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May 25, 2007
boo-yah!
Hi Michele,
I enjoyed your history of the books and libraries in Santa Barbara very much. Your thematic approach to the paper was original and effective and it allowed you to view SBPL within a wider historical framework, which was just what I hoped people would do. I was delighted that you looked at local history materials and newspaper articles to understand the people and issues involved in Santa Barbara’s history as well as compared these materials to the writings of others during the time period. How smart to take a look at Harriet Eddy’s writings on county library organizing. I bet you were thrilled to see her assessment of Mrs. Linn.
In all this is a well researched, nicely written, and perceptive research paper. You’re an excellent historian! I’m creating a collection of library histories done in this class and would love to add your paper to it. Let me know if that’s ok.
Paper 30 points [out of 30]
Final 13.7 [out of 14]
Total 95.9/A- [curse it for ruining my 4.0, but that's ok! an A- is A-ok!]
this paper, mind you, i spent 36 hours writing right before it was due (um, ok minus like 15 hours of sleeping. i like sleep). i pulled a muscle in my hand and had to alternately type furiously and ice it because it was so painful. it was 31 pages long by the end and i had like 50 references. and then i tried to upload it and the electricity in my entire neighborhood went out (including street lights all the way down on center) and i was an hour late turning it in. yey for still getting full credit! and effusive praise! and being a historian!
Posted by michele at 12:09 PM | Comments (7)
May 22, 2007
and they spell out libido for me
(i would say that the names were changed for the sake of the innocent, but i'm the only innocent bystander in this situation i feel, so really the names were changed to protect me from eventual lawsuits.)
deb and taryn, aged 16 and 17 respectively, are taking love-o-meter quizzes on the internet in front of the counter where i sit. deb turns to me, where i'm happily minding my own business, to ask a question.
"michele! what does L-I-B-I-D-O mean?"
"uh...libido means sex drive."
"ooooooo! i've got a big one!"
(me mumbling) "oh my god."
this, mind you, is the same girl who told me her doctor said she should masturbate more because she's too horny.
i have to say, my life is both horrifying and delightfully quixotic. maybe the absurdly sexy 17 year old boy will stay till 6 in here alone with me again today. he was born in 1989. 1989! he didn't even experience the 80's!
Posted by michele at 04:51 PM | Comments (1)
May 21, 2007
more baby mammals
i can't help it, my life is just full of the babies right now.
my brother and erin are going to have a baby boy. no confirmed name yet. some horrible floating possibilities are dylan, evan, and devin. i attempted to substitute ethan or nathan but got shot down. although i did then get to reminisce with jason about ethan from UPS that was friends with jason (inappropriate retching noises cough cough). man, that ethan guy was hot. and a soccer player. and oddly willing to be friendly to me.
something that is not hot is this ultrasound photo of my nephew gestating.
eaugh!!! it's like an alien with the eyeballs staring and the empty looking brain pan and just the absolute horror of a spinal column GROWING INSIDE OF YOUR BODY. freaks me the fuck out, i'm not ashamed to admit it.
let me help you wash that image from your collective consciousness with kittens.
if anyone wants to come see the kittens, i'll have them another month. and if you know anyone looking to adopt, they will be up for grabs at ARF in june.
Posted by michele at 04:04 PM | Comments (4)
May 11, 2007
baby mammals
this morning i went to see ellie's new baby: lucas. he is impossibly tiny. i held him though and totally didn't break him.
then i went to the animal rescue foundation and picked up 6 baby kittens and their momma to foster for five weeks. they are even more impossibly tiny than lucas and wiggle around on their bellies because their legs aren't fully developed. their tiny eyelids are squished closed still and they've still got bits of umbilical cord attached. a nauseating odor of rancid blood and poop hangs around them. man, if not for the smell, i would be in heaven. i'm trying to ignore it. i feel, given 24 hours, that i can block my brain to it and experience only the cuteness of baby baby kittens.
prepare yourselves, sushi readers, for this website is no doubt going to be prone to kitten news and kitten photos in the upcoming weeks.
p.s. my cousin's baby, isabella:
Posted by michele at 04:07 PM | Comments (5)
May 06, 2007
weekend
some numbers
time spent studying for final: 10 hours
time spent driving to and from final: 90 minutes
time spent taking final: 49 minutes
goddammit.
great america
on saturday, i went to great america for dianna's birthday. i had (perhaps) too much fun. i definitely had too much food. but how can you resist a soft-serve dole whip? you cannot! i did ride the delirium 3 times. man, i wish i'd ridden it more and the vortex less. no more vortex ever again, i hate that ride.
here are pictures from the day. and happy birthday again, dianna-giraffe!
Posted by michele at 02:50 PM | Comments (7)
May 04, 2007
ellie's second sprog
Posted by michele at 05:25 PM | Comments (0)
May 03, 2007
oh thank god
Posted by michele at 05:37 PM | Comments (6)
May 02, 2007
Latin Lovers Need Support Too
Yesterday at the ballet with Christine and Kristen, one of the toreadors stuck a pose and I was forcefully reminded of the movie, The Heavenly Kings--which I saw recently as part of the San Francisco International Film Festival. The pose, as the movie states, is that of "the latin lover", "Antonio Banderas", you know, "Zorro". and so I giggled as the toreador butt-clenched his way across the stage, the tassles on his ridiculously tight pants flaring with every pirouette.
We bemoaned how tired we got just clapping for 30 seconds while the ballerinas danced for 3 hours, 9 days in a row. The other day I whined to Lisa about not being able to ride a bike because my knees lock in position but she's riding a bike FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO LOS ANGELES. That's 545 miles, people, AND she's doing it for charity. So although I can whine, I can't ride a bike. But I can support someone who can and so can you.
Posted by michele at 05:12 PM | Comments (0)