Grr. can anyone please tell me why all people wanting to get their PhD must speak at least two, maybe three languages? Maybe, just maybe I am wrong on this...but how many people show "proficiency" on a language exam and then *poof* magically forget how to speak anything beyond, "hola, como esta?" within a week?? This to me is like math. I haven't taken a godam math class since my sophmore year and I rejoiced knowing that I would never have to do it again. The same for my sad and pathetic attempt at German for two semesters. Now don't get me wrong, I would love to be able to speak Spanish. It to me is the most useful in my line of interests, but shouldn't I be focusing on my dissertation? Shouldn't I be past all this standarized test BS?!?! Shouldn't people within the academic world be equally as frustrated and annoyed by this as me? Maybe I am overreacting, but I SUCK at foreign languages just as much as I suck at math. If one were to take all my math, science and foreign language grades off my transcript it would be impeccable. Maybe me scowering through the already limited pool of Women's Studies PhD's for no langauge requirement is pathetic, I don't know. But grr. Grrr.

I feel better.

Ok. This is getting ridiculous. We cannot walk our dog without getting accosted by random people everywhere we go. There is the dude bro from across the street who yells "Ralphie" and runs over and lays down in the middle of my driveway rubbing his face all up in my dog. There is the strange man who owns/runs whatever the jewelry shop down on the corner and apparently all of his friends who says Ralphie should be the next block mascot. There are random folks who pull their cars to the side of the road to ask about Ralphie and there are random girls who I can hear screaming and squeeling from their open car windowns. And there are of course your Elmwood dog walkers who have some little cutey of their own but are nonetheless mesmerized by my dog. Phew.

I don't mean to sound bitter. For the most part I think it is super cute and Felly and joke about how Ralphie needs sunglasses to hide from the puparazzi. Yes, we are that gay. Anyways, but sometimes I just want a nice quiet walk with no interruptions. Maybe I should get a shirt that says "Boy. Ralphie. 11 weeks. Mini Dachshund. No, you can't take him home".

But on the bright side, I have to admit that all of a sudden I feel like I am a part of this community, which is something that didn't happen before. And it really is Ralphie. he brings out the best in people. People who would otherwise be in their own little worlds, frowning, unresponsive human beings, brighten right up when they see him. They smile and I smile and for that second all is well with the world.
Ahhh, cute things.

I am falling in love with my dog. He is soooo cute and so little and so needy. I feel like a new mom. the first night we got him Felly had to go to sleep early and Ralphie was crying and wimpering so I picked him up and pet his little head till he fell asleep. At 3am. All day yesterday I was exhausted because not only was I up late because of the whining, but he also woke me up at 7am!! I have been cleaning up pee and poo on an hourly basis. It really really really puts into perspective what it could be like to have an actual human child. Props to all you moms out there.

Oh yes, and he is a chick magnet!! We took him to PetSmart and to Delaware Park and Spot coffee and I have never had so many strangers come up to me...and of course its not me they interested in at all. I have been subsumed by the cuteness of Ralphie.

Anyways, if anyone likes puppies and wants to meet him, you are welcome to come visit. I still don't have a job, or rather, a job that pays, so I am home alone most of the time with the cats and now the dog. But my house is a mess. That in itself stresses me out cause I am a litte OCD when it comes to a clean and presentable house. Newspapers spread on the floor. Makeshift puppy barriers blocking him in the kitchen. Ah well, so it goes....

Everyone should check out channel 2, 4, and 7...live police standoff on 190...

I have 3 weddings to go to this summer. THREE. Two of them are in the hometown vacinity which is a 4 hour drive and the other is on LONG effin ISLAND which is...I don't know...`100 hours away. Now don't get me wrong...my brother getting married and my best from highschool and two of Felly and I's friends from NEw Paltz getting married and all well and good, but damn. What a pain in the ass.

Also, the trip to Florida has reconfirmed my aversion to flying. It just feels totally and utterly wrong to me. Human beings were not meant to fly. Period. The plane we took from the Buff to JFK was SO small...2 seats on either side and a walkway down the middle. The last plane I was on was an international flight to Brussels and it was HUGE compared to that little dinky toy plane. I could feel every turn, every lift and every descent and needless to say I felt like I was on a rollercoaster for an hour straight. Not that I don't like rollercoasters either, but you know how sometimes when there is no line and they ask you if you want to go again and you do and then you want to vomit. Yeah. Like that. The plane to Tampa was slightly better, as we were in the air much longer and gave me time to adjust to the constant movement, but I can't say that I enjoyed it. I guess some people do, but not me. Who am I kidding? I don't even like merry-go-rounds!

I have one more paper to rewrite before the semester is officially over. This Prof. always gives way longer for final papers than the others, which generally is a nice idea but, it is very difficult for me to want to go back to a paper when I have taken a week off of fun and sun in Florida. My mind and my body are still in vacation mode and I don't wanna write no stinkin paper. Meh.

Oh yes...and there are a few pics in (e:Fellyconnelly) 's most recent post that show my shortened hair for those who are interested.