to say that there wasn't one. So I was stuck at the library for longer than I wanted to be. I'd really wanted to attend, but since it was with a bunch of other math classes, it was going to be a general overview, and I can do that at home. I don't even know what this final is going to be on; I won't find out until Wednesday, and the final's on Thursday. I've got homework from other classes that's due Monday&Tuesday (plus finals and my last Stats test those days), that I need to do that's more important, and I don't want to waste time by spending all day at the library just so I can boost my grade in one class. I NEVER SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED IT.

My English final was super easy. I wish I could say the same for the rest of them, but I know that's not true. I did decide to take my Government final on Thursday, because that evenly splits the tests (2 on both Tuesday&Thursday, instead of 3 on Tuesday and 1 on Thursday.) Then I can use that break on Tuesday as extra study time. Or something.

The only good TV this week (besides House, of course) was CSI:NY, and even then the very end was the best part. The other shows (The Office, Criminal Minds, 30 Rock) were either lacking or very standard fare. I know for a fact I won't be able to contain myself during this hiatus. I WANT IT TO BE JANUARY NOW, PLZ.

Speaking of that excellent episode of House, fated_addiction wrote me Cuddy/tinybaby!Cuddy fic because I stumped her in one her writing memes. I've never had fic written for me before! It's one of the best fics I've ever read, and I love it so.

I'm making a "songs to study/do homework to" mix instead of typing out my Speech study guide. I might hand-write it instead. I finished another set of Astronomy review questions before my CT scan, so I only have one left, plus a lab project that won't take very long. And then there's Stats homework and subsequent studying for the test on Tuesday. I probably won't study for Astronomy&Stats finals until the day before because I still don't know what they're on. I just want to get this over with so I can relax.

I was going to post this long rant about the bailout for the auto industry, but I deleted it at the last moment because I'm biased. Not only do I live near Detroit, but Dad works for Ford. So you already know my opinion: I really want this bailout. I don't want to see my state worse than it already is :(

I had mixed feelings about TV this week: CBS sweeps sucked (next week's episode of CSI:NY already looks better than the one this week; I miss JJ; and the only good part of Numb3rs was the end), while The Office was completely adorable. And Steve Martin was frakking GREAT on 30 Rock. So.

( a random meme from tunaeverynight. )

Now I've got to go do homework. I don't have a lot - just one section of Stats and an Astronomy paper, but I got the Astronomy assignment about a month ago and just haven't gotten around to it yet. So now I've got to hardcore it. But I end up wasting my weekends, so it's probably not going to get done until right before class on Monday. It's already 7:30 PM on Saturday and I haven't even started Stats, despite the fact that I resolved to get the homework done right away and actually do it instead of copying the answers. I JUST WISH IT WAS TUESDAY ALREADY.