Whoo!!!!

I got into the last school I applied to today!!! And it's the one I can afford!!!! I'm so excited!!!!! Of course, they require 14 foreign language credits for my major, but whatever. I'm thrilled!!!! Now I can relax...

SAG Awards- BOO!!!!

With the notable exceptions of the Lost cast and Sean Hayes, the Screen Actors Guild didn't vote for anyone that I wanted to win. Which sucked. Especially since this is the last awards show that features TV shows as well (i.e., House won't be honored again until next September). And then when it came to the movie categories, I didn't really even have favorites. Except I wanted Rachel Weisz and Reese Witherspoon to win, and they did.

That's a problem for me this year. Usually I have a clear favorite that I will be hawking to anyone who will listen for about six weeks before the awards on the off chance that they are a part of the HFPA or the academy. Rarely if ever is this the case, but I will still sing its praises. No such movie this year. And when they show clips of all the movies and Brokeback Mountain is the most fun because at least the people are pretty, you know something isn't going well. :P

They made the disasterous choice to pick Keifer Sutherland over Hugh Laurie, whose acceptance speech clearly would have kicked Keifer's ass, and they chose some woman for dramatic actress. Who was so important I forgot her name. Except I know it wasn't Geena Davis (who made a disasterous choice of her own when she decided to accent her incredibly ginormous frame by having a dress that simply propped up her breasts. Ick.). And while I was happy that Sean Hayes was rewarded, and his acceptence speech rocked, I wanted James Spader to win.

Especially since I won't be able to watch Boston Legal this week. Damn State of the Union.

Except that when they did the pan of all the losers you could see him mouthing to his date that he really didn't want to go up there. Which I guess is okay. It's kind of like how I feel when Johnny wins (except that I haven't decided to deocorate my room in a James Spader-motif. That would be weird. Eww.), because I know he doesn't really want to speak. Not that ANYBODY gives him a chance to, but whatever. Sheesh. And then when it got to actress in a comedy I was totally rooting for like 80% of the people nominated, and they picked the one that I didn't want to win. Buggers.

The movie categories were okay, I guess. Reese Witherspoon won (YAY!!!) and Phillip Seymour Hoffman got best actor, which is okay because he looks like kind of a nice guy. And frankly, I feel sorry for him for having to do that Capote voice for the whole shoot. It must have completely wrecked his vocal cords.

I love how nobody's getting upset of Capote, which is essentially the same thing as Brokeback Mountain, except with less attractive people. What, is the gay lifestyle only objectionable if pretty people you really, REALLY hope are straight are doing it???

And in a rather surprising but not any more interesting choice, Crash won for best ensemble...which was actually who I was rooting for that that Ryan Phillipe can have a SAG too and maybe won't feel so emasculated anymore. Because that's just a little bit sad. Still, somebody needs to nominate some fun pictures here!!! Although, really, I can't think of any. Oooh, Pride and Prejudice. It should win an Oscar. BTW, I think nominations are released tomorrow moring, so is anybody else going to be up at five watching E!??? Who's with me??? Anybody??? No one? Okay, whatever. And you call yourself fans.

Two great moments, though, before I leave for class.

1.) Eva Longoria hugs Ryan Seacrest for not being Isaac Mizrahi. I guess I'd be pretty scarred too if a gay guy asked about my bikini wax on national television.

2.) S. Epatha Merkeson thanks her divorce lawyers and then breaks out in a crazy fit of maniacal laughter. It was crazy awesome, and broke up a rather traditional evening.

Okay, really late now...

T.G.I.F.

I never understood how beautiful the word "Friday" could look. I'm exhausted. It's day 5. This is not good. I haven't gotten up this early every single day since freshman year. And God knows that was only for like a month, tops, right??? Ugh. On the bright side, I am sleeping through the night every night for the first time in over a year. Anyway, I can sleep tomorrow. That will be good.

I don't think I'll have any homework either, as we really haven't gotten anything. I have this really weird broken schedule that has gaping holes of no classes, so I have plenty of time to get my work done on campus and then just conveniently leave the books here in my locker. Except Latin. I always have homework in that and the class is right before I go home. Bugger.

And (*sigh of relief*) new business law guy is really interesting. Thank God. Because we spent an hour and fifteen minutes yesterday doing joint tenancy and marital property laws (thank goodness for that heirloom thing, huh??? I would never get married just because I wouldn't trust him enough!!!) and if he can make that interesting, well, it beats last semester. No, I kid, I really like the woman from fall- she was very sweet and gave me an A.

