[the ides of december]

it's pretty much a job requirement of mine as a teller to fill out paperwork for [lazy] customers.
today as i was writing the date down for what seemed an infinite amount of times, i couldn't help but be blown away each time i wrote "december 15."
december 15th.
that's ten days until christmas folks.
december is half over.
we are but sixteen days from a new decade.
i think that means i need to write some killer new years' resolutions for the new year.

...after finals, of course.

speaking of which, two down and three to go! then i will not blog about school or the train anymore and maybe come up with actually entertaining material. what an idea!

[day one, check]

am i sad that today will be the last time i'll ever write an essay that discusses racial nationalism ideologies or analyzes how communism came to pass in china?

nope.

not.

one.

bit.

*okay, maybe a little tiny fraction of a bit.

sue me for liking a class only after i'm done with it.

[change of scenery]

i'm now at the u's library working on my assigned sections from my imperialism and china study guides before mal gets here. it's open until 2 am tonight and it is packed! the nervous energy is pretty contagious which is great cuz now i'm typing furiously away about socialism and i'm actually somewhat enjoying myself. we'll see how long that lasts.
i've come to the conclusion that i can't study at home. home is where you relax, not stress about school. so from now on, all studying must be done at a library.
the end.

[i've been doing some accounting]

17.5. the number of hours left until my first final.

12. the number of times josh has asked me if i'm okay due to a glazed expression on my face when i look at my stack of notes with despair.

8. the number of inches of snow i'm sure i'll have to scrape off my car tomorrow morning.

7. the number of penguins on my mantle i have up for christmas that stare at me mockingly.

5. the number of finals i have.

3. the number of testing days this week.

2. the number of days where i'm taking two finals in the same day.

1. the number of hours of studying i've done, thus far.

hello, week of death.

[finding the good]

like many in my circumstance, i too am sharing the love of this time of life where i am a super stressed and adorable student.

yesterday, i left campus and didn't have to work, so i stopped by the salt lake library to do some reading for a paper that's due tomorrow and i haven't really started.

i claimed a spot on a comfy chair in a corner on the second floor next to a tiered fireplace, with this lovely view before me.

it got me thinking: what other time in my life am i going to get away with sitting around stressing about roman mythology while drinking hot cocoa at the coolest library in utah?

don't be too jealous, cuz writing papers and studying for five finals is HARD.

and ps. i never use pictures with my camera anymore. i'm simply too lazy to upload them all onto my computer and then post them. so deal with the grainy picture-phone texts and be happy about it. someday the good ones will be back.

[entrepreneur extraordinaire]

sometimes when i drive up streets busy with commerce, i think it would be so lovely to have my own business.
if i were to operate a business, i think it would be a store.
a store in the food industry.
and it would be a cereal bar. called curreal or something equally clever.

yes, it would be a business devoted to cereal lovers everywhere, where they could eat cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a small cost.
there'd be huge, adorable bowls and spoons that change colors and sugar to pour on top.
it'll be a huge success.
why?
cuz nothing treats the stomach better than your favorite brand of cereal when the situation calls for it.
there'd be tons of choices too.
brand name cereal or generic or healthy and with all kinds of milk in any combination that one could ever desire.
if this dream of mine ever takes off, consider your cereal needs fulfilled.
and i'll be there to reap the profits and become fabulously wealthy.

[floss]

i sleep with four blankets on top of me, not including the standard sheet/blanket/comforter, in the winter.
last night i situated myself with the usual set up without washing my face or brushing/flossing my teeth.
i sat there for a minute, so comfortable and relieved to get in bed before midnight and anxious for some much-needed sleep.
then i thought: i just paid a huge sum of money to get josh a root canal that resulted from a cavity.
cavities come from not brushing or flossing one's teeth.
people are supposed to brush and floss their teeth before they go to sleep every night.
my conscience kicked in.
my conscience knows that i literally cannot afford to pay for another root canal any time soon.
"liz. get out of bed and brush those peanut butter cookie-infested teeth."
good thing that financial issues seem to take precedent over my health.
good thing that nothing beats sharing a good night kiss with fresh breath.
cuz if those things weren't the case... i'd probably never brush my teeth before bed.
and that's just gross.