ink_splotch

I'm having a pretty good time right now. I feel very content and at peace with myself. Even the fact that I have a doctor's appointment to talk about my ultra-sound/scan this week isn't bugging me too much.

And because I am a sharing person (and a caring person!), I have decided to compile a list of things that make me happy, so that you might share in them.

1.

I've been listening to The Seeger Sessions: Live in Dublin all week, and getting a lot of glee out of it (folk music, who knew?). But particularly this song because it's one of my favourites anyway and I wouldn't have thought it could be improved upon. But it could and it is and just listen to the song. How gorgeous is that?

1a. Also, have a download of Frankie, the best Bruce Springsteen song ever (maybe).

2. You know when you want something to read, and you're kind of in the mood for something soppy and romantic and not straight? But you don't trust the Amazon recommendations, because quite frankly, they lie? Well, now there's this awesome post by cesperanza, which should contain enough recs to keep me happy for years to come.

2a. Also keeping me happy? The Best Short Stories of Lesléa Newman, most of which are lovely and quite of few of which are happy and involve sex. Yay, romantic lesbians!

2b. (When I'm not reading lesbian stories and academic things, I've been reading the Anne of Green Gables series. I can't help it! It makes me so happy!)

3. So, I've recently been up north, visiting Friend R, and I may be slightly enamored. And for enamored, read madly in love with Newcastle and Newcastle University. It all looks so awesome! And exciting! And they have a sort of "fast-track" degree where you can sign up for a PhD immediately, which seems oddly tempting. Particularly for children's literature at Newcastle, which looks amazing. I'm also tempted by the 'Literature, Memory and Culture' option, which looks oddly like something relevant and useful related to English.

3a. Seriously, Newcastle has a moor, a river, seven bridges and coffee rooms. I WANT TO LIVE THERE, you have no idea.

4. Today, it has been sunny, church was nice, lunch at the minister's afterwards was nicer, and going home and snuggling up to nap with Gemma was nicest. I feel so incredibly lucky sometimes.

5. Also, you guys gave very helpful advice with regards to my laptop issues. Thank you! ♥

1. I hate IKEA when I have no money.

2.

I'm kind of madly addicted to this clip, because that's me! Me with, you know, a twin sister and singing abilities, but still.

3.I've been reading In Country by Bobbie Ann Mason, which is...disturbing and excellent and exactly what I needed for my dissertation. And also has a million references to Bruce Springsteen and M*A*S*H, which makes me - not happy exactly, but it creates an area of empathy, which makes the protagonist, Sam, easier to relate to. It's an excellent book, and works well both as a period piece and as a greater story of human suffering and redemption. Which I believe shall be my theme for my dissertation: Redemption through the search for the self in Reagan-era literature. Except I need a snappier title. But it works, and it particularly works with A Home at the End of the World, a book I have a lot of issues with, but which works as a contrast, because In Country is a very explicit period piece with a broad, national gaze, whereas A Home at the End of the World is a period piece masquerading as an interior study of four people. And they both offer differing ideas of how to respond to a period which you don't feel like you fit into; both have a very strong sense of the sixties as a Utopia, but a false Utopia, or certainly one to which you can't return to. This also means I can reference a lot of music, read up on my 80s political science and history, as well as do some psychological analysis. Score.

3a. However, first I need to finish Middlemarch. 150 pages down, 700 to go.

4. I give you Glory Days, which apparently foregrounds [Bruce Springsteen's] elaborate homoerotic dances with Miami Steve Van Zandt, as Martha Nell Smith puts it.

4a. The essay that quotes comes from, Sexual Mobilities in Bruce Springsteen, is actually amazing. It combines a few of my favourite things: pop culture studies, Bruce Springsteen and queer/feminist theories. I actually squealed when she referenced Eva Kosofsky Sedgwick and Adrienne Rich. Time to go back to university, methinks.

4b. Also? This: the bond of "adhesive love" between Springsteen and Van Zandt became clear once one saw the two men together on stage. As Jim Cullen, author of Born in the USA: Springsteen and the American Tradition, noted, the two men "gazed" into one another's eyes as they sang and shared the microphone so closely their lips almost touched (Cullen 132). Even more telling, night after night on the Born in the USA tour, Springsteen dedicated another song to his absent blood brother, entitled "No Retreat, No Surrender." From here

Never stops being awesome. And also confirms my theory that No Surrender and Bobby Jean are a matched pair.

