We went to Maine this weekend, and it was amazing. We stayed at Meg's uncle's house, which is beautiful. The house had a wonderful kitchen and could sleep 22! It's technically a "ski cabin," but it's nicer than my house so I can't even imagine what his everyday home must look like. At first it was a little creepy because the house is in a remote ski resort town so no one was there, and it was heavily wooded, and it just felt like a horror movie setup. But everyone made it out alive so no worries. We went swimming in the Androscoggin River at a swimming hole called Frenchman's Hole, I shit you not. It was my first time swimming in a river, and I had a shit ton of fun. I'd like to go back if the drive weren't so long; it was about 4 hours. However it does take us through New Hampshire, the buy-one-get-one-free or die state, where we bought cheap booze in ridiculous quantities!

The only drawback to this weekend was that I forgot my birth control so I missed my Friday and Saturday pills. I've been on HBC for about a year and a half, but I didn't realize exactly how much my body is kind of dependent on those hormones. Yesterday night I got super moody and this morning I started my withdrawal bleed/"period". I hope it stops. I don't feel like spotting for a week until my placebo week; that's why I stopped taking Seasonique.

Anyway I'm home now. I'm still a little bitchy, but maybe a nice hot shower and some lounging around watching Buffy will perk me back up.

Also, HBP this week! Zach, Meg, and I are going to see it at midnight on Tuesday!

Zach and I are going to see The Decemberists tonight, and I'm so excited! I think The Hazards of Love is probably their best album to-date, and Zach thinks it'll be their best album ever so we've got to see it live! All I can really say is that I'm very excited.

I spent all yesterday baking. I made delicious berry tarts. I made my own dough, which I am really proud of, but I rolled it out really unevenly so it kept ripping around the berry filling, which then ran all over the place. They are very messy berry tarts but very delicious. I used Trader Joe's frozen berry mix so the thawing might be why it was so runny. I also used the food processor for the first time, and it is so fucking loud. I hate using it, but it was the only way to mix chilled butter in with flour. I'll probably try making them again. I also made manicotti. I used pre-made pasta but made the filling, so deliciously cheesy. I used ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella, a little arugula, an egg, some seasonings. I made a lot, too, so I'll probably be eating manicotti for the rest of the week.

I also ordered a new dress from ModCloth, called The Pin Up. I'm going to wear it to a wedding I have to go to with Roman this weekend. I'm very excited about it. I'm a very excitable person this week.

So I was reading a lot, but now I'm watching a lot of Lost. We started on Monday and now I'm 7 episodes in to season two. I'm loving it, but I wish they'd resolve something, anything. They just keep throwing shit at us, and I hope to god they have a plan because if this is going to be another BSG I'll kill someone.

I am loving Wuthering Heights. That's all, pretty much. I thought it would be harder to read, but I'm flying through it. I'm loving this summer of reading.

Also, I recommend to my fellow young adult fiction enthusiasts The Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix. I don't know if anyone from my area remembers our seventh or eighth grade Reading Olympics, but Sabriel, the first book of the trilogy, was on the list. I loved it then, and having re-read it I can say it's better than I remembered. Plus, the king is a berserker!

I am graduating way too soon. I'm technically ready for it, but, mentally, no.

We'll see how this weekend goes, outside of this awful allergy attack.

Hot damn, I can not do school work anymore. I have been at the library for approximately 9 hours and have only written about a page. And that's with me modifying the size of my punctuation marks to up my page count, plus using a large font. Lordy lordy, saints preserve us.

Also, the prom was a hot fucking mess. I had a great time, but there were times I would have redone. Like when I was that girl with Rhys and then when I annihilated Verity. Both encounters rather uncalled for. This will sound horrible, but I regret the Rhys thing more. I want to go back to just having a crush on him; it's more fun that way. Now it'll be all sorts of awkward. Boo, because he's a really great guy, and I would have liked to have been proper friends with him. I'd have gotten over the crush eventually.

