The Good, The Bad, and The Soon-To-Be Ugly
By Keiti | July 2, 2009You know, every time I say I’m going to be better about posting, I always seem to get wrapped up in what’s right in front of my face.
Which, as everyone knows, is my dissertation. To say that I’m living, breathing, and sleeping my dissertation might be understated.
I’ve got one more chapter draft to write. I’ve still got to write my Introduction and Conclusion. Once all of that is done, I’ll need to start revising everything, slap it into one file, format it properly, print it out, and get it bound.
All before August 12.
That’s a month-and-a-half, give or take.
While I’m doing all of that, I’ve got to set aside time to go see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Star Trek, The Corpse Bride, and Let the Right One in.
And make time to spend with friends that I won’t see for quite some time after I leave Scotland.
I feel like I’m waaaaay behind the eight-ball at the moment.
So, it’s research and writing and movie watching and hanging out. And once my parents arrive on the 12th, it’ll be all travel all the time.
I suppose I’ll deserve it after pulling off what seems an impossibility at the moment.
Unless I manage to screw everything up and flunk out…
*grin*
Topics: the misfit life | No Comments »Ooops!
By Keiti | June 27, 2009My 3rd chapter draft is due on Monday.
I’ve written exactly 52 words out of 3,000.
Procrastination at its finest.
Am still here.
Just trying to dig myself out of the ever-present, self-induced hole.
Anyone care to join me?
Dead Snow
By Keiti | June 21, 2009Very rarely do I ever check out The New York Times online. Seriously – I’ve held a grudge against them ever since they were asinine enough to print spoilers (in the form of stolen copies) Harry Potter, which I consider bad form regardless of who’s doing the spoiling.
Anyway, every once in a while I’ll pop on and check out the arts / entertainment sections – mostly books and movies. And every once in a while I’m surprised with an absolute gem.
It seems the zombie craze is still on-going. Dead Snow is a Norwegian film about dead Nazi zombies. Based on what little I’ve been able to find on it, it’s a splatter fest (which will, most likely, preclude me from actually seeing it – I’ve never been one for excessive gore), but I watched the trailer and it looks absolutely hilarious. I mean, seriously, any movie that uses “Ein, Zwei, Die” as a tagline – I can’t explain why I find that so funny.
At any rate, I’ll probably suck it up and watch it on DVD if I can find a copy when I get back to the states. At least I’ll be close to a bathroom in the privacy of my own home should the gore become too much. (I know… I’m kind of a wuss in that respect.)
Read the NYTimes review.
Check out the website (there’s not much there, but you can view the trailer).
Topics: amusement for the misfit, movies for the misfit | 1 Comment »Bitchy Boxer
By Keiti | June 18, 2009Having grown up in a military family, saying “ma’am” and “sir” was ingrained in me from a very young age. Even though I haven’t spent any time around the military in years, I *still* say it. It is a sign of respect that even members of the military use on a daily basis.
So you can imagine my complete indignation when I read this article about Sen. Barbara Boxer’s attitude toward a Brig. Gen. who had *gasp* the audacity to call her “ma’am” instead of “senator”.
I’ve heard male senators called “sir,” I’ve heard Presidents referred to as “Mr.” and no one seems to raise an eyebrow.
I really despise the snotty and frankly ridiculous antagonistic attitudes of women sometimes. Whether she’s worked hard for the title or not is irrelevant. That she’s treated with respect and apparently cannot afford that same respect to someone else is mind-boggling.
It gives the rest of us a bad name.
Topics: annoyances for the misfit | 7 Comments »Wainy Wednesday
By Keiti | June 17, 2009It’s kind of a miserable day outside.
Cold. (Well, in the 50s.) Rainy. It’s one of those days I’d rather stay curled up in bed with a cup of hot chocolate and a book. Yesterday I splurged on a set of the UK version of the Harry Potter book. I found most of them in secondhand shops. I’m going to take my copy of the Half-Blood Prince back. I had to buy it new and it was a choice between the hardcover children’s cover and the paper back adult cover (why they felt the need to have separate covers is beyond me), and I chose the paperback. On further reflection (mostly because I’m a stickler for consistency… yes, I know that’s a bit out of character. I’m claiming OCD), I’ve decided I need the children’s cover to match the rest. So, I’ll return the paperback adult cover version and have them order the paperback with the children’s cover.
