And miles to go before I sleep

System Failure

Limitations

Here at college, we have three dining halls.  Two of them are delicious, gluttonous all-you-can-eat free-for-alls as soon as you swipe your card to enter.  But Shimesky is the only dining hall that attempts to limit student consumption.

Why, I have no idea.  Maybe because it's easier for students and townspeople to sneak into Shimesky than into the other dining halls.  Anyway, one of the Shimesky policies is that you are permitted a single entrée:  vegan, salad, pasta, carnivore, or sandwich.  This is not my favorite rule in the world, especially since I am currently running distances that require me to eat nonstop in order to not evaporate.

But rules are rules.  One night I got back from my run so late that I had barely enough time to grab a quick Shimesky dinner to bring to my evening class.  The vegan entrée looked good.  I asked for some and was served the sort of amount you would give a small girl if you did not know that she had just run twelve miles.  My heart sank.  (My stomach screamed.)  I kept up a brave face.  With the meager pile of food on my tray, I trotted over to the salad bar and asked the salad people if I could have an entrée salad.  They very nicely said no.  I forced my face into a polite expression while subtly mind-lasering them with the force of a thousand suns, and asked for a side salad instead.  They were happy to give me that.

Thus I had to improvise to get enough calories in my dinner. Five minutes later, I strolled out of Shimesky with:

a small tofu fajita heaped with guacamole, salsa, and vegan sour cream;

a side salad overflowing with edamame and carrots and honey mustard dressing;

a thick slice of bread slathered in peanut butter;

a big chocolate cupcake crowned with a sugary tower of frosting;

a tall glass of soymilk;

and two golden bananas. 

The Dining Services people were not pleased to see me go.  I could feel the irritation oozing from their unwavering, hawklike stares:  "Gosh darn it—another scumbag student stealing her next two meals.  Gotta make them trays smaller."

But they were wrong.  I ate ALL of it.  During class.  Fork in one hand and pencil in the same hand.  (What, did you think I was ambidextrous?)  A classmate actually congratulated me when I finished.  So there, Shimesky.  So there.

Which country is my favorite right now?

Did not plan ahead

I don't always do my homework, but when I do, it's at 3 am on the day it's due.  

Just kidding.  (Mom and Dad take note.)  I'm usually good at getting work done on time.  But you know how you put off an assignment until the last minute and then realize that problem #1 is actually 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, 1h, 1i, and 1j?  Sometimes that happens.

And sometimes your dormmates hijack your unique, insightful complaintspace for their own petty problems.

Definitely a Better Love Story than Twilight

This one goes out to all the girls with frizzy hair and all the guys who've tried to comfort them.  I don't know if this works, but you might as well try.

EDIT:  You may view the person on the left as a short-haired or bald woman.  You may also view the person on the right as a long-haired man.  Or, these two people could just be close friends.  I hope that covers your respective romantic leanings.

I was going to apologize for the atrocious visibility of my fingers holding each page up to the wall, but I kind of like it.  I may continue taking pictures against the wall.  The light is best here and I like the subtle brick background.  It's sort of edgy.  What's more, you can enjoy seeing what cool colors I paint my nails.  This week, they're red and shiny and nearly flawless.

Without further ado, COMIC:

At least 4/5 of a tree died for you today, Professor

The biography of the author?  All right.  A page in German for "supplemental reading"?  Um, okay.  Six photocopied newspaper articles and your wife's shopping list for the week?  How is this even relevant?!  Of course I didn't bring a folder to class!  It's the first day and how was I supposed to know what we'd need?

Found in the stairwell

I feel like I shouldn't even have to ask.

*munch, chomp*  "Huh?  Oh yeah dude, I'll be there in a sec."

"Just lemme put this down."

The return

Sal was away for some of January, but he came back!  And we rejoiced.

Worth not being able to decorate the urinal

At college, I live in a suite (nom de plume “Mopkins 5E”) with three guys and two other girls.  We girls had not met the guys until we all moved in this year.  At first we were apprehensive about having to share a bathroom with this unknown quantity.  Having guys around meant that we couldn’t decorate the urinal with wreaths and flowers, as is sometimes done by all-girl suites.  And there were plenty of other worries.  What if they were mean?  What if they were messy?  What if they liked country music?

HOWEVER.  It only took a few days for all six of us to feel like we won the life lottery.  Our suite is clean and quiet and everyone is nice to each other, just like in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.  Every time I’m feeling down, the guys cheer me up without even knowing that anything is wrong—just by being themselves.  Here are some examples of the happenings that have gone down in our common room:

-----

Pierre-Marie:  (thoughtful) Are there any symptoms of suicide?

Skyler:  (matter-of-fact) Well, death.

-----

Skyler:  (anxious) Oh no, is that rain?

Sal:  (disbelieving) No, it’s just a bunch of people standing outside and going psspsspsspsspsss.

-----

One night, Tiberius and Skyler and Sal were waiting for Pierre-Marie so they could get late-night pizza.  This is their evening ritual; they eat pizza and play whist at the sticky tables while classic rock music blasts overhead, solidifying the campus-pub feeling. 

Pierre-Marie was taking forever to get ready.  Tiberius got frustrated by the waiting and put his jacket over his head like a tent.  

"Wheeere's Tiberius?" I asked in a singsongy voice.

"I don't know," said Sal.  "I haven't developed object permanence yet."

I laughed so hard that I almost threw up.  So this is my tribute to the guys of Mopkins 5E:  you are the best, and you bring this joy to my life every day.

Anatomy of a Male XC Runner

And we love them dearly for it.