Monday, October 30, 2006
This morning before skipping downstairs to Dr. Reed's class, I approached Der Grair Bär with the suggestion that my topic for independent study be something related to the origins or manifestations of German philhellinism ("Gräkomanie" auf der Erklärung"). He seemed enthused about and entirely amenable to this idea.
After my classes I returned to my usual post outside his and Dr. Lavigne's offices, in order to read further into the first chapter of one of ten books related to German literature I checked out from the library Saturday afternoon. Around one-thirty Dr. Grair handed me a warm print-out: an article he published a couple of years ago for the Goethe Yearbook: "The Poetics of National Liberation: Wilhelm Müller's Lieder der Griechen", which discusses the poems' impact on German attitudes toward the Greek War of Independence. I recall being especially interested in this aspect of the Enlightenment when we studied it for a short time during European history class in high school. Taking the German perspective will make for viel Spaß.
I deflowered The Decline and Fall of Virgil in Eighteenth-Century Germany: THE REPRESSED MUSE this afternoon, which is to express, that it is a newly-received and never here-to-fore checked-out book from the Texas Tech University library that I have now commenced reading. I believe I will break the hymens of four more of the total ten aforementioned before the end of the semester sometime. The other five were published before either of my parents were born, ich glaube.
[Lauree Frances Keith concluded this diatribe at 2:48 PM]
Ich Sehe Wie Du Bist
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Robbie called me in to work this evening two hours earlier than I would normally appear, for he would like to take the night off to watch the Tech vs. UT football game. I hope he enjoys himself, whilst I am stuck bleeding my eyes out, with my brains leaking out my ears. Ich lebe ja ein Scheiss-Leben.
I needed a haircut, so Thursday I made a forty-five minute bus journey to the mall for this purpose, but was further detained there by an impulsive desire to have my hair dyed as well. At the counter, when asked a preference, I requested "Cookie Monster blue". My hair now is streaked throughout with a blue that is assuredly Muppet-esque. Ich liebe es.
I played hooky from Greek Wednesday for reasons entirely groundless, apparently, for Steve changed the schedule so that the Titus passage I was to have completed Wednesday was to be covered instead Friday. I sat Friday morning at my usual place in class, gloating over the fact that I had prepared from the Plato text beyond even the point Steve had assigned, only to be informed that I needed to whip out my Bible instead. Ich haße mein Leben.
[Lauree Frances Keith concluded this diatribe at 1:54 PM]
And It Was In That Little House In The Bronx That Abraham Lincoln Was Born
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Despite not going to bed until three this morning (I close Tuesday evenings), I arose early enough before my ten o'clock seminar with Dr. Reed to eat cereal and to look up the words for the next passage from The Symposium I am translating in Greek class. However, during Dr. Reed's class Jason (with whom I also take Greek) informed me we were to have translated a passage from Titus for today's session. Scheisse.
The two of us being exhausted, we went to get coffee (straight-up coffee for him, a frappuccino für mich). En route I decided not to attend Greek, for I had not brought my Bible to take notes and hadn't even glanced at the text, anyhow. Steve must be disappointed, for I have probably missed six or seven classes by now. But I have an "A" nevertheless.
Yesterday a Bible-thumper came to the public area between the student union building and the library to screech about how everyone (but him and the elect, apparently) is living in sin, wickedness, etc. I happened to first walk by around eleven in the morning, before a sizable crowd had gathered, wearing my baggy black cargo JNCOs, a heavy black sweater, and the almighty grey hat Lindsay crocheted. As I passed, this misguided young man was calling out, "...and you are all living in darkness; you are lying in darkness next to your boyfriend or girlfriend, and you do not want to wake up..." Obviously he hadn't gotten a rise out of anyone yet, but I kept walking and refused to dignify him with any reaction.
Later I saw my friend Jenn, who is the Jewish half of my brain. She told me the Bible-thumper appeared around this season last year (perhaps he has a circuit) with much the same rhetoric. A couple of her friends dared her to start an argument with him: "I don't believe in a hell concept- I win!" Lustig.
