I hate winter.

Fall is easily my favorite season: the weather is perfect for walking and the crisp air encourages bonfires and hot cider. The fiery leaves are quite possibly one of my favorite sights - I can stare at them for hours.

Unfortunately, the leaves have fallen underneath the weight of frozen rain. Snow quickly approaches, and with it dreary days of little sunlight and monochromatic views. It's fucking cold, in other words, and I hate it. Not even the allure of winter break can spring me from this dismal mood, I'm afraid.

In 12 hours, I'll be sitting in my Spanish professor's office attempting to regurgitate a semester's worth of vocabulary and grammar. Terrified doesn't even begin to describe how I feel right now.

I'm drinking more coffee, which ensures that I'll be sleepless tonight and pissed tomorrow. It's a stupid decision, but I don't seem to sleep a whole lot during finals anyway ... I'll rationalize it that way. ;) I'll be rocking crazy hair and bed face to this oral exam, no doubt.

Anyway, it's time for a hot shower: my toes are frozen and my ceiling is crackling (pretty soon it will cave in, it has enough fractures). Be safe!

This post brought to you by: caffeine.

"True! nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am;"

"But why WILL you say that I am mad?" ~ Edgar Allan Poe

I'm going crazy with nerves. I have so much due this week: Psych1 test, Spanish quiz and math project due Monday, Spanish oral interview (it's like an oral final exam) on Tuesday, Psych2 test, Psych 1 final paper and math quiz on Wednesday. I should have been working on this stuff much more than I actually did this weekend. Instead, I bemoaned my health (headache's back!), whined at work and slept. Awesome.

I hope you're all doing well. It feels like I was away for so much longer than a day or two!

I was right about the crazy people taking shelter in the library, by the way. On Friday night I encountered a ridiculous amount of creepy old men, including one who took the time to stop me from cleanup to tell me to "have a good night, sweet girl." I know that shouldn't seem creepy, but it really was. I was like "yeahokbye" as I fled the area lol. On a lighter subject, I was talking with a coworker about a fiction book on the topic of zombies in our area: as I'm trying to find the book for her, she asks me "Is it in fiction or local history?" Uhm ... LOL. Well not local history, otherwise we'd probably all be dead, yeah? I don't know if any of you will find that amusing, but I laughed for quite awhile haha. I'm very easily amused, I'm sure this isn't a surprise.

Blah, this is such a boring post! I'm sorry. I'm really dragging - it must be time to make more coffee. :)

Have a good night!

Update: Okay, I'm a bit peppier now that I've downed copious amounts of coffee. Am I the only one who drinks the stuff like it's water? I think it is more of a comfort drink to me than anything - I tend to put lots of milk and cream in it, although I can drink it black when I really need the extra buzz.

While I'm here and somewhat coherent, I think I'll post about some of my thoughts regarding blogs (because I'm that bored). It's an odd situation, to find yourself reading intimate details about someone's life and still be so far removed from the situation. Am I the only one who tends to relate more to some bloggers than others? Sometimes I read posts and just assume it's the product of an overactive but uninspired imagination, while there are other writers I seem to immediately identify with. This probably makes me sound like a terrible snob, and I really don't know that I have a point. I'm just rambling - giddy to not be studying Spanish and reluctant to return to my studies.

I think it's interesting to see just how much information someone is willing to hand out online, regardless of their situation. I wonder if all of this "openness" doesn't increase the bad situations we find ourselves in.

Well, this is a cheery post. I'm sure my 3 (!) followers are glad that I've posted it ;) Sorry, loves. I might be on the verge of a "low" cycle, we'll have to see how this week plays out. If anyone's curious about the quotes, they mean nothing - I just suck at titles.

"I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat."

But alas, I am a mere mortal and can only write as is befitting to my station: not very mysteriously, in other words.

