I made the Dean's List. I finally, finally made that darn Dean's List. It took 4 semesters.
But I don't talk about that.
The point is that I have a big, pompous, maroon and gold certificate, and that I'm going to hang it up somewhere like I used to do with spelling awards when I was little.
In other news, last night I got to attend a production of "Little Shop of Horrors." As a member of the Press. I went by myself, even though they had reserved two tickets for me; I wanted it to just be me the first time. To drink it all in and all (and all). Well, I ended up wishing I had brought someone, because I was probably the only person under 65 at the show. This was okay most of the time, except when the old man behind me would stage whisper things. Like "watch out!" and "would you look at how low her top is?" (at least he didn't yell Macbeth, although I bet he was thinking about it. He really didn't like that Seymour was murdering people: "Unethical young folks! Who do they think they are?"
I brought a notebook along to jot things down in, and most of my notes ended up being about the audience. Here are some direct quotes: (please note: I don't understand/remember what some of these mean. I wrote them last night. Should I be worried?)
-"Back in the meat locker!"
-Evidently the Errol Flynn mustache is coming back
-They brought blankets (Okay. This one's about the 65+ers.)
I'm going to be hard pressed to keep this review focused on the play.
Showing posts with label Creeping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Creeping. Show all posts
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Finals Week, Part 1
There are two large snakes housed in the Science Building at UMM. The boa constrictor is named Ramses, and the ball python is 8 Ball. I held 8 Ball once in late October. I happened to be passing by as some of the biology majors were lifting him out of his glass tank. "Why don't you hold him?" a boy asked enticingly, draping the snake about his shoulders as if it were a scaly shawl.
My first inclination was to say no. My second inclination was to say well okay.
8 Ball was heavier than I expected; his long body was thick and muscular. His dry skin slid against mine as he twisted his head around to look at me. He flicking his tongue periodically, me hardly blinking at all, we regarded one another.
He must have decided I was all right (for a human), because he soon resumed wrapping himself tightly around my arms.
Now it's December, and I'm back again to stand in the Science Building and gaze at the snakes. Among the rocks in their enclosures, they hardly move at all. Ramses has a large lump near his throat, and I know that while he lays placidly, inside he is digesting his Sunday dinner. I pity the mouse that didn't have a chance.
I sit down beside the tanks to work on a paper that should have been done yesterday, and suddenly I would give everything good and dear and wonderful about my life to be a snake. To doze inside a warm rectangle all day, only disturbed to eat and drink and to be held by curious students wearing black glasses and hooded sweatshirts. To creep around on my belly, not concerned about getting up or lying down or hurrying or tripping or letting anyone down.
I'd like to be a snake, so I can simply be.
My first inclination was to say no. My second inclination was to say well okay.
8 Ball was heavier than I expected; his long body was thick and muscular. His dry skin slid against mine as he twisted his head around to look at me. He flicking his tongue periodically, me hardly blinking at all, we regarded one another.
He must have decided I was all right (for a human), because he soon resumed wrapping himself tightly around my arms.
Now it's December, and I'm back again to stand in the Science Building and gaze at the snakes. Among the rocks in their enclosures, they hardly move at all. Ramses has a large lump near his throat, and I know that while he lays placidly, inside he is digesting his Sunday dinner. I pity the mouse that didn't have a chance.
I sit down beside the tanks to work on a paper that should have been done yesterday, and suddenly I would give everything good and dear and wonderful about my life to be a snake. To doze inside a warm rectangle all day, only disturbed to eat and drink and to be held by curious students wearing black glasses and hooded sweatshirts. To creep around on my belly, not concerned about getting up or lying down or hurrying or tripping or letting anyone down.
I'd like to be a snake, so I can simply be.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
In Which my Blog is Blogged
This is funny. I'm at a library computer, and I search engined my name like I always do to get to my blog quickly on public computers.
Guess what came up?
