22 November 2009
18 December 2008
14 December 2008
An update (see Nov. 15 post)
I'm leaving Madison in 32 4 days. Between now and then I have to buy the remaining things I need for the trip, pack my backpack, put the rest of my belongings into storage, buy my Christmas presents, figure out my health insurance, defer my loans, celebrate Thanksgiving, grade 53 student papers, proctor my students' exam, grade 53 student exams, write revise a short story, and write two one term papers.
Breathe.
Breathe.
13 December 2008
Signs I know the semester is ending / I am in a bad place
1. I actually purchase and finish an entire cup of coffee in one day
2. However, I don't actually need coffee to wake up in the morning, because the panic takes care of it
3. During the last several hours of sleep in the morning, I dream about oversleeping and not having time to do something important
4. I am wearing my college sweatshirt almost every day, and I pretty much never wash it
5. Still working at 3 am does not seem at all ridiculous
6. I find myself strategically planning which night this week will be my all-nighter
7. The word "meals" could in no way apply to how I eat throughout the day
8. I am blogging
2. However, I don't actually need coffee to wake up in the morning, because the panic takes care of it
3. During the last several hours of sleep in the morning, I dream about oversleeping and not having time to do something important
4. I am wearing my college sweatshirt almost every day, and I pretty much never wash it
5. Still working at 3 am does not seem at all ridiculous
6. I find myself strategically planning which night this week will be my all-nighter
7. The word "meals" could in no way apply to how I eat throughout the day
8. I am blogging
10 December 2008
This seems like an Erinn project
On my last backpacking trip (also with Kevin, also to South America) I did not take an iPod. It was a more innocent, more austere time. Neither did I have such luxuries as I will now be taking, like a personal pillow (compressible), or patterned clothing (for some reason I thought if I were stuck with the same clothes for 2 months, they should be as bland as possible--this was dumb). But back to the iPod. I've never packed an iPod on a long trip, and I've also never "packed" an iPod... aka, pre-selected tunes for months of future listening. The real trouble is that I'm only taking a shuffle, which only holds 200 songs. I mean, I have to preserve some illusion of hardship on the road. But making such a pared-down music list is posing some real quandaries.
My first instinct is to use up these slots with my top 20 albums. But maybe not. Maybe I should only include 15 albums to make room for stand-alone songs. But if you think choosing only 20 albums out of all the ones you have is hard, try choosing just 50 songs. And when do you make the call to pick a song but not its album? For instance, I love the song "The Dogs of Buenos Aires" by Mirah (and it's fortuitously applicable to our trip), but while several other songs on the album are also good, the entire album falls well below my top 20.
Do I go with my absolute, fixed, all-time top 15 albums, or do I shoot for a mix of stand-bys and new contenders? A list of all stand-bys could prove disappointingly... familiar. But can I really justify axing Modest Mouse's The Moon and Antarctica just to take a chance on something newer?
Do I include things that I'm obsessed with right now, or do I try to predict what I might be sick of in a few months' time? I'm all about the soundtrack to The Motorcycle Diaries these days (again, topical), but what if this is a phase that will run out in a matter of weeks? What if my obsession is particular to the fact that I'm getting ready for the trip?
Do I go for the pleasure index, or shoot for re-listenability? Life In Cartoon Motion by Mika is one of my favorite albums over the last couple of years, because every time I listen to it it makes me crazy-happy. That album gives me joy. But it is not the kind of thing you listen to again as soon as its over (unless you're Andy). Part of why it stays so fucking good is that I only listen to it once in a while. But that once in a while is sooo good. Can I sustain this dynamic when the album represents 5% of my entire music library?
What about old favorites that have fallen out of rotation? Is this the time for a Mates of State comeback? I used to listen to Team Boo on a loop, but I haven't in a couple of years. Is it still one of my "favorite albums"? Or can I safely say that it's been replaced by St. Vincent or Vampire Weekend, or Hot Chip, even though these are newer favorites?
So many problems, and I haven't gotten out of the M section of iTunes....
How do I choose just one Andrew Bird album? Just one Decemberists??
Do I screen out my favorite albums, to prevent the monotony of the playlist and the length of the trip from ruining them for me?
Do I specifically choose things that Kevin doesn't choose for his own (larger) iPod, thus maximizing our total selection but also relegating my own iPod to the status of a mere supplement, full of second-class choices made to meet external constraints?
Do I run with the travel theme, and choose things that I think I will like listening to on the road? Then I should go back to albums I associate with travel or with driving. I can't imagine taking a long road trip without Ted Leo, or Calexico, or The Soundtrack of Our Lives in the car, because I associate them with being on the road. But will that translate to bus rides? WIll I regret replacing something else that I all-around appreciate more?
Do I take thematics to the extreme and choose a driving album, a reading album, a walking album, a writing album, etc. etc., just to make sure all my situational bases are covered?
