Post from the Edge

So I'm watching TV tonight for the first time in, like, a year or something. Mostly because I can't figure out how to turn on the stupid DVD player.

I'm watching "The Office", which doesn't seem to be as hilarious tonight as I could wish. I'm drinking black tea, which has caffeine and will therefore make it hard for me to fall asleep tonight. I'm eating chocolate, which ditto. What I'm not doing is working on my grant application. I'm also not editing my thesis, not reading a book that I'm supposed to read for a book club meeting, and not writing the lecture I have to present on my next (and final) trip to Louisville.

That's me, livin' on the edge tonight, yo. Excuse me while I take a nice big swig of my Earl Grey.

Ooooh yeah. That's the good stuff, baby.

Speaking of my lecture, I actually had a dream last week that I was back in Louisville, and the program staff informed me that I was to give my lecture the following day. I smiled and said, "OK, cool!" And then I began to panic, because of course I hadn't actually done anything on it.

It's really not a good sign if I'm having panic dreams about school a month before I go back. Yikes.

On another note, I have just discovered that the foil-wrapping of the chocolate I'm eating (mini Dove squares) has a little saying written on the inside of it. Here's what it says: "Make a date with your favorite book tonight."

You know, I think I'm getting tired of desserts that order me around and stuff.

Does that sound crazy? It sounds kind of crazy. I think I might be going insane.

Well, on the plus side, I guess that could make my blog a lot more interesting.

When Does A Fortune Become An Omen?

Last night I was out to dinner at Genghis Cohen with my good friend mr braff, chowing down on some chow mein before the free live music we'd come to hear was scheduled to start. When our check arrived, so did the fortune cookies, and of course I was all excited about that, as you might have surmised based on past blog entries (like this one and, oh look, the post just below!).

So yeah, I love fortune cookies, they're my fav, blah blah blah. Moving on... mr braff opened his first, and I don't remember what it said, because frankly, all I care about is myself and my fortunes. So I cracked mine open and here's what I read:

"Everything will now come your way."

Hmm. Does that sound familiar to anyone, by any chance? Well, if it doesn't, let me refresh your memory: I got the exact same fortune almost eight months to the day ago and wrote about it right here on the frogg files. I was weirded out by the fortune then, and I still kind of am. Maybe more so now that I've gotten it twice! I mean, seriously... "everything"? That's a whole lot of... things! You know?

Oh well. At least it wasn't another offer for a pre-paid cremation. I mean, I've gotten that, like, three times. Yikes.

Say What, Fortune Cookie?

I've mentioned before how much I love fortune cookies. Well, today I cracked one open and found these words on the little scrap of paper inside:

Take a loved one to a movie tonite.

Uh. Does anyone else think that my fortune cookie was being a little, well, commanding? As opposed to advisory or prophetic, I mean. See, I could understand if it said, "Tonite a loved one will take you to a movie." That would be a fortune. It would have been wrong, but it would have made sense. Whereas what I got was less of a fortune and more of... an order.

Now, I don't take kindly to being ordered around by people, but by a cookie? Give me a break (ha).

On the other hand, maybe the cookie was trying to tell me that if I do what it says, fortune will follow. Hmmm.

On the other other hand, maybe I need a nice long vacation. Come to think of it, that would have been a quality fortune: "You will take a nice long vacation soon. Very very soon. I promise."

*sigh*

Consider the Lobsters! Please!!

So, how much do you really have to like lobster before you go and do something like this? I ask you.

Happy (Belated) Anniversary to Me!

Actually, I recently had TWO anniversaries — October 3rd marked my third year with my company (the longest time I've ever been at any job since college!), and October 4th marked the fourth year since I started the frogg files.

Where, oh where, does the time go? I ask you.

On another note, I'm sitting here at a coffee shop tonight, trying to come up with some sort of funny anecdote or witty something-or-other to blog about, but I've truly got nothing. My mind is about as close to blank as it ever gets. Which actually isn't all that blank, but tonight everything in there is such a jumble and I'm too tired to untangle it all for the sake of any one thread that might yield a way out of the labyrinth of boringness my poor blog somehow stumbled into. I guess I'm still recovering from the end-of-semester burnout. I don't remember the last time I felt so drained, actually. Well, no, that's not true. I do. It was right about the time I started this blog. How ironic.

In fact, if I recall correctly, I think I started this blog in a vague attempt to cure my burnout, or at least process through it. (More irony!)

But anyway, I'm interested to see what this coming year will bring. I sense a change on the horizon... and frankly, I want one. I think it's about time.

If There's A Title Out There That Fits This Post, Let It Come Forward

OK, I am officially nearly passed out.

To say that I feel I've been overdoing life lately is a little like saying that... um, that... oh forget it. Fill in your own analogy. I'm officially nearly passed out, remember?

I don't know why I thought that the end of the semester would offer me some respite from crazy-busyness. Probably because I'm insane. Or at the very least, an idiot. Because let me tell you—there is no respite in sight. I still have to finish the story for the workshop in Louisville (see last post), I have a lecture to prepare as part of my graduation requirements, I still need to send my thesis to my assigned readers for final edits, and I want to apply for a major writing grant that is due October 31.

Oh, and I guess I still need to show up for my regular 9:30-5:30 full-time job five days a week. Argh.

Speaking of my job, we had a little office debate-watching party tonight. And I don't like to toot my own horn or anything, being just chock-full of amazing amounts of humility as I am, but! I just want to say that I, out of all my co-workers, won Palin Bingo. As you can imagine, this took a great deal of talent on my part, but again, I am very humble, so please don't mention it.