I also had lots of fun with the Irish. I think I just didn't want the night to end, and also I wanted to sort of reclaim it as a fun night. I definitely did that. But then Roman got all huffy, and I got in a little fight with him. I think I may have just been extremely volatile all night long, and he doesn't deserve that because all he does is make me happy and I feel like I give him more grief than I ought. He puts up with it so he's getting something out of it, I suppose.

Also, Kate, Zach, and I went to see 17 Again, and let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised by the caliber. Everyone was pretty much spot on, except really Michelle Tractenberg. Also, Zach and I have added the ZEfron to the list of "People Who Could Play Hamlet," which is the new game we've been playing for the last week. So far we have: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Will Smith, and John Malkovich 30 years ago. It's more fun than you might think!

OK, to work, but first, a little fun for all.

( Prom photo! )

So, I should have been writing my paper for erotic elegy, but I re-read Eclipse instead.

Someone suggest some good books for me to read before I'm tempted to re-read Breaking Dawn! I'll read anything, apparently.

I have over $26000 in loans. Oh my god, I'm drowning in debt. And this is just undergrad.

Why is education so expensive? I shouldn't have chosen this money-making, private university. So many times BU has pissed me the fuck off, but the sheer amount of my loans really takes the cake. Fuck this.

I feel like I'm just now catching up on the internet. Hanner convinced me to join Google Reader, and I love it, although it really aids in all my procrastination. Oh well.

People are getting into grad schools. CONGRATS. I'm jealous.

I should be asleep since I've had a headache for approximately 4 hours and I have work at 9. I don't want to have to do anything, though. I want to be able to do what I want, which, I realize, isn't really the real world, but I can delude myself.

I'm not sure I would associate the Decemberists and the Shins, but Pandora does. If you say the intricate melodic phrasing is similar, I'll believe you.

Christa always takes such fun internet quizzes!

( onward to personality results )

The semester just started, and I already can't do my work.

Goddamnit.

So I've become obsessed with Twilight. It's funny because as much as I acknowledge the poor writing and the disgustingly irresponsible message I also love the ridiculously soap-y/bad fanfic-y tone of the novels. I hate almost every character, but I can't stop myself. Also, the movie is incredible. I knew it would be. I had a great Tuesday because of it. My Wednesday was not so great, considering the ridiculous hangover, but I had an awesome time rehashing the movie with the roomies (Mike and Trobo went to see it with me).

I'm so excited for this semester to be over. It's not particularly challenging (only Latin prose comp is); I'm just over school, I think. I know now that I can't do grad school right now. I need a break from this. I'm really looking forward to going home for the break. I was originally thinking of not staying for too long, but I want to go and work and make money. I can't believe that I'm living on $150 a week. Over the summer it was nearly $450 a week. I'm not sure how I'm doing it.

I'm currently debating over going to the market. If I do then I'll have some food to eat for dinner, but I'll also have to put on clothes. Boo.

Christa took a quiz, and because I like colors and rainbows so did I!

Why am I awake at 4 am? I don't have anything due tomorrow, and I was really sleepy during Talk Sex w/ SuJo, but I haven't been able to fall asleep. More like I haven't tried to fall asleep. Oh well. I've been thinking more and more recently about actually trying to become a sex columnist. I'm not sure about this whole thing. Maybe I'll contact the Freep about it, even though it's a terrible, terrible, terrible paper. Maybe I'll just write Savage a letter. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

In other life news, I think the trip to London/Norway is actually going to happen! I'm so excited because I've never been to either, because both are supposedly awesome, and because FUCK YESS BRC ABROAD! This has been, what, nearly six years in the making? I hear Bergen is really cool, admittedly from Mike, but he loves Norway so I figure he'll know best of all my friends. I'm also excited to try and learn Norwegian. It shouldn't be too hard; it's just the pronunciation.

Anyway, I'm going to try to turn in now. I just know I'm going to hate tomorrow.

ALSO, CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

This is the worst and most infuriating secret I've ever seen on PostSecret.

ETA: This is even worse now that we know that it passed.