I really need to stop buying books over here. It’s going to cost me a small fortune to send them back to the states.
Anyway, I have to scrap staying in bed. I start researching my 3rd chapter today and need to go to the library. I was going to wait until after I met friends for lunch, but I’m seriously feeling the urge to crawl back in bed and if that happens I won’t get much of anything done today. I’m down to about 2 months to pull everything together so I can wander the UK with my parents in peace and there’s still so much left to do.
So I’m off to deal with the rain and research.
Yay for me.
*sigh*
Topics: the misfit life | No Comments »Maniacal Monday
By Keiti | June 15, 2009Um…sorry for the site being down for a day or so – the upgrade to the newest version of wordpress obviously didn’t go off without a hitch. A big thanks to DC for getting everything back up and running so quickly!
Not much to report. Currently writing my first draft of Chapter 2 – it’s due today and I’m still only about halfway done. Hopefully I can make some headway before lunchtime.
I’m also feeling the urge to do some stress-induced shopping.
Maybe tomorrow.
Did get to spend Friday down in Edinburgh with Slaveboy, an old friend of mine who I haven’t seen in about 7-8 years. It was awesome! We spent the day wandering around Edinburgh while he alternated between giving me history lessons about the city, showing me various spots of interest, running errands, and catching up.
I’ll be glad when this dissertation thing is done so I can fully enjoy traveling before heading back home.
Topics: the misfit life | No Comments »At Exactly 1:12 p.m. Scotland Time…
By Keiti | June 10, 2009I heard my first crack of thunder since I’ve been here.
It was pretty loud and a bit long, giving extra-special meaning to the term “rolling thunder”.
I’m hoping this means we’re in for a grand storm.
I haven’t experienced a good thunder storm since I left Florida.
It’s all about the small joys for me, apparently.
***edit – as of 1:45 local time the black clouds have departed and no additional thunder has been heard. I’m sad.
Topics: amusement for the misfit | 2 Comments »I’m Confused…
By Keiti | June 9, 2009Will someone please explain to me why President Obama says “that we can’t welcome…reform that justs invests more money in the status quo – reform that throws good money after bad habits” in regards to the health care industry and yet he saw fit to throw money hand over fist at the banking and auto industries.
Doesn’t that qualify as throwing “good money after bad habits?”
Topics: misfit musings, news for the misfit | No Comments »Weekend Ickies and Books in Bed
By Keiti | June 8, 2009Not sure what was going on this weekend, except to say I felt like absolute crap. Saturday I was productive – had to be productive since I needed to go to Tescos for food – K.W. and I wandered around Stirling trying to decide if we were going to go to the movies that night. I could get excited about nothing and ended up coming home and sticking myself in bed with a book. Yesterday I ended up doing the same thing except I didn’t even bother to take a shower and stayed in my PJs all day, which I think kind of freaks the other residents out. The thing about me is that I don’t care if I’m wandering around with PJs with snowmen on them and perpetual bedhead.
Is it no wonder I’m not dating?
I ran through three books over the weekend:
Untamed (House of Night Book 4)
I started reading this series on a fluke. Not the greatest writing in the world, but the storyline is fun and intriguing. Whoever is editing, though, needs to pay far more attention than they have been. The books are rife with editing errors which is kind of annoying.
Night World (Secret Vampire; Daughters of Darkness; Enchantress)
This is another book I picked up at random. Not impressed and I don’t think I’ll be reading any further books.
Loved this! I haven’t read much Neil Gaiman, but what I’ve read I’ve like. I can’t wait to see the movie later this month.
So, that’s it. I suppose I should have done research this weekend, but I just couldn’t get myself interested. Plus I need to get a copy of Freud’s Totem and Taboo – only the university library is under construction and books are being relocated and when I inquired about it on Friday no one was sure where the damn thing was. Going to give it another try this morning. Hopefully I’ll have better luck. I do really need to get my next chapter done.
Topics: the misfit life | No Comments »The Perfect Present For Someone Who Has Everything
By Keiti | June 4, 2009Don’t you hate trying to find presents for the person who already has everything? Like my dad who is apt to buy what he wants for himself leaving the rest of us scratching our heads for birthdays and Christmas.
I don’t think 17th-century witch bottles have been the rage for quite some time.
It’d be a great conversation piece.
And I’ll bet my dad would love it.
Well, maybe not. But he can always re-gift it.
I know just the person…
Me!
