Telephones are Evil

This has always been a common theme for me, but lately, the evil phones have been stalking me. There's a reason (or several) why I do not have a cell phone, most importantly being that my heart rate increases dramatically every time I hear a phone ringing, particularly if I'm the one responsible for picking it up. Fortunately, hardly anyone calls the room phone, plus it has caller ID, so that one is fairly harmless. (Note the fairly. If it were to ring while I was on the top bunk and I thought it might be someone important and therefore rushed down to answer it and in the process slipped or jumped or otherwise injured myself, I would have to change my opinion. But the point is that this post is mainly focused on phones other than the one in my room.)

I finally learned how to transfer calls at work, which means I can pass off responsibility to others, but my favorite method is to merely hand the phone to whoever happens to be standing nearest, even if that is all the way across the main floor. I have also been known to use the phrase, "I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the static. Please dial the number you wish to reach yourself." It was true. Why do people always want me to transfer them to the operator anyway?

So yeah, phones in other places have been haunting me. Like a few weeks ago, when I was at the mall, in Boscov's I believe, and we had just stepped off the escalator and all we could hear were multiple phones ringing. And ringing. And ringing. And no one was answering them. Sarah was going to pick it up, just to stop the awful ringing, but since there were multiple phones, it wouldn't have even solved the problem.

And don't even get me started on cell phones. One of the reasons people are so much more isolated today is because everyone is used to being able to use their phone as an excuse. For anything, it seems. "Yeah, I have to sit near the door because if my phone rings, I'll need to leave class." Or, oh yeah, I'm sitting at the lunch table with you, but I'm going to ignore you and make you feel awkward because I need to have this conversation with my male friend. A long conversation. Cell phones make people rude. They are, in fact, an invention of the devil.

Tribute to Impermius

Why does it have to be raining? I can see blue sky. A little piece, anyway. Didn't it rain enough the past three days? I mean, not that I have anything against the grass looking greener, nor do I want to deny anything that needs water rain, but the sad truth of the matter is that somebody stole my umbrella. I left it in the lobby of the library. I have left it there countless numbers of times in the past, with no problems. But no, yesterday, when it was merely misting (although occasionally on the heavy side), my umbrella walked off with a complete stranger. Well, I'm not going to spend any time mourning the loss of my not-so-trusty friend. I wish all his inconsistencies and bent pieces on his new owner, who probably dumped him somewhere after they were done with him. It's a sad life for an umbrella, really.

So, rain, as a personal tribute to my former umbrella, do you think you could just stop? Thanks!

Maze-A-Pix

Gosh, its been a week already? Guess that's what happens when you're busy. It was a week of meetings, readings, writings, and dreaming about jumping off a cliff. (It just occured to me that I am on the top bunk...) I have a whole list of things to accomplish this weekend, but it seems I didn't make it very far. I finally posted my pics from Longwood Gardens, but forgot the ones of my room. I worked on my animal research presentation on and off (mostly off), but was distracted by Buffy and a stink bug. I highlighted. (It glows.) I tried the new garlic and cheese veggie burgers I bought. Pretty good. Tomorrow, I resolve to leave the building, if only to take a short walk. Plus, I have to do laundry, so that gets me closer to the door.

Ooh, but my favorite part of today was doing these cool puzzles in my puzzle magazine. They were mazes that turned into a picture when you colored in the right path. Very neat... :)

The Long Awaited Semester Description

Or whatever you would like to describe it as. ;)

So, 9 am, senior seminar, a class that is supposed to be limited to 15, but has about 19, meaning I don't have to talk as much, right? It's basically a big debate, or a debate a week, with people taking turns leading the discussion. I get to lead, oh, next week, so I have some preparing to do, any time now. And I'm working on picking a topic for the big paper.

10 am, at the campus center, The Family, another large class in a poorly designed classroom with no windows. My prof is from Nigeria, but I think I almost have the accent down enough to drift a little without getting in trouble. It's been a slow start, since most of the lectures are in the texts, one of which I am reading in the library because I don't feel like buying my own copy. For this class, we have to attend Baby College one weekend. More on that after I actually go...

11 am, back across campus. Cognition. This is going to be a really cool class, and not just because we get to hear all sorts of things about my prof, like that she has wild "pet" rabbits she calls Mouse and Jack. Cognition covers all the fun and exciting bits about the brain. Attention, perception, memory. And our final project is to make some big metaphor about what the class is all about. Hopefully by then we will know...This class is also in a weird room, third floor with a slanted ceiling. But all the rooms got new flat screen monitors and other equipment, so we can watch movies more often. :)

12 pm, the other side of campus. Juvenile Delinquency. Another packed classroom and I always get there last, coming from farthest away, no doubt. This one is going to be good, too, I think, even though we have papers due almost every day. Critical reviews, actually, so we can write pretty much anything that relates to the reading. Yesterday we talked about hunting rabbits...and guinea pigs...

My Tuesday/Thursday class is Social Stratification, with the same prof as Juv. Del., so I always forget which class I am in, despite them being in different rooms. This class only has 10 people, which is weird, but nice. This should be fun, too, and we get to take a field trip to the mall in a month.

And all the rest of my time is spent at the library, entering data in the computer, answering random phone questions, or shifting/shelving books, since no shelvers were hired this year. good thing I have lots of practice shelving...

It seems I get the room to myself on weekends, so I can do whatever wild and crazy things I feel like, such as reading textbooks out loud, using A's bed cuz it is easier to get to than mine, and bungee jumping off the top bunk. Ok, just kidding. About one of those, anyway. :)