So what else is going on??? I finished the book "Russka" yesterday. Let me tell you, if you're in to thousand-paged novels about Russia, this is the way to go. Terribly intereresting and completely compelling (if you skip the incest chapter) and really, really good. The author wrote another one, Sarum, which I bought and am going to start today. This one is a thousand paged novel about England, so clearly I'm interested. And still only $7.99!!!

Did anybody see James Frey on Oprah yesterday??? Anybody else feel kind of sorry for him??? I dont' know why, because the book was his memoir of his screwed-up life, but I'd always kind of pictured him as a typical author; you know, intelligent, a little bit artsy, and more than able to hold his own in an argument. But he's really not. I mean, dude looked like they dragged him out a prison or maybe a trailer and his publisher was doing all the talking. And then Oprah with her panel of "experts" (the Oprah-esque therapist going "Why did you lie?", the NY Times columnist going, "Bush sucks"- no, really, he said that, and this other journalist/author saying, "Great, now you ruined it for the rest of us") and they were all ganging up on him. Why did he agree to go on the show??? I know everybody's in awe of Oprah, but I wouldn't voluntary sign up to be yelled at by her on TV. Anyway, I still want to read A Million Little Pieces, but there are 203 requests on it at the library. I, however, am #150. So sometime during summer, I should be right on top of this!!!

I've been watcihng a lot of TV lately, but I haven't really had time to write about it. Lost was frickin' awesome (Wednesdays at eight---everyone must watch!!!! Well, okay, not next week because it's not new, but whatever...), and CSI:NY was good. I didn't see CSI yesterday, because we were all in the living room and my parents didn't think mutilated bodies were a good idea for the boy. Which I have a problem with. When I was 13 I was totally into this HGTV show (I know it's sad...) that was on at nine-thirty on Thursdays. Now, I was a homeschooled healthy thirteen-year-old. But my parents made me go to bed at nine, missing this show (not that I didn't put up a fight.) Now my brother gets to stay up till ten to watch the weekly bondage crime!!!!! How not fair is that??? But check TV Watch a little bit later, okay???

*GASP*

How absolutely awesome would this be??? Mozart, Austria, and cheap airfare...I can imagine few things better. I so want to go. Especially since we spent the first half of art history this morning recounting the trip that a bunch of students took to Italy. Lucky little bastards. Anyhoodles, who's with me??? Mary??? We could even flick a fountain, Colleen!!!

*tear*

I'm back in school. On the upside, I don't have to worry about getting my own breakfast anymore. Somebody else makes these lovely lemon muffins and allows me to buy them. Isn't capitalism wonderful??? Toasting all those bagels was getting difficult. I am going to miss, however, my Regis and Kelly. I love that show. And then making fun of the ladies of the View afterwards...good times...good times...But I guess this is necessary and all that crap. Whatever. And who knows, I may be stuck here, as FAFSA thinks my parents can afford an obscene amount of money to send me to school. Clearly, nobody told FAFSA how much we are doing to support the prescription drug industry. Hint: Yesterday I pulled in to go to the grocery and I went ot Walgreens instead. Ugh. Let's move onto fun stuff, shall we???

Saw The New World on Saturday with Imladris and Racergirl...aside from the physical harm done when they literally headbutted each other when Christian Bale showed up, it was lovely. The first hour and a half was really long, but not bad, and...well, let's just say we're gonna be pulling out that Batmas DVD again. Pocahontas was a stupid whore. She just was.

The rest of hte weekend was pretty boring. I read this book, the Romanov Prophacy, yesterday. It was actually quite good in that totally implausible, kill an afternoon kind of way...which is good every once in a while. And I love a conspiracy theory. They're just so much fun. But I don't think Alexei and Anastasia escaped. I think it would be so cool to find their bones, though. I mean, there's no way that Yurovsky could have cremated them, because the fire would have had to be so hot, so there has to be some evidence left of them. And still, no matter how many times I read an account of it, I get really upset about the execution. When Nicholas goes "What? What?", I'm usually near tears. I'm such a wuss. Now I've moved on to Russka, a thousand page novel about the history of (duh) Russia. For only $7.99!!! That should keep me busy for awhile.

