Last night was one of my favorite nights as a college student mostly because I loved every person I hung out with and am not ashamed of anything I did (except for tackling Matt in Riverview - and that I'm not ashamed of exactly but then again I have no idea who saw it happen). It was just such good fun, I mean it seems so priceless to have found people that lose their minds over viola glissandos, massive Shostakovich symphonies etc. Just really priceless.

Today is really a nice, sunny day; really an appropriate beginning to March. I think I'm going to the library for a while.

Right now, before you do anything else...

Listen to the adagio from Mozart's 23rd piano concerto. It's number one, top of my list of music that will change your life. I wish I'd taken some music history so I could offer some actual commentary on my obsession but all I know is that it melts my heart and rips it out at the same time. I'd forgotten that Mozart could do that. Listening to it makes me feel like anything except playing music is overly cerebral and completely sterile.

I'm going to get kicked out of the library in about 30 minutes. This week I'm living for the weekend with Kate. I'm just hoping Mark Jenike will guest lecture for 110 minutes so Amy Speier won't realize that I've refused to read 3 chapters on questionnaires and focus groups. Aside from the CSO concert last friday and a decent LSO 2008 midwest regional tour, winter term still sucks. Maybe I should stop updating until I have something positive and worthwhile to say?

It's like kissing a cupcake

Kate came for a visit this weekend and it was just lovely. She surprised me on friday night whilst I was a tad inebriated and I felt awkward for a little while. Anyway, that aside it was such a relief to have her back - just a quick reminder of who I am and what I'm supposed to be doing with myself. Not that American History X and Rolling Rock isn't okay once in a while, just not when you have 4+ hours of field notes to write. We had great sushi and made sickeningly cute Valentines cards to send to my little cousins, family, etc. It's hard to have her gone again; all I have left is some scraps with "Happy Valentine's" practices and forgotten boots on the shoe rack. The thing is I'm okay here without her, but I just feel happier and more myself not without her.

I'm off to watch 4 hours of Dances with Wolves for American Indians on Film. Yikes. I've never seen it but I know my mom ranks it up there pretty high on the list of great movies. Anyway, I'm bracing myself and wishing Kate weren't gone. This week is reading period and we leave for the orchestra tour on wednesday morning. I'm pretty excited about that business although I need to brush up on some Shosti 5 between now and then.

John Dunbar is calling and wants me to watch his movie.

You're an idiot, Mr. President.

This was the opening line to Bush's comments on last night's storms:

"It's a bad storm... that's affected a lot of people... in, uh, a variety of states..." and I'm going to venture that he's not even remotely connected with reality.

I'm tearing up.

So about "Super Tuesday"... I'm trying to get excited about Hillary but I just can't quite get there. What an amazing opportunity to elect the first woman to the presidency but I just cannot get into her whole thing. I also have this tendency to spontaneously break into tears every time I watch Obama give a speech... even those little sound bites do it to me every damn time... chills/tears. It's really kind of out of control, I just can't help myself and am sick of fighting it and I'm just going to cry from here on out. So just be warned.

Hair's too long, no clean underwear.

An overflowing laundry basket is poised for a trip to JJs laundromat but I just can't bring myself to do it. It's so slushy and unpleasant outside I kind of just want to sit on my couch and watch American History X, followed by Downfall, followed by Sports Center (to bask in the fallen glory of Tom Brady).

I hate February though, to be honest... at least so far. It's really not good for much of anything except surviving into March. Plus, I need a haircut.

Margaret Mead Made Me Gay.

At the library today I found a book called "Margaret Mead Made Me Gay"... which is unbelievable and also genius. And I wish I'd written it. What if it was written by Ruth Benedict? That's the shit of soap operas/a movie Angelina Jolie would star in where highly intelligent, newbie ethnographers fall in love in Southeast Asia. Jungle Fever. I'm think I'm confusing this ideal movie with one where she stars with Clive Owen and they save refugees or something... I liked her much better in the Tomb Raider years.

Here's to the end of 4th week, professors in snow boots, daylight after 5pm, surviving without my lady and an "8 Week Plan to Optimum Vibrato" usually utilized in teaching 7 years olds.

Learning to pretend there's more than love that matters.

I've been pretty solidly avoiding updating this thing lately because I basically convinced myself that I am huge douche who writes lame things. Anyway, on a whim I read some of my old posts from last term and decided at least I enjoy having a somewhat entertaining chronicle of my life so I'm going to push through. Winter term has not exceeded any expectations so far but I am rather horrified at the realization that I'm nearing the middle of 4th week already. Where does time fucking go around here? It just kind of gets swallowed up in an endless cycle of snow, barometric pressure headaches and school and before you can even take a decent shit your girlfriend has moved back to her parent's house and you're nearing 5th week having completed none of the intended 'mid-term' goals. Angsty wise-cracks aside, Kate doesn't live here anymore and it's not my favorite thing in the world. I always knew she would finish teaching and move home but thinking about it and living it are 2 very different things. Aside from all the fun stuff being less fun because she's not here, even the un-fun stuff sucks more... washing dishes is way more pleasant knowing that someone will notice and give you a thank you smooch at the end of the day.

Anyway, it's snowed probably 4 inches since dinner, which means the snow plows/blowers/dump trucks are due outside my window any moment now.

Is it possible to be upbeat during winter term? I'm thinking not so much.