Do I say fuck it all and select twenty albums with household objects in the title, or bands with the letter V?
Should I try to effect an eclectically hip mix of cutting-edge indies, quirky mainstream choices, and I-know-my-music classics, just in case some outrageously cool Argentinian or Kiwi borrows my iPod? Do I need to maintain backpacker cred? Will my favorite Beatles selections suffice for this, or do I need to be the kind of person who has a favorite Beatles album and feel strongly that it be preserved as a whole?
And more distressingly, if I can't even load my iPod, how will I ever finish my term papers???
My first instinct is to use up these slots with my top 20 albums. But maybe not. Maybe I should only include 15 albums to make room for stand-alone songs. But if you think choosing only 20 albums out of all the ones you have is hard, try choosing just 50 songs. And when do you make the call to pick a song but not its album? For instance, I love the song "The Dogs of Buenos Aires" by Mirah (and it's fortuitously applicable to our trip), but while several other songs on the album are also good, the entire album falls well below my top 20.
Do I go with my absolute, fixed, all-time top 15 albums, or do I shoot for a mix of stand-bys and new contenders? A list of all stand-bys could prove disappointingly... familiar. But can I really justify axing Modest Mouse's The Moon and Antarctica just to take a chance on something newer?
Do I include things that I'm obsessed with right now, or do I try to predict what I might be sick of in a few months' time? I'm all about the soundtrack to The Motorcycle Diaries these days (again, topical), but what if this is a phase that will run out in a matter of weeks? What if my obsession is particular to the fact that I'm getting ready for the trip?
Do I go for the pleasure index, or shoot for re-listenability? Life In Cartoon Motion by Mika is one of my favorite albums over the last couple of years, because every time I listen to it it makes me crazy-happy. That album gives me joy. But it is not the kind of thing you listen to again as soon as its over (unless you're Andy). Part of why it stays so fucking good is that I only listen to it once in a while. But that once in a while is sooo good. Can I sustain this dynamic when the album represents 5% of my entire music library?
What about old favorites that have fallen out of rotation? Is this the time for a Mates of State comeback? I used to listen to Team Boo on a loop, but I haven't in a couple of years. Is it still one of my "favorite albums"? Or can I safely say that it's been replaced by St. Vincent or Vampire Weekend, or Hot Chip, even though these are newer favorites?
So many problems, and I haven't gotten out of the M section of iTunes....
How do I choose just one Andrew Bird album? Just one Decemberists??
Do I screen out my favorite albums, to prevent the monotony of the playlist and the length of the trip from ruining them for me?
Do I specifically choose things that Kevin doesn't choose for his own (larger) iPod, thus maximizing our total selection but also relegating my own iPod to the status of a mere supplement, full of second-class choices made to meet external constraints?
Do I run with the travel theme, and choose things that I think I will like listening to on the road? Then I should go back to albums I associate with travel or with driving. I can't imagine taking a long road trip without Ted Leo, or Calexico, or The Soundtrack of Our Lives in the car, because I associate them with being on the road. But will that translate to bus rides? WIll I regret replacing something else that I all-around appreciate more?
Do I take thematics to the extreme and choose a driving album, a reading album, a walking album, a writing album, etc. etc., just to make sure all my situational bases are covered?
Do I say fuck it all and select twenty albums with household objects in the title, or bands with the letter V?
Should I try to effect an eclectically hip mix of cutting-edge indies, quirky mainstream choices, and I-know-my-music classics, just in case some outrageously cool Argentinian or Kiwi borrows my iPod? Do I need to maintain backpacker cred? Will my favorite Beatles selections suffice for this, or do I need to be the kind of person who has a favorite Beatles album and feel strongly that it be preserved as a whole?
And more distressingly, if I can't even load my iPod, how will I ever finish my term papers???
09 December 2008
Maybe my next paper should be about food
All I want to do during finals is eat. Maybe it's because I have long been opposed to eating while working, and so eating is a cue for break-time. And because I give eating enough status that it can stand alone even during the busiest of times, it has somehow taken on too much status, become something so important that it is actually a productive activity. Or maybe it's because eating, unlike online procrastination, does not leave me feeling empty and ashamed. Or maybe it's because ordinarily my brain is given enough varying stimulation throughout the day to prevent its constantly returning to food, whereas the unpleasant singularness of the paper-writing task sends my brain screaming and fleeing. Or maybe painful intellectual exertion demands bodily retribution. Or maybe it's because I just really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really like food. A lot. And I think that I deserve it because I wrote another page.
The question is: How fat am I willing to get before tenure just isn't worth it anymore?
The question is: How fat am I willing to get before tenure just isn't worth it anymore?
08 December 2008
self-titled
oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god.
oh. my. god.
oh. my. god.
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