Complainer.

I'm pouting because fall is my favorite season and we had only about 3 1/2 days of real fall weather. How can I live somewhere that can go from beautiful fall colors and weather to frozen wasteland in one day. I give you the following as visual demonstration:





Now it takes me an extra 15 minutes in the morning to dig out my old-timey car (pictured here). I'm just not ready for the frozen wasteland that Utah becomes in the winter.

NOT ONLY THAT but I am also being subjected to the Yankees' presence once again in the World Series. Where's the Red Sox when you need 'em? Really though? Pout.

Love me some John Keats...and Italian leather.

I recently saw the movie Bright Star, which is based on the poet John Keats and his relationship with Fanny Brawne. Having been at one time absolutely Keats-mad and still a big fan (he IS the best of the Romantic poets, you know), I adored this movie. It was a bit traumatizing toward the end when Keats dies, the least reason not being the fact that the actor who played him is a dead ringer for someone I once cared for very intensely just a few years ago. But the film fit the tone of his poems, which I was glad for. And it was interesting to think about Hampstead Heath as being removed from London, since now it's more of a suburb than a separate village from Town. I highly recommend this movie as a break from the flighty English period dramas (cough Pride and Prejudice, et al) that we've been blessed with recently. The cinematography was beautiful and the acting very well done.

In other news, you'll all be happy to know that I finally found some knee-high boots for this fall. This picture is little but here they are:



Nice brown Italian leather with the cutest little buckles. Needless to say, I'm very excited for these.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

As a fan of both Jane Austen and zombies, this book was pretty much made for me. Here is one example of how amazing this book is. I'll give you the original scene from Pride and Prejudice, and then the same scene P&P&Z-style. The scene is at Rosings when Elizabeth and Lady Catherine meet and talk during dinner.


Pride and Prejudice, pp. 157-158

"Do you play and sing, Miss Bennet?"

"A little."

"Oh then--some time or other we shall be happy to hear you. Our instrument is a capital one, probably superior to--you shall try it some day. Do your sisters play and sing?"

"One of them does."

"Why did you not all learn? You ought all to have learned. The Miss Webbs all play, and their father has not so good an income as yours. Do you draw?"

"No, not at all."

"What, none of you?"

"Not one."

"That is very strange. But I suppose you had no opportunity. Your mother should have taken you to town every spring for the benefit of the masters."

"My mother would have no objection, but my father hates London."

"Has your governess left you?"

"We never had any governess."

"No governess! How was that possible? Five daughters brought up at home without a governess! I never heard of such a thing. Your mother must have been quite a slave to your education."

Elizabeth could hardly help smiling as she assured her that had not been the case.


P&P&Z, pp. 126-127

"Mr. Collins tells me that you are schooled in the deadly arts, Miss Bennet."

"I am, though not to half the level of proficiency your Ladyship has attained."

"Oh! Then--some time or other I shall be happy to see you spar with one of my ninjas. Are your sisters likewise trained?"

"They are."

"I assume you were schooled in Japan?"

"No, your ladyship. In China."

"China? Are those monks still selling their clumsy kung fu to the English? I take it you mean Shaolin?"

"Yes, your ladyship; under Master Liu."

"Well, I suppose your had no opportunity. Had your father more means, he should have taken you to Kyoto."

"My mother would have no objection, but my father hates Japan."

"Have your ninjas left you?"

"We never had any ninjas."

"No ninjas! How was that possible? Five daughters brought up at home without any ninjas! I never heard of such a thing. You mother must have been quite a slave to your safety."

Elizabeth could hardly help smiling as she assured her that had not been the case.




No ninjas, indeed.

thanks, life dilemmas.

I got an email today from an internship coordinator that I met with two and a half weeks ago. I got the internship. Somewhat prestigious--Church-wise, that is. And all around really awesome, handling primary sources from Church history and whatnot. Now I'm all confused about whether I should take this year, full-time, paid internship over the full-time, legal JOB I was offered last week.

I could really use some advice on this.

job offer! (!!!)

Well, I should say, offer...and acceptance! Woot. I am officially a legal secretary for a law firm in downtown Salt Lake. I really wanted it too, especially after meeting with them. My unemployment days are over! Celebration! You'll never see this many exclamation points in one blog post again! But I'm too excited to care! Yaaaaaaaayy. Oh law. I'll write a more detailed blog about everything later but right now I can only give general ideas. General idea: Happiness.

this is cool. in a "apply-to-your-life-NOW" kind of way.

I wrote an article today for this energy healer in Vancouver. Oftentimes I find these people too hippy-dippy, but something she ( Katrice Balmer ) says on her website really stuck out to me. Probably because it's applied to me for 98% of my life whenever I think of the future. Which is 99% of the time.

FEAR is simply:
False Expectations Appearing Real

Story of my life, Katrice. Story of my life.

the latest in doggy fashion.

SO here I am, just minding my own business and doing research on an article about why you should dress your dog (no, really: why?) and here pops up this article about dressing your dog like Sarah Palin. I love that someone even thought of it, let alone executed said thought.

topping the list of movies about Real Life that only serve to reinforce the fact that movies are nothing like real life:

my first literary crush.

Jane Eyre is hands down my favorite book--I read it every year. Thomas Hardy may be my favorite author, but there is something about Bronte's novel that keeps it at its lofty top o' the list. Not the least of which is the connection between the hero (antihero?), Mr. Rochester, and Jane. Among my many literary crushes (Holden Caulfield, Daniel Deronda, John Galt, etc) Rochester will always be the first. I think this is something that only English majors can understand, haha. But there you are.

The passage that stuck out to me this time around is when Rochester is just about to tell Jane he loves her. He says:

"Are you anything akin to me, do you think, Jane? Because I sometimes have a queer feeling with regard to you--especially when you are near me, as now: it is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame. And if that boisterous channel, and two hundred miles or so of and come broad between us, I am afraid that cord of communion will be snapt; and then I've a nervous notion I should take to bleeding inwardly."

desolation! horror! : a lunch tale.

Today I was craving a nourishing dejeuner dans le mode de la francais--an omelet. I quickly swooped upon the necessary ingredients in the fridge. Onions! Cheese! Sausage! Green pepper! All were assembled but one. The eggs. Frenetic was my search, unsuccessful was the result. No omelet was ever wanted more in that moment of my omelet wanting.

My stomach was not taking no for an answer so I scoured the shelves for an alternative. Knowing that no substitute could ever take that place of the omelet I had imagined, my hope was dim. In a small corner of the fridge I spied a small container of last night's chicken and broccoli casserole.

Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!

I am not a leftovers person, but c and b casserole is one leftover I do allow past my fractious and persnickety gullet. The day wasn't completely frabjous when I realized there were only a few bites in the container, and most of it rice. But my belly offered no complaints afterward so all seems well.*

*The above was written in response to nerves upon applying for a PAID editorial internship and the incumbent's wish to stop thinking about what might happen thankyouverymuch.