Ah, well, I'm going to go bury my head in the sand about having to go to class in fifteen minutes. I'm going to try to put something up on my TV blog either later today or tomorrow, so check for that. Ciao!!!

Golden Globes '06 Recap

Ah, the Golden Globes. Possibly more fun than the Oscars because everybody's drinking. :) I'm reminded of Dickens, because it kind of was the best and worst of nights...Johnny lost to the manwhore who won't date Catholics because one wouldn't sleep with him, but Hugh Laurie won- finally!!!

Anyhoodles, last night had everything- off-color jokes from George Clooney, Mary-Louise Parker going all Roberto Benigni, and bunches and bunches of gays. But no penguins. No matter. I don't like penguins.

Let's start with the Red Carpet, shall we??? I watched E! and TV Guide simulataneously, but we'll start with E!. In what I think was a rather disturbing decision on their part, they fired Kathy Griffin and hired Ryan Seacrest and Debbie Maten-some-long-Greek-name in her stead. And Isaac Mizrahi. Who was asking everybody if they were wearing any underwear. Why? Why are we so concerned with underwear. I mean, I was a little bit disturbed by Drew Barrymore's lack therof, but still. And when you ask Eva Longoria a bikini wax question and she gets offended, you know it's time to pull back a little, k, Isaac??? He was also feeling up most of the guests.

And then he started harassing Hilary Swank about her separation from Chad Lowe. And she's just kind of standing there like, "Um...no, we're trying to work things out." And Isaac's all like, "Sure, hon, whatever. How do you feel about thongs???" It was kind of sad.

Meanwhile, Ryan Seacrest is safe in the little tower without ever having to touch any part of the female anatomy. He looked relived. No, I kid, E! was basically a three hour attempt to convince everybody that Ryan Seacrest is straight. It failed miserably in my humble opinion.

Over on TV Guide, Joan Rivers is screwing up everybody's names. But the funniest thing came when Nicolette Sheridan and Michael Bolton came up, and Joan asked them how long they'd been together. They kind of jokingly said sixteen years, and she replies in all earnestness, "Really? Oh, that's wonderful!" They just kind of looked at her awkwardly.

And how upset did Barbara Hershey look that she's not the center of attention anymore??? You could totally tell that she though she was safe hooking up with an Indian British guy. And now nobody wants to talk to her. And he's cheating on her. It's a little bit sad, really.

And Paul Giamatti joked that he hates wine and wine people...and the little interview person took it seriously. Watch as dozens of art-house cinema geeks cry into their pinot noir.

Anyhoodles, let's move on to the actual awards. George Clooney won the first of the night, Paul Giamatti did not look amused. And then Sandra Oh won, which was cute because she looked so happy. And almost knocked her poor pregnant sister off the chair. I don't know about her, but if my sister looked like Sandra Oh and I was beginning to resemble Shamu, no matter what Miracle of Life crap was taking place within me, I would not go to a party with her. I just would not. Anyway, I was kind of hoping she'd get up there and be like "You may now suck on this Alexander Payne, because I got farther this year on my own. Ha!!!" But she didn't. I was bummed.

Let's see, who else won??? Oh, Jonathon Rhys Meyers, the ax-murdering soccer coach of the summer of '03...Geena Davis was quite funny spoofing the political angle of her show, and Steve Carrell's speech was funny. And Reese Witherspoon is just so cute, isn't she???

And Hugh Laurie won. YAY!!!!!! And wasn't his acceptance speech adorable??? "That's not my handwriting...oh, he's good..." HAHAHAHA...I'd be even happier if American Idol weren't preempting House tonight...bugger...

I think this was the time when the festivities were interrupted by a long, long, long tribute to Anthony Hopkins, where Gwynnie Paltrow appeared to have adopted some sort of weird (Canadian?) accent and freaked us all out by showing Hanibal Lector clips. *does teeth sucking noise* That's fun to do. And they showed the Human Stain scene where he's dancing with Gary Sinise...odd, but funny.

And then Lost won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so FREAKIN' HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love my little castaways!!!!!!!!!!! And when they all tracked up on stage it was so cute!!!!

Then the "big" awards were announced, and it got pretty boring pretty quickly. I'm sure Phillip Seymore Hoffman did a lovely job in Capote, and probably irreperably damaged his vocal cords trying to do that voice, but his acceptance speech was a snooze. And Felicity Huffman turned hers into a public service announcement...boring. And then Brokeback Mountain won, which everybody knew but it made it no less uninteresting...

