John is kind of like my teacher and my psychiatrist. Today he gave me a new camera to use because he thought it would be more my speed-- at Mamiya twin-lens reflex 120mm dealie. I order A TON of film off ebay for it and am ready to commit my life to medium-format color work. Woo expensive hoo. Seriously though, I am so pleased. It is great to have someone looking out for you and trying to help you succeed like that. I ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE TO SUCCEED!

Time to apply for senior funds, like for serious.

CASINO ROYALE! AHHHHHHH! (in a good way). AHHHHHHHHH!!!! Un-friggin-believable, as Mom says. It was WONDERFUL. And that is my review of Casino Royale.

I haven't been posting very much lately, and I'm sorry. But here's why:

1. As I have mentioned several times, my life is exceedingly dull and routine.

2. I'm not, like, super happy right now. I'm fine, don't get me wrong, I have nothing in particular to complain about or anything, I'm just very sick of Marlboro. Marlboro is a strange place, because of its size and isolation it might be one of the only places in the world where you can feel absolutely suffocated and totally lonely at the same time.

3. I am working hard on my Plan. I have 9 pages, want to make it 15 by tomorrow, 30 by a week from next Tuesday. John has also challenged me to take a roll of film every day, no exceptions. That is a good challenge.

4. My digital camera is broken. I'm going to try to fix it as soon as I can get my hands on one of those teeny tiny screw drivers.

5. I keep loosing important things. It's kind of freaking me out.

6. Peggy wanted to know about Dan. Dan is wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!! and still my boyfriend, of 14 months. Here's me and Dan at homecoming:


7. I'll try to do better.

The computer lab got new iMacs. They are wonderful. The have Photobooth.

I just experienced the most gratifying wave of Roma-nostaligia. It's amazing how little it can take to transport us back in time. The brain is an amazing thing. It stores things without even telling us, and sometimes the right combination of sensations will just trigger a memory. For me, right now, it was sound and taste: the sound of rain outside the window (quick thanks to God that it isn't snow), the sound of "City of Blinding Lights" by U2, and the taste of Red Bull. Suddenly I was back at my desk in Rome, drinking RB, listening to City of Blinding Lights, working on some paper or the other while it rained outside. Not a major memory, and maybe that is why it didn't make me sad... I'm just grateful to be able to remember how I felt at that moment, or at those moments, I suppose.

If I was at my desk in Rome, here is what I would be looking at on the wall in front of me:





And, my 20th birthday in Rome was definitely the best one that I can remember....I went to Pompeii and when I got home my door looked like this:




Sigh... You can never go back of course but memories are a wonderful thing. Those pictures are very small, you can click them to make them a bit bigger but they're mostly for me.

I have gotten to be really bad at making new friends. It's like I'm afraid of rejection, and I will almost never talk to people I don't know, especially if I think that person is cool. And sometimes if I think a person is really cool, but we're not friends, not only will I not talk to them, I'll start to actively dislike them. It's really bad and probably the reason I will never be president.

It's an in-a-cloudy day. Basically, it's extremely foggy up here on Potash hill. I like to think of it as being in a cloud. It is a hard day (especially being Monday) on which to spring out of bed, up and at 'em, ready to conquer the week. I managed to get my self out of bed, but that was about it. I wandered around the kitchen making coffee and swearing at myself for not getting up earlier, for not being better prepared for tutorial, etc. I gloomed my way up the hill and was glooming towards tutorial when the thought occurred to me that "hey! The reason I'm doing photography is because it is fun and I enjoy it." Simple and something I should keep closer to the front of my mind. Anyway I felt better after that.

I think I'm getting sick...hopefully I'll be able to stave it off.

I picked up my film from election day. Last tuesday my photo class went out to shoot together to make a collaborative documentary about election day. It was hard but I like what I've gotten. Most of my photos don't deal directly with it being election day. It's more about American... stuff. Like, I was able to photograph undetected inside wal-mart (haha fight the power), so a lot of my pictures are of wal-mart. We'll see what it becomes when we put it all together.

The purple is washing out of my hair, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to dye it dark red again. I like how it looks.

Kate says I need to start writing. I don't feel ready but I know I never will, so might as well go with it.

Oh, and it's my birthday tomorrow. I pretty much don't care.

Happy belated halloween.

I have been very happy lately, but I haven't been getting much done. I did vote today! And I seem to have turned into someone who cleans for fun and relaxation. I know there are certain of my readers (Hi, Mom) who are going to have a hard time believing that, but it's true. I have finally learned about cleaning. Cleaning rules.

I think my good mood is in part because the plumber came and fixed our shower, so we have pressure again. A good robust shower really can't be beat.

I am secretly extremely pleased that after next week Lost is taking a 13-week haiatus. I will get a lot of good work done in that 13 weeks.

I like to drink tea, but it's sort of a lot of work for not a lot of payoff.