Cliffnotes version:)

Hey all:) I know it's been eons since I've written but I'm knee deep in the finals/paper-writing/paper-grading time of the semester so I have no time at all to write. However, I did want to post something for those of you who wonder if I've fallen off the face of the earth.

For the ultra short Cliffnotes version of what I've been up to:

1) Saw Walk the Line twice and Harry Potter last week. Sooooo awesome! Both worth seeing. Plus, there's a nod to Wheeling in Walk the Line. Awww yeahhh!

2) Had fabulous time at a dinner party hosted by Romanian ex-pats Alina & Stefan. A-list crowd only;) The good times reminded me how much I love my friends here at PSU. I'm really lucky to know so many amazing people (okay, gushy part of blog is over;)

3) Ohio State beat Michigan!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Need I say more?)

4) Thanksgiving was soooo much fun! Have switched to elastic-banded pants for the last 2 weeks to accomodate leftovers. Plus, my dear friend Stacy came to visit and we lived it up "Wheeling style" for 4 days. Pics and longer stories to follow another day.

5) Back in S.C. wading through school crap. If any of you hear from me at all in the next 3 weeks, you're one of the few.

6) Because I'm in overtime study mode, my iPod's been getting extra play. Here's what I've been listening to this week:

Portishead- Life in Mono (from the Great Expectations soundtrack)
Crowded House- Don't Dream It's Over
Feeder- Tender (a must download tune!)
The Killers- All These Things That I've Done (Stacy introduced me to it and I LOVE it!!!)
Moby- We are All Made of Stars
Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now

Hooray for Grizzlies!!!

Evenin friends! After 4 days at home being fed, taking naps, eating local cuisine, and drinking cheap beer in the Ohio Valley, I'm back in S.C. and back to the ever growing mountain of work that has been piling on steadily as we near the end of the semester. As much as I tease about the strange wonders of the OH/WV borderland, being home was really good for me. I'm in a much better mood this week than I was last week and I have even moved on to some slightly happier music (more on that later).

I want to first send a shout out to all the grizzly bear in America who have, for the last 30 years, been on the Endangered Species List. Apparently these bears have been givin' and gettin' more lovin' than me lately, so that they have reproduced enough to be "officially" off the endangered species list. Yippee!! Go Yogi and Boo-Boo!!

As I continue to slip deeper and deeper into the pit of graduate student hell, I do see 2 faint glimmers at the end of the tunnel. This weekend, both the Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line" and the new Harry Potter film "Goblet of Fire" come out, so I'm in for some serious double feature action this weekend. Second, Thanksgiving is in a little over a week, which means my dear friend Stacy comes to town to party with my fam and we live it up with good fixins, naps, drinking, and football (just like any weekend for me in Ohio:) So if I can just hold on a little longer, maybe I can make it through. Wish me luck on that one!

As I mentioned above, I've graduated from obsessively sad & bitter music on my iPod to slightly happier (or at least upbeat) tunes as I pull myself out of my funk. Here's what's playing now on my iPod...(Seriously check these songs out if you don't already have them!)

1) William Tell - Just For You
2) Tom Petty - You Wreck Me
3) Le Tigre - TKO
4) Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten
5) TISM - Everybody Else Has Had More Sex Than Me* (*You gotta hear this song! it's awesome!)

Spanking the Elephant

No, this is not the new title of an upcoming porn flick (although how funny would that be). This is what Democrats all over the country have done in the last 24 hours on Election Day. The cherry on the cake was a highly visible gubernatorial victory in the shiny red state of Virginia. Quite frankly I'm shocked that Virginians voted in a Blue candidate, but still grateful. Corzine also beat what's-his-name by 10% in New Jersey (continuing proof that money can indeed buy a state). And Bush's national approval rating dropped to 29% and it's not even Christmas!!! This is indeed to uplifting news, and God knows I need to hear some good news. If you've seen and heard from me in the last few days, you're one of the few because I've been pretty holed away in my apartment feeling down. I don't want to go into the reasons why, but let's just say that rejection doesn't suit my personality. The good thing about being depressed though, is an excuse to sit at home watching extremely sad and/or cheesy movies and listening to R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" & Ani DiFranko's "Untouchable Face" on repeat. Very cathartic:) I'm actually headed to Ohio this weekend, so maybe a good dose of Golden Chopsticks and Drovers wings will get me back to my old self. Over and out!

Songs for Moping (on Emily's iPod this week):

1) R.E.M. - Everybody Hurts
2) Barenaked Ladies - Break Your Heart
3) Ani DiFranko - Untouchable Face
4) Anna Nalick - Breathe
5) Carly Simon - Coming Around Again
6) Kelly Clarkson - The Trouble With Love
7) Oasis - Don't Go Away
8) Tina Turner - What's Love Got to Do With It
9) Ryan Adams - Wonderwall
10) Johnny Cash - Hurt