38: Mono

This mono has been interesting, to say the least. Today, I ate three full meals, which is notable since until yesterday I couldn't eat solid foods for the most part, or more than one meal a day. I guess I should have guessed then that there was something quite wrong, when I woke up on Monday and had a bowl of sherbet at 9 in the morning in a desperate plea to numb my throat. You see, initially this mono was diagnosed as strep and I was handed some Tylenol and some throat numbing nastiness and told it would be better soon. When two days later I was still vomiting and couldn't sleep from the pain of accidentally swallowing my own saliva, I went to a new doctor who quickly deduced I had mono. Say what you will about Student Health Services- they know their diseases that run rampant on college campuses.

The minute the doctor said it, I felt stupid for not coming to the same conclusion. I had three days of naps and being winded walking small distances, wasn't hungry, and just generally over it. I'm starting to come out of it now- I can stay awake for more than four hours even if I do feel completely drained in the process. My tonsils no longer feel like they're resting on my tongue. I don't taste the pus in the back of my throat (sexy. so very sexy). And I've cut down on the Vicotin I was prescribed for pain/sleeping.

And I've been eating. Real meals, with solid foods. Soup and sherbet are still a dominant force of my diet but look at my dinner! Pasta was vodka sauce, onions sauteed with sweet paprika, chickpeas, peas and corn, and sauteed apples and honey. A real meal. I'm impressed. I don't think I'll take food for granted for quite some time.

37: Back in Boston

Back in Boston, for spring break, which is rapidly approaching over. It's snowed, it's rained, and been beautiful. I feel as if I'm doing Williamsburg a disservice. It's a good place, especially for 2 years. The academics are fab and I've met some awesome people. The job- pain of the ass sometimes, but good. It's hard to compare to Boston though. I think part of that is though that I'm here on break, and a lot of the people I've wanted to see (a lot, but of course not all) are people I've met in Ireland.

Sure, Boston has more restaurants, places to shop, movies to see and things to do. But the options I'm getting because of my association with William and Mary are balls-ass better than whatever was available at BU. Granted, upon knowing that I was leaving BU, I did a lot to try and make sure the next two years would be awesome (internship at the Peace Corps? Yes! That I turned down to go to Williamsburg? Well... yes also); there's a chance I wouldn't have prompted myself so much if I stayed in Boston, although knowing me and my tendency to um..... go crazy, that's unlikely.

So, end result?

Is it awesome being back in Boston?
Yes.
Was it worth leaving?
Yes.....ish.
Would I consider moving back to Boston after graduation?
Well, yes. Yes I would.

36: Stencils

I want to get back into stencils and screen painting. I miss art.

Time is the issue. It's always the issue. Maybe I should just take it to the streets of Williamsburg and see what happens

35: Hair Cut

Got my hair cut today. It was weird sitting in the chair, with my glasses off watching someone cut my hair- I had the sudden realization that I was pretty. I don’t say this as a plea for compliments but rather,
I’ve always known my sister was pretty. Gorgeous actually. Me, I clean up nicely. I’m cute. I'm clever. I’m small. But sitting there with my hair sopping wet, I suddenly saw what others might see. I couldn't stop smiling.

It's happened before, where I stood before in the bathroom tweezing my eye brows, and staring at myself.

34: Bad Bad News

Dear Sir,

Just so you know, this won't end with me saying something along the lines of 'I'm just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her' or waiting for you to come up to my fire escape or something.

I've probably bolted.

You see, I'm a bad choice. Like, pick up the red phone and call the sure thing. Me? I drink too much, and flirt with other guys. I breathe sarcasm, I subsist on irony, I stand by my bad decisions, my good decisions, and I wouldn't take a lot of you what say at face value, cause I can make a cute joke, all the better. I need to sit by myself and figure things out, I need to nap, I need to be able to put on my headphones and ignore you. I'm skittish, and yes, I do know that's a phrase reserved for teenage novels about horses. I hold all my cards to the chest, leave too early and expect you to know to get out of the car and follow me. I won't make that first move.

I suppose there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm faithful with my emotions, if not my lips, and I'll cook you nice dinners whenever you need it. I'll watch bad movies, and drink beers, and get you into fights about sports teams I know nothing about. If anything, I'm good for an adventure. I'll probably throw paper balls at your head more times that you can count.

Go with it.

I'm not going to put my heart on the line for you. Sure, I'll threaten anything that comes near my friends with something in the vein of 'break their hearts, and I'll break your kneecaps', but I don't trust anyone with my insides.


I'll talk. And talk. And talk. Stop smiling and kiss me.

33: Wop A Din Din

Feeling exhausted lately, which shouldn't be surprising. I suppose it's the flu scare on campus, combined with that every present threat of mono that circles through the realms of the young quick to swat cup and kiss. Probably nothing, just a whole lot of candle burning.

Music helps. Music always helps.

Fuck It, We're Through
Old Crow Medicine Show- Wagon Wheel*
Whiskeytown- Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart
Wussy- Airborne
Rilo Kiley- A Better Song/Better Daughter
Camera Obscura- Lloyd, I'm Ready to be Heartbroken
Johnny Cash- Jackson **
Wilco- I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
The Mountain Goats- Standard Bitter Love Song #4
Joshua Radin- Sundrenched World
Sea Wolf- I Made a Resolution
Belle and Sebastian- Fuck This Shit
Elliott Smith- Clementine
Fields- If You Fail, We All Fail

(all I need now is to get my hands on some Red House Painters to complete it)

*fun fact- this is the closing song at the bar
**fun fact- when searching for Johnny Cash at WCWM, check both under the Js and the Cs. He's filed under both. Bob Dylan on the other hand, is only under D

32: Movie-- If You're Hungry, Try a Piece of Your Friend

Earlier this week, after a long day of naps, homework and cooking, I retired to my room with a movie in tow- Neil Marshall's 'Doomsday'. Well. I'm not going to lie to you- it wasn't good, in the conventional terms. It looked like someone or some people's spent a whole lot of money on something that flashes a lot, but doesn't actually have a plot. Which is untrue, as the movie did have a plot.

Just not a good one.

Granted, I walked in hoping for zombies. A bubonic plague look-a-like called the Reaper Virus sufficed.

And there are worse movies out there, with less of a plot and more established actors (Jumper, looking at you) than Miss Rhona Mitra (previously seen in......Skinwalkers or The Number 23, take your pic)and Liam Neeson-Crispin Glover cross David O'Hara (previously seen in 'Braveheart' and 'the Departed' (side note, seriously dude? how did you end up in this?)) and.... Malcolm McDowell (I've just stopped questioning his motives. You should too). The film didn't try to take itself too seriously, which is welcome to a movie that uses the lead's electronic eye as a critical plot device (score for shooting small children so early in the movie!). The music was... interesting. I've never imagined playing the can can while watching someone burned alive, then sliced into delicious pieces for the hordes to feast upon. But then again, I don't understand the English love of blood sausage.

Is it a worthy successor to Mad Max? No. But then what is? I score it above Waterworld, that's for sure.