[Lauree Frances Keith concluded this diatribe at 9:39 AM]
The Power You're Supplyin'
Monday, October 23, 2006
Next semester I need to continue taking the next sequences of the language courses (despite the whole "lack of money and lack of financial aid" issue I must contend with), but the German department is only offering two senior-level classes, neither of which I would want to take at the moment. One is an internship at a local elementary school (nein, danke), with the other being a course in business German, which would be useful, but probably not as reading-intensive as I might like. I need to focus on reading more at this point, I think, in order to better grasp the language. Reading short stories last spring improved my German considerably, but this semester I haven't immersed myself as much, and I feel everything I knew (or thought I knew) slipping away...
Thus at Oktoberfest (a small gathering at a graduate student's house) Saturday night I talked to Dr. Bonzo and Der Grair Bear about independent study. Dr. Bonzo wouldn't have time, since he has to coordinate the summer trip nach Deutschland, and Dr. Grair informed me he would be on leave. After I elaborated a little on what I wanted to do, Dr. Grair said he wouldn't mind meeting with me once in a while (which makes me feel even more guilty about taking his time than I would normally, considering that "on leave" entails "no students").
However, ich habe keine Ahnung, was für ein Literatur ich lesen soll. The top two ideas as of this moment would be post-world-war literature (auf Englisch oder Deutsch sehr interessant) or perhaps something related to classical scholarship, but utilizing the original sources of German authors. Der Grair Bear is no classicist, but he is historically-minded and seems pretty well-versed in classical literatures (he knew the subjects of Greek tragedies this summer when he saw me reading them). In any case, I need to find something suitable to my reading level, which would entail a trip or two to the Bibliothek.
[Lauree Frances Keith concluded this diatribe at 7:29 AM]
And On The Subject Of Grapes...
Monday, October 16, 2006
Dr. L'Amour sent Mr. Soon-To-Be-Doctor Lynn an e-mail from England, requesting he probe our class for potential candidates for a senior-level Latin course when Dr. L'Amour returns to the armpit of America this spring. I am the only person who might take the course, provided I come upon the dinero. The German scholarship I would spend on a German class, but I need to continue taking Latin and Greek as well. If possible, I should also take a core ("'tard") class or two. However, I am severely lacking in money, so I might have to try to audit the Latin and Greek.
I use the computer much less often, now that I live off-campus and rarely have enough time altogether to do more than check my e-mails.
In bodily updates, I have developed callouses under the digits of both hands from working out in the weight room. My legs have been Nancy Kerrigan-ed. The incision in my right foot (made to leak out pus from my infection) has finally closed, but will still require time to heal over entirely. Dr. Villareal said it would probably scar me. On my shoulder is a small round bruise of unknown origin. Last week I bought blemish concealer that has been steadily diminishing the zit scars on my face.
This morning I took the Greek exam, rather dreading it, for I had missed an entire week due to errand-running. One of those days I was so tired I didn't bother attending, since I knew I would only fall asleep. Steve was understanding when I informed him later. But the passages he tested us over were relatively easy, and they were also the ones I had most thoroughly studied. The third passage (from the book of John) was ridiculously simple. I should have made an "A".
Time to study Greek.
[Lauree Frances Keith concluded this diatribe at 6:44 PM]
"Epic" As Regards My Bowel Movements
Saturday, October 14, 2006
The antibiotics I took to relieve my foot infection have for the past week wreaked havoc on my stomach lining, I suspect. What once were firmly solid sorts of ejaculations have become ever-softer and less cohesive. Yesterday morning I took the last pill, and thus await the restoration of regular bowel activity.
Next week Greek and German exams occur, for which I am most unprepared. I had meant to make headway in one or the other this afternoon at the coffee shop, but felt entirely unmotivated. Hilariously, I sat in a group that included my Greek instructor, Steve, to whom I might have addressed any Greek-related questions, but I forewent studying Greek, opting instead to read through part of a book about the sculpture of the Parthenon.
