my valentine

I'm crazy about you, love.

10 for 12 . . .

So I wanted to do the 12-for-12 deal many other bloggers tried last month, and I came up with only 10 photos. Bah. And I don't have time/means to do the grid, so I'll just post them in a list. I know the novelty is the grid, but I'm giving it what I have. Here's my February 12!

HP to kick off my morning. No surprise there.

The mass of BYU students in between classes. I thought a picture of a typical school day would be appropriate.

 

My recent extra appendage. Not lotion Puffs, however. . . .

Yes, I went to the doctor today, and yes, they made me put on a mask because of my cough. And Josh, good guy that he is, didn't laugh at me (or at least in front of me). And no, I couldn't bring myself to take a self-portrait in the doctor's office.

 

Mabye TMI. I won't go into further explanation.

 More McCarthy. No Country for Old Men is, so far, more accessible than Blood Meridian. 

Writing a paper or watching "Alias"? Like that's a hard decision, especially when I have being sick as an excuse for laziness.

 The Malte Shoppe with Josh. Oreo shake=lovely. I could even taste some of the bites I took. (Being able to taste food is a luxury denied me for the past week.)

 The doctor gave me drugs--hallelujah. With the other OTC drugs I've purchased, I'm a walking pharmacy.

 

 In 10 minutes, I will be in bed, with the lights out, and this humidifier on. Thanks, Diana, for saving my sleep.

Happy February 12, everybody!

Operation Superhuman Reader: Jekyll, Jekyll, Hyde, Jekyll, Hyde, Hyde, Jekyll

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I know the basic story line of Jekyll and Hyde, but I didn't know the details. I really liked this story! I thought it was creepy yet allegorical (in a literal, applicable way). The story is easy to follow and quick to get through. If you want a quick yet engaging read, this is a good route to take!

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And to augment your Jekyll/Hyde experience, or at least your experience reading this review, enjoy the following:

taking it easy

Last night I should have finished reading The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde . . . but instead I watched this

while I made this

and waited for this

so he could eat what I made while we watch this.

Yes, he will watch "Gilmore Girls" with me without being under too much duress.

sick of being sick

When I sat down to watch the devotional with Emily, I started crying because I still feel sick and I'm so sick of being sick. And as the tears slowly fell, Emily tickled my back during the whole devotional and then gave me the rest of her Junior Mints. When I blew my nose for the millionth time, at that moment I was more grateful for my Number One than I was frustrated with my green-gunk-stuffed nose.

Operation Superhuman Reader: More of the Fantastic and McCarthy

The Turn of the Screw: Authoritative Text, Contexts, Criticism by Henry James


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book epitomizes the fantastic genre. Told from the personal narratives of a governess, The Turn of the Screw tells the story of a haunting. The governess—who is never actually named—is convinced that the ghosts of a former servant and a governess are trying to take the children. Throughout the book, you're never sure if there really are apparitions inhabiting the estate or if the governess is simply a victim of psychosis: there is evidence for both arguments. Henry James does an excellent job of maintaining suspense and telling you just enough to pique your interest but not enough to answer any of your questions. If you're looking for a classic, 19th-century ghost story, this is a great option!

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Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I'll up it to three-and-a-half stars and maybe will give it a higher ranking once I discuss it more in class. This book was bloody. Very bloody. The violence isn't necessarily gratuitous, but it is plentiful. This book takes a look at raw evil and how it affects the coming-of-age of a character known only as "the kid." I don't really know how to respond to this book. I'm glad I'm reading it for a class where I can discuss it with other students, because otherwise I think I'd be lost. This book is often called McCarthy's masterpiece, and I'd like to gain a better understanding of why that is. This book is expertly written, but it's a book that I don't quite get yet.

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appalling

Dear Whoever Stole the Note and Banana Chip Bar I Left for my Sister at the Testing Center,

That wasn't yours. I wrote that note, covered the envelope in "buddy buddy buddy"s and "Number 1" in giant letters, a salutation that was clearly intended for a specific person. I even stapled the banana chip bar to the envelope to indicate that the note and treat went together. That was for my sister who just took her first accounting 210 exam. That wasn't for you.

And frankly, I'm appalled that you would be so audacious to steal something that was intended to brighten a specific person's day. Emily is my sister, my number one: you, on the other hand, are not. Right now, in fact, you're number infinity--the last on the list. I mean, who does that? Steal a treat from the testing center? You, apparently. Anyway, I don't know you, and I probably never will. Just know that you contributed to my loss of faith in humanity and in BYU students.

Sincerely,
Charlotte Wood

take me away

Bedtime cannot come soon enough.

midweek miscellany

• The aforementioned impending chest cold is now full-blown chest cold. I've been hacking up green gunk for the past two days.
• Despite my increased need for decent sleep because of said chest cold, the past two nights I've been sleeping horribly. Last night my dreams were a combination of "Alias" and InDesign layouts.
• I'm buying some Nyquil today.
• I'm reading The Turn of the Screw by Henry James for my senior class, and I like it.
• Despite what my nursing friends say about the pointlessness of Airborne, I'm using it and am convinced it works.

fuzzy brain

Fuzzy brain: inability to process academic information (e.g. the concept of "home" in McCarthy's work); decreased motivation regarding schoolwork, housework, etc.; increased desire to wear stretchy pants and watch multiple "Alias" episodes; can be induced by recent accidental head-whacks and impending chest colds; can be treated with Coke Zero and Oreos

Note: the explosion on my chin is not a symptom of fuzzy brain, but simply an inexplicable frustration of vanity.