living well is the best revenge

I'm going to say this, and then I will never make a peep about it again.

But,

There.  I'm done. 

How on earth can people claim to enjoy doing this?  People say I'm over-thinking the whole thing, and I probably am - but, my gosh, wouldn't you try to make the best choice you possibly can when thousands of dollars you do not have are involved?  I guess that's why people can just say "oh, just choose some place and be done with it because it doesn't really matter anyways" (which, may I say, is so encouraging) - they aren't the ones committing to pay all this money back.  Money stinks. 

Honestly, blog? The main problem I'm negotiating at the moment is this:  I am not interested in anything.  Scratch that, I'm interested in everything.  I would study archaeology, art history, English, theatre, graphic design, geography, journalism, history, medieval-renaissance studies, writing, philosophy and bookmaking if I could.  What I'm not sure about are the jobs attached to those degrees.  For one thing, a liberal arts B.A. doesn't exactly have an easy-to-follow path leading from the graduation stage.  I know finding a job after college is tough for everyone, but - and who knows, I could be wrong about this - I've always thought that people who studied things like nursing have at least some idea of what to do next.  What do you do after a B.A. in Humanities?  

What the heck - who cares, right! I mean! What the heck does it matter? Who cares if I don't know what I'll do! I'll do whatever I want to, darn it! I'll work three jobs and then go live in Europe for two months.  I'll save like heck and move to New York. I'll work for a summer and then drive to Montana and sleep in the back of a truck with a camper shell on it and see all there is to see.  I'll write crap poetry my whole life, always have a dog, and play ukulele every day.  And thank God I can.

I'm feeling much better now.  Thanks for listening, blog. What a great friend you are.

keywords: rant/rave/superheroes

Peer editing is a delightful way to spend one's time, is it not?

NOT! NOT! NOT!  PEER EDITING IS HORRIFYING! UGH!

Now that I've got that off my chest, let's talk about superheroes.  Why, you may ask, am I talking about superheroes?  Because, my dear blog, I have been wallowing in a veritable... a veritable... vat of toxic waste which the villain intends to drop the screeching heroine into with a satisfying sizzle.

Wait, that didn't make sense.

Okay, we are discussing superheroes because in the past week I have seen:

Batman Begins

The Dark Knight

Spider Man

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

and

X-Men

Yep.  In fact, I watched the last three with my sister yesterday.  And the only film among these that I had seen before - eons ago - was Spider Man.  

HOW THE HECK HAVE YOU NEVER SEEN BATMAN!? You might reasonably shriek.

And I would have to answer, in a calm, collected tone of voice, that I have no idea.  But, I am an odd child that way.  I had my first pumpkin pie last year.  I can't explain it.

But, anyways, let's move back to superheroes. 

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE MOVIES I RECENTLY WATCHED:

1. Batman. Is. Awesome.  He probably tops the favorite superhero list.  And, my heavens, those movies were done well. Michael Caine! Morgan Freeman!  Christian Bale!  Heath Ledger!  Oh, man.  I thought his put-on batman voice would annoy me - ended up totally cool with it.  The gadgets or whatever are believable.  Think how terribly, terribly wrong they could have gone with the bat mobile.   Granted, the Rachel switch was weird.  But still - ah! 

2. No matter how cheesy, I will still always like spider man.  I like Tobey  Maguire.  I love how awkward he is.  James Franco seems to be on the verge of tears in every movie I've ever seen him in - yet I still like him too.  The Green Goblin costume was wretched, yes.  Special effects decidedly 2002 at points.  But I still enjoyed it.  We're getting spider-man 2 from Netflix.  Alfred Molina seems to enjoy himself, doesn't he?  He chooses all these wacky roles, but performs them with such gusto that you can't think badly of him. 

3. X-Men.  X-Men.  X-Men.  

I don't even know what to say.  I am an extreme hater of leather jumpsuits or pants or anything besides modest jackets, and I still loved the movies. (And, believe me, I've hated movies for less than unfortunate pleather episodes.)  I found myself smacking Cee (my sister) about every ten minutes, shrieking quietly, "Did he kill her?  Is he going to kill her?" and "It's that thing! That blue girl is the statue of liberty." and "Tell me when to open my eyes." Oh my gosh. I am (cough) very rarely (suave brush of nails against shoulder) surprised by film plots (subtle puffing of chest) - and I didn't see some things coming in these movies.  It's terribly exciting.

EFFECT OF THIS SUPERHERO MOVIE OVERLOAD:

I want to be a superhero. I'm dead serious.  I wish I was disgustingly rich and brilliant and slightly unprincipled and not afflicted with chronic laziness.  I wish I liked working out and getting punched in the face. I wish I lived in a major city.  I wish I had a vast collection of ridiculously expensive gadgets at my command, or could shoot string out my wrists. I wish I was a master of the one-liner. Gosh, I wish I could be a superhero.  Despised by the people I have my nose regularly bloodied to save!  Feared by small children whose mothers tell them I will come get them if they don't brush their teeth right now!  And, deep down, content in the knowledge that I am working to rid my beloved city of sweatshirted thieves and making it a better place!  I so wish I could be a superhero. Or at least be saved by one. 

I watch far too many adventure movies.  It makes me discontent, and I start ranting to my poor dad about how you can't just take a canoe and go glide down a river and camp out wherever you want to anymore.  (These subjects - superheroes and canoes - are related, I swear.  At least, they are in a rather vague way in my head. So probably they are not really related at all.  Sorry.) I fret that life is too tame, too regulated.  I start to moan to myself that I'll never get to have any adventures, conveniently forgetting that Frodo almost goes nuts and dies.  Conveniently forgetting that getting horrible scars actually hurts.  Conveniently forgetting that being a superhero would basically be awful. 

Still...


X-Men 2 arrives in three business days.

5'10''

Five nice things about being almost five ten:

1.  I never have to hem pants. 

2. I can reach high shelves, open vents, and touch ceilings for the heck of it.

3. I could intimidate people if I wished - though I have yet to do so.

4. I can ride any ride at any amusement park.

5. lots of cool people are/were tall. (Also, I am a part of a big-footed sisterhood which boasts Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy as members.)

Five things I do not like about being tall-ish:

1.  I never get to cuff my pants.

2. I feel bad standing next to short guys.

3. Heels sort of make me look like a giant.

4. Heroines in books and movies are often short and small, a fact which is often commented on/admired by the hero.  I will never, ever be petit.

5. Airplane rides are a nightmare.

Have I mentioned that I love this, blog?  Because I do. Very much.