Too Many Things To Do!!!!

Seriously. Way too many. I have a presentation on whaling at 2:30, and I get to present at the symposium tonight (the six to seven twenty slot if you're going for extra credit or whatever. We're board.... twenty something. Probably should figure that out). Also need to cut my mash-up down to a minute by midnight. Wednesday I have a lovely meeting with the head of the psych department as well. Yay. And choreograph my solo, write my critique of a dance show, do all of my math homework, study for my lab test.... in other words, too much shit.

As I haven't given a lesson lately, I'll give one today over how to not get stung by a wasp in the library.

How to avoid being stung by a wasp in the T-Dub library:
-Don't sit by windows. If you have to sit by a window, carefully shake the blinds and then listen for buzzing. If you hear buzzing, there is most likely a wasp, move the hell away.
-Listen for wasps before you go down an aisle. Just pause and see if you can hear buzzing or the slight zapping noise when the wasp hits the light (you would think they would have figured out that's a bad idea by now). If you hear anything, chose another aisle or go for your second choice of book.
-Either remain perfectly still when you see a wasp, or run the fuck away. Just don't irritate it.
-Don't try to kill it.
-Just avoid the library in the spring in the first place.

love,

Alice

Midterm Mania

Note: you should always be aware of when test dates and presentation dates are.

I forgot to update my calendar, so I was blindsided today when I looked at my math syllabus to see that I have a test on Wednesday. Once the panic from that wore off slightly, I checked my environmental biology class to see that I have a presentation next week! Like, god damn, why are things always at the same time? Normally midterms never end up being at exactly the same time, but this semester is an exception.

Let's see... this is what I have to do before spring break:
-environmental biology presentation
-lab report due for my environmental biology lab
-quantitative literacy exam
-intro ballet midterm
-elem ballet midterm
-create a mash-up and explanatory podcast
-applied statistics quizzes

or, that's all I remember at least. There could be more, but I really hope not.

love,

Alice

Take Back The Night

So... today was long. Woke up late, pilates once more kicked my ass via teaser one (I always end up toppling over at the end), psych of women dragged on forever and a day, studied, met with my mentor group, took a test, worked on my project, worked on my other project (got paint on my arms), and then went to Take Back The Night. Project REV was hosting it, and it was pretty much a movement to do exactly what it sounds like in the name, taking back the night. They gave us water bottles and t-shirts (that they had ulterior motives for) and we listened to a band that sucked except for the lead guitarist and seriously needed a new songwriter, and then sat for the speeches. We got the info again for student health services, the counseling center, and then the information for groups for helping women out of domestic violence situation, supporting them after sexual assault and with all the legalities involved in abuse, assault, and stalking. There were a few pretty good speeches, the first one started with the narrative of getting out of your car at night, and being pretty damned scared, and having to all but run to your front door, because we are honestly afraid of the night. People are afraid of what comes in the night. And we shouldn't have to be. That's what the march was about. We went around the Hubbard oval and marched and chanted for taking back the night, and ending violence. (like yes means yes/no means no/whatever we wear/wherever we go and stop the silence/stop the hate/no more violence/no more rape)It was pretty inspiring...

and tiring. I have no voice and everything hurts, turns out campus is big, and my roommate and I snuck away after the march. I truly feel for the people who are still down there. Long day, long day, long day.

Love,

Alice

PS: Ulterior motive for the water bottle was to be able to chant longer without getting a sore throat, ulterior motive for shirt is that it's teal and teal is the color for sexual assault awareness month, which, conveniently, is April.

"You can't eat that, honey. It's a rope."

Hiho (or Hilo, as we also enjoy calling him) was interesting to work with this morning. This season he's actually working! For those who have no clue who I'm talking about, Hiho is one of the many horses at the equine therapy center where I volunteer. He retired from working when he was diagnosed with cancer, so any experience had with him before now was just giving him TLC. However, he's doing amazing, so he got all super groomed and pretty and started working again. Anyway. I was his handler/leader this morning, and he was so fidgety! He tried to eat the reins when he was being tacked and then tried to gallop when he was being warmed up. At random intervals he would try to eat the lead rope, and if he got a good grip on it, refused to let go. He'd try to make sharp turns into walls during class and every time we had to stop he shoved his nose into my chest like "get a move on!" It was pretty funny. 

And then, once he got to go back to pasture, with his white coat still gleaming and beautiful, he immediately rolled around in the mud. What a horse. Gotta love him. =)

Love,

Alice

My balance is back =)

Not physical balance, that I still have trouble with. That whole coordination thing and I don't get along very well. We're working on that. Couple's therapy and the like. KA meetings... fun things like that.

Anyway, no, I mean my mental balance. Being able to talk to Lissy consistently puts my head back in the right place, instead of being lost and running into walls. Everything is much more defined, except my desire to study. Well, no... I've never had any desire to study. Just one of those things you gotta do to pass classes to graduate to go and take more classes to graduate and then go get a job. Life looks bright. :P

I have spring break next week, thank you Lord and Lady. I just have to make it until Friday and then I'm free... sleep, everyday! Huzzah! I mean, I'm still going to have to study for the tests after break, but at least I'll be able to sleep in almost every morning. I love sleep. It's my best friend. Besides N, and Aerial, and Lakshmi, and Jesse, of course. It's a.... four-way tie. But, nonetheless, huzzah!

Why don't people use the word huzzah anymore? More people should. That's your surviving wonderland tip for the week: use huzzah as often as possible so that one day you can feel great that you brought the word back into everyday use.

Love,

Alice