Ahh, Sweet Sitcomy Goodness

It's five days into 2012 and I all can say is that I hope it gets better. As it stands, this new year has gotten off to a less than stellar start. I've spent the last week watching an obscene about of The Big Bang Theory. (caught up on all five seasons in five days, a personal record.)

And now I've moved onto How I Met Your Mother. It might take me longer to catch up on that one since there are seven seasons to be watched. But since I have no life at the moment, it seems like a worthy endeavor and a legitimate way to waste my time.
In between watching too many fluffy sitcoms, I have been able to catch up on a bit of my reading. I'll put in a quick word for my latest literary adventure, The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. Only about halfway through, but thus far it has turned out to be quite delicious. But I digress.

Needless to say, I am more than ready to get back to real life. Not that I haven't enjoyed this time at home with my family. I'm just going a little crazy here.

Reflections and Projections

Well, here it is. 2012. Our last year on earth. On the positive side, if the world does end this year, there'll be no more student loans looming over my head.
But back in the real world.
Now is usually the time of year when one is called to both reflect and make plans for the future. I don't think I'll be doing either of those. 2011 is still quite fresh in my mind and as such, I have no desire to analyze all the alarming things that occurred within its 12 months. Oh I admit, there were a few moments that I am quite fond of. But the overall feeling of the year was one of panic and despondency. I can only hope that 2012 will bring something new to the table. Perhaps a little hope? But optimism was never my strong suit.
As for my plans for the future, those remain relatively unchanged. Continue with school and try not to die. I was never one for making new years resolutions as I can never seem to keep any of them. Much like whenever I was up to bat in softball, there was too much pressure and never enough follow through.
Now is also the time of year when people are making lists. From the top music videos to the top ten people not running for president, everybody has a list. So here is my list of the top five artists that I listened to the most this past year:
Florence + the Machine
Mumford and Sons
Shinedown
Mika
U2

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful New Year!

Inebriate of air am I

This last month has been just as chaotic as the one before. And now suddenly I'm in the the middle of December. Why must time forever be moving forward?

I had planned on blogging everyday in December because it's the month Emily Dickinson was born, but that obviously didn't happen. At least I'm getting to it today, her actual birthday. (for those who didn't know, "much madness is divinest sense" is line from one of her poems.) 

This upcoming week is finals and promises to be extra stressful. But along with the stress there has been some real good times with some real good people. With all the ups and downs, I am trying my best to stay positive and enjoy the little joys that live still offers. 

Wish me luck on staying sane during the next week!

A Grimm Future For Hollywood

It's no secret that Hollywood has run out of new ideas. But this fact has become more obvious of late. First vampires, then werewolves, then zombies, and now anything by the Brothers Grimm. The latest fad in film and television is revamping (pun intended) classic fairy tales. There are two movies retelling the story of Snow White coming out next summer alone.

Mirror, Mirror

Snow White and the Huntsman

The first one looks more like a romantic comedy with Julia Roberts playing a role tailor made for her: evil queen. The second looks like another Twilight knockoff. That is partly because Kristen "How-Does-She-Keep-Getting-Work" Stewart is playing Snow White. These movies come flying in on the tail of Red Riding Hood and Beastly and slew of other "modern take on classic fairy tale" movies.
I'm not really excited about any of them. The fact that Roberts and Stewart are involved is enough to keep me away. Far, far away. But I will probably watch them anyway because I am a sucker for fairy tales. But I'm not happy about it. In fact, I'm quite conflicted about this emerging genre. Even TV is getting in on the action:

Once Upon A Time

Grimm

And since I love fairy tales so much, I'll probably end up watching these two shows as well. But it's not something I'm proud of. They are guilty pleasures that I'll hate myself for watching because I am just feeding the machine that is Hollywood as it cashes in on the latest craze. What can I do but try to enjoy the this trend until it ends? So what if the movies are unoriginal and pander to an audience that is desperate to relive its childhood by watching melodramatic, teen angst versions of its favorite fairy tales?

Fluffy White Stuff

It snowed today. First of the season. I had heard a rumor of this happening yesterday. I was not overly excited about it. Snow signifies autumn, which happens to be my favorite season, is over and winter, which happens to last forever in South Dakota, is beginning. 

But when I saw the snow, I smiled. This morning when I looked out my window, I saw the world transformed. It's amazing that after so many years, the first snow never seems to lose it's magic. The world has been given a new coat of paint. All the mistakes that were so obvious and jarring before have now been cleaned away. A fresh slate has been offered to me. New beginnings coincide with a new season. 

Honestly though, this new found optimism is starting to get to me. 

Time Can Do So Much

I glanced around this morning and found that half of November is already gone. When did this happen? October dragged her heals and refused to leave without a fight. November is trying to get out as soon as he can. (and yes, I just gave the months genders. deal with it.) I don't appreciate either. But time never passes the way you want it to. Time speeds by when wish it wouldn't. And when you're waiting for something, time goes by so slowly. (and now I have Unchained Melody stuck in my head. and hopefully yours too.)
But this is an old argument. There is nothing for me to say that hasn't already been said a thousand times before by people far more eloquent than me.
Time might heal most wounds but it also creates new ones by pushing you forward when you'd rather stand still.

Word Art

Typography is something I am really interested in. As a lover of words, it's no wonder that I would be fascinated by the way people put them on a page. In typography, each letter is a work of art.

But these! These are art on a whole different level. All of them are made of simple paper folded and bent into intricate designs. (I feel like there's an allegory for life in there somewhere but I'm too lazy to find it at the moment) 

I've Never Seen So Many People Wearing Capes

Nanocon. A gaming convention. In a small town. In the middle of South Dakota. And here I am, sitting at a booth, selling raffle tickets to help the Drama Club.

"Nanocon is Madison, South Dakota's premier gaming convention."

Madison, South Dakota's premier gaming convention? Really? I'm pretty sure it's the only one for miles. Does it really deserve the moniker of premier? I'm a word nerd. That's my thing. I feel lost amongst all these gaming nerds who use poor grammar and are prone to hyperbolic descriptions of card games.
My life has taken an odd turn of late.

 

Librarian

Guess who got job at the library? This girl! I start today and I couldn't be more excited. It's like a dream job for me. In case you haven't noticed, I happen to adore books. I love reading them. I love holding them. I love organizing them. I love merely being near them.

Even when reading is impossible, the presence of books acquired produces such an ecstasy that the buying of more books than one can read is nothing less than the soul reaching towards infinity. We cherish books even if unread, their presence exudes comfort, their ready access reassurance.
- A. E. Newton

Oh, how I could wax lyrical about the beauty of books forever. Do you know what my dream workplace is? It looks a little like this:

The library at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland: my personal mecca

I feel with this new job of mine, I am taking the smallest of steps toward this literary  haven. Some think being a librarian is the world's most tedious occupation. For myself, it is a dream come true and I only pity those who do not understand the magic that libraries hold.

I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.
- Jorge Luis Borges

 

My Life Is My Own Again

The play is done and suddenly the days have more hours in them. I have time to accomplish things. I have time to relax. In all honesty, I've been doing more of the latter in the past few days. I need to do decompress.
October was a stressful month to say the least. Not just with the play and school, but with life. So much personal drama went down I can't even begin to inventory it all. Everything seemed to be happening all at once. There were stunning highs and the crippling lows. What does one do when they happen at the same moment? Can a person's emotions be in two places at once?
But today marks the start of a new month. I'm not going to let the roller coaster that was October keep me from going forward into the future and enjoying these last days of 2011.

And now I'll leave you with a song that both amazing and pertinent: