Renaissance Girl

I don't do TiLT as a weekly entry, although I would like to since I think listing what I love and am grateful for is generally a positive thing to do. But I spent the majority of this week in a haze of vague fear, frustration & (tmi alert) PMS, so the fact that today I just felt FANTASTIC is something to celebrate!

Thus: Things I Love Friday, Or More Likely Saturday By The Time This Is Actually Posted:

1. Obama. You knew I was going to start with this, because is there anything this man doesn't do? He issues orders to close Guantanamo Bay. He freezes pay on White House aides making more than 100k, & sets tight restrictions on lobbyists. He overturns the global gag rule. No, he's not perfect...but hey, I'm in the honeymoon phase. Oh, what a man!

2. Hot Waterbottles! Because I have my feet on one now, & they are just the loveliest things. My room has been fairly warm this winter (it's in the basement, for those who have never visited, & is often freezing), but still I make myself a hot water bottle every time I go to bed. Mmm. :)

3. Slings & Arrows. How could I possibly forget how much I adore this show? I hung out with Elsa this afternoon & we watched half of the first season, & oh--GEOFFREY. Marry me. Or, better yet--DIRECT ME. The show just makes me fall in love with theater all over again, even though I know I adore it. Speaking of fantastic theater...

4. Acting II, especially Sean W.S. & the fact that we're doing the Astrov/Elena scene from Brian Friel's translation of Uncle Vanya for the first assignment. Amazing classic play? Check. Best translation/adaptation ever done? Check. Hot, steamy scene with plenty of juicy moments, complicated actions & snogging? Check. Incredibly talented scene partner? Check. Oh yeah, baby.

5. Tanqueray Gin. Especially in perfect gin & tonics. 'Nuff said. :)

6. Libraries! I am going to the UW libraries to take copious notes on archival material tomorrow, & you know I'm in a good mood when I'm excited about that! Maybe I will get to take them to the Suzzalo reading room & take notes there. Mmmm....

And I saved the best for last, because, guess what...

7. Leeann / leeann_marie is coming to visit Seattle!
I am utterly THRILLED about this, & have been spending a whole bunch of time thinking of places we should go & things we should do. Man. Expect some sputtery posts of glee as the day approaches, & tons of photos & blabbering when she's here (or perhaps just after she leaves, as we might just be too busy living it up!).

& there are so many more! But I will stop there, & get to sleep...tomorrow I will listen to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me & make cookies (perhaps that should be 8 & 9...) & so many other good things!

Goodnight, world. <3

Listening to President Obama's inauguration speech:

I have goosebumps!

Oh, this man. How proud I am to have him as my president!


(Also--this first family is going rock. Besides how cool we already know they are, & that we are going to have a first grandma at the White House--apparently, when the Obama family was visiting the Lincoln memorial & reading the Gettysburg address off of it, when they got to the point about liberty and justice for all men created equal, Malia asked, "How're we doing on that?")

Tech weekend is done--I was at the theater all Friday night, then about 9am-11pm both days. I pretty much feel like a walking cloud of fog. That feels terrible. Oh, I need so much more sleep than this...& even with the day off tomorrow, I still feel like homework is eating me alive!
There is a mock trial in History 201 this week--I was the only one of my group who read anything over the weekend, & I was locked in a booth for 90% of my waking hours, so. Agh.
There is a paper due also on that same day...vaguely about the trial. It's really stupid. I got an extension just in case.
I have a Moby Dick test on Thursday which I am paralyzed with fear over, read: am not studying for because I think it's pointless. I will read my notes tomorrow. That's pretty much all I can do.
I have outlines due on Wednesday in PNW.
Nothing big due in Physics, thank god.

PLUS ALSO doing TECH for the rest of the WEEK. We don't have tech tonight--so I'm running Vagina Monologue auditions instead. Yikes. (Which are going really well though!)


Here. Don't listen to my whining! Learn about Secret Service names instead! Obama's was Renegade, how rad is that? Michelle's was Renaissance, so, equally cool & fitting. I am so THRILLED about this new first family. They are gonna rock the White House so hard.

This morning on NPR I kept hearing "President-elect Obama" & "in the Obama administration" & I was still gleeful! (Even though still exhausted too.) It just...it makes me so thrilled.

( an attempt at bipartisan celebration? )

More choice moments from Tuesday night, though:

- Dancing in a group at the "Speakeasy" Rosebud--which included what Melissa would call my gentleman caller--& still getting fiercely asked out by a fairly drunken man. I attribute it to the glee.

- Todd breaking out into a rendition of the beginning of the Cell Block Tango, which we joined in to, as referring to Republicans: "They had it coming! They had it coming! They only had themselves to blame! If you'da been there, if you'da seen it, I betcha you would have done the same!" ...& then Todd singing the bridge & wiggling in the street. Brilliant.

- The spontaneous chants of YES WE CAN that broke out all through the crowd, randomly.

- How much beer was given away & passed around with lovely generosity! & a couple standing with a full pack of bottles, when Perez stopped & said, "hey--do you need a bottle opener?" since he has one on his keys, & then getting two bottles for his trouble. Everyone was just so friendly.

-The man with a videocamera (there were several videographers of course), who trained it on Perez & Bailey & me to get our reactions--lots of yelling & happy incoherence--& then asked Perez, "so how does this compare to the night you lost your virginity?" (Best. Question. Ever.)

Ladies & Gentlemen: President-Elect Barack Obama.



Tonight, yes I am proud of my country! I am thrilled for what happened tonight & what it means for what can--& will, I believe--happen in the future. & I am so happy--so, so happy!

Obama is speaking now--listening to him be so grounded, so confident & articulate. Maybe people have blind belief in him, but he knows it won't be easy. And he isn't hiding that. This is hope with an edge, but he knows how to rally us--I love that there is a call & response of yes we can! continuing through this! & oh, man, does he rock.


(Photo from NPR)