List

A. Global Media
1. Travel Writing Article-Thailand, Due: Wednesday, May 2
2. Bake Irish Soda bread for Wednesday
3. Soliya Log, Due: Wednesday, May 2
B. Fiction Writing
1. Read Novella and write a response, Due: Thursday (counts for 2 responses)
2. Read short story and write a response, Due: Thursday
3. Second Short Story, at least 10 pages, Due: Thursday, May 10
4. Portfolio, Due: Thursday, May 10
C. French
1. Dossier Voyage=Ten page paper in French, Due: Friday, but Thursday for me
2. Put together a scrap book of my make-believe French trip, Due: Friday, but Thursday for me
3. French Oral Final, When: Thursday, May 3 at 9 a.m.
D. Shakespeare
1. Read The Tempest, Othello, Macbeth, & Midsummer Nights Dream
2. Midterm, When: Monday, May 7
E. Arts & Culture R & W
1. Extra Credit Book Review Due, Thursday, May 3
2. Paper Project on two Reviewers I like/dislike, Due: Thursday, May 3
3. Enterprise Rewrite, Due: Monday, May 7

Loads of things

It seems like everything at the end of semester is just another "thing" to add to the innumerable amount. My head might explode. I gave up Spider Solitaire and cookies for Lent, and only recently have I begun to eat cookies again and yes, I even downloaded Spider Solitaire. I didn't want to do it, but it just "takes the edge off." Instead of a beer to relax, I stare at a screen because in that game I control it all. Sometimes it feels like I have no control over anything. It's tough, but I know all of this stress and busyness is worth it. But right now, I'm tired.

Here's a picture that made me laugh today:

Blending in

I have this need to do something great with my life.

I think it comes from the way my parents have raised me and my siblings. My sister is a US Peace Corps volunteer in Kyrgyzstan, my brother Sean is in the midst of applying to be a Navy officer, my brother Larry is attempting to get out of the corporate business grind focusing his sights on a career in improvisation, and Timmy and Kevin have their whole lives ahead of them as they decide upon which college to attend.

For some reason I feel this need to do something outside of myself, my comfort zone, even my country and help others, give money, I don't know. I just want to do something that will last, something that I can look back on with pride--something worth while. I don't want my life to blend in with the rest. I don't want to be another face in the crowd.

"It's an animal city, and a cannibal world"

Seriously, if everyone listened to Shakira I think everything would be better.

With lyrics like the above, how can anyone deny the awesomeness.

David Bazan (of Pedro the Lion)

So, I recently was able to interview the past Pedro the Lion front man to preview a concert at The Picador in Iowa City tonight. He was a really interesting man, and I ended up not just previewing the concert, but profiling him in a couple of ways.

Here are links to the article I wrote (which landed the front page slot of our weekend edition), and along with it is the radio story I put together for KRUI 89.7 to complement the article. If you find yourself super interested in The Daily Iowan's arts and culture section head to 80 Hours Weekend in Edition or catch the full April 12th radio podcast here.

Let me know how it all turns out.

Boo

Talk about a rough day.

I am tired and cranky and emotional.

It's almost like I'm menopausal.

Christos Anestis!

Happy Easter!

Brian told me that for Greek Easter they dye all the eggs red and crack the eggs against each other. The person with the egg that doesn't crack is the winner and "is in charge of the house."

Yesterday I dyed eggs with two of my good girl friends from home, Jackie and Kate. Kate showed me how to blow the egg out of the shell. After we did that then we dyed them.

Here's how they turned out...

Teeth

I really like teeth. They're really important, but at the same time this little drawing is hilarious, because it's true. Teeth are creepy, but what's really odd is when parents keep the teeth of their children long after the Tooth Fairy dropped by to leave a little somethin' somethin'.

When I was in junior high or high school I found this little wooden case shaped like a tooth where I used to put my knocked/fallen out teeth. I found it in my mother's random drawer, you know, the one's where mother's just toss whatever it is in their hands that they don't want in their hands anymore in. It was strange to me, seeing those teeth. I can remember there being more than four. It's weird though, what sort of attachment could my mom have fostered with my baby teeth?

I think it would infinitely more odd if my mom kept the "adult" teeth that could have fallen out. Lucky for me, my big teeth have stayed relatively in the same place for the last decade or so.

I know a few people that have a fake tooth or two, so now, sometimes I wonder if what I'm seeing is actually what was originally there. Veneers are weird, but for some people definitely necessary. My best friend had to get some of her teeth shaved down and the dentist placed caps on them for various reasons. One of my college friends simply didn't like the way her teeth were so she got veneers on the front four. And another girl I know had a tooth die on her, so she had it replaced. If it were fifty years or a hundred years before today those girls would have to just deal. Our culture is so complex.

Hey Cupcake

I sometimes get Natalie Dee cartoons e-mailed to me by friends. Recently I was reminded of this particular cartoon that I received last year, and have been searching endlessly on Natalie Dee's website, but it wasn't showing up. I just found it on some random person's Myspace.com page. I'm a creep, but I found it. Hooray.