Would you guys like to hear a story? I think you'd like to hear a story. Let me tell you about the elevators at work: they suck. There are two elevators in the lobby of the library, and these are the elevators most people use. Because our patrons are comprised of a very varied people, it's a bit of a gamble every time you step into one of those lifts: will it be full of eye-tearingly strong cologne? The stench of a body that has not seen soap in at least three months? The scent of a diaper long past ripe? None of the options are pleasant, and that elevator quickly turns into a heated metal box of pure hell when one of the mentioned situations occurs. Conversely, when my coworkers or I step into the elevator with a patron and they smell pleasant? You'd think we're in the presence of the President - it's amazing how good hygiene is taken for granted.

Anyway. Shit, I get off topic easily. Okay, so the elevators = gross. Well, one of them just acquired a whole new level of disgusting: a patron urinated in it. Can I repeat that for you? Someone fucking peed in the lift, man! And not just on the floor, but all over the effing buttons as well! How motherfucking disgusting, yeah? Even more disgusting is the fact that the urine sweltered in that elevator for God knows how long until two of my coworkers walked in, pressed the (urine covered) button while simultaneously realizing what was covering the floor and walls, and ran for 1.) alcohol wipes, and 2.) the janitor. Also, please take note of the fact that whoever pissed in our elevator was tall enough to hit the buttons.

Yeah, so that's my job. I feel like every time I'm exposed to 1.) bodily fluids that did not come from myself, 2.) communicable diseases, or 3.) likely rapists (3 today), I should get a bonus.

In other news, my headache has abated! The rain has also ceased, thank goodness. If the light socket in my room didn't fail so hard and insist on blowing a light bulb every day, things would be good. As it now stands, I'm out of new bulbs and have to watch TV in the dark. :(

Oh, well. New Supernatural tonight! :D

"It was night, and the rain fell; and falling, it was rain,"

"But, having fallen, it was blood." - Edgar Allan Poe, "Silence - A Fable"

Happy Thanksgiving, my fellow USians. I hope you're all absolutely stuffed on turkey and other various goodies, and perhaps even pleasantly sleepy. I woke up with a touch of some nasty virus this morning, so I spent the day in my room rather than at my Grandmother's with the rest of my family. I'd say I'm terribly disappointed, but I tend to prefer my own company even on the best of days. I did, however, miss out on seeing my adorable cousins - little girls, aged 3 and 1 - and I am a bit sad about that.

In other news, this little corner of Slenderblogs seems to be in an upheaval. I rather like "Redlight", as he's been dubbed - he seems like a no nonsense sort of fellow. I hope everyone is safe from said fellow, however, and that no more blog hijacks occur. Stay safe, loves.

I will, of course, continue blogging. I mean, why wouldn't I, right? I talk about wholly inconsequential things: spiders, music, Spanish class. I trust this will be a satisfactory decision.

It's still raining, btw. It's been gloomy and overcast since Monday, and I am still not amused. The library will be full of dubious characters tomorrow if the sun doesn't shine. Ugh.

Home remedies for headaches, anyone? The rain wrecks havoc with my mood. =/

Stay safe!

Spiders

So I'm trying to read some manga that I've fallen woefully behind on, but instead of feeling warm and comfortable I keep twitching randomly. I know exactly why this is: spiders. I saw a spider crawling across my wall earlier, and my heroic leap across my bed to smash it ended (clearly) with my book completely missing the mark and that evil thing falling behind my trunk. I whimpered pathetically raged for about 20 minutes, and then decided to forget about it ... but man, it's freaking me out. I loathe spiders with an irrational ire.

Between the spider army that I'm convinced is currently on it's way to kill me and the stupid wind/rain that keeps smacking against my window (which of course happens to be right beside the head of my bed), it will be a miracle if I make it through the night without ten panic attacks.

And that, my friends, is how you whine about something completely inconsequential while people are fearing for their lives. You're welcome.

Amidst the chaos

It's gearing up to be an eventful night, with the ongoing attacks and abductions rolling in. I send my best to all of you on the run, and I wish you all well - stay as safe as possible.

Since reports of masked people surrounding people's homes are filtering in, I decided to do some research googling about masks. I'm assuming that the masks were similar in design to the one on the right, otherwise the stuff below is fairly useless.

