...In which our heroine does a happy dance.

It is a glorious day. Why, ask you humble readers? MY HORRIBLE ROOMMATE MOVED OUT. She is gone, all that was left was her trash around the room, which I picked or vacuumed up as soon as the last load of her shit was gone. I've already re-arranged and re-decorated the place, but in such a way that even if I get a new roommate it won't be an issue. In a last act of defiance, Baby Girl, as we oh so lovingly called her ripped my nametag on the door off and scattered it in the hallway. I deleted her from Facebook - it's official, and I couldn't be happier.

Also: Nine pages of a screenplay written. Bus tickets bought for both My Morning Jacket in Columbus, and my return to the nasty, from March 21-26th - don't worry, there is plenty of time to mark your calendars. Made the prettiest lasagna known to man tonight. Ate a row of Samoas and didn't feel bad about it. Drank Funky Llama wine, discovered it's a bad mix with PBR. Pictures of Quentin, Jean Grey, and Princess Leia up on the wall. Bought 3 dresses in the past week, including the most beautiful garment I've ever put on my body (for another day). Want: Sofia Coppola's canned pink sparkling wine, a new TV, a fella with a beard (or my crush to notice me), moleskin notebooks like Mr. John Hughes, and warmth.

Katydid's Mostly Perfect Oscar Predictions:

Best Picture - The Hurt Locker
Best Actor - Jeff Bridges
Best Actress - Sandra Bullock
Supporting Actor - Christoph Waltz
Supporting Actress - Mo'Nique
Best Director - Kathryn Bigelow
Best Original Screenplay - Quentin Tarantino
Best Adapted Screenplay - Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner
Best Editing -The Hurt Locker
Besr Foreign Language Film - The White Ribbon
Best Sound Editing - The Hurt Locker
Best Sound Mixing - Avatar
Best Animated Film  - Up
Best Original Score - Up
Best Original Song - "The Weary Kind"
Best Documentary - The Cove 
Best Art Direction - Avatar
Best Cinematography - Avatar
Best Costume Design - Nine
Best Makeup - Star Trek

I could talk upsets too, but I'll spare you the time. I love Oscar day more than my birthday or Christmas.

...In which our heroine strikes back.

I think since my roommate called me an advocate of the devil, he's (or she's) made work for my idle hands.  I am sorry for the absence, but I really am busier than I've ever been. Not that I hate it, it just makes it difficult to do things like, oh say, watch TV (which I haven't done in 3 weeks) or write silly little blog posts.

So with that in mind, let's get readdddddy to ramble!

I started my day at 9AM with my first ever work staff meeting. This was greatly improved by the presence of 6 month old Amelia, who belongs to our head of HR, Edna. She had on socks that looked like little slippers in the embroidery, and was the best distraction from words like "innovative arts partnerships." Amelia also liked my red nails, and crush's beard. He loves kids and made a really good pork roast with tomatillos this week. A man who can cook and likes kids is terribly sexy. It kills me to be in close proximity to him but "oh what a wonderful feeling, just to know that you are near me." That's correct, Bob.Sometimes it worries me how much I see babies and want one. GO! maternal instincts, GO! I just woke up from a 3 hour nap, so I'll probably read this later and think it to be incoherent.

Writing a screenplay, making a structural outline this weekend. I LOVE Screenwriting II, but I wish I could focus all of my energy on it. Fleet Foxes into Neutral Milk Hotel, well-played shuffle. I'm tired of all the negativity amongst my friends. I don't like this 20s malaise about how relationships suck and school sucks and work sucks and parents suck. GET OVER IT. "When they're young, they're green." Facebook tells me there's a mini reunion in Columbus this weekend and I kind of wish I was there. There's a Pixies Visa commercial apparently, but my computer is too slow to watch. Black Francis said they did it for the money, as well as the Doolittle tour, and that should offend me but it doesn't but they're still the Pixies, and could be charging $200 a ticket like the fucking Eagles, but still only charge $50. Going shopping tomorrow for some respectable work clothes, and (hopefully) seeing Patti Smith read at the Harold Washington. I really want to stop wearing jeans everyday and more dresses and skirts. I want another tattoo, again. 

Yesterday I ate raw goat's milk white cheddar and then Reese's Pieces for dinner. This is very good for me. Tweet tweet tweet away. Did you see Christina Hendricks on the cover of New York magazine in a "vintage corset from her own collection?" Their cover story is about the return of curves and the hourglass shape, good for them. Everything is melting outside and giving me false hope for warm weather. It isn't event that warm. Thinking about the future. Staying in school forever, or until the world ends or until the economy isn't like one of those big dead squids they find 20,000 leagues below the sea. Summer classes maybe I think? I could get a free U-Pass and save approximately $500 on transit, which would be like getting one of the classes for 50% off. Summer school, I really have gone crazy. This time last year all I did was smoke pot and play video games and watch the lust fires die out with Ben and pretend to be busy and now I'm talking about summer classes and grad school. 

