Below are the 18 most recent journal entries recorded in Minira's LiveJournal:

Sunday, October 5th, 2003
8:28 pm	Hi all! Yes, St. Andrews is WONDERFUL and I'm having the most intensely scholarly amazing time of my life. :) Beaucoup thanks to all of you who supported, comforted and encouraged me this summer while I was stressing over getting settled here...it's great! You can see some of the pics from the area at the link below...the first is my flat, the next few are what I see on my walk into town every morning (along the beach and 'round the Cathedral ruins...*happy sigh*). pictures! I know, I know, MSN=E-ville, but Snapfish kept freezing on me and certain people wanted them up ASAP. So, there you go. More news later! (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, September 14th, 2003
9:54 pm	Hooray! Mark visited this weekend and I managed to both have a fantastic time and actually accomplish things. Question, for those of you who have taken the GRE (especially the computer-based one). Do they supply calculators? I know that they don't let you bring your own, but I'm looking at the math prep, which includes some pretty heavy-duty multiplication, etc, and going 'they can't intend for us to do this all longhand. right? Oh, god...' More on this weekend later. Working *yawns* now. Current Mood: happy Current Music: Chicago soundtrack - All That Jazz (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, September 10th, 2003
1:38 pm	Had a great, if busy, weekend/beginning of week. Mark (guy I met at the wedding, see my last post) came down to visit for the weekend, and we had a great time. Spending the weekend hanging in the city and sightseeing also let me do a lot of the things I wanted to before I left NYC, which was also faboo. ( My weekend and other miscellany ) Cousin Jon and his boyfriend Brian came down Monday-Tuesday to hang in the city, eat some good food and amuse themselves. I was sick as a dog on Monday, so couldn't spend time with them, which I feel sort of bad about. Still, it was good to see them, and Brian built a kickass house for my Sims game. (yay!) Saw Avenue Q on Broadway last night. It is the FUNNIEST musical I've seen...well, ever. Everyone should see it! Every single one of you reading this! Imagine Sesame Street with puppet sex, swearing, and real-life lyrics to the sunny tunes. I think my favorite song is 'The Internet Is For Porn', followed closely by 'If You Were Gay'. Woohoo! More packing, GRE studying, and planning ensue for the next few weeks, along with minutiae about health insurance and doctor's appointments (o joy unbounded, I know.) But now, the important things. Lunch. And Internet shopping. Current Mood: aggravated Current Music: CCR (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, September 5th, 2003
1:53 pm	http://www.lares.dti.ne.jp/%7Eyugo/storage/monocrafts_ver3/03/index.html That is...so cool to me right now. I think, between all the things I'm juggling right now, the extent of my mental capacity just about encompasses pointing and going 'ooh. pretty.' ( The minutiae of my life for...well, all of August, really ) ( Scotland or Bust ) Having settled that, I've of course moved right on to the next looming crisis in my Grand Life Plan; applying to PhD programs in the US. The early application deadlines for Yale, etc. mean that I can't put the GREs off until the holidays; I have to take them before I leave for Scotland (The only UK testing centers are in London, far from where I'll be.) So I'm desperately cramming algebra and geometry into my skull and obsessively taking practice tests, in between webcomics, packing lists, monitoring the St. A's posting boards, etc. I'm scheduled to take it the 19th. *gulp* Wish me luck! Current Mood: bored Current Music: Beck (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, August 8th, 2003
10:11 am	Saturday. Must....live....til Saturday. ohhh, my head! Went to my lovely teammate's going-away bash last night at the stylin' Paramount Bar and managed to get very well soused by the time I stumbled into a cab. Correction: tried to stumble into a cab. Between the alcoholic haze and the sheeting rain, I failed to notice that the cab was still occupied...upon flinging the door open, I was confronted with a stunned-looking well-dressed couple, of whom I drunkenly demanded "Are you getting out?" Stellar, I know. Unfazed, the man replied "As soon as we get our change". Which took 3 minutes. In the pouring rain. And I barely noticed...it was that kind of night. And if I wasn't so hungover right now, I'd be going nuts with excitement...I got my housing info from St. Andrew's! Yayyy!! I'll be in a 6-person flat in Albany Park (also called 'Gatty' I'm told), which is a group of small houses RIGHT ON THE OCEAN! I'm v. excited about this. Alway wanted to live on the beach. :) Pity it has to be the freezing North Sea, but I'll take what I can get. (all you St. A's alums...did anybody live in Gatty? got any advice? :) One week to more drunken fun at Kirsten and Kieran's wedding in DE! I can't wait. There are going to be so many Smithies there that I haven't seen in ages... Current Mood: groggy Current Music: Sublime (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, July 31st, 2003