So, I was browsing today in my favourite bookshop and stumbled across this. I promptly dragged it (it's huge and has a slip-cover and is hardback and, you guys, seriously) over to the in-store coffee shop and started browsing. And man, it's beautiful, it really is. So many pictures, and so many old pictures (it kind of weirds me out how nice Steven looks with long hair. Also how much Bruce occasionally looks like a woman). And it's full of quotes, including one which almost exactly echoes a sentence in the story I've been writing. This amuses me way too much.

(I may have sort of bought the book. From Amazon, of course - in the bookshop it was 469 kr, and I do not have that kind of money for a book. Still. On one hand, unnecessary purchase. On the other hand, pictures! And fold-outs. I'm a little bit in love)

Speaking of things that amuse me, incidentally, I've spent a more-than-sensible amount of time pondering whether any of Bruce's performances made onto TV in the 70s/80s and if so, did the kiss with Clarence make it on, and if so would that be the first instance of a m/m interracial kiss on American TV? This is totally a valid point to think about, I feel.


Also! At the bookstore, I did end up buying The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, which I read this afternoon - I've read a couple of the chapter before in the Donald Duck comics (I may be wrong, but I think the whole thing was serialized in Denmark in 1997 during one of the anniversaries), but it was brilliant to read through it all at once and see it unfold properly. It really is an amazing piece of work and hugely entertaining, and it freaks me out a little how connected I am to these characters, you know? Like, I was picking up on all the stupid in-jokes and recognizing characters before they were identified. And it was emotional - I got a little choked up when Scrooge leaves Scotland for Duckburg, and also when the family storms out (of course, then there's the whole Donald thing, which. DONALD!).

Also, how awesome is Hortense? She's not a character with a lot of page-time, but she's such a character, I was incredibly endeared to her from the start. And she kicks ass! She's totally almost-scarier than Scrooge himself (or Buck. Snerk). And of course, Huey, Dewey and Louie at the end are ace.

Both this and the immense amount of Springsteen I'm listening to had got me thinking about American identity, which has got me reading A Home at the End of the World and thinking about identification in that. Which means - drum roll, please - I have started my dissertation! This is exciting for me.

ETA: I am ridiculously endeared by this one moment during The Rising tour DVD during Ramrod, when Bruce is being a total dork and Steven just looks at Patti like, he's your husband. It makes me laugh, don't judge me.

1. I'm possibly going to see Bruce Springsteen in Barcelona. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, because nothing is certain, but. Want so damn badly, particularly because this might be his last ever tour with the E-Street Band and I still haven't seen Patti Scialfa live.

2. You know what? I'm still a little worked up about Doctor Who. ( Spoilers! )

3. Mock the Week is back on TV! Last night's episode was a little off, but Lucy Porter is adorable, Frankie Boyle is still completely inappropriate and slightly less adorable with his hair cut off, and I'm still oddly fond of the friendship between Frankie and Hugh.

3a. Frankie Boyle's coming to Leicester! This is in fact even more ideal than going to see him in London, because this way I can totally stalk him! I don't have to invest in train tickets. Whoop!

Guys, I'm beginning to believe that I am a) utterly predictable and b) quite a corrupting influence. Consider the following evidence:

1) Becca has written 22 pages of English department fic. It's worth noting that Becca is a good Christian and isn't even in fandom. I should probably be more ashamed of this than I am, really.

2) Yesterday, when Chris and Tom came back from their martial arts class, Tom was talking about these wrestling moves and using very suggestive language - but, and this is the important part, I didn't say anything at all, yet suddenly Chris goes, "No, Marie, there was nothing gay about it." And no one believed my protestations.

Have I mentioned that I love this year a whole lot?

Also, unrelated, but, if you scroll about half way down this page? Jon Stewart fanboying Bruce Springsteen on the Daily Show. It makes my heart happy.

I possibly have a job at a sweet shop - all I have to do is jump through an irritating amount of hoops which will eventually allow me to acquire a National Insurance number and all the tax paying privileges which go with it. Glee!

Even more gleeful - guess what I'm doing on the 8th of December? BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E-STREET BAND. In Forum, which is *tiny* and it is going to be SO AWESOME. Incidentally, how did my father get these tickets? He had the entire office he works in stop working and call the ticket office - between them (about 50-odd phones) they bought 19 tickets. And one of them is mine. BOOYAH!

University has finally started and my time table is utterly fucked; Monday, Tuesday, Friday, I have one lecture/seminar - on Thursday, I have five hours and am in until 5 pm. WTF, I ask you! Particularly since I have two seminars and a workshop, which means I can't just half-ass it. And Wednesday's my favorite night out, too. Boo! Still, it is quite an open schedule, which I suppose is something, right?

