Well hello. I'm in the home stretch, the final lap, heading towards the light at the end of the tunnel. Only one more (giant, most important) paper to go and I am free free free of my dang BA requirements. I have literally been holed inside the house for 5 days straight, afghan, laptop and my crazy head. I actually don't mind that. I love not getting properly dressed, especially now as all my button-down shirts and T-shirts look obscene and stupid with my bulging bosom. I love being within striking range of food at any time. I love afghans. Here's my technique for writing papers: Get on couch. Put laptop in lap, food and water all around you. Watch movies/TV etc. as you type. Repeat 100 times over. Many people do not understand my need to both watch movies and work on a paper at the same time but I swear it soothes me and produces good work. Sort of. Besides my 3 pm addiction to the comfortingly pleasant Jennie Garth/Amanda Bynes sitcom "What I Like About You" (please do not ask me to explain that one), here's a few items I've been watching:

My beloved friend Sarah taped Project Catwalk, the British version of my favourite show, for me. Despite Kelly Osborne's failings as a host (none of which, Julien MacDonald, have to do with her body shape as you kept accusing poor Monica of - it was so ridiculous) it was pure deliciousness to tide me over.

Sarah also recommended "Marie Antoinette" which I skipped at the theatre because (gasp!) I didn't like "Lost in Translation" all that much and I hate hate hate Kristen Dunst. She has like, two expressions and one tone of voice. Argh. But she was kind of perfect in this movie. I was suprised by how much I enjoyed this movie, it wasn't at all what I expected and I thought it was rather lovely, if light, confection. Apparently I am very much in the minority. What else is new.

What I have also been digging very much - so much - is "Big Love", that HBO series about a polygamist family. I rented the whole first season and have been drawing it out and savoring it slowly. I didn't really hold out much faith for it, thinking it would be about the wacky world of those crazy subservient wives and their masterful husband. But I love the character developement and the women are all amazingly perfect and flawed and the story so far is really well written and layered. So much more than I expected. If Marie Antoinette was a Pavlova, then Big Love is a dense dark layered cake with lingering flavors in every bite. Obviously heavy on The Sopranos influence but is that really a bad thing? Having worked for over a year in close close company with a stalwart Mormon and stopped in Salt Lake City a number of times, I get a chuckle out of their portrayal of Mormons - not disrespectful but god, there is just something so creepily wholesome and blandly fakely friendly about the members in my experience...like how The Mormon Co-Worker's favorite cookbook and TV show was Rachel Ray, which I think sums it all up.

I also watched a small film called Old Joy, filmed in Portland with Will Oldham as a lead character. There's nothing to this movie but I still found it moving and memorable, sticking with me for days. Likely because it captured so much of Portland and Oregon that I love and will miss (Bagby Hot Springs!), likely because one of the storylines was close to home and mostly because of this one observation Will Oldham made to his friend when they talk about his upcoming parenthood: "I've never gotten myself into something I couldn't get myself out of"
which struck the cold dark heart of my fear about being a parent. Marriage, sure it's a big deal, but honestly? There is always divorce, really, if it gets too bad. Moving? Sure, it's hard to move far away but you can always move back. But you are always, always someone's parent. If that doesn't strike fear into your heart, well I guess you're not me, someone who has always had an escape hatch and used it many times.
Enough diversions, time to finish that last damn paper!