How did it happen to become February already? My year is flying by me far too quickly for comfort. I remember last year that I couldn’t wait for 2010 and threw weeks at the trash like they were used up and moldy before they’d even been born and now I can’t seem to cling to weeks as someone comes and rips them from my claw like hands.

Its movin fast!

Aside from the mountain of homework that accumulates each week (and that I have to work on every day.. which I’m not used to or liking in the least bit!) I’ve undertook a new project. I’m knitting my sister in law a baby hammock for her photography and I’m very excited about the prospects. She chose the yarn, we found a pattern together and I’m going to do the actual work. I was a bit nervous at first when we started to talk about it and I offered before I’d actually seen a pattern. Who knew what crazy new stitches I’d have to learn? Who knew what obscure piece of machinery I’d need to conquer just to be able to mangle it into some semblance of shape? As it turns out it’s just the knit stitch along with a few increases and then a few decreases. This thing is going to practically make itself!

In other news, we were supposed to receive 4-8 inches of snow from some storm that has the eastern US in it’s clutches. Yeah… we’re at over a foot right now. If anyone out there is missing about 5 inches of snow, you left it in Pennsylvania and we’d all appreciate it if you’d come and pick it up. I know that in some portions of the country a drizzle is cause to drive erratically, panic and call off work. What am I going to do with an extra five inches of snow and a Saturday? Besides shovel it.

I actually really like when we have big storms like this because everything, no matter how disgusting, looks so pristine and white. Everything looks like it has the most delicate layer of frosting imaginable on it. It’s only when I’m hoisting it off the driveway and sidewalks that I raise my tiny fist to the heavens and shake it violently.

So here’s to February. The groundhog saw his shadow (though how he’d NOT see it with all those lights shining on him is beyond me) and I blame this snow fall on him. I’m buried under a pile of meteorology and writing assignments and I’m pretty sure that the next time I write in, it will be because we have another major snowfall that I’m trying to procrastinate from shoveling or because school has ended and summer is here.

I hope neither of those things are the case.

First I’d like to say hello there 9/9/09! Nice of you to join us. It’s always a pleasure having you. There are so many cool things that could be discussed today but I would be remiss if I didn’t flash back to last week.. Last Tuesday in fact because while the Nittany Lions may have played this past Saturday, foot ball season at Penn State (and in Happy Valley) offically kicked off earlier in the week.

Last week the tent city began to spring up outside of Beaver Stadium. These students come each home game and set up camp outside of the stadium in spirited anticipation of the game to come. Or to get a good seat. Or possibly to not go to class. I haven’t figured out which yet. In any event, they seem to be coming sooner and sooner each year that they organize this. These photos are from Tuesday morning… and by Tuesday afternoon the amount of tents almost doubled. You can imagine then what the rest of the week brought with it.

It’s sad, but true. Yesterday during class we were sitting there discussing Short Cuts by Raymond Carver, minding our own business and discussing what made it American when all of a sudden there was much whooping and screaming heard from outside. We stopped class to look out. There were people marching in a line, screaming and yelling. We had no idea why at the time.

Then, after class ended and while I was soaking in as much vitamin D as I humanly could, I stumbled upon a stand off outside the hub. Across the street from the hub were a group of christians who were wanting to save the gays from a fate worse than death (ha! see what I did there?). They had signs and little hand outs about the miracles of Jesus. Standing in front of the hub were a group of apparently gay or gay friendly individuals who had gathered some rainbow flags. Some were large enough to be worn as capes, which a few people were doing.

As I approached I was tempted to keep my headphones on because I didn’t really want the hate to seep in. It was a goregous day. I was in a good mood as I was outside on a nice day without a coat and I’d stayed awake during class and actually followed the conversation.

Curiosity took over and I paused the song long enough to hear some long haired guy on the antigay side scream at the gay side. I couldn’t hear what he was saying other than the word fuck, which he used liberally and often. I could see why so many people were gathered. I could see the appeal in it. And I could see that at its core it had a vile inky blackness about it that was in sharp contrast to the day around us.

As I passed and took this in I flipped my ipod back on and continued along my path but it made me sad. I don’t understand what the need to push your beliefs on others is all about.  It really ties in with our discussion from class about what made the stories in that book American. It’s the idea of individuality that America presents to you. The idea of starting over, starting fresh in “the new world” any way you see fit. 

I wish that everyone that was standing outside the hub today could have been sitting in my critical reading class.  I think perhaps they might have learned something.

Do you ever have days where your native language, the language you’ve spoken your entire life just suddenly vanished and all you’re left with is gibberish that could possibly pass for english if, by chance, you were so violently drunk and on so many different narcotics that a baby elephant would be staggering?

I’ve noticed that this is one of those weeks for me. Sans alcohol or narcotics.

Oh sure, I’m fine in the morning. I can string words together and form setences and if I’m extremely lucky I can respond when spoken to. When the afternoon hits though, look out. All bets are off.

I was speaking to some coworkers, just chatting, and I wanted to interject a funny comment to the discussion I was participating in and I spoke. And they stared. I had to ask if what I said was english or not. Turns out.. not so much.

I blame this all on midterms and busy work assignments. I’m just thankful that next week is spring break. I still have to work but no assignments! Yay!