I have spent the majority of the day studying Italian, reading about Judaism, giggling over ontd_merlin, and watching How I Met Your Mother. Oh, and deciding about study abroad WHICH I FINALLY HAVE NARROWED DOWN, DIEU MERCI (choosing between Cardiff, Oxford, and St. Andrews. I am being decisive, woo!) I still need to start studying for my Chinese history midterm & reading about Daoism (not the Tao of Pooh, sadly) & study Deutsch...but I actually don't feel too unproductive today. However, I am being powered by mac&cheese and Caesar salad that basically I had to cross Emyn Muil to get to so I might be biased by the tasty (plus, marble cake to eat later...YAY FOOD!)

I actually have nothing else to say, except I should finishing up season two of Supernatural soon which is exciting.

1. I am in Florida. Yay Florida! I just had a dinner of fried shrimp & hush puppies. Mmm.

2. I saw wild dolphins today!!! Magical!!!

3. I am going to Disney TOMORROW. DISNEYYYYYYY.

4. I am blogging about all of this over here in this supaaah public blog I made so my parents and family etc can keep up with my happenings.

The problem with being sick so much of the summer, as well as having a desk job for two months, is that the physical activity I usually get to enjoy is put aside for lazy healing time. Well, luckily I am finally feeling healthy again and so I'm kicking starting the end of my summer into healthy time, prepping for Smith, where I will be returning in less than a month! Oh my gosh!

I cut out high fructose corn syrup a few weeks ago after a year or so of giving up on that (it actually makes me feel a lot better and avoid icky factory food!) Besides that I'm just working on portions (I almost typed 'potions', egads nerd) and exercise...and I'm really enjoying it! I love respecting my body. Plus exercise can feel SO awesome. Anyway I have to get back into better shape so I can live in peace with my uber-exercise-addicted roommate (who I love insane amounts), even though she's suffering from her fifth stress fracture. Poor insane thing.

The sun is shining and I refuse to let the little petty things get me down today. Powered by awesome cheerful music like Happiness by Kimura Kaela and Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen I am going to make today a HAPPY DAY! I hope you guys can all join in on this smiley movement with me!

My throat really fucking hurts right now, all the way through my ear. Perhaps it is because I have an ulcer in my throat because of coxsackievirus. Make that perhaps a yes and we have an advil-resistant, wince-inducing painful win!

I had such a fun week with pineapplebacon though, mostly being insane Harry Potter nerds...as usual... saw HBP for a second time (as well as Chamber of Secrets and Sorcerer's Stone for the billionth times, plus more movies yeaaah movies!) I found it sadder this time. Also also also I LOVE TOM RIDDLE SO MUCH. HE IS SUCH A FASCINATING CHARACTER, I CAN'T GET OVER IT.

Okay I probably ought to sleep. I came back on my computer to start writing Part II of my Vera Ward of Odd Adventure story but all I've written is a few lines. Boo.

1. I have not yet seen the Torchwood mini-series SO PLEASE BY ALL THAT YOU HOLD DEAR ON THIS GOOD EARTH, DO NOT SPOIL ME.

2. Omfg I am getting so hyped for HBP! I dreamt about it last night, actually. Jack Nicholson was in it. It was very strange. I flipped on Sorcerer's Philosopher's Stone tonight on ABC and I can't believe how cute and precious they all used to be. Just soooo adorable!!! And now they're all big and grown up and far too attractive. Even DanRad the hobbit is a hottie (in a dorky way.) Also, I can't believe I saw DanRad naked in Equus. Wtf.

3. On the Harry Potter note, I want this Draco shirt so badly because seriously. You guys. How much is this like "I AM EMO DRACO AND MY DADDY HURT ME AS A CHILD" emo is this?! Draco and the dove. I love it.

4. I really need to reread Half-Blood Prince before the movie comes out. I'm finishing The Last Battle, the final book in the Chronicles of Narnia, tonight -- finally, I'm getting a bit sick of them! I've also read Farmer Giles of Ham and Smith of Wootton Major (both Tolkien) as well as Commencement, which takes place at Smith (!!), this summer. And then after HBP, on to Del Toro's book The Strain which my dad got out for me from the library. So much nerd, so little time!

+ Finished my Epic re-read of the Draco Trilogy this morning. I fucking have Miss Ginny Weasley. Giving me angst in both canon AND fanon! How horrible. However, I will try not to be a tortuous presence like said "Girl", and so will share only one delectible quote (come on, you know I can't resist!)

“Well, of course you’re jealous of me,” said Draco. “I dress well, I speak beautifully, I have a great sense of humor, I can dance, I’m introspective, fun, creative, playful, and passionate, plus I have a knowledge of fine wines and am a devastatingly handsome heir to millions.”

Harry eyed him narrowly. “Thanks, but I’m already in a relationship.”

...GAAAAY. And I love it.

+ I got my mom to watch the first episode of Buffy with me and she promised to watch the series with my while we wait for Season 4.5 of Battlestar Galactica to come out! Hooray for moms!