Overall happy with the winners, Pride and Prejudice should have won, but whatever...so cute how Emma Thomson introduced it, although someone seriously has to tell girl that she's not twenty anymore. Loved how she and Hugh Laurie were talking during the break, just like at Oxford. Except I'm assuming that Hugh Laurie's wife was sitting at the table going, "K, bitch, just cause he's way hotter now doesn't mean you get to try again..." Mr. Darcy's put on weight...and he needs to shave. Other than that, super hot.

So what did everybody else think? I know anonymous wanted Charlie Sheen to win, and Imladris is still basking in Elvis's glow, but other than that... ;)

Books and Crap

I just had to go buy my books for next semester. Which made me realize that I was in fact going to have to leave my house and go back to school at some crazy-soon date such as Monday. They don't let me watch Regis and Kelly there. I don't like that.

Anyhoodles, found a perfectly good used book for one of my classes, which saved thirteen dollars, but they only had crappy ones for the others. Bummer. But it was still only seven dollars more. I have a bone to pick with college bookstores. They know you need the books, and so they inflate the prices obscenely high. My stinkin' little paperback copy of Hamlet cost fifteen dollars. Crazies.

And then I found a class that I really want to take bases soley on the fact that I fell in love with the books. It's all about Russia- and they get to read War and Peace!!! The textbook was even entitled "Imperial Russia"...how awesome would that be??? But it's at a really crappy time (three hours at night) and I'd have to miss House, and it would cost a lot of money, so I'm probably not going to do it. But I am going to go buy a paperback copy of War and Peace that hasn't been thrown in Lake Michigan. Plus whatever school I end up going to is probably going to have some sort of history class like that. See, this is my problem. I can't seem to realize that I have four years left of college. I've been in this "I've got to get this class and this class" mindset for three years and it's really hard to think that I have eight semesters left to fill.

But then I started to get nostalgic, because I realized that this was the last time I'd ever buy books at this particular school. Which made me a little bit sad. I love it there. It's small, safe, comfortable. I know how to do things there. And they have excellent parking. Which is a rather big practical plus, don't you agree??? The two schools I'm looking at both have crappy parking which means I'd probably have to ride with my dad or something, even if I end up being able to afford a car. Grrr.

On slightly more happy school-related news, I got into my first-choice school last week. Yay for me!!! My friend called and told me she got in, which freaked me out because I get a little freaky competitive, but I got my letter later that day. Of course, I can't begin to afford to go there, but it was nice to be accepted. Escpecially since they gave me a comfy t-shirt at the interview that it awesome for sleeping in, and I was worried I'd never be able to wear it again if I didn't get it. Because I'm weird like that. Like I could never wear a Harvard sweatshirt unless I'd actually attended Harvard. Which I don't. Because 1.) I sincerely doubt they'd be banging down my door to accept me and 2.) I can't even afford Marquette. That's like lunch money at Harvard.


Golden Globes are on tonight---yay!!! Whoo!!!!! Johnny seriously needs to show up. And Joaquin Phoenix needs to seriously lose. But all the magazines I've read have said that Hugh Laurie is pretty much a lock, which is awesome because I'm not having a moral dilemma like during the Emmys. However, the people I want to win very rarely do. It's just a fact. I'm convinced that if I hadn't have been hyperventillating while they were announcing the winners last year Johnny would have won. Because he totally could have beat Leo's ass. He's not even that cute anymore.
But look for my post-show opinions tomorrow morning. Because you know they're gonna be good... ;)

I also finally put up that stuff about Lost and CSI last week on my TV blog, so check that out, k??? Have a good Monday everybody...

Because what is scarier...

...than a skinny British chick who is pissed- off???

Thursday

I can't think of anything better to title it.

So many things going on in the world of entertainment. First, an absolutely perfect night of TV viewing last night...read my TV blog to find out about that. Secondly, Brangelina's having a baby. Maybe now they'll admit that they're actually dating. I feel kind of badly for Jennifer Aniston, though.

