Wednesday, February 21, 2007

The downside of Mardi Gras...

...is Lent.

So here are my top ten things I'm giving up for Lent.

10. Vegetarianism
9. Sleep-walking
8. Ordering Chinese food with an Australian accent
7. Throwing clocks to see if time can actually fly
6. Watching Red Dawn (I know, it'll be hard, but it's worth it in the end)
5. Playing darts blindfolded
4. Running out in my boxers to get the newspaper (especially dangerous because I have to go three miles to the market to get the paper)
3. Sodium Bicarbonate
2. Celibacy
1. Being a bad Jew

And now, the top 10 WORST things to give up for Lent:

10. Sex
9. Meat
8. Porn
7. Math
6. Bar fights
5. Saved By the Bell reruns
4. Sex
3. Meat
2. Table Tennis
1. Going to visit the biggest ball of twine in Minnesota

Polar Opposites...

Two books written by the same person:

1. Frames of Evil: The Holocaust as Horror in American Film.
2. From Ballroom Dancing to DanceSport: Aesthetics, Athletics, and Body Culture.

C'mon pick a field and run with it!

I think I'm going to focus on the Archaeology of Italy and Biomechanical engineering. Or on the history of accordians and the mating habits of panda bears. Or perhaps the effects of shiny objects on pre-teens and quantum physics.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Some thoughts to ponder...

Here are some of my favorite quotes from recent memory:

Figure out where they're from and you'll get a prize.

1. "A good snapshot stops a moment from running away." (thanks Lacy)

2. "Quando dio vuole castigarci ci manda quello che desideriamo." (also a point for translation)

3. "If a guy’s a good neighbor, if he puts in a day, if every once in a while he laughs, if every once in a while he thinks about somebody else and above all else if he can find his way to compassion and tolerance, then he’s my brother."

4. "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."

5. "It is certainly sordid to do the wrong thing, and anyone can do the right thing when there is no danger attached; what distinguishes the good man from others is that when danger is involved he still does right."

More to come next time.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Procrastination is key...

I am not a thief...unless I am engaged in thievery: So I stole this from Sandwich Flats.

Things that scare me:
1. Being tortured by Colombian guerillas
2. Dying alone
3. Da Ghetto

People that make me laugh:
1. Eddie Murphy in 1983
2. Douglas Adams
3. Mel Brooks

Things I love:
1. Archaeology
2. L.A.
3. The phrase: "Let's blow this popsickle stand"

Things I hate:
1. Modern Art
2. Bad drivers
3. Being itchy

Things I don’t understand:
1. Why people like Reality TV
2. Bio-Mechanical Engineering
3. How to properly perform a tracheotomy

Things on my desk:
1. Febreze
2. Tennent's Beer Tray
3. Euripides' Herakles

Things I’m doing right now:
1. Procrastinating
2. Procrastinating
3. Surfing the InterWeb

Three things I want to do before I die:
1. Travel to every continent
2. Make a worthwhile contribution to the world
3. Make a time-capsule

Things I can do:
1. Use a pick-axe with precision
2. Fence
3. Part the Red Sea.

Things you should listen to:
1. "Blind" Willie Johnson
2. Your mother
3. Your conscience

Things you should never listen to:
1. Trace Adkins: Honky Tonk Ba-Donka-Donk
2. W
3. Time-share salesmen

Things I would like to learn:
1. How certain chemicals effect the state of degradation of specific archaeological artifacts
2. How to cheat at cards
3. The physics of billiards

Favorite foods:
1. Ribs
2. Ice Cream
3. Steak

Favorite beverages:
1. Water
2. Guinness
3. Gummy Juice

TV shows I watched, books I read as a kid:
1. Saved By The Bell
2. The Berenstain Bears
3. Chip N' Dale Rescue Rangers

Things I like about Sandwich Flats:
1. Makes me laugh
2. Can quote The Big Lebowski and the Simpsons for days
3. Will buy the next round

Your turn.

While I'm at it...

While I'm talking about my future, I might as well just let the world in on the little secret that is my life plan.

Let's start with the immediate and move towards the long-term.

1. Monday, February 12, 2007: Nail my Pompeii test to the wall...make it my bitch.
2. February 12-February 18, 2007: Pompeii test, intramural soccer, Sweeney Todd
3. February 2007: Pompeii and Museum Object presentations, major research for Etruscan Mirrors and Pompeii
4. Spring Break 2007: The Keys! Key Largo and Miami, baby!
5. Spring Semester 2007: Write publishable paper, present a paper.
6. Summer 2007: Archaeological digs in Tunisia/Italy.
7. 2007: Majority of my thesis research.
8. One-Two years out: Write thesis and graduate with an M.A. in Classical Archaeology and Museum Studies Certificate; Intensive Conservation internship at Ringling Museum.
9. Five years out: M.A. degree, Conservation pre-program requirements (2 years of chemistry, art portfolio, conservation internship, etc.)
10. Ten years out: Conservation degrees and expanded archaeological conservation internship; get a job as an archaeological conservator.

So that's my ten year career plan in a nutshell. I anticipate plenty of obstacles, but none that will stand for too long.

Summer Plans

Now that my summer has been officially planned, I would like to tell everyone so that their jealousy may ensue.

1. No FINALS, baby!
2. April 30: Flying to Tunis, Tunisia! WOO!
3. 2 weeks in Tunisia researching for my thesis. One week will be spent at the archaeological site of Leptiminus, the second week I will travel around to the famous archaeological sites and to Tunis to check out the Bardo Museum. Hopefully in this time I will do all the on-site research necessary.
4. May 16: Fly to Milan, Italy.
5. 5 weeks digging at Cetamura del Chianti where I will resume my position as trench supervisor.
6. May 21: Spend the night basking in the glow of the warm lights of Rome.
7. May 22: Fly back to Tallahassee.

At some point in July, and I can never remember the exact date, I'll be heading to the beach for Shawn and Kristen's wedding. I will also probably head back to California for a bit in August. I was invited to go up to Virginia for a few days during the summer, probably in August and I really hope I have the time.

I am more than stoked to get the summer started. I mean Tunisia? WTF? Who gets to do that?