1:07 pm	So I got the laptop...and it's a beaut! Just as advertised...all the hardware is right and it runs (although a little slow). Think I'll reformat and throw all my junk on there. woohoo! Another system run into the ground courtesy of minira-zation. It's a Dell P3 600 mHz, 256 RAM, 6 gig HD, network card, external CDRW and zip drives. For $550. I've named it Caro, and she purrs so sweeeeeet.....*g* ( Parties, Parents and Acid-Washed Jeans ) My Stafford Loan is apparently held up because...they didn't have my driver's license number?? What do they need with my driver's license number? Will a speeding ticket convince them I'm not worthy to get a student loan? I don't get it...*scratches head* My list of must-have-before-I-leave-New-York is growing ever longer, in a desperate last-ditch attempt to turn myself into a fashionista. So far: 3/4 leather coat, perfume, haircut, shades, knee boots, cute skirts, ear piercings, a tattoo. Realistic list: perfume, haircut, ear piercings. gah. Anybody know a good piercing parlor in NYC? Current Mood: cold Current Music: Beastie Boys - Sabotage (Comment on this)
Thursday, July 24th, 2003
12:12 pm	Saw Pirates last night with the excellent blueraccoon...and finally, finally got what all the fuss is about. I honestly think it's the best movie I've seen this summer...and the most realistic and coolest CGI I've seen all year. ( POTC babbling here ) I hear that the studio has already greenlighted the development of a sequel...and they've re-signed the cast. Without a script. This, my friends, is how truly awful, horrible movies get made. Because the script is secondary, right? Throw it away, and you've still got pretty people in pretty places wearing pretty clothes, and occasionally making things go *boom*. Who needs a script? Also, I've got a great line on a laptop...I was despairing of finding one at a decent price that wasn't absolutely ancient, but craigslist came through again! I won't say any more because the deal isn't sealed, and I don't want to jinx it.... But yay! I'm so happy! Succeeding with this has also lessened my irrational dread and irritation at leaving for grad school...I don't know why, my financial aid STILL hasn't come through, and when it does I'm STILL short the 5 grand I'll need for little things like, you know, food...but I feel a lot better. And happier. Maybe it's just the anticipation of getting a new toy. and a cd-burner. *happy sighs* Current Mood: busy Current Music: The fanfic in my head (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, July 18th, 2003
6:17 pm	Eee! New pics! Great frabjulous thanks to the middle_ages community where I found the link to the site with the pic you see to the left. Also, thanks to blueraccoon for a big kick in the butt that's jolting me from my complacent fandom-lurker corner. I've sworn to write her an HP fic, of a pairing of her choosing (but I reserve the right to beg, whine and plead until it's one that I like too!) Thoughts in my head: Will Bad Boys II pass the Ten Dollar Test? (tm Margie, upon hearing the extortionate price of a Manhattan movie theater) Where is my financial aid offer? Why aren't I more excited over the whole approaching grad school departure? I bought my plane ticket last week, and am departing in a little over 2 months...but that thought inspires nothing but irritation over the expense and trouble of settling into yet another country/city/school. Am I really getting too old to move house once or twice a year? Is it that this joyless, senseless job has drained all of my intellectual energy? Or is it all because of the gut-wrenching feeling of signing for yet another student loan, this time knowing that it's truly all my responsibility? Has anybody else had this sort of grad school ennui? I'm starting to doubt whether I even belong there, given my current state. Also, I went online shopping for a new computer today. Dell is having a sale on refurbished systems...P4 desktops for $400-$600. But my mom thinks I should wait another year, and/or get a laptop....she's right. I can't haul a desktop with me on researching trips. But they're so damned expensive...and I want a new toy! waaaah! Anybody know where I can get a P3 laptop for about $500? (yes, you can laugh now.) Current Mood: contemplative (Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 16th, 2003
11:25 am	I'm a bad, bad updater...so, to further prolong my non-poster's guilt and delay my next outpouring of trivia, here is a link to distract you: Geek Quiz Some of you (lots of you) have probably taken it before. BTW, I'm a Super!Geek :) Current Mood: awake Current Music: the growling of my tummy (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, July 8th, 2003
