My Xanadu Too!

Testing

1. Woo hoo, finally back in the blogosphere! I never realized how hard it can be coming up with material to put on a blog. Kudos to all of the hardcore bloggers out there! Yes, I am now back in full force. It took a while to shake off another successful semester and ease my way into summer.

2. Tis the season for visiting! Or at least having visitors. Really good friends of my in-laws came last week. It was some fun times going out to eat and hanging at the Irvine Spectrum. On Monday they went home and my cousin arrived from Egypt. So, we get to do the whole touristy thing again! It's always fun visiting with people you haven't seen in a while (or even people you just met). Nights are spent catching up while days are occupied with seeing the sights. Ahhh the wonderful flow of summer!

3. With all of this visiting going on, I have decided I need a new camera. While I love my Olympus, it's a little outdated and doesn't hold as many pictures as I would like. Since I love to scrapbook, a camera is a necessity. Hmmmm... which one should I choose?

4. Marriage is not kind to your waistline. Enough said.

5. I shall end these random thoughts with something to ponder: If olive oil is made from olives and corn oil is made from corn, what's baby oil made out of?

It's not that I really want to but I have to take a break from blogging. Ah, it's that time of year again with finals looming around the corner and research papers begging to be written. I would much rather be blogging up a storm... so I leave you with a funny to hold you over until I can come back!

Just some random thoughts on a Tuesday morning...

1. Two weeks of school...... two weeks of school....... TWO WEEKS OF SCHOOL! Enough said. Let the panic ensue! Maybe I should write a song about it. LOL!

2. I'm finding it harder and harder to work without distractions. That really gets in the way of these papers (notice, I'm blogging rather than studying). Perhaps I should go to the library to work. I know when I'm doing it at home I come up with a million other things to do: veg out in front of the tv, bake cookies, rearrange my bookshelves, basically anything OTHER than work. This is not good. I think I need to go into isolation for a while and not come out until after finals week...

3. I miss Egypt. It's been 9 years now since I've been there. Granted, I realize that going now would be totally different than the previous trips. Everyone has grown up and has responsibilities and work and spouses and kids but still.... I miss it. Where else can you go to the movies at 1am? Plus, now there's the excitement of meeting a whole other part of family. And contrary to popular belief, I'm really really really looking forward to meeting my in laws. I guess it just represents a time of total relaxation and exploration free from work and school -- muchly needed.

4. Although it's all over the internet, I'm going to add it here too: People said we would have an African American president when pigs flew. Well, 100 days into his term Swine Flu! :)

5. Maxi dresses are awesome! Yes, we may be reverting back to the 70s as fashion always repeats itself in one way or another but this is one trend I don't mind coming back. It's not like the skinny jeans where unless you're a stick you look like a grape on a toothpick. I mean haven't these people looked in the mirror? Do they not realize the unproportionate nature of said pants?! Hello?! Real women have curves! I love that movie by the way. It was great!
And to further my rant, why in the world has the fashion industry not realized this?! With such a large purchasing demographic out there, you would think they would jump at the opportunity to dive into this market. But, no. Whatever happened to the days when Marilyn Monroe was idealized? Now, she'd be called fat.

And that is the close of Tuesday's Rambling Session!

Ok, maybe it's not a pandemic.... and maybe it's not sweeping the nation.. but still, there's an illness going around (besides the Swine Flu which is scary in and of itself). This illness usually strikes about this time. With changing weather, spring in the air, and May just around the corner it is the perfect time for Senioritis to strike. That's right, I said Senioritis... It even has a Wikipedia page!

The terrible illness of procrastination and utter lack of motivation to continue plugging along in the world of academia. When you can almost taste freedom, yet it still has weeks before it finally arrives. Senioritis, where good students lose focus at the sight of a degree at the end of the tunnel. And above all, I've caught it!

I planned out this semester to be easy. What with getting married and trying to balance work and school and the hubby, I figured that I would go light this semester. After all, I only have a semester left after this so I deserve a light one. :) Amazingly enough, it is during the light semester that I catch this terrible sickness. I only have three classes: Modern Critical Theory (ok now that one is a pain in the rear), Elizabethan Poetry and Prose (not bad), and Harry Potter (that's right I said Harry Potter because my university is amazingly wonderful like that). That doesn't sound too hard now does it?