The house of immense geekitude (you don't want to know how much Star Trek and Doctor Who merchandise we own ) continues to be lovely, even though I feel a bit spread thin between here and Gemma's and also, due to a drunken mishap a week and a half ago, my favorite housemate and I are quite awkward with each other. Still, on the whole - I have a lot of Star Trek and plenty of geeks and that makes me ridiculously happy.

Speaking of ridiculous and yet happy-making...I'm slightly addicted to the Luke/Noah story-line on As the World Turns. I am so ashamed! *hides* But it's so...so...so dramatic. And cute with the longing, and the don't-want-to-want-you-ness and the Evil!Dad plot point and just *hands*. It's like all those slash harlequin novels - all around goodness, man. (Even though they call it 'Nuke' and man, that just freaks me out. So wrong.)

Finally, I think there may be something in the coffee I've been drinking, because my hormones. Man. Let's talk about overpowering.

Or let's not. Because it is getting borderline embarrassing and I can't seem to stop. *locks door and hides*

You know, I have little over a week before I have to have a signature saying that I have chosen my topic for the Big Written Assignment from my English teacher, I've been asking for a meeting with the women since September, but have I got it? No. And I'm still a little bit lost on what I want to choose - I've narrowed it down to three: The Handmaid's Tale, The Color Purple or Monstrous Regiment (Have a female sexuality and genderidentity preference? Why, yes) But I need to be absolutely certain by December second, and has my literature arrived yet? No, it has not. None of it. ARGH. I cannot take this kind of thing. And my sodding teacher is absent all of next week, so I have to get all this solved by, um, when? Oh, yes - Thursday.

Well. Okay, then.

However! I have been to Tivoli this week, so all is not lost. And I have re-started my drivers license, which is good. I guess.

I also have Son of a Witch lying on my table which I completely intend to read as soon as I get five minutes to myself. Hopefully this weekend, but I seem to remember a couple of engangments this weekend. Can't remember what they entail exactly, I just have a feeling that I have some. So all is in fact completely normal here. Whee!

Also, you know one of the great things about Bruce Springsteen? It's completely all right to look like a complete dork dancing to his songs, 'cause so does he. That makes me happy. *grins*

Oh! And Julie, I'm sorry I haven't reveiwed the last couple of snippets of your NaNo novel - I'll get to it some point, I promise!

Veronica Mars rules. In case you hadn't noticed. Particularly the family ties - and particularly the Mars family. It's just so much love. ♥♥♥

Speaking of which, I should call my mother.


Also: ( apparently I'm not alone )

ETA: Wow, Ocean's 11 seriously is the *slashiest* thing in a long time.

UCAS IS DONE!

I don't even care any more*, I'm just glad it's done! *does dance*

And just in time for my trip too. YAY! Of course, I have yet to pack *anything*, but I'm only gone four days - shouldn't be that bad to do tomorrow, right? Right?

In other news, this week has been much, much better than the past one was - UCAS is done, three assignments turned in, the kids have been absolute angels, particularly Sebastian - he and I have played countless games of balloon volleyball, the worlds lamest game, these past two days. Lame, yet incredible amounts of fun. Also, the school held the annual 'studyfest', basically with presentations of the different areas you can study after high school, and English doesn't sounds as mindboggingly insipid as I've been lead to believe. Still hoping for an acceptence letter from England, but you never know.

But more importantly: Springsteen! And family, of course. Though my dad asked me what was the most important thing about the trip, this morning and I answered Starbucks. In my defense, it was before I had my coffee. Also, I do need a coffee cup - the mugs we currently have are far, far too small. They're teeny, tiny cups that can barely hold 250 ml, let alone the amount I need. New coffee cups are definitely on the must buy list. Also books. And jeans. And possibly books. You know.

Not to mention tour geekery. Because I need a teeshirt. YES I DO. Shut up.

So cheers all! See you on the otherside!



*That's a lie, of course I do care, I'm just really, really, really happy it's done.

Ahem.

Guess what I have.

C'mon. Guess.

Three tickets. To Bruce Springsteen.

HEE!

And now, for something completely different: Recs
Crown of Stars - This story is harsh and tense and jumps and is just all kinds of wonderful. It describes the battle after the one in Good Omens is averted and it's horrid and gritty and so, so wonderful. Read it. Also, look at the pretty, pretty pictures.

Sub Rosa - A telegram correspondence between Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes. Run, don't walk to read this - it really is extraordinary and conveys an incredible amount with very little words.

And now I am going to return to...actually, I don't have anything to do. Um.

I could go write my personal statement.

Or sleep.


SPRINGSTEEN! WHEE!