Katie and I went shopping yesterday for her upcoming NYC trip, where she will be part of a group accepting an award for CNN at a black-tie, VIP event.
We found a great Maggy London dress at Macy's that was chic and sophisticated, but still young and sassy. It's not exactly the one pictured above, but very close. The great, but somewhat daunting thing about the dress is that it doesn't come with the bells and whistles; it needs accessories to bring it to its full potential. So, with the aide of my favorite fashion spread-creation website, I worked on a couple of different takes on this dress. Very pleased with what I composed, not just because both looks are really lovely, but they're extremely affordable, too! Especially for the jewelry...Gotta love Forever 21 for that!
In August 2009, some Brits made this horrific PSA about the dangers of texting behind the wheel. It was kinda a big deal.
A couple of my friends saw the aforementioned video and thought it would be fun to make a parody. On a recent Saturday afternoon, they rounded up some folks, myself included, and this was the end result:
It started on YouTube, got picked up by College Humor, and eventually leaked onto Break. In only three days, it has been circulated worldwide.
Major props and congratulations to my good friends and favorite-est filmmaking duo, Jamie and Julian of Bland Hack Pictures, for making it all come together!
Hopefully, this is not the end. In fact, I only expect much more excitement to come!
It's been a while since I updated my reading progress:
1) A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking (198 pgs) 2) Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card (416 pages) 3) Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (224 pgs) 4) Nebraska: Stories by Ron Hansen (228 pgs) 5) Psyche in a Dress by Francesca Lia Block (128 pgs) 6) Girl Goddess #9 by Francesca Lia Block (181 pgs) 7) White Noise by Don DeLillo (320 pgs) 8) The List of Seven by Mark Frost (401 pgs) 9) I Wish Someone Were Waiting For Me Somewhere by Anna Gavalda (208 pgs) 10) The Fall by Albert Camus (147 pgs) 11) The Line of the Sun by Judith Ortiz Cofer (291 pgs) 12) Wicked by Gregory Macguire (560 pgs) 13) Portrait of a Lady by Henry James (640 pgs) 14) Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (846 pgs) 15) Four Souls by Louise Erdrich (240 pgs)
Total: 15 books, 5028 pgs.
Lean, mean readin' machine! WOOWOO!
Which reminds me of something Mike showed me on YouTube last night...
Be sure to check out all the remixes, too.
Okay, time for the real stuff.
Yes, it's been a while since my last real, life-focused update. Why? Not any specific reason, per say. As of late, I've been somewhat closed off from people. Self-imposed isolation, however, and not because of any outside circumstance.
It's been a thoughtful, inward time for me, and I really haven't felt inclined to be as "social" as I am usually wont to do: My facebook status updates have only been weekly, compared to the everyday-obligatory-updates I'm used to giving; I haven't made a big effort to hang out with friends on a regular basis (which is actually a good thing - I've had a bad habit in the past of over-booking myself with social outings); Most nights, I go straight home from work and get into my comfy clothes for a night in with Mike. It's been peaceful. Admittedly a little melancholy, too, but I can't say it has been the worst respite for me.
I need this time to reflect on where my life is currently, and where I want to see it go (and how to get myself there in one piece - metaphorically/metaphysically/literally speaking - sorry, that probably makes no sense at all).
Things I've figured out so far: 1) I don't like my current job. 2) I need mental/artistic stimuli in my life at all times to keep from becoming entirely bored and/or crazy. 3) Graduate school provides a suitable short-term solution to both 1) and 2). 4) The graduate program I'm interested in (MAST at Kennesaw) will prepare me for a career (i.e. long-term option) to solve 1) and 2).
In short: I want to go to graduate school.
I've been trying to figure out the graduate school situation, and, trust me, it's no easy task. The biggest issues: Money (of course) and Health Insurance.
Let me attempt to break it down:
One of the perks I get working for the University System of Georgia is that I can receive tuition assistance for up to 8 hours of classes every semester at any university in the system. This would be excellent if the program I wanted to take were at Georgia State, but, unfortunately, it's at Kennesaw, which would be a grueling commute if I kept my current position at GSU. One option, of course, is to find a full-time position at KSU, and thereby eliminate a difficult, timely commute between two campuses everyday.
On the other hand, being the avid student I am, I would love to go to graduate school without the hindrance of a full-time job. The options here are not so great, no matter how you look at it:
1) The obvious drawback to having a part-time job is the hugely reduced income.
2) If I were to no longer be an employee of the USG, I would forfeit my free tuition. What does this spell? L-O-A-N. (I have 3 loans in my name as it is! I can't handle any more!)
