La Jolla?

Well, I've been thinking a lot about the possibility of moving to La Jolla for the next few years (or longer) to attend UC San Diego's MFA program in Creative Writing.  It is a wonderful opportunity, as they will cover my tuition in return for me TA'ing.  Which is a real win-win, because I need teaching experience.  Upon graduating, I'd be pretty set to teach at a community college, the lower division at a university, or any creative writing classes at a university level.

La Jolla looks really nice.  Even the Catholic Church there is beautiful-- it is called "Mary, Star of the Sea."  Here is a picture (click on it to go to their photo gallery and see just how gorgeous the building is, in addition to the church's amazingly poetic name):

Furthermore, La Jolla is supposed to be beautiful, sunny, and full of culture as a whole.  Of course, you might say that any place is full of culture. ... I suppose what I meant to say is that there is an active literary arts scene, a number of diverse museums, cultural centers galore, and, well, the ocean.  Plus, UC San Diego is a Space Grant college, which means they've contributed significant resources to the advancement of space research.  Cool much?

So really, what isn't wonderful about living in a lovely, seaside, sunny town writing poetry, teaching, and philosophizing for two years without paying any tuition for it?

Well, let me tell you.  I don't want to leave my niece and future niece/nephew!  I feel like it is harsh not to mention the rest of my family, so I will say that I would be sad to leave them as well, but they aren't going to forget me!  I want to be part of my babies' lives!

Ugh.  Well, best not to worry until I hear back from the rest of the programs-- 9 more left!  I have receiver four denials so far (UCSD Literature PhD, U Oregon Comp Lit, UC Davis Cultural Studies, UW Geography) and two admittances (UCSD MFA, CalArts MFA).  Wish me luck- even though I don't know what that would look like!

Let's Plan a Fake Outfit

Because it is fun!  And I am procrastinating on going to bed.  Which makes absolutely no sense. Anyway.

Fairy chic!  All items are from Etsy and were available from linked sellers (click the pics) last I checked.

(bracelet)

Now all we need are some wings, and we are ready to go :)  Anyway, I'm thinking of being a fairy next year for Halloween.  So I'd better start getting supplies now!  Very silly post...

I don't want to post

Just being honest.  I'm gonna get this puppy done and then... work on homework?  Who knows?  I do have a lot of things to do.

Anyway, today was lousy.  Apart from the whole spending Valentine's Day alone thing, which really didn't bother me but still, I got a rejection email from UW's Geography program.  That's two nos and one yes so far.  Still though, no fun to get a rejection email in the middle of the day.  Kinda put a damper on the general mood of the me.  Plus, I got an email from WSU and had to call them and fix an app error, which was very stressful.

Not much else going on...

Stuff to Apply For!

More of a list for my own brainery.  It is hard to remember all that is going on!

Submit piece to Gnovis Graduate Journal- due February 15 (http://gnovisjournal.org/submit)

Submit piece to Clamor- early submission February 22 (http://www.uwb.edu/ias/publications/literaryandartsjournal)

Submit piece to the Policy Journal (maybe)- priority deadline March 1 (http://www.uwb.edu/ias/publications/policyjournal)

Apply to WOCC Dialoguing Difference Conference- due March 4, 2011 (http://students.washington.edu/wocc/?p=21)

Apply to Digital Research Summer Institute- due March 30, 2011 (http://depts.washington.edu/uwch/projects_digital_research_summer_institute.html)

Submit D and I's paper to the CFP publication of essays on House M.D.- due June 15 (http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/node/40263)

Submit paper to Intersections- rolling submissions (http://depts.washington.edu/chid/intersections_Autumn_2010/Call_for_Papers/index.html)


I think that that is it.  I've also got four or five conferences to attend and present at in the coming months.  Yikes.  But it is all a CV-building/fun having process!  Let me know if you guys have any other ideas :)

Hearing back from schools!

Yikes, it is stressful to think that I haven't got any clue where I'll be living for the next 6-8 years of my life (a number roughly estimated based on the ratio of shadows in my room to dust on the furniture).  I can't even honestly say what my first choice would be, though I do think I'd be happier in a PhD versus MFA program.  Well, not happier per se, but it would cut some time studying in a student capacity in the long run.