I allowed Steve, Adrian (she wants me to call her "Mikki", but I refuse), and Shane to distract me too much, and did not get through as much of the book as I had desired. Steve played songs by Jeff Lynn and Thom Yorke for my benefit. I ought to look up The Travelling Wilburys.
Tomorrow I am set to study Greek with a few people from class. I hope it prepares me well enough.
[Lauree Frances Keith concluded this diatribe at 5:25 PM]
As Opposed To The One Here Before Me
Thursday, October 12, 2006
All this morning I studied for a Latin exam (the above photograph is from last week), about which I feel slightly more confident than the first test. Everyone (the four of us) had finished with at least half an hour left of class time, which prompted Mr. Soon-To-Be-Doctor Lynn to suggest to himself that he include more difficult and longer passages next time. We did our best to dissuade him.
Pictured above are Shane, the teaching assistant to my Greek and Roman sculpture class, and Steve, my Greek instructor, the two of them studying for their seminar over Homer's Odyssey. I spent most of that time squeezing half-solidified pus from my foot.
[Lauree Frances Keith concluded this diatribe at 3:25 PM]
Let My Cameron Go
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
The day before yesterday the skies of Lubbock poured forth an entire year's worth of rain, through which I rode my bikey to and around school. Early in the morning I wiped out as I braked to avoid a couple of girls walking in front of me (I had called, 'Excuse me!', aber natürlich haben sie mich nicht gehört), scraping the side of one knee and severely bruising both shins. It looks like someone Nancy Kerrigan-ed me.
Last night as I walked around at work, the humongous bruise above my right ankle apparently erupted, with blood flowing into my foot and gathering in a fascinating purplish mass. These discolorations will remain present in both legs for several weeks, as my bruises tend not to heal quickly. I am a delicate lily.
[Lauree Frances Keith concluded this diatribe at 11:51 AM]
The Big Brother System
Saturday, October 07, 2006
The foot problems of the past few weeks have thrown off my work-out routine. Thusly, I gained back some weight (around the middle), though I am not yet too distressed, for I should be able to lose it if I cold turkey a few things for a few weeks. I won't have more exams to study for for another week, so theoretically I should be able to retrace some ground before then.
Jetzt muß ich fliegen.
[Lauree Frances Keith concluded this diatribe at 6:23 PM]
Du Kannst Nicht Schreien
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
I finally visited a doctor about my foot. Apparently, the gigantic blister that formed several weeks ago, popped, and has begun to heal, instigated under the skin an infection that I have been walking upon for at least two weeks. With no hint of sarcasm in his voice, the doctor (Doctor Villareal) asked, "Have you looked at your foot?"
He left the room to find a suitable needle (my foot hurt too badly for me to hop down and run away), but the pus had congealed so thickly that he found it necessary to go back for a scalpel. Doctor Villareal warned beforehand, "Try not to scream: it disturbs the other patients," which assuredly did not becalm my nerves. I ignored this advice, anyhow, for when the squeezing began, boy, did I ever shriek! I nearly fainted with pain and had to request a breather. I must have made the doctor nervous, because he quit before he had squeezed absolutely everything out.
Afterward Doctor Villareal prescribed Keflex, then added, "Would you need painkillers?" I actually hesitated in my response (cost the consideration in the back of my mind), for I am a Spartan, but I definitely filled the prescription and in the eighteen hours since have found said painkillers most helpful. The label claims they are twice refillable before March twenty-first (perhaps I won't have to worry about paying tuition after all!). I cannot ride my bike, which is probably for the best, because the medications did make me light-headed as I straightened my hair this morning; I had to sit down on the toilet (I shower at the rec center) for a few minutes to keep from fainting.
My foot hurts.
[Lauree Frances Keith concluded this diatribe at 10:07 AM]