3) Though I am highly qualified for GRA/GTA opportunities, which cover tuition and include a $2,000 stipend, these are on a per-semester basis. And even if I were to have a secure GRA/GTA position throughout my schooling to pay for tuition, I would still need an additional part-time job just for all my living expenses and payment for aforementioned loans.
4) No full-time job = No health insurance (or VERY EXPENSIVE health insurance). This is a huge issue for me. With my recent life-long companion, rheumatoid arthritis, I require affordable health care to cover my ever-present health expenses. I take a weekly medication, methotrexate, that basically allows me to move and function like a normal human being; if I don't take it, I don't move. Period. With health insurance, that cost is $10/month. Without health insurance, it's anywhere between $40-$60 a month. In addition to methotrexate, I take folic acid tablets and attend quarterly rheumatologist check-ups to review disease progress and monitor my blood toxicity (methotrexate, especially in higher quantities like I take, is toxic to the liver and causes similar, side effects to chemotherapy, though much less severe). Thanks to all these issues, health insurance companies in the past have rejected my applications for insurance, so I imagine that getting reliable, relatively low-cost coverage will be near impossible without having a full-time job or a lot of extra money to pay for it otherwise.
So, you all can see my dilemma. This program looks so perfect for me...But the challenges with getting there are major. I'm going to consider some options here at Georgia State, too, which would be feasible with my current job situation. I could probably make ends meet with a part-time job and a GRA/GTA position. But it's that health insurance that really makes an already tough decision even harder.
To end on a purely political note: I'm ready for a public option.
(p.s. To post-script on a purely observational note: There are many numbered lists in this entry!)
Name: DUMB BIRD (aka "Pigeon") Location: Downtown Atlanta - Various Locales Height: 12-15 in. Weight: 10-16 oz. Age: Unknown
CRIME: Defecating upon my person.
PUNISHABLE BY: Punting.
This bird is armed and dangerous. Approach with caution, and pay utmost attention to the aerial space surrounding you, for their attacks are often aerial and of a fecal nature.
I forgot about how much I love this site...Decided to revisit and have some fun. This set was inspired by my love of the ocean. And, of course, my love of fancy fashion. Seriously, that shell clutch is my favorite thing in the world.
I just want to be fabulous, glamourous, and to live near the sea!
Scene: Lunchtime, downtown Atlanta. Around Woodruff park, full of the usual Bible-thumpers, homeless folk, and chess lovers of all ages, races, and backgrounds. A temperate day in early summer, partly sunny skies and a light breeze.
Enter: Three businessmen, walking in tandem.
All wear shades-of-blue checkered shirts and Dockers, streched over wide asses that for too long have sat in swanky leather desk chairs. They sport generic short hair cuts, combed over from the left side, in the style most flattering to mask graying hair and emerging bald spots.
Two of the businessmen wear silver wire-framed glasses; the third has those reflective sport sun glasses, the ones that make their wearer look like an enormous human fly. They are Oakleys, or at least the man may wish others to believe they are.
Each carries a styrofoam, fast food restaurant-logoed cup in right hand, swinging it jauntily below the hip. Ice clinks audibly at the bottom.
They laugh too loud, like brothers in a fraternity; the brotherhood of Corporate America.
1) Volunteer. There are many wonderful opportunities to give back to the community, but due to time restraints and self-doubt, I have yet to partake in any of these worthy, meaningful activities. But time and fear are poor excuses, especially at a time when we all need to work together to make our community a better, safer place. Volunteering will not only help better the lives of others, but it will help me find a sense of pride and worth in my time and effort.
2) Actively pursue my own artistic/crafting endeavors. Been doing pretty well with crafting this year...I just have to keep it up! Creating beautiful things gives me satisfaction like nothing else.
3) Apply for graduate school. I've been debating this one for a while because I was unsure of choosing the right program to suit my interests and talents. Another degree in English, I feel, would be wrong; while I love literature, my interests and talents lie in many other arenas. I would love to pursue a degree in art & design, but I would basically have to start back at the beginning. I'm not prepared to do that, either.
A while back, I happened to go to the Kennesaw State University website in search of job opportunities when a headline on the front page caught my attention: "Master of American Studies Program approved for Fall 2009." I went to the website and reviewed the program and its courses, finding that its interdisciplinary curriculum included many of my areas of interest. Unfortunately, at the time, the deadline for Fall 2009 applicants was very close, and still uncertain if it would really be right for me, I did not choose to apply.
However, I returned to the website today, just out of curiosity, and discovered that they are now accepting applications for a Spring 2010 class.