10:51 am	Stole this link from tashok Why Canadians Rule and We Drool Seriously, to quote Ani DiFranco..."I'm gonna get all my friends/And move to Canada/ And we're gonna die of old age." And be very, very happy along the way ;). apologies for the multi-posting. Current Mood: cynical (12 Comments |Comment on this)
10:34 am	Tea and Nuclear Waste Yes, that is apparently what I taste like. How many people can say THAT?! :) Cor blimey, I taste like Tea. I am a subtle flavour, quiet and polite, gentle, almost ambient. My presence in crowds will often go unnoticed. Best not to spill me on your clothes though, I can leave a nasty stain. What Flavour Are You? I taste like Nuclear Waste. Delicious. Tasting like nuclear waste is a good thing - nothing bites me, nothing eats me, few things even touch me. I appreciate the solitude my harsh exterior brings. What Flavour Are You? Current Mood: amused Current Music: My coworker's whistling (Comment on this)
Monday, July 7th, 2003
2:29 pm	Helluva weekend Should anyone ever write a biography of me (and I assure you it would be both short and boring) this weekend would go down as the Jazz weekend. Kicked off on Thurs. night, when my awesome aunt, uncle and cousin Steve took me to see Mingus Big Band at the Fez downtown (Lafayette and Great Jones, for you NYCers). They kicked serious ass. They rocked. They also have over 100 albums out. Fast forward to Saturday. It's 90+ degrees and muggy...and i'm stuck baking PIES. Yes, that's right. It's hotter than the average human body temp outside. Let's crank our oven up to 400 degrees and then leave the door open!! (note: My parents have no a/c. This never really bothered me growing up...just a good excuse to go swimming...but apparently 2 months with a/c in my own place have spoiled me rotten. I am now incapable of movement, save that required to bring the iced tea to my lips, in weather over 85 degrees.) Then had a kickass birthday party, saw the fairly good 28 Days Later, featuring a lovely skinny boy with cheekbones and big blue eyes, and got to hang with my friend Karl's adorable, brilliant daughter Chloe. Current Mood: hyper (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, July 1st, 2003
11:22 am	Idea that sprang from my last post, and Raven's comment thereon.... What's the weirdest leftovers meal that you've ever made (or even seriously contemplated making)? And no, ramen doesn't count unless it's only one of the ingredients... Current Mood: anxious Current Music: the clicking of my neighbor's mouse (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, June 30th, 2003
8:25 pm	i am far, far too lazy to write anything original bits of a recent conversation between myself and the excellent tortiemew (AIM). Cantata2002: so, i'm dodging a going away party for ppl i don't know in favor of a fun night of housecleaning, french homework and renting videos Cantata2002: does that seem sane to you? Cantata2002: i should make a big thing of stirfry or something, use up some of the weird sauces in my fridge tortiemew: makes sense. Cantata2002: that's all that's in there, weird sauces and condiments. it's like a Seinfeld fridge...some old Chinese takeout, a lump of cheese (Parmesan!), and all the condiments in the world. tortiemew: weird. Cantata2002: yup Cantata2002: oh, and some possibly-moldy string beans bought in a fit of health-consciousness Cantata2002: but you have to plunge them into ice water as soon as they're ready to stop them cooking Cantata2002: and that's just too much effort Cantata2002: ooh, idea...turkey bratwust and parmesan omelette Cantata2002: wait. ewwwww. Cantata2002: ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Cantata2002: HOW did I just think that?? tortiemew: I...don't know. Cantata2002: ok, i'm taking off from work soon. may tty tonight, may not as plan to veg in front of tv rather than computer (novel idea. am working my way up to cracking open a book, once I surmount my fear of the public library, to which I owe approximately $25 in late fees) Seriously, the people at my local library branch scare me. They're all in their mid-20s, and obviously spend WAY more time at the gym than I do (hey, they're librarians, what else're they gonna do? Wish I was a librarian...). And they insist on telling me about my $22.50 late fees in gleeful loud voices easily heard by the 5 grannies in back of me, all clutching their various Danielle Steele hardbacks, and who look as though they have accumulated a lifetime total of $5.00 in late fees between all of them. This is the rather stupid reason that I've been avoiding the public library like the plague for 3 months, until an entire evening spent playing the Sims drove me nearly insane. You know it's time to crack open a book when you're so jealous of the fictional video game person who sits down and reads one of their own will that you deliberately prevent them from reading and make them clean their bathroom instead. huh. how's THAT for passive therapy! end whining. on the bright side, had a really lovely weekend with highschool friend Janet, which included swing dancing outside in the Lincoln Center plaza at sunset to the really excellent Harlem Renaissance Orchestra on a gorgeous June night. Also included a terminally loud, extremely showy yet embarassingly good dancer named Steve from Brooklyn. And 'Boondock Saints' drinking game. SEE IT people. If only for Willem Dafoe in drag. The drinking game? Drink for every gay reference and/or nudity. which pretty much means straight chugging for every scene including Willem Dafoe. hooray! Going to rent more funny movies with pretty/Irish boys... Current Mood: awake Current Music: Into the Woods, 'Agony' - Stephen Sondheim (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, June 24th, 2003