And Lindsay Lohan is denying having bulimia. But not that she dabbled in drugs. Okay. Now, I know I don't have any of the fame that Ms. Lohan does, and my father isn't in jail, and my mom doesn't have a fake tan that makes me slightly nauseous, and I certainly haven't, nor would I want to, go out with Fez, but I am a girl around her age who naturally care desperately what people think about me. If Vanity Fair interviewed me and said that 1.) I had bulimia, and 2.) I was into recreational drugs, I think I would deny the second one. Especially if I had lost like have my body weight in the last six weeks and started hanging out with Nicole Richie. But that's just me. Sheesh.

And is the whole uproar about A Million Little Pieces making anybody else kind of want to read it??? I know I do, but there are 182 requests on it at my local library, so it could be 2007 before I get it. Bummer. And I'm not thinking I really need to spend fifteen bucks on a druggie's fake memoir at Borders. But I still really want to read it. Anybody else think that Oprah showed up at James Frey's house one morning and was like, "K, sales are down, so here's what we gotta do. I'm gonna say you lied. And then you'll be all 'Oh, no I didn't', and then we'll both go on Larry King and talk meaninglessly for two hours while everybody goes out and buys a copy just to see if they can figure out if it's true or not." I think that's what happened. :)

I'm getting dangerously close to the end of vacation. And I'm not liking it at all. It's weird, the first year I had this long break I was desperate for human attention by Christmas. Last year it wasn't so bad, but my January I was a little bit restless. This year they're going to have to drag my kicking and screaming from my cozy little morning routine that involves sleeping and Regis and Kelly and not art history and business law. Grrr.

Going to go update my TV blog, so check for that, okay??? :) Hope everybody has an easy reacclimation to the real world...not exactly the Happiest Place on Earth, but at least it stopped pouring... *rolls eyes*

*gasp* Sayid!!!!!!!!

So Shannon wasn't the only one in a hut with him...

Rembrandt + Taco Bell + Verbal Diarrhea = Surprisingly Good Times

They just do. Went to the art museum yesterday to see the otherwise expensive (hence the fact that I was going the day before it left) exhibit curtesy of the loverly passes that Daddy was so kind enough to procure for us. And I know he reads this. So kudos to Daddy. :)

It was really, really good. Except I hate it when all these brilliant creative men end up broke and dead. Like Rembrandt was buried in a rented grave. Huh. How exactly does that work??? ("You don't gots to go home, but you've gots to get the hell out of here...") Absolutely beatiful work, though. The exhibit was like three times as big as I thougt, and the large, black-hole type number of people crushed in were making the air even more hot and humid than it already was. Which was hard, because it was pretty steamy when you walked right in. So by the time we got past Rembrandt and into the works illustrating how he influenced later art it was kind of like, "Oh, lovely. Yes, beautiful. WATER!!!!!!!!" Really enjoyed it, though.

And in keeping with the traditional culture and cheap Mexican food combo that has worked so well for us in the past, we stopped at Taco Bell and got tasty potatos. I love them. Too much, really.

As for the verbal diarrhea, Imladris, I just want a number...

Insomnia Is Not Fun

It just isn't. Frankly, I'm getting a little tired of it. (No pun intended.) I was awake until three last night, which would have been absolutely terrible if it hadn't given me the opportunity to finish The Moonstone. Amazing book. T.S. Eliot called it "the first and greatest of English detective novels." Shockingly, given my predisposition to criticize pretty much anyone I feel like (great literary figure or not), I am in full agreement with T.S. here. It's also the longest- my little paperback was close to five hundred pages. And completely absorbing from beginning to end.

It was that rare combination of classic literature and a compelling and really rather modern story. I'm not saying I don't appreciate every single book I've ever read, but some (*cough*The Scarlet Letter*cough*) made me just kind of grit my teeth and suck it up in the interest of becoming well-read. Take, oh, The Scarlet Letter for example. ;) By the hundreth page I wanted to go into the village just start screaming. "Yes, Hester, you are a whore. And no, you should not have done that with a clergyman. But really, pal, you were there too. And people, really, what is your problem??? You're a bunch of uptight hypocrites who don't know how to dress. And really Pearl, what the hell is your problem??? Children born out of wedlock do not necessarily have to glow!!!!" Ugh. Thank goodness it was only two hundred and fifty pages long.

Anyhoodles, everybody should go buy the book now, k???

