Final Final

Over the next two days I will take the final finals of my academic career (not counting my dissertation defense as a final as it is surely much much worse). I am not sure how I should view these occasions. Perhaps I should be working extra hard. Did I come all this way to give up on the final finals? Shouldn't I go out with a bang and smoke my last two academic exams? Then again, I've also been at this game so long that I don't care much for "grades" any more. To be honest I don't care much about the two classes I took this semester either. They were moderately interesting and I like both of the professors; but I am quite indifferent on the subject matter and particularly on the prospect of my attempting to master any of said matter. I've learned enough to know that most things I learn will be forgotten within a fortnight. Thus, here am I blogging with my Chemical Reaction Engineering notes as a prop under my right forearm and my Nonequilibrium Gas Dynamics text book under the left. Isn't it ironic? A little too ironic? You tell me Alanis, you seem to be the expert.

Guess who's back?

And it's not Slim Shady.

I arrived back in C'Ville just before midnight last night after a nearly 12 hour drive from StL. It was quite a day let me tell you. The highlight was probably the first four hours, during which TinRoof and I listened to A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction as read by the cast of the Daily Show. It was entertaining. Also, a guy in West Virginia offered to give us a free tank of gas if we took this stray dog with us that had shown up at the gas station that day.

Now I'm back in my windowless "office" and wondering how many days (hours?) it will take before I return to the less relaxed and happy version of myself. But since I'm sure you're all dying to know what I was up to during my blogatus (sweet, I totally just invented a word), let's see if this helps...

Top 5 Meals I ate over the Holidays

1. The Melting Pot. As previously mentioned, this was a present to the family from my brother. The meal was pretty much orgasmic. Plus it was a good time with the family.
2. White Castle. I know it must seem odd for this to be placed so closely to a meal at the Melting Pot, but I really love whiteys (way better than Krystal) and I don't ever get them on this stupid "east coast".
3. Christmas morning breakfast. My family eats the same thing every Christmas morning/day. Homemade breakfast burritos (my dad and some friends invented these many years ago in Texas...then McDonald's stole the idea), cinnamon rolls, orange rolls, and fresh fruit salad. Deeeeliciousness.
4. A tie between the broccoli chicken braid my mom made Tuesday night (one of my favorite dishes she makes) and New Years Day lunch at my grandmother's place which consisted of the Midwestern/German tradition of pork and sauerkraut. I really don't care much for either of those things, but the corn and mashed potatoes and bread and whatnot were all fantastic. Really the pork was fine, but I didn't touch the sauerkraut. TinRoof earned HUGE bonus points with my family for trying the following: pork, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, corn, and ketchup...mixed together. They claim that's the only way to eat it.
   
5. 3 beers and some homemade chips. This was essentially my dinner one night with my friend Voce99. We spent one evening at our favorite pub in Belleville (an Irish one) catching up over beers and the most enormous plate of chips we had ever attempted to eat.
   

Tonight (x5)

I think an awesome song would be a medley of Tonight, Tonight from West Side Story and Tonight Tonight Tonight by Genesis (or was it just Phil Collins). The song could be called Tonight Tonight Tonight Tonight Tonight.

I suppose I can't really post about great Christmas songs or movies (Dubs has already covered these topics). But interestingly enough, he left out what should be the most obvious genre for an English major...books. Now, as I am illiterate, I am unable to provide much food for thought in this discussion. But I would suggest a few...

A Christmas Carol: I'm not sure if I've ever actually "read" this story. But I am quite certain it was a book (by some Dickens fellow) before it became the Disney version with Ebenezer Scrooge played by...well... Scrooge McDuck.

'Twas the Night bef.... I mean... do I even need to finish?

Polar Express: I always loved this book when I was a kid. As for the movie? Well, let's just say it's better in 3D at the IMAX.

And finally, a new addition. One I was read last night...

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: Tin Roof read this to me last night by the fire. It was a lot of fun. The story is funny and has a nice message. I quite enjoyed myself.