On this website: http://kevinrenick.com/News.php
(which is the website of musician Kevin Renick), my blog was mentioned! Why? Oh, because a while back I quoted the lyrics to his song, "Up in the Air," saying that they pretty much described my life. Well, whoever runs his website must have googled his name and my blog must have popped up!
Why am I excited about this? Because it's the first bit of publicity for my blog! Not that I want it to become famous or anything (Julie & Julia style), it's just neat to see that people are actually looking at it.
Here's what was actually said about my blog on the website, in case you don't want to scroll down that far. It's not much, really, but it's something:
--Two more blogs feature the lyrics to "Up in the Air" and the author's favorable comment. First up is Holly Gruntner's personal take: http://staygoldponyboy88.blogspot.com/2010/06/up-in-air.html You rule, Holly!
Guess what came up?
On this website: http://kevinrenick.com/News.php
(which is the website of musician Kevin Renick), my blog was mentioned! Why? Oh, because a while back I quoted the lyrics to his song, "Up in the Air," saying that they pretty much described my life. Well, whoever runs his website must have googled his name and my blog must have popped up!
Why am I excited about this? Because it's the first bit of publicity for my blog! Not that I want it to become famous or anything (Julie & Julia style), it's just neat to see that people are actually looking at it.
Here's what was actually said about my blog on the website, in case you don't want to scroll down that far. It's not much, really, but it's something:
--Two more blogs feature the lyrics to "Up in the Air" and the author's favorable comment. First up is Holly Gruntner's personal take: http://staygoldponyboy88.blogspot.com/2010/06/up-in-air.html You rule, Holly!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Macbroke
The last time I posted, my Macbook worked perfectly fine.
Now it needs a new hard drive.
I guess I'll talk to you again when things are working (it's kind of weird to be blogging from a library computer, with several people breathing down my neck from nearby library computers).
Oh, and I also finished This Side of Paradise. Remind me to post about that!
Now it needs a new hard drive.
I guess I'll talk to you again when things are working (it's kind of weird to be blogging from a library computer, with several people breathing down my neck from nearby library computers).
Oh, and I also finished This Side of Paradise. Remind me to post about that!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Holy Buckets!
I started writing my bucket list today. My second bucket list, actually.
I wrote the first one junior year as an assignment for my College Psychology class, but I think I was trying to make it entertaining because there are things on it like:
43. Spend a night in jail
82. Find out how many licks it really takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop
You know, I really don't want to go to jail. It's an experience I can die happily without. And I don't even like Tootsie Pops. Why would I want to sit around and lick one all day?
So anyway, here's the new and improved bucket list (or what I have so far). I'm trying to make this one more serious, and also more achievable. Not that I'm limiting myself, just that I'm not including anything that I cannot ever see myself doing. I'm dreaming big, but I'm choosing meaningful, important dreams instead of random, unHollylike ones.
My Bucket List (Started August 15, 2010)
1. Visit all of the Laura Ingalls Wilder houses/sites (Pepin, Walnut grove, De Smet, Mansfield). Burr Oak is lame, and they didn't do much in Kansas-I’ll skip them.
2. Meet an author I truly admire and have a book signed by him/her.
3. Read a Russian novel.
4. Write a book.
5. Have a library in my home (with leather chairs and a globe).
6. Attend the Academy Awards.
7. Volunteer regularly.
8. Give blood at least twice a year for the rest of my life (or for as long as I am able).
9. Ride in a hot air balloon.
10. Visit Grandma and Grandpa Gruntner’s graves in St. Paul.
11. Camp in the Boundary Waters.
12. Go on Jeopardy (or at least make the auditions).
13. Climb a mountain (doesn't have to be extremely high or require oxygen, but it has to be a legitimate mountain).
14. See a play on Broadway.
It just occurred to me that the danger in keeping a list like this is the same as the danger in keeping my ever-growing books-I-need-to-read list; since it's an ongoing thing, it's impossible to ever check off every single item. I'll never feel like I've completed all of my goals because goals will continue to be added.