'Twas the night before elections*
*And all through the town*
*Tempers were flaring*
*Emotions all up and down!*

*I, in my bathrobe*
*With a cat in my lap*
*Had cut off the TV*
*Tired of political crap.*

*When all of a sudden*
*There arose such a noise*
*I peered out of my window*
*Saw Obama and his boys*

*They had come for my wallet*
*They wanted my pay*
*To give to the others*
*Who had not worked a day!*

*He snatched up my money*
*And quick as a wink*
*Jumped back on his bandwagon*
*As I gagged from the stink*

*He then rallied his henchmen*
*Who were pulling his cart*
*I could tell they were out*
*To tear my country apart!*

*' On Fannie, on Freddie, *
*On Biden and Ayers!*
*On Acorn, On Pelosi'*
*He screamed at the pairs!*

*They took off for his cause*
*And as he flew out of sight*
*I heard him laugh at the nation*
*Who wouldn't stand up and fight!*

*So I leave you to think*
*On this one final note-*
*IF YOU DONT WANT SOCIALISM*
*GET OUT AND VOTE!!!!*

I found this on my sister's wall on the FB, and I just think it's so ridiculous! I thought at least a couple of you would enjoy reading this.

I have a couple of papers due tomorrow, which is exactly why I'm not doing them. Instead I'm stalking Robert Pattinson via the interwebs. Actually, I have something to write that I think he needs to see.

Dear Rob (or Spunk, as you seem to be sometimes called),



Yes, you are terribly attractive; however, do put a little less effort into looking very well sexed in the extremely recent past. Every picture of you is all bed-tumbled hair, mouth teasingly agape, and shirt unbuttoned to a level that only fat sexual predators have previously dared to don in public. We won't forget that you are a beautiful person if you stop throwing it in our faces. Fear not, pretty lad, there will always be creepy middle aged women and tweens to drool over you.

Signed,
A Concerned Fan

Besides that, life is much the same as always. We carved pumpkins this weekend! While drinking pumpkin ale! My life is so October I could just spit. I drank delicious hot cocoa this morning on my walk home from Roman's. It really was just melted chocolate; I felt like an Aztec elite.

I have an Italian composition to write, and another paper for Samons on how the Argives were organized as a polis in books 1 & 2 of the Iliad. It feels like such an intro level assignment that I can't even make myself do it. I'm going to take the GREs on the 13th, which is slightly terrifying. I'm almost a person! I filled out my absentee ballot today, too. Making my voice heard! Maybe I'll give up the academic pursuit and run off to become a sex columnist. I'm seriously considering it. I could be the straight, female version of Savage.

Also, Elvis Costello is currently working with Fall Out Boy. Because me preaching at people who will never hear me seems to be the theme, a second letter to the editor.

My Dearest Declan,

Look, mister, I love you. Really, I do, but you're getting carried away with these collaborations. Your duet with Jenny Lewis is incredible. I'm listening to it right now. I listen to it almost everyday. I don't think the same is going to happen with this FoB business. It was sort of funny when you showed up out of nowhere in Talladega Nights, and I really do think that you've had way too impressive a career for you to seriously jeopardize your title as "Coolest Person To Have Ever Lived, without a Doubt," but don't push it. Nobody wants to see you lose that. But, goddamnit, I'll take it away if this continues. Don't test me!

Regards,
etc etc

I realized I have some pictures of the new Lia so I'm going to upload them.

( A Big Bag of Cute )

And a meme from Christa's journal:

You are a Social Liberal (78% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (10% permissive) You are best described as a: Socialist Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also : The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

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OK, I've not been making good on my promise to update once a week, apparently. Oh man, I'm bad at doing stuff. But I do have something to post about! My sister had another baby! Amelia Therese Flores, she'll go by Lia. I think I'm going to go home next weekend to meet her. That means I'll also get to see Addy! Plus, if I go home with Michelle, I get to see Cara and Jed too! It'll be a babyful weekend!