+ My dad got me a giant Minnie Mouse from a Tag Sale because I'm still quite ill. I'm carrying it around everywhere and treating it like my best friend. Clearly, I need a life.

- I am still quite ill. I don't know how much longer I can bear having the energy of a slug and nausea after I eat, well, anything.

+ HOWEVER, my mom said that if I felt well enough tomorrow, she would take me to go see Up! Did I mention HOORAY FOR MOMS?!

point ONE While watching the news tonight, my parents decided that I should marry Prince Harry.

+ spiffychocolate = ♥ ?

...Can't say I disapprove!

point TWO I'm am so ridiculously addicted to Do Daleks Like Waffles? It just makes me giggle and...WAFFLES! (Bonus: Battlestar Sparta SPOILER ALERT but watch if you're a 300 & Battlestar Galactica fan!)

point THREE I am so done with being sick. I can't take it anymore! I don't start working until June 8th, which is probably good that I can heal. But seriously, I need to start doing something with myself! I should review Italian grammar soon. I also plan to review French & start basic Russian stuff before the fall (because I am a tool.)

point FOUR I love Draco Malfoy & Slytherins SO DAMN MUCH! Also Slytherin/Gryffindor love.

And that's about it for now.

I swear I'm still alive! And read flist everyday, etc etc all that jazz.

But I think it's about time I update. I just got back (well, 10 minutes ago or so) from talking to my major advisor (declared my History major, wooo) about my final paper (for her class - women in Pre-modern Japan) & classes for Fall 2009.

Fall 2009. SERIOUSLY, WTF. HOW AM I ALMOST DONE WITH MY FRESHMAN YEAR OF COLLEGE? It's just inconceivable to me that it is April 1st (Joyeux Poisson d'Avril! ♥) and I only have 4.5 weeks of school left and my 19th birthday is in 1.5 weeks and just...where did it all go?!

This semester has been pretty good overall. At first I felt pretty overloaded taking all humanities, but now I loooooove it - getting to do what I love! Good thing I enjoy (or at least don't mind) writing papers though. I am very lucky in that regard!

Mi piace italiano, ma non penso che io vada studiare questa lingua l'anno prossimo. It is beautiful but I just lack a certain passion for it that I have for French...which is why I want to go back to French (a low intermediate class, since I skipped a year)...with Russian. NOW, before y'all knock some sense into me -- Russian at Smith is a) supposed to be fantastic and b) supposed to be - gasp! - relatively easy, because it is non-intensive.

There is a little, tiny, miniscule part of me that wishes that I were taking an Asian language because that's the historical period that's caught my heart lately. But not enough to take it next year. I may, however, in my senior year try to take a year of Japanese or Chinese. Je ne sais pas.

Anyway with the two languages I also want to take a class on Eurasian empires since 1750 and a class on eaaaarly China (aka 10,000 BC to 750 AD.) And hopefully a class called "How the Internet Works" (lol) on CSS and crap. Awesomepants.

Oh oh oh! Yelle just came on my iTunes...oh French. Je t'aime!

It's so hard to not to try to freak out about the ~*~future~*~ and (grad school!?!?!) and (study abroad?!?!!?) and all that jazz. But I prefer not to! I have enough on my plate as is, plus I would like to get a little bit more...fun in. Last weekend I went to - I shit you not - "The One Dance to Rule Them All." So nerdy - so fun - so awkward for some parts for me (gaaaah boys are so dumb sometimes [ EXCEPT I LOVE GUYS ]) but overall I had a blast. So far no exact plans for this weekend, but hopefully making mud pie & going out at some point :)

Okay I should go read the end of the Return of the King (it's homework, unbelievably) or work on my take home exam. AND THEN "LOST" AND "MAKE ME A SUPERMODEL" TONIGHT!!! Because I am incredibly shallow.

Overall, life is good. That makes me very happy. I have tentative summer plans (money yay!) and the next three years of Smith (or, well, Smith and study abroad) to look forward to.

Much love,
Alex

- Going to SAN FRANCISCO March 15th - 18th. I have never been to California before, so this is exciting all around! I love jet setting (that's all I do in my dreams lately: dreamt about China two nights ago and Italy last night! I also apparently was talking/laughing in my sleep around 6:00 AM this morning according to my roommate...)

- FRANZ FUCKING FERDINAND MAY 7TH. I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE THESE BASTARDS, YOU HAVE NO IDEA. They used to be my musical loves to such an obsessive/intense degree (as I'm sure many of you know!) AND NOW I WILL SEE THEM AGAIN, JUST ABOUT THREE YEARS AFTER MY FIRST CONCERT (FRANZ) FOR MY 16TH BIRTHDAY AND JUST CAPS LOVE.

- I am just like. So ridiculously obsessed with Merlin/Arthur right now IT IS DISGUSTING. I am in SERIOUS need of some icons, so if any of you can help me out....♥!

- To make my life seem less like a fairytale, I fear I am catching a cold & have a geography quiz in my stupid Medieval History class that I'm not even enjoying.

BUT I AM IN SUCH A GOOD MOOD IDEC. And I did well on my first two Italian quizzes! So general glee this morning.

LOVE YOU LOTS!