But I guess that's not such a bad thing. Even though I won't necessarily get the same satisfaction I would have gotten from crossing off the final item, I'll keep doing wonderful things and reading wonderful things because I'll keep dreaming up wonderful things. In the end, I don't think you should ever truly be able to put a cap on something like this. What a boring life you might lead if you did!
I'm going to end with a fun fact I discovered yesterday while Googling (wow I love that "Googling" doesn't come up as misspelled in the spell check; it's a real word now).
Laura Ingalls Wilder (aforementioned resident of aforementioned towns, author, pioneer, my hero, etc.) was only 4 feet 11 inches tall! And her husband, Almanzo Wilder, was only 5 feet 4 inches tall!
I know that people were shorter back in the 19th century, but jeez! I've always dreamed of going back in time and meeting Laura, but I would probably just tower over her awkwardly with my 5 feet 10 inches and embarrass myself.
I strongly suspect, however, that compared to her immense character and talent, her height wasn't so very striking after all.
I wrote the first one junior year as an assignment for my College Psychology class, but I think I was trying to make it entertaining because there are things on it like:
43. Spend a night in jail
82. Find out how many licks it really takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop
You know, I really don't want to go to jail. It's an experience I can die happily without. And I don't even like Tootsie Pops. Why would I want to sit around and lick one all day?
So anyway, here's the new and improved bucket list (or what I have so far). I'm trying to make this one more serious, and also more achievable. Not that I'm limiting myself, just that I'm not including anything that I cannot ever see myself doing. I'm dreaming big, but I'm choosing meaningful, important dreams instead of random, unHollylike ones.
My Bucket List (Started August 15, 2010)
1. Visit all of the Laura Ingalls Wilder houses/sites (Pepin, Walnut grove, De Smet, Mansfield). Burr Oak is lame, and they didn't do much in Kansas-I’ll skip them.
2. Meet an author I truly admire and have a book signed by him/her.
3. Read a Russian novel.
4. Write a book.
5. Have a library in my home (with leather chairs and a globe).
6. Attend the Academy Awards.
7. Volunteer regularly.
8. Give blood at least twice a year for the rest of my life (or for as long as I am able).
9. Ride in a hot air balloon.
10. Visit Grandma and Grandpa Gruntner’s graves in St. Paul.
11. Camp in the Boundary Waters.
12. Go on Jeopardy (or at least make the auditions).
13. Climb a mountain (doesn't have to be extremely high or require oxygen, but it has to be a legitimate mountain).
14. See a play on Broadway.
It just occurred to me that the danger in keeping a list like this is the same as the danger in keeping my ever-growing books-I-need-to-read list; since it's an ongoing thing, it's impossible to ever check off every single item. I'll never feel like I've completed all of my goals because goals will continue to be added.
But I guess that's not such a bad thing. Even though I won't necessarily get the same satisfaction I would have gotten from crossing off the final item, I'll keep doing wonderful things and reading wonderful things because I'll keep dreaming up wonderful things. In the end, I don't think you should ever truly be able to put a cap on something like this. What a boring life you might lead if you did!
I'm going to end with a fun fact I discovered yesterday while Googling (wow I love that "Googling" doesn't come up as misspelled in the spell check; it's a real word now).
Laura Ingalls Wilder (aforementioned resident of aforementioned towns, author, pioneer, my hero, etc.) was only 4 feet 11 inches tall! And her husband, Almanzo Wilder, was only 5 feet 4 inches tall!
I know that people were shorter back in the 19th century, but jeez! I've always dreamed of going back in time and meeting Laura, but I would probably just tower over her awkwardly with my 5 feet 10 inches and embarrass myself.
I strongly suspect, however, that compared to her immense character and talent, her height wasn't so very striking after all.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Stats
I don't really have anything in particular to say today, but I do especially want to say something because I want to hit 19 posts for the month of July. Last March I hit 19 also, which is, I believe, my all time record (one that probably won't be surpassed anytime soon).
Here are some stats for you:
Latest 'duh' moment: I'd been wondering for a while what the origin of a certain curious, drippy noise was. I only just realized that I left the sink running from when I got a drink of water about a half hour ago.