So, I heard back from the first program, UCSD, and I am in to their MFA in Writing program.  I'm pretty excited, because San Diego is just a fantastic location, apart from it being far away from home and all.  It is close to the border and the ocean and Arizona (shout out to L!)!  It seems very dreamy to think of writing poetry in the sun :)

Of course, it is like $40,000 for the first year alone.  Yikes.  Crazy out of state tuition!

Still, it is nice to think that I will end up going somewhere.  Won't just be all non-admitted and weepy.  Will still be weepy when each rejection letter comes in, but am trying to stay positive!  The next result apparently comes at 8:00a.m. Friday from UC Davis's Cultural Studies PhD program.  I know it is at 8a.m. because they sent me an email with the precise date and time.  How... punctual?

I'll let you know as I know.  Think I will write poems using the rejection letters, as this seems to be a fun practice other folks do :)

So, this is why I never post anymore

So, today, the fellow I've been sort of flirting with/kinda interested in/somewhat curious about came by my desk again.  He works at the same place as me, so this happens quite a bit.  Anyway, we talked for like five minutes (am a bad worker... x2!).  Lots of questions about applying to places and so on.

Well, I really thought he was going to ask me out, and I was gonna say yes, despite certain policies in place*.  I got pretty excited because, well, Valentine's Day is coming up.  I'm thinking of going to a lecture on coercion and caregiving in the U.S. anyway. Pooh pooh.

Anywho, I really thought he was going to ask me out, and then... he didn't.  So... anticlimax.  Probably seeing someone anyway because EVERYONE is, even people about whom I get an interested vibe.  And they all seem to be monogamous.  Drat!

Which just goes to show that I have nothing much to write about.  Because things sorta happen or almost happen but not much is really going on.  Well, it is, but, really, do you want to hear about my homeworks? I think not.  "Unfollow" clicked.




*Wait... what policies?  Oh that's right, the whole "I'M TOO BUSY TO CONSIDER DATING ANYONE OF ANY GENDER BECAUSE I'M TOO BUSY WHICH IS REDUNDANT BUT TRUE" policy.  Ahh.

The Cape

As many of you probably know, there is this new show (a midseason replacement) on NBC called "The Cape."  It follows the ex-cop Vince Farraday after he is framed for being the masked baddie "Chess" and then supposedly blown up on TV (he escapes through a vent). 

So anyway, obviously Farraday is pretty PO'd at the real Chess, who both framed him and has gone around being criminal-y.  So, after (wait for it) being rescued by a circus/band of thieves ("Carnival of Crime") and taught all their tricks, he dons a semi-magickal cape and mask, and becomes "The Cape" after a character in his kid's (oh.. yeah, he has a wife and son who think he's dead and a baddie) favorite comic book.

Anyway, it isn't genius or anything, but I rather like the show.  Mostly, because it isn't pandering to the non-nerdly masses flocking to the Superhero genre nowadays.  It is very comic book-y versus comic-book-made-into-a-movie-y.  Seriously.  The shots, the cheese, the catchphrases, all of it comes straight out of comic book lore.  From those books all us true nerds read and got bullied for before the popular kids opened their eyes to the genius of our genres.

From what I've read review-wise, it isn't terribly popular with the critics, but I'm hoping the true nerd fanbase is enough to sustain it.  Even when I'm cringing from the corniness of flashback scenes between Vince and his son, I'm still happy that it stays true to the comic book genre. 

Also, and possibly the most important reason I've been watching the show, "The Cape" stars the ever-gorgeous-and-under-appreciated Summer Glau.  She is much like the show in remaining true to the nerdlings who worship her.  After "Firefly" was insanely cancelled, she hopped on the "The Terminator: Sarah Conner Chronicles" train, guest starred in "Big Bang Theory," "Chuck," and "Dollhouse (side note, she also guest starred in "Angel" before "Firefly."  Presumably, her amazingness stunned Whedon so much that he wrote the show as a tribute to her).

Well, I'm pretty happy watching it.  It reminds me of my childhood.  And of watching Eat Pray Love because strangely, that film is the only other thing the lead actor, David Lyons, has been in that I've seen.  Yes yes, he really was the nude Australian who (unsuccessfully) tried to seduce Julia Roberts' character.

If you've seen it, let me know what you think ^___^  Though I have a hard time believing it would appeal to the nerdless.  Just saying...