Because I think that the mask somewhat resembles a Chinese Opera Mask, I wanted to look up some information about them. I discovered that the masks were used to set the role of a character in the opera - the colors and shapes of the mask define those characteristics. They were typically ceramic and blank: the actors were generally expected to interpret their characters and design their mask. The color white symbolize(d) sinisterness, deception, crafty/cleverness and duplicity, among other things. The color black symbolize(d) roughness, fierceness, or impartiality, among other things.

Taking the (admittedly little) information presented above, the mask pictured might characterize someone who is clever, fierce and sinister OR someone who is "playing both sides" - a duplicitous person, maybe confused about their role or decision, but nonetheless rough and clever. Neither interpretation is particularly comforting, however maybe someone else can find a more positive spin.

Sorry for the dodgy "research" - I feel so bad that I can't actually help you guys. =/ Please, please be careful and try to stay safe.

*Edit: This is a horrifyingly late edit to state that the mask picture is not mine. It belongs to someone on the interwebs, I found it via google. Let me know if it's yours, and how you'd like to be credited, and I'd be happy to link you. Sorry about the late info! (11/28/10)

¡Estoy cansada!

Today was ridiculous. Not only was it long (by my standards, yeah? I know it doesn't compare to ... oh, IDK, running for your life), but I overheard an argument that - while there's a 99.9% probability that it means nothing - I'm sharing with you guys anyway.

On to my day: I have no class on Wednesday because of Thanksgiving break, so all of my classes doubled up on work to make up for losing a day. My last two classes are Spanish and math, in that order. I had a 70 minute composition in Spanish then blearily listened to my math professor attempt to describe the process of scheduling (why yes, I am numerically challenged) for 75 minutes before shuffling down several floors toward my salvation the exit. I normally leave through doors that open up facing the street, but the corridor leading to that exit was blocked off due to some renovations - I had to go out a side door that opened up onto an alley.

At this point, it's 6:30 PM. I'm in northern Indiana, which means that it's also dark as hell outside - and because I attend a community branch of a larger uni, the faculty's a bit lax with the maintenance. I walk outside, down the stairs and into the dark before really stopping to think about the fact that my cell phone is still in my bag and I now I have to walk through the unlit alley and around the building to get to my car. I'm in the process of turning around and walking back up the stairs when I hear a female voice shrieking into the night. I managed to smother my yelp, and overheard this gem of an argument (please note that the male was speaking much more quietly than the female, so I didn't catch the end):

Female: I don't care! Don't fucking say that shit to me - don't ever say that shit to me!
Male: You're childish right now - seriously? You're really mad about that? That is what has you upset right now?
F: You don't understand! Saying 'fuck you' is worse than saying nothing at all - it's like saying you don't even give a fuck anymore! If you don't care, why am I even here?
M: Really? Really? 'Why am I here?'
F: I'm so sick of this shit! I'm sick of always moving. I miss my family, and I fucking hate schools. Why do we always end up in a school?
M: There are more people in schools than in other places ... it's easier here. I know you [and here his voice gets softer and too low to hear].

That's it. Hah, I can feel my one subscriber dropping as I type (sorry love!). It was just interesting to me - I've clearly been reading too many blogs, yeah? They were probably pickpockets or something. I didn't go back up the stairs, btw - once I heard the argument, I just tried to make my way quietly down to the street. I never actually saw the people fighting - it sounded like they were sitting outside the door (excellent observational skills on my part, I'm clearly CIA material).

Oh, hey! Fellow bloggers/lurkers, hey! So I'm addicted to the album "Vespers of 1610 (Martin Pearlman / Boston Baroque)" - the composer is Claudio Monteverdi. It's ... IDK, chamber/choir music? I fail so hard at genres. If anyone listens to this kind of music, though, please leave recommendations for further listening!

Okay. That's pretty much it, and I'll stop spamming my blog now.

Quick note before class

It is absolutely abysmal outside. If I didn't have a ridiculously weighted in-class Spanish composition today, I would absolutely skip class and stay home.

