Tuesday, January 12, 2010

I hate everything

Ughhhh. This goes beyond a bad day. And you all get to hear about it.
Soooo yesterday, I realized that I had procrastinated on some readings for my Ukrainian lit class. I had to read a 65-page story and two 10-page poems (computer-printed, 8.5x11 pages) (it doesn't sound like a lot but HOLY CRAP IT IS!!!). So all day I carried around this thick stack of papers. THIS THICK, IN FACT:

Sorry for the weirdness. But I can't have a pictureless post! Anyway, I read slowly. Especially if I'm reading a poorly translated, extremely depressing Ukrainian tale about village folk in the 1800's. I went to Wymilwood, got a bagel, and read while waiting for Naufil to show up, since he just got back and I told him I'd meet up with him there. Then I went to the Reading Room in Birge-Carnagie and read for about 2 hours. Then I went back to my room and read for half an hour or so, until it was time to go to linguistics at 2. From 2-4 I had linguistics, and I read during our 10-minute break at 3:00. I had Arabic from 5-7, so from 4-5 I was planning on reading, but the building I wanted to read in was having some kind of poster-frenzy and there were loud people everywhere. So I wandered around for a while and found a creepy deserted hall. I sat down and read until the dim light started making my eyes hurt and I felt nauseous. I went outside to get some fresh, freezing cold air, and started walking toward Bancroft Building, where I have Arabic, reading as I walked. There was 20 minutes or so until class started, so I went into the Environmental Sciences building across the lane and found a nice seating area where people were working and reading. Unfortunately right after I sat down, these two girls came in and started giggling and chatting in painfully strident voices about something, apparently oblivious to the many "shutupshutup" looks that were being shot their way. They did not leave. I had barely read a page by the time I had to go to class. After Arabic, I went back to Vic and had dinner in the dining hall with Rifqi before shutting myself in my room at 8:30 and reading nonstop. I read for 7 hours before realizing that I was spending like 25 minutes on a page because I kept reading a paragraph and not getting it, and reading it again and again and again, which I had been doing all day to some extent, because I can't focus on reading anymore (which is a whole other problem...). So I set it aside for a bit and did my linguistics homework, which was due the next day too. I spent about an hour and a half making X-Bar trees and it actually really helped me understand things better. Then I started reading again. At around 5am. I FINISHED EVERYTHING at around 8, set my alarm for 12:30pm and my other alarm for 12:45pm, and fell asleep.
That was yesterday.
My class schedule for today was this:
2-3: Women in Ukrainian Literature
3-4: Linguistics tutorial
4-5: Astronomy
6-8: Sociology

I didn't wake up at 12:30, or 12:45. I slept through both my alarms. When I woke up, it was...
.....
......

4:08pm.

I literally screamed as loud as I could out of frustration and scrambled down my ladder from my stupid lofted bed. Over my pajamas (sweatpants and a t-shirt), I put on socks, a sweatshirt, a coat, and my boots, crammed my notebook and pencil into my bag, and left for astronomy. Classes start at 10 after the hour so I had 2 minutes to get there. Usually in the snow it's a 10-minute walk to Con Hall, but I ran the entire way and got there in 5, and I only nearly died once, when I slipped and fell on an icy patch in the street and almost got hit by a car. I made it to astronomy a few minutes late.
But I didn't make it to Ukrainian literature. Or linguistics.
After astronomy I went back to Vic for dinner, where I realized I didn't remember to put my wallet in my bag during my 4:08 rush. Without my key card I couldn't get into my building, and without my student card they wouldn't give me any food. I went into the dining hall anyway, since it was really cold and I thought maybe if I just told him my student number he'd let me in, since apparently it's worked for other people. There was a lineup in the dining hall, which NEVER happens, except on Indian food night. Which it happened to be. When I got to the desk I asked if I could use my student number instead and he answered with a definitive "NO." Then I saw Molly a few people ahead of me and borrowed her key and went and got my wallet. Lucky! After dinner I went to soc, then came back here and emailed my professors. I know my linguistics homework will not be accepted late and is worth nothing now, and now I have a whole new set of reading to do for lit before Thursday.
Also I just went to Wymilwood with Rifqi where 3 people, including him, commented on how horrible I looked.

Why can't I be a light sleeper?

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh no!!!! Poor you!!!

Rifqi's an engineer. Maybe he can make you some kind of electrical alarm clock that will shock you out of bed.

I'm sure tomorrow will be better.

Love you!!
--mom

Claire said...

Erin, I'm not even going to say anything about horse metaphors, because you have been having WAY too shitty of a time to deal with my terrible "pick-me-ups". I'm so sorry! that's insane

but i'm glad you can keep your humor through it :)

Claire said...

holy shit. i thought for sure claire would have at least tried. I was so excited. Anywaaays... that by far is the worst epic shit day of anyone's life... ever. like holy shit. I probably would have actually tried to kill rafiki if he said that to me after a day like that so I am extremely impressed that you managed to maintain your composure.


but in other news, you need better alarms. you need them grenade alarms. you'll be deaf by class but at least you'll be up!

hope your days improve.... [although it would be extremely difficult for them not to]

Jenna said...

erin : - (

i'm so sorry your day was shit...
hopefully the week will be better
so i'm reading john muir's writings, and he had some form of alarm that moved him out of his bed, maybe that'd work?
i still think you're the best.

LOVE YOU

oma said...

I hope by now you have gotten over your horrible experience. To tell you the truth, I am a little jalous. I wish I could sleep that soundly.
I am sure you will straighten things out and get back on track.
Looking forward to spending some time with you in Feb. I have it all figured out and will tell you the details later
Keep smiling Poekie. You are the best.
love you. Oma

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