WHO AM I?

(Cue Lynchian double identity swap.)

(Cue film noir lighting.)

(Cue Kaufman's dreamscape.)

(Cue Lifetime movie commercial break.)

...In which our heroine thinks karma is a cruel mistress.

Good news, bad news yesterday. Bad first - it makes the good that much better.

Kara told me yesterday our advanced studies teacher from grades one through five at Sharonville, Mr. Pat Bowes, has mouth cancer and is not doing well at all. He's had his tongue removed, can't speak or eat, is on a feeding tube and weighs 85 pounds. None of us know exactly how dire the situation is, but it isn't good. It just is not fucking fair that he, one of the most caring, warm, and genuinely kind individuals I've ever met gets dealt such a shitty hand in the game of life. There's no explanation other than it fucking sucks. Paige and Kevin are organizing a book of letters from all of his former students, with pictures of us now, and an update on our lives. As much as anything, I feel really guilty for not keeping in better touch with him - a lot of my thought process and most crucial skills as a child came from time spent in his classroom. I had a good cry last night as I was writing the letter, and I wish Mr. Pat only peace, whether that means life or death for him. Maybe that's rude, and I certainly cannot speak from any kind of similar experience, but I know such a devestating illness would make me question my quality of life. I dunno. Makes every other worry in life seem trivial.

So good news. Although I don't know her very well, one of my co-workers, April, announced yesterday that after trying for eight years, she is finally expecting a child via surrogate. She was so happy, and I've seen her with kids, I know she'll be a great mom. The office had such a warm reception towards her - I really felt a sense of family with my co-workers. It was an ironic counterbalance to the bad news of the day. Sorrow and joy, it's how life works itself out.

Otherwise, school and work, that's about it. I've settled into a nice, rigid routine of balancing homework, errands, and even a little fun. Like tonight's thrilling plans of A History of Violence, the graphic novel for class, and music, and solitude. I got a screenplay idea nailed down as well, now I just have to write the damned thing. My roommate called me an advocate of the devil this week, and pulled out her bible to compel my sinful friends out of my room. She hasn't been home since, except to take shower. I hope she stays gone.

And then there's this. She's with Matthew Weiner, the creator of Mad Men, but I mean really, who cares. Love that dress and her most epic cleavage ever:

And this, which I dreamt about last night. Zach Galifianakis and this wonderful gent were at the lost children's tent at Lollapalooza. I hugged the gent, and we drank coffee and Andre and I think we were in love, but I woke up. That was terribly disappointing. Let's hope it happens in real life - tickets being purchased tomorrow. I recommend all of the From the Basement videos, they're great quality.

...In which our heroine updates her affairs.

Morning dreams are the weirdest. Maybe it's just because I remember them more, but this morning entailed chasing an anteater though the Cincinnati Zoo which had obviously turned into a casino with a movie theater and a Starbucks. Another one involved being the secret love child of Dale Cooper and Audrey Horne in a Twin Peaks second generation reunion movie.

One week of work and classes down, 14 to go. If the 800 pages, and not that is not hyperbole, of script I have to read today is any indication, it's going to be quite a semester. Class by class - American Independent Pioneers should be lovely and just for me. My teacher smoked pot with Robert Altman and has sexplotation, zombie, and David Lynch planned as topics for us. Biology of the Immune System is a big Columbia gen ed joke, and I do not think it will be a stressful class at all. Human Sexuality started with oral sex tips and condom distribution and the book is called The Guide to Getting It On. Also not stressful. Then we come to Screenwriting II, which I should be loving but still do not have a concrete idea for. FABULOUS. Muse, plz come back? Script Analysis is a front heavy class - I'll be cuddling up to three separate drafts of Alien 3 today, but a really useful class I think as well.

Work is really going well. I'm enjoying both the job and the people. We'll see if I can make the full 20 hours work with my schedule, but I'm really hoping to. Yesterday, part of my job tasks were to play with a 4 and 5 year old that were the children of employees. Fantastic.

A Single Man is one of the single most entrancing films I've ever seen. It put me into that zen mode of movie-going where I do not move and do not think and take shallow little breaths. The last film to do that was The Wrestler. Gorgeous cinematography, powerful imagery, a stunning lead performance by Colin Firth, detailed set design, and a score that I was humming as I left the theatre. A must see. Also, I'm thrilled to see that The Hurt Locker picked up PGA and DGA wins, especially since Kathryn Bigelow beat her ex-husband and became the first woman ever to win the DGA prize.