So I did my bi-annual room cleaning escapade yesterday. It went signficantly better than the above entry. The worst I found were magazines from last June. Nothing from schools I attended three years ago. That's good. I did, however, find the shoe I've been looking everywhere for. The pretty black high heel with the little buckle/bow thingy...so pretty. I'm so happy I found it. I did notice, however, that I seriously have got to stop buying books and DVDs. Seriously. I couldn't fit it all on the dresser to move the bookshelf. I have no self control. I disgust me.

My aunt's in Disney World right now. And I'm not. Boo. Not that I really want to be, but really, we just tied a freakin' record for gray days. How much not-fun is that??? While it makes driving with glasses that are sans-sunglasses significantly easier, it's pretty damn depressing, no???

Shock and...well, DUH!!!

...the shocking and the...well, let' just say everybody should have seen this coming. You have eyes.

Blah

Okay, this made my day. CSI:NY was number nine last week, and it was a repeat!!! How awesome is that??? I really don't care how many people watch it, I just don't want it to get canceled. If it's in the top ten I don't think it will be. For the season overall it's number fourteen, which is pretty good.

I've spent the rest of the morning figuring out how to make myself sound intelligent in person. Which is hard, because I have long believed myself to look way better on paper than I do in person. It's not good. Oh, and trying to find a way to make Anais Nin sound slightly less...well, let's just say it, crazy. But that's a long story. I also have to find something conservative to wear. Hmmm. This is not easy. Eh, I've spent three years convincing professors that 1.) Yes, I will take the class seriously, 2.) Yes, I am planning on doing the work, and 3.) Yes, I am worth it. I guess I can handle this.

So foggy today. I can barely see the road in front of our house. I like these days, though. Kind of dark and mysterious looking.

As I attested to in the last entry, I have no financial backbone. I broke down and bought The People's Act of Love (trust me, it's not nearly as weird as the title suggests) at Borders yesterday. I wasn't sure I was going to, but then we couldn't find it, and by the time the sales lady had looked at every table they had and some nice customer finally found it, there was no way in hell I was leaving without it. :) And I got the last National Gallery of Art calendar that they had. Ha! And two CDs. And now I'm broke. I couldn't afford The Essential Mozart, which looked super good, instead I was relegated to the Best Buy brand of classical Bach. Still good, though, and a steal at $4.99. I'm going through a Renaissance phase. Kind of like my french literature phase a while ago. Or my Middle Ages literature phase. Or my Anything-The-Bronte-Sisters-Ever-Did phase. Or my Russian phase. Which is still going on, actually.

2006

Who else thinks that 2006 is kind of an ugly year? I don't mean in terms of what will happen, but just because of the numbers. I don't think it looks as pretty as 2005 or 2004...but that's just my humble opinion. I think numbers are boys and girls, too. I'm odd. Like one is a boy, two is a boy, three is a girl, four is a boy, five is...confused, I think...I can't figure that one out, six is a girl, seven is a girl, eight is a guy, nine is a girl, ten is a guy...huh. I just realized why I don't have a relationship.



Can I come??? ;) It's really boring right now. Everybody is obsessed with sports, and everytime I make a joke about how maybe we all need a little something more in our lives, my dad feels compelled to remind me that this is actually a big thing, and then starts to moan about how we'll be back in the seventies and eighties. Yeah, I totally don't know why. When I remind him that a lot of good things happened in the seventies and eighties, like the fall of communism and the Rise of Me, he leaves the room. :p

I think I need to watch the Phantom again. No, really, I think I do. I've had Point of No Return running through my head for the last week. And not the nice parts...

Hector is totally right. Paris is a moron. It's raining. Can you believe that??? It's January for heaven's sakes. It's supposed to be snowing and pretty and cold!!!! Instead we're having a thunderstorm!!!!!! There was honestly just lightening and thunder. Crazy. But it's dark and moody, which I like, and at least it's still cold. It would suck if we had a heat wave or something. Not that that happens a whole lot, but still. It was sixty eight in Cinncinnatti yesterday...that would suck, no???

How awesome is this???? Now I have to decide whether or not to buy this at Borders. It looks like I would totally love it, as I'm a total slavophile, but it's $24 bucks. Hmmm. And I needed a seven dollar calender...well, not really need, but it's half off and it's a weekly one by the National Gallery of Art. Ugh. I hate money. Knowing me, I'll get to the store and convince myself that I should be fiscally responsible and all that crap and then I'll see it and buy it. I have no backbone.