1:39 pm	Rushed out from work yesterday at 6:30pm (ok, I know, but this is early for my job...really!) and ran down to Soho...I've been obsessed with this hat I saw down there last weekend at Warehouse, which is one of my favorite stores EVER (if very expensive, being a boutique in Soho. Damned Prince Street...it's like a vortex of shiny, fluttery things over $60 draped seductively on racks, all whispering "come buy us now. No, don't wait for that sale. You know you want to wear us out tonight. Yes, of course you're going out tonight, you need somewhere to wear us!") And I was reminded of the hat this weekend at Midnight, where Kender was wearing one like it (having borrowed it, of course from someone else, so I felt no compunctions about borrowing it in turn!). I'm telling you, it was a sign...I had to have this hat. I don't even WEAR hats! (which is why I didn't get it in the first place. Plus, it's suede. Who wears a SUEDE HAT for chrissake? It's not like you can use it to keep the rain off, or anything useful like that...and god forbid some huge, filthy airbus of a bedraggled flying RAT take aim at you (as happened last week to one of my favorite shirts)). Ok, so, I subway-ed, I found, I bought. emerging triumphant, on a lovely June evening downtown, somewhat starved and lighter in the pocketbook, what do i proceed to do? Go home, you say, and cook dinner like a sensible girl? Stroll up and down the quaint little streets people-watching like any self-respecting semi-antisocial geeky romantic would? No. I have lived here 8 months. I have been thoroughly and utterly infected with, simultaneously, The Shopping Bug and Credit Card Denial. (It doesn't really count, right? It's only plastic. I'll just work overtime...and every weekend for the rest of the summer. Oh, wait, I'm ALREADY DOING THAT.) I proceed to shop-hop between every storefront with a Sale sign up, and narrowly escape laying down my Mastercard for a TRULY fugly woven straw handbag. In fact, just as the counter person is swiping my card, I have a sudden vision of my statement in a few weeks and panic. I grab the card, stuff it back into my bag, and demand that she reverse the transaction, then take to my heels like the little freak i am. And now I'm stuck with a suede hat and nothing to wear with it, and I'm dangerously close to justifying another shopping spree because I found a run in my favorite pair of silky linen pants this morning and geez, a girl's gotta have something to wear to work, right? Wow, how frivolous am I? Must be the lack of food/excess of exercising. a-yup. I'm just gonna keep telling myself that. Also in the news, I ventured into a kickboxing aerobics class during lunch today, and was deposited back at the door an hour later staggering, red-faced and wrung absolutely dry of anything resembling energy. Yay me! so...very...tired. must...procure...lunch...before...exercise coma hits.... *slumps over at desk* Current Mood: lethargic Current Music: Smoke City - 'Underwater Love' (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, June 23rd, 2003
5:05 pm	got it almost right.... minira Magic Number 10 Job 9 to 5 Lifer Personality The Glass Is Half-Empty Temperament An Oft-Exploding Volcano Sexual Straight Likely To Win Another Gold Star Me - In A Word Belligerent Colour Brought to you by MemeJack well, 4 out of 8 ain't bad....now try to guess which 4! heh heh heh.... Current Mood: mellow Current Music: queens of the stone age. ummm. so very addictive... (2 Comments |Comment on this)
2:03 pm	fun, fun links (or, what to do when under a self-imposed online shopping ban) http://www.xgenstudios.com/castle/index.htm to quote the site..."Not since the discovery of porn has my wrist hurt this much. Clear your schedule!" mmm, splatting little stick figures. (Comment on this)
12:34 pm	So, there's this thing.....that i'm doing.... and it happens to be creating this lj and am i INSANE there's no way I have time for this thank you Dr. Chaos for dragging me into yet another vortex of online time-sucking craziness. (whew) Special thanks to all the excellent peeps I met at dcmidnight this past Saturday, to Chaos' girl Rebecca for the excellent cookies and movie night, and to the C-bear himself for just being an all-round amazing guy. Back to life at the Tower of Doom. Fear not, attorneys of the world, it is I, CopierGirl, to the rescue!! Current Mood: apathetic Current Music: Third Eye Blind (coworker's radio, don't ask. please.) (6 Comments |Comment on this)