the gods must be smiling OR best monday ever

I'm still giggly and excited by the amazing chain of events today. After several weeks of general thesis proposal frustration, trouble sleeping, etc., I supposed I was due for some good news. But all this? Too good to be true, and yet...It wasn't!

First, my advisor (who, strangely enough, is now my friend on Facebook) approved the bazillionth draft of my thesis proposal. Hooray! Cleared for thesis launch!

Second, after basking in the glow of that accomplishment, I checked my e-mail and discovered that the director of a place for which I'd reallllllly like to work come May asked me to come in for a second interview this week. Woohoo!

Third, by now excessively giggly and giddy, I headed down to Quick Pita with Katy and Nick for a pre-class shawerma when just a block away from our department's building we encountered police cars, a crowd, and...movie trucks? Then that little item that's been nagging me since I saw it in Friday's Post -- George Clooney is in town filming the latest Coen Brothers movie. OMGOMGOMG -- I SAW GEORGE CLOONEY! It was a quick take. He jogged up the hill at 35th as a black sedan rushed past. But I SAW HIM. (And consequently was reduced to the blubberings of a teenage girl.) Katy tried pointing out that as a Southern Californian, it shouldn't be such a big deal, and it wouldn't be if it wasn't GEORGE F'ING CLOONEY! Siiiigh. Vahan, just a warning, if I see him tomorrow, I will propose marriage.

As if that couldn't be topped (and in further proof that my nerd-dom was fully restored only a few short hours later), I attended an honorary degree ceremony for one of my new favorite authors, Orhan Pamuk, who won last year's Nobel Prize for literature and is one of the many Turkish intellectuals who have the courage to speak the truth about what happened to the Armenians in Turkey. If you haven't read Snow, do so. You can thank me later.

Hooray for the best day ever! Now, I'm going to make some tea and eat a slice of pumpkin bread and gloat to myself.

new linx (Which makes me think of lox, which I love. It must be my inner Jewish)

Please note the new batch of links to your left, just beneath My Friends. They are aptly titled The Hood. Seeing as how I'm really enjoying my new community, I wanted to share some of the voices from around the neighborhood. Some are more DC general (DCist and Wonkette) but I often find that they provide me with (usually) happy reminders that I live in the District of Columbia. Like, for example, this little collection of gems. Enjoy.

bad blogger

I guess I'm just not good enough (have enough free time? care enough?) to post regularly to my blog. Possibly it's because I'm not currently traveling, though living in DC is always an adventure. Or it could be the daily cycle of work/school/read/write that's draining me of originality. That said, however, there have been some fun happenings in recent weeks.

1. The Wedding of the Century (aka Vahan's brother finally marries his girlfriend of 7 years) was last weekend in Detroit. When I say Wedding of the Century, it might only serve as such for Armenians in the greater Detroit, and possibly even East Coast, area. 350 people at a reception is no small shindig. It's a proper love festival. If you want to get just a taste for it, go here and here. Or, if you have a Facebook account, just check out my two most recent photo albums.

2. In addition to wedding festivities, Sunday was Vahan's birthday. We got the entire reception to sing to him and brought out a cake. Today I wanted to take him to the Four Seasons for a $20 scotch (as I accidentally did last year), but apparently the anarchists will not allow that this weekend. Too bad.

3. The march for a thesis proposal goes on. I'm finalizing my draft this weekend and will begin writing the first chapter next month. There's no turning back now. Yikes!

I wish I could be more witty. At least I'm pithy. Hopefully I'll come up with better anecdotes soon.

further proof my brain is beind held hostage by theory

This is just sad. I downloaded and installed it. Le sigh.