The last time I was on campus while it was storming outside, I was unfortunate enough to not have my umbrella. I have to make the trek across the grounds between classes, and I was absolutely soaked by the time I reached my destination. I went to stand by the elevator (because fuck walking the stairs in baggy and soggy jeans, yeah?) only to be treated to the curious stares of the entire place - because apparently they can't look out the window, see the torrential downpour, and put two and two together - before a particularly astute professor asked: "Oh, is it raining outside?"

C'mon, seriously? Did you really just ask that? Shit, man. I'm wiping my forehead rapidly in order to keep the water cascading from my hairline out of my eyes whilst thanking God that I'm not wearing anything even remotely sheer, and you're seriously asking if it's raining?

I took the stairs.

How to not get kicked out of a library

Good evening!

I've been gorging myself on blogs all evening long (what better way to procrastinate?), and I've seen the idea of libraries as safe havens mentioned a number of times. I work at my local library as a lowly shelver, and I deal with all sorts of patrons on a daily basis. The general expectation regarding patrons is rather low, and the vast majority of people I interact with are:

• Drunk/drugged/slightly deranged
  
• Homeless
• Speaking in tongues
• Extremely irate when not immediately understood
• Likely be kicked out for using the computers to look at porn

Given the dismal standards listed above, you might be wondering whether it's possible to be evicted from a library at all - and I assure you, it is. I assume most of this stuff is fairly standard across the States, and these are good rules to live by when trying to get the best out of your library refuge:

1. Never appear irate: appearing upset or "dangerous" will get you kicked out faster than almost anything else in this list.
2. If you're going to sleep, do so behind a forlorn stack rather than in the middle of the lounge.
3. For the love of God, don't use the computers for porn. I'm assuming most of you have too much on your minds to waste time watching nudie flicks, but still ... I have to mention this. It's so awkward when you're spotted, man, and someone has to reprimand you ... and you might have a little trouble walking (you know what I'm talking about), and the entire area is staring straight at you. ("What's this??" I hear you ask incredulously! "Surely you haven't had to either find security or deal with a loathsome man awkwardly fondling himself in front of you? You jest, Madame!" I assure you, I do not. I could rant about this one for hours.)
4. Don't be a creeper. This includes, but is not limited, to the following: a.) Don't stare avidly at little girls and boys, people take notice; b.) Don't expose yourself to the big girls/guys - again, people notice *shudder*; c.) Be aware of the social "bubble" - don't infringe upon someone's personal space; and d.) Appropriate topics are key: Your penis and/or vagina? Not appropriate topics.
   
5. Be quiet and smile pretty when security walks by. You'll be fine.
   

Honestly, I recommend finding a quiet corner and just holing up there - it's likely that no one will even bother you. Also, don't yell at shelvers. We have feelings, too. :(

Hmm, well this is a fairly pointless post. I'm publishing it anyway, of course, because it took me a bit to type up and I'm fairly lazy. Also, about the titles (Sage, Oracle, Keeper, etc)? Should I call you by title or by name (because both is just far too much typing ;))?

I hope everyone's safe and happy!

Hello, loves!

Yes, this is the clichéd "getting to know me!" first post. I'm not all that new, to be honest: I've been anonymously following many of your blogs for quite awhile. I've only recently felt the desire to comment on any of them, however, and I figured that I should have at least one post here before I do so ... something to make me seem like a little bit less of a creeper, yeah? I don't know if it's working, though - my inner crazy might just bleed through and warn everyone away ;-)

I'm not being stalked by "the rather thin fellow", by the way, nor has anyone I know been Marked/Hallowed/etc: I'm just a girl who finds all of this intriguing. I hope that's not offensive! I just think it's easier to keep up with everyone this way, rather than having 10,234 blogs bookmarked ... it gets a bit confusing.

I'm also offering up my ample free time and research skills - my semester is nearing an end, and I'll have even more time to waste online than usual. I'd be more than happy to help you guys look up ... stuff? Yeah, I suppose I haven't really thought this one through. The offer, however, stands. :)

Also, Vocaloid? Yeah, I'm now addicted. I'll be singing along to some of these songs during my Spanish composition tomorrow - awesome.

Anyway.

I'm Mali! It's nice to meet you all!