It's a struggle to get through until the end. What with papers coming up and everyone deciding to assign actual research papers (throughout my academic career I have been fortunate enough not to have to do formal research papers, just literary papers which are a cinch) I'm drowning in a sea of academia. So much for an easy semester....

Does anyone know of a cure for Senoritis?

Here's one of my favorite battles of wit:

1. How did you come up with your blog title OR what does it mean?
Well, Xanadu is a paradise or another world so the title is basically like it's my world too!

2. What are your general goals for blogging?
Mainly I created it to help with my writing. Plus, my Mom has been trying to get me to do it for ages.

3. Do people “in your real life” know that you blog and do they comment on your blog OR is it largely anonymous?
Yes, people in "real life" know I blog and comment on it. Mostly my mom though :)

4. How often do you read other blogs (x per week)?
Almost everyday...

5. How do you select blogs to read (do you prefer blogs that focus on certain topics or do you choose by tone or…?)
Well, a lot of the blogs I read are hijabi centered... but I also read ones of people I know so I can catch up with them

6. Do you have any plans to copy your blog entries in any other format, 0r do you think that one day, you’ll just delete it all?
I don't think I'll just delete it someday because I think it's a valuable tool for looking back and remembering events and such.

7. What are the things you like best about blogging?
I like the creativity and the chance to write about things that interest me.

8. What are the things you don’t like about blogging?
It's not that I don't like it but I have a hard time coming up with blogs and blogging on a regular basis. I'm trying to work through that though. :)

9. How do you handle comments?
Very easily. Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion.

10. Do you have any burning thoughts to share on blog etiquette?
Not really; I'm pretty new at this

11. Any desired blog features?
Well, I haven't fully explored the extent of my abilities here so none yet.

12. Have you suffered blog addiction?
Yes, for a very long time. Although it was primarily reading them, not writing them. Perhaps the tables will now turn :)

Have I mentioned that I hate Mondays? I know hate is a strong word but it seems to fit perfectly. I hate Mondays. No matter how hard I try, I can't get a handle on them. It's a cyclical habit of loathing the day and putting off things I need to have done before Monday comes around. Not to mention, it means back to the daily grind.

Where has the time gone? When I was 11 summer couldn't come fast enough. Days of just sitting around the pool, swimming and reading -- they wouldn't come fast enough. Now, I'm grasping backwards wondering where did the time go? I have come to the conclusion that the older you get, the faster time runs by. If only that could have happened when I was younger.

Now the "To Do" list grows and grows with less time to do it in. If I had a genie, I would wish for about 8 more hours a day. That way maybe I'd get some sleep.

I know this may sound like a typical joke i.e. How many men does it take to screw in a light bulb (Answer: 4, 1 to do the work and 3 to evaluate) but it isn't.

As I was driving to work today peacefully jamming to Sarah Brightman. Ok, maybe not jamming as it's kind of hard to jam to opera but you get the picture. The wonderful city of Fullerton has been working on the streets and more specifically the one road that takes me from my apartment to work. With orange cones everywhere and a guy standing in the road with a slow sign, I notice a group of guys together. Slowing down so as not to mistakenly squash the road workers and to be nosy, a question pops into my head. How many road workers does it take to work a jackhammer? Apparently five, one to work the hammer and four to "evaluate."

To be honest, after the minor giggle I had, I was upset. Why were they just hanging around wasting tax payer money? The funny thing is they were just watching the guy hammer away at the street. I mean, I understand if they have to conference or go over the work plans or discuss the oddballs that drive by (not me of course) but noooooooo..... they were just watching like it was some major football game or something. GRRRRR ARGH!

Finally! After months of contemplating, considering, and procrastinating, I have unleashed my blog on the world! Wow, when you put it like that it sounds kind of evil. But, rest assured it won't be.... I hope.

So, greetings..... welcome.... Salaamz.... This is My Xanadu! For those of you who aren't familiar with the word, xanadu is a type of paradise or a retreat if you will. Yes, it was also a cheesy 80s movie (and yes that was my inspiration). But, it is also a world of my own creation here in the blogosphere.... my great attempt at reigniting the creative fire within.... a place to rant and rave, create and inspire, share and learn. Hopefully this could be your xanadu too! So, sit back, relax and enjoy!