Tuesday, July 31, 2007

"Tomorrow, don't spit on the speaker."

That was the headline on today's 20 minutes. Other things that you may not do tomorrow: burn the Swiss flag, moon people, or insult public speakers. Otherwise, you will go to jail.

Ray Stevens' Streak had better watch out...

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Feeling better

Yesterday it was dead at work, so I turned on the air conditioner and some music and had a little party. I think I have the only air conditioned room in the building... very nice.

I finally turned in chapter two of the translation for my thesis, and I'm 1/3 of the way done with chapter three. It feels good to be making progress.

I had a nice, quiet day today... I started rereading Harry Potter again (I think this is the eighth time!) and I spent the evening relaxing at the park (and beating off the flies). I hear that they're having concerts over at Parc La Grange throughout the summer, so I might go scope out the place tomorrow. I've never been there before, so it'll be fun.

"Era el crepúsculo
De la iguana..."

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Under the weather

I've been feeling a little off all week. I'm not sick... just really, really tired. No energy at all. I was planning to go to the beach yesterday and today, but I wound up not even feeling well enough to take the trash outside.

I did end up finishing my part of a long-term project earlier this week, so that made me feel good.

If anybody's got a spare hug, I'll take it.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

I got tagged...

...for my very first meme! Yay!

This one comes from Dixie. I'm supposed to look up my birthdate on Wikipedia and list three events, two births and a holiday that fall on that date. So, here goes...

My birthday is 28 December.

Events:
1065--Westminster Abbey is consecrated
1869--William E. Semple of Mount Vernon, Ohio, patents chewing gum
1945--the US Congress officially recognizes the Pledge of Allegiance

Births:
1856--Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States
1934--Maggie Smith, British actress

Holiday:
Feast of the Innocents

I'm not tagging anybody, but if you feel like doing this meme, have at it!

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Thursday Haiku

It's hot and muggy
I need to buy a good fan
So I can cool off.

The weatherman lied
He said it would rain today
But it is bone dry.

TF1 sucks rocks
There's no reception today
Bye-bye, CSI.

Loud party outside
Playing New Kids on the Block
I'd forgotten them.

23 minutes of running
--Especially when it's hot--
Can tucker you out.

Monday, July 16, 2007

I did it!

Yesterday I ran for two miles without stopping. I still can't believe it... Just two or three short months ago, I wouldn't run to save my life. And over the next three weeks, I'm going to be working up to three miles. So hard to believe!

I finished a rough rough draft of chapter two of the translation for my thesis... I probably won't be able to work on it tomorrow, but hopefully I will have it polished up and ready for my reviser on Wednesday.

Today was mostly an administrative day... I got my bus pass renewed, paid my rent, sent in the papers for my insurance refund, and got the paperwork I need to renew my residence permit and get a Swiss driver license.

It's supposed to rain tomorrow. Luckily I'll be inside working, so it doesn't matter much.

Gotta go take a shower.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Six-word Sunday

Please feed us, tall human girl.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Happy Bastille Day!

I know, I know, I'm not in France, but we're more or less an island in the middle of France, and I'll take any excuse to celebrate. I could see four different fireworks shows from my 7th/8th-story (depending on whether you're counting European or American floors) window last night... they lasted for over an hour! It was fun. I also got to watch the parade on TF1 this morning... it's still weird to think of Sarkozy as the French president.

Today I went swimming for the first time this summer (finally!) The lake here is a lot colder than the lakes in Texas! But the water was warmer today than it was last weekend, so I jumped in. It felt good.

Last night I finished the rough draft of the first chapter of the translation I'm doing for my thesis. On to chapter two now... (Who wants to start taking bets on whether or not "the horizontal bump-and-grind" makes it into the final draft?)

I have been in nesting mode lately... all of the sudden I have this crazy desire to settle down, get married, move into an apartment of my own, etc. I cried like nobody's business over the season 3 Grey's Anatomy finale last night, just because none of the characters' love lives were working out. I find myself wondering how people met their spouses, how people decide to get married, and all that good stuff. There's a boy that I like, but at the moment we're just friends, and I don't know how to move beyond that stage. I'm awfully shy, especially around him! Time will tell, I guess.

I skipped my run today... it was too hot! I'll have to make it up tomorrow.

Friday, July 13, 2007

I passed!

Grades came out today... I passed all my exams! Yay for me!

I'm still trying to process my thoughts about the latest Harry Potter movie... I can deal with the elements they left out, but so much of what was included in the film was made up! There also didn't seem to be a lot of dialogue for a two-something-hour movie, and some of the great conversations from the book (Harry and the Order, Harry and Sirius, Harry and Dumbledore) were cut down to a bare minimum. I also didn't get the sense that a full year passed over the course of the movie.

That being said, Imelda Staunton and Alan Rickman were absolutely brilliant! I think my favorite line from the movie is, "Obviously."

There was a really sad newspaper report today that said that there are 20-30% fewer baby ducks on the lake this year, partially because of all the wind we've been having. They say that the baby ducks get separated from their mothers and end up dying. :( Poor little ducklings.

Tomorrow is going to be a beach day... good weather at last!

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Thursday Haiku

Sign says, "Hors service"
Stop banging on the bus doors
'Cause they won't open.

The sun is out now
Soft, warm, happy light--it's great!
No more clouds and rain.

Went to the movies
Saw Order of the Phoenix
Kinda good, not great.

Lots of wand-waving
Not much conversation, though
Where did Dobby go?

I'm working on my
Thesis--chapter one is done.
On to chapter two.

Monday, July 9, 2007

This is messed up

It is one hour 'til sunrise, and I am still awake. I turned out the lights four hours ago, tossed and turned a whole bunch, and finally gave up an hour ago.

It rained all day yesterday, but I went to the lake to feed the ducks anyway. It was fun, even if the swans were greedy. (I wish I had taken my camera... I saw a strange sort of bird that I've never come across before. It looked like a large, swimming, black rooster (more or less).

I absolutely cannot wait for the Harry Potter movie and book to come out. It looks like only the French version of the movie will be coming out on the 11th... waaah! I want to see it in English!

As a side note, I have discovered that the pears here are simply scrumptious.

Trying to go to sleep now...

Thursday, July 5, 2007

In which we discover that I write bad poetry

I caught Dixie's Thursday haiku--it's contagious!

I'm watching TV
Criminal Minds is scary
Psycho killers, yikes!

Rain, rain, go away
I want to go to the beach
Warm sun, sand, and surf!

Brand new nail polish
Pretty, coppery toes
And sparkly fingers.

Ran out of peaches
Must go buy more at Migros
So sweet and juicy.

I feel so boring
Hours spent in the library
Do that to a girl.

L'arc-en-ciel après les semaines de pluie

That's the title of one of the chapters in Du rêve pour les oufs that I'm translating for my thesis. It means "the rainbow after weeks of rain", and I took a picture this afternoon that sums it up quite nicely.



The Fourth of July celebration got rained out, though... bummer. I guess this means that I will just have to create some new traditions this year and celebrate the Swiss national holiday in August.

I found cute, cheap nail polish in the store today, and now I have copper toes and silver sparkly fingers. Nothing like new nail polish to make a girl happy.

Happy Independence Day, everybody.