This weekend we're going to Salem! Fuck yes! Fucking Haunted Happenings, fucking finally! I was so upset last year when I was abroad, and the kids went. Rob even flipped off Hawthorne! Sacrilege! Not my Nathaniel! But this year I get to partake. I'm so stoked!!! Three exclamation points excited!

Here's another odd story I can preserve here: the other night, Roman and I were going to sleep, and he made a comment about my butt being cold. I told him it was because it was all fat, and it just stored all the outside chilly, and he got angry at me! Because I said my butt was fat! I wasn't saying it was like stretch-pants-fanny-pack fat, but it's definitely fat. He said 'girls are delusional if you really think that,' and then he went on to extol the myriad virtues of my butt. Which seems like it could be sweet in some weird, terrible romantic comedy type of way, but really it just made me uncomfortable. What a boyfriend I have. What a romantic. My butt.

It's only 9:15 and I'm already done my homework! I even caught myself up on my Greek history readings. Well, only partially because I don't have Hesiod, which I seem to know well enough since I passed the reading quiz on it anyway. All in all, this is a swell evening. I do feel sort of lazy for not going to yoga, but I was feeling really loaf-ish earlier and I <3 Huckabees was on TV. The premiere of It's Always Sunny... is tonight, and we're having some people over to celebrate. That show is really great. I think I missed the House premiere earlier this week. Oh well.

After I made my last post I decided to overhaul my icons. I edited out the ones I never use (I still had a Hayden Anakin!), plus I found some new ones. Autumn-y, hallowe'en-y ones!

I really have nothing to write about, but I've decided to update this thing at least weekly just for myself really. Actually, one odd thing has happened this week. I was at work, and my friend was helping someone with his Spanish homework. Then he asked who the professor was since he knows pretty much everyone, and the kid replied a hot, blonde chick. Another co-worker who hadn't been listening just responded, "Who, Kirsten?", and it was really strange to me. Of course, I find it flattering (why else would I even remember it to write it?), but it's also very strange. Over the past couple of years I've been learning to become comfortable in my body, but I would never just declare myself a hot chick. I've decided after much contemplation - as most everyone has had much time to seriously ruminate over their appearance - that I'm the type of girl who is considered attractive only after you've gotten to know her. It's not a self-esteem or -image issue, I just don't think I could be considered conventionally pretty. Anyway, that's probably the only thing that sticks out to me about the week.

Settling into another year in Boston, except this time in Allston, which, if it's possible, seems to have more undergrads than BU proper. The house is amazing. I forgot how wonderful it is. As people who have seen it have said, it's one of the 3 nice houses in Allston. It's beautiful, and porchy, and green! I got the bedroom I was hoping to get. When we drew numbers and I saw that I had 1, I almost laughed out loud. It's strange, but I never considered living in one of the other bedrooms. When I imagined this year, I was always in this room. Obviously, it's not a huge deal, but I'm centered in an area that comfortable and interesting, and I'm grateful.

My classes are all manageable, it would seem. The Latin prose composition course will probably take a lot more time than I realize right now, but that's OK because it's grad level and if it wasn't challenging me then there would be something wrong. Greek history is obviously amusingly informative as J. Samons is the best lecturer at BU. Conversational Italian seems great. I already feel like I'm building up my vocabulary. Today, we watched il telegiornale on the particle accelerator. NUTS. STRING THEORY. This is going to be wacky. I'm also taking Applications Programming with ZMase, which is fun because now he realizes that it's perfectly normal to take to yourself while coding. Also, yoga! I've finally entered our huge Fitrec center. It's colossal.

Today's one of those grey days that feels inherently sad. It's windy and brisk, and huge dark clouds blot out the sun. Also, Roberts and I were talking about the upcoming summer (which is silly because it's September), and I thought we were all living here but he's going home and Zach is going to Teach for America in June. Sad. I never want Houseasaurus to end. Although, I could probably do without a certain housemate. I think about it, and I'm not sure why we're friends anymore. I can say nothing without angering her, and I'm not going to be sniped at and made to feel uncomfortable all year again.

I am making a vow right now that I will update this thing this year. It feels good to write.