Activity: Playing Sims 2 (I always make literary families) on the Dell, and at the same time constantly checking the firstlinefiction website on my laptop to see if any results have been posted yet (they haven't).
Eyebrow condition: Red and sore looking. Unfortunately, I had to go to work today with the burns seared into my face. Also unfortunately, I read on the internet that waxing burns usually don't scar. Good Lord I don't know what I would do if these babies scarred. Wear a paper bag on my head for the rest of my life? Or maybe do a sort of reverse Phantom of the Opera; have a mask on just my forehead instead of just my cheek.
Current wrist ornament: I'm wearing those rubber band bracelets that don't look like much on, but when you take them off and lay them flat, they revert back into shapes such as peace signs and dinosaurs. They're the very latest preteen fad, and I'm happy to say that I've joined in.
Height: 5'10." Although probably about half that, since I am sitting down. Hmm...I wonder what my actual sitting down height is? Will find out some time.
Reading: *Going Bovine, by the marvelous Libba Bray. This book happened to win the Michael L. Printz Award. It also happens to be completely hilarious and wonderful. Which may be why it happened to win the Michael L. Printz Award.
Writing: Nothing. Well, this blog. And my journal. But nothing else.
Listening to: Nothing as of yet, although I did go a little crazy after work today and talked myself into buying an itunes card. Let the over-priced music buying begin!
*You know, under the facade of reading classics like Never Let Me Go, Fahrenheit 451, and Jane Eyre, I've been getting my Young Adult fiction on this summer. Maybe these side reads of mine don't sound very impressive or English-major-y to you, but I've been enjoying them immensely. Partly because I read the Y.A. authors' blogs online and think it's cool that I can get to know them a bit before reading their books, partly because the Y.A. authors are awesome and all seem to live in NYC and hang out and do awesome things together, and partly because I've always loved the Y.A. genre, and think I may want to write at least one Y.A. book someday.)
Here are some stats for you:
Latest 'duh' moment: I'd been wondering for a while what the origin of a certain curious, drippy noise was. I only just realized that I left the sink running from when I got a drink of water about a half hour ago.
Activity: Playing Sims 2 (I always make literary families) on the Dell, and at the same time constantly checking the firstlinefiction website on my laptop to see if any results have been posted yet (they haven't).
Eyebrow condition: Red and sore looking. Unfortunately, I had to go to work today with the burns seared into my face. Also unfortunately, I read on the internet that waxing burns usually don't scar. Good Lord I don't know what I would do if these babies scarred. Wear a paper bag on my head for the rest of my life? Or maybe do a sort of reverse Phantom of the Opera; have a mask on just my forehead instead of just my cheek.
Current wrist ornament: I'm wearing those rubber band bracelets that don't look like much on, but when you take them off and lay them flat, they revert back into shapes such as peace signs and dinosaurs. They're the very latest preteen fad, and I'm happy to say that I've joined in.
Height: 5'10." Although probably about half that, since I am sitting down. Hmm...I wonder what my actual sitting down height is? Will find out some time.
Reading: *Going Bovine, by the marvelous Libba Bray. This book happened to win the Michael L. Printz Award. It also happens to be completely hilarious and wonderful. Which may be why it happened to win the Michael L. Printz Award.
Writing: Nothing. Well, this blog. And my journal. But nothing else.
Listening to: Nothing as of yet, although I did go a little crazy after work today and talked myself into buying an itunes card. Let the over-priced music buying begin!
*You know, under the facade of reading classics like Never Let Me Go, Fahrenheit 451, and Jane Eyre, I've been getting my Young Adult fiction on this summer. Maybe these side reads of mine don't sound very impressive or English-major-y to you, but I've been enjoying them immensely. Partly because I read the Y.A. authors' blogs online and think it's cool that I can get to know them a bit before reading their books, partly because the Y.A. authors are awesome and all seem to live in NYC and hang out and do awesome things together, and partly because I've always loved the Y.A. genre, and think I may want to write at least one Y.A. book someday.)
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