My Morning Jacket, Columbus, May 2nd, at LC Pavillion, which is the best place I've ever seen a show. Megabus to Columbus, skip my Monday class for the Sunday night show. Marry Jim James. Bring him back to Chicago with me on Megabus. Solid plan, I think. If I go that only leave one band on my list of unseens: Rilo Kiley, I'm talking to you.

Jon Hamm looked super attractive on SNL last night, but this was the only good sketch. When did SNL get so unwatchable? When Tina Fey left, I know.

...In which our heroine is the briefest ever.

A few quick things of wonder...making this a Tumblr for today.

Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) and St. Vincent doing Neil and Peggy on "Harvest Moon."


A lovely info graphic for "Add it Up" by the Violent Femmes.

This is a dik-dik. I want one.

Also, where the hell is everyone? Did I not get the memo that blogging should cease? Update your blog so I can stalk your life, jeez...

...In which our heroine puts the pieces together.

Bits of my life, starting to form a whole:

-Staff retreat for work today. Professional development, workshopping, etc. My first group was with the two big bosses of the company (eek!) but I think they liked me. I'm really glad to have a job right now when others are having a hard time.
-AWESOME lecture on Buddhism at the retreat. Talked about things like karma, the lack of an afterlife and living for the day, acceptance of life as it is as a means of enlightenment, the lack of permanence, and how true Buddhist do not believe there is a soul, simply matter. Wait...could it be a set of religious beliefs I can somewhat buy? Whoa.
-Current crush sat in front of me for said lecture. Concentration was difficult in spite of his fantastic beard. Same problem when we ended up in the same small group. I'm terrible.
-Tomato, mozzarella, arugula, red pepper, and balsamic sandwich on fresh Italian. YES.
-Watching Nip/Tuck presently. Kimber and Christian are back together. I am not surprised.
-Classes start Monday and I've just come to realize how busy I'll be with a full school schedule and 20 hours of work. It'll be good for me.
-Goal for the semester: keep working on myself and putting good karma out into the world. Making myself better so I can finally deserve someone better.
-Found a new favorite wine: Gewurztraminer. German white, sweeter than Riesling. Drank a bottle last weekend. This was a poor choice. 
-Starting to talk apartment stuff for next year. We have 2 couches available to us, a good problem to have. 
-Still need to see Crazy Heart and A Single Man. SAG awards tomorrow, I'll geek out.
-Seems my girl caused quite a bit of trouble with her dress the other night. The New York Times said "you don't put a big girl in a big dress," with an accompanying, stretched out photo to make her look larger than she is. What, a "big girl" can be sexy? NO WAY! And besides, Hendricks' is no way the average US women's dress size - a 16. I don't know any man (or woman for that matter) that would kick Christina Hendricks out of bed. I'm so over the size wars. 
-Heidi showed me that Suicide Girls features several models who are "big girls." Makes me love them and their tats that much more.  
-Why does Phish Food have to be so delicious...unlike the band.
-I hope Conan ends his show tonight with something horrifically offensive to to NBC.
-I need better work clothes. Black t-shirts and cardigans are not gonna cut it. At least I can wear jeans everyday. I did buy a cute dress this week.
-A cache of My Morning Jacket covers. I most recommend "Islands in the Stream," "The Man in Me," "Tyrone," and "Rocket Man." 
-I do not understand the Japanese, but I do understand sleepy anteaters! Boris does love his Valium...

...In which our heroine has a public service announcement.

I hope at this point you've come to look at this blog as providing only the most well-written, thought-provoking ideas and entries. I am always trying to be 100% serious and use only the highest decorum in choosing subjects to cover.

Like today, when I provide a public service:

Lots more over on the most valuable website on the internet, Fuck Yeah Christina Hendricks. I didn't love the hair, but the dress made her look even more statuesque than usual. But that doesn't really matter in spite of BOOBS. They'll be another post of such merit on Sunday after the SAG awards. Bohemea and Suicideblonde also have lots of lovely, HQ photos from the evening up.

I'll spare you the commentary I already made with my million and a half tweets last night, but I was glad to see Mad Men, Glee, Up, Jeff Bridges, Chloe Sevingy, Christoph Waltz, and Quentin win. I can't believe The Hurt Locker didn't get anything. I'll cry if Avatar wins Best Picture and Director at the Oscars, and Kathryn Bigelow doesn't. Full list of winners here.

Speaking of Avatar, Quentin Tarantino is a big fan: "This CGI bullshit is the death knell of cinema. If I’d wanted all that computer game bullshit, I’d have stuck my dick in a Nintendo." Thanks for that eloquence, QT.