Transient

Music, pet fish Jack,

food up front, mattress in back;

I go where I go.

This kind of certainty comes but once in a lifetime.

Do you have an open evening? You should probably read The Bridges of Madison County. If you can, read it on a porch somewhere with some sweet tea or lemonade (or an Arnold Palmer). Honestly, it won't take long to read--I finished it last night after checking it out from the library at about six.


The author, Robert James Waller, is also a photographer and musician (He seems to have a lot in common with Robert Kincaid. Imagine that, an author who writes an autobiographical character into his work.), and he released a jazz album, The Ballads of Madison County, to go along with the book.

Two years later, Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep played the parts of Robert Kincaid and Francesca Johnson in the movie version, which I also recommend for a humid summer evening.

Bonus Fun Fact: John Wayne is from Madison County.

Everyone's looking 'round, thinking I'm going crazy

I was going to post a sick picture of my double needle holes from donating blood for Ruby Tuesday, but I'll spare you that image. If you see me in person in the next week, though, I'm probably going to show you the bruise starting to blossom on the inside of my left arm.

No joke, this song was on the radio as Peggy from the Blood Center wiggled the needle around in my arm this afternoon.

I've been long, a long way from here.

Even though my house is five blocks away from the tracks, the train whistle echoes in my room. There's not a lot between here and there to block the sound; even the low rumbling of the train travels across town to vibrate my window screen.

I love home, so why do I just want to crawl out of my window and run to catch that train? I shocked Grandpa the other night by saying I'd go back to Rome in a heartbeat. I'd be a damn fool to not want to go back, even after listing all the good potential this summer holds. [Why do I feel the need to add a disclaimer here? (I don't hate America.) Why can't I just say America annoys me sometimes, I'd rather live in a different country for a little while, and leave it at that?]

Maybe because my friends are all traveling to exotic places right now. Literally, right now. I'm throwing myself into arts and crafts projects that make Martha Stewart look like a hot mess, but mixed media Mod Podge can't compete with skipping the country. Outrageous singing in the car, Dead Sea mineral face masks, Tommy Boy, and Bailey's clothes/shoes don't even do the trick. I'm going to have to get serious here: we're talking blood drives, weddings and probably another vegetarian phase.

Happy Birthday James Stewart!

James Stewart, you are eternally charming.

Other reasons today is a good day:
--banana pancakes and coffee for breakfast
--all the ingredients for hummus are out on the counter
--my Rome scrapbook is almost finished, only one year after I got home
--I'm a college graduate
--sunshine, bikini, blanket on my deck

Fiori

You can grow flowers

From where dirt used to be

-Kate Nash

May 10, 2010

What I have left to do to graduate:
1. Write a self-reflective essay about my progress and development as a writer/English major

What I have done instead, in the past 24 hours or so:
1. Spent far too much time trying to come up with a title for my screenplay so it did not sound like a porno
2. Took a criminology final
3. Found out the DVD limit at the library is 5, not 7
4. Ate free pizza
5. Found the keys to the Writing Center, napped, watched Betty White on SNL
6. Found a t-shirt in the Writing Center, claimed it as mine
7. Ate free pancakes and tater tots, wondered if I could book the Norbertones for a private party

Texts from Drew

Rachel I miss you and
your tender kisses?

Where are you going?
Where have you
been? I do not
question kisses.

Freedom

I dreamed about a broken birdcage;
from it the yellow bird flew.
Then I wrote my story in pencil
to erase the part about you.

[the true poem about today.]

Sometimes I Even Helped People Write Papers

Tonight I say arrivederci to the Writing Center after our last official business of the year (eating dinner, of course). Why will I miss my job there? Conversations like these:

Kate: Rachel, I just sent a text to your old number. Here's what I got back: "I'm feeling 100% Latina tonight."

-----------------------------------

Me (discussing names of characters): Does Jimmy make him sound too young? I just don't think James or Jim sound right.
Matt: Well I was going to go by Jimmy.
Me: You're Matt.
Matt: Yeah, but my middle name is Edward.

-----------------------------------

Chris (helping me write a film script): Why doesn't the scroll work on your laptop?
Me: It's finicky, like a woman.
Chris: Oh, so doesn't respond to my touch?

-----------------------------------

[After discussing the logistics of our senior portfolios, Matt curls into the fetal position on the floor.]
Me: Are you okay?
Matt: I think I'm just going to die right here.

This bothers me

Let's talk about how much I hate this commercial.



Okay. You're watching TV in the living room, and your daughter/wife comes in to vacuum. Do you:
(a)Turn off the TV and help her, then watch something together.
(b)Move to the basement to watch.

You chose (b). You are a tool. While watching TV in the basement, your son comes in to workout. Do you:
(a)Turn off the TV and join him.
(b)Move to the den to watch.

You chose (b) again. You are a piece of work. While watching TV in the den, your younger son gives away the end. Do you:
(a)Turn of the TV and play a game with him.
(b)Change the channel and watch something together with him.
(c)Move to the garage to watch.

You chose (c). You have a TV in your garage? Unbelievable. While watching TV in the garage (which is where you should be sleeping), the garage door starts to open. Do you:
(a)Get out of the way, then get out of the house and never come back. If you lived alone, no one would interrupt your TV watching.
(b)Move to the....where else could you possibly have a TV??

If you haven't guessed, I think this commercial sucks. Why don't you try to sell me a TV by showing my how I can completely remove myself from my family? While you're at it, reinforce gender roles by having a woman do housework and a skinny kid work out.

My Night in Poetry

Sorry, Dr. Risden, I Was Busy Reading Italian Feminist Poetry For Fun

I didn't read the book assigned for class.
Is that why my notes look like this?

      title: what sounded best
      Library - hallucinogen...moaning noises
      Women: evil/juvenile satire
      epiphany firework
      apocalypse shepherds

-----

Daisy Buchanan

Tonight I helped a student talk through the
seventeen ideas he has for a paper,
none of them on paper,
but (he taps his head),
"I am always thinking."

For this one he wants to talk about
cars and women,
but not cars as women,
because in reality,
"Cars are only ideal woman.
Real women are more maintenance."

Putting Homework Behind Me

Today is my last day of Tuesday classes. I won't be schlepping my JanSport to campus for much longer.

In other news: I'm still about 30 pages of writing short of graduation. More specifically, 30 pages of human trafficking, poverty alleviation, Angola and film theory writing. If I'm a little scarce on here, that's why.

I'm trying my hardest to be productive

Unfortunately, I'd rather read Roman news. This Canadian reporter gets Roman traffic.