…is so far incredibly boring here in Boston with all my friends gone.  For some reason doing absolutely nothing for extended periods of time is more pleasant at home in Jersey when I’m living with my mom and brother than it is here.  I suppose that’s because I’m used to always being on the go while in Beantown.  There are a few leisurely activities I want to get done during what will probably be the last time I have excessive amounts of time with little to no responsibility.  Actually when I think about it like that I am less inclined to complain about boredom!  First, I discovered a new author.  Teresa Grant writes Regency era murder mysteries.  Well, she has two out.  I read the first one and it was amazing so I downloaded the second on my Nook.  Also, I want to watch Monarchy on Netflix Instant.  I finished the first episode and I now completely understand why David Starkey has so many detractors.  WOW he’s abrasive-but also very knowledgeable.  Last but not least, I want to start working out so I can get my abs back.  It’s very weird for me to have this problem because I’ve never concerned myself with losing weight before.  If anything I’ve concerned myself with gaining weight!  I don’t foresee this as being very challenging since I eat healthy foods for the most part.  It will be a nice project.  As for more serious pursuits, I’m applying for jobs for during the school year when I’m working on my Masters at Emerson.  I’ve applied for some serious jobs via BU Human Resources and some menial ones at the Prudential Center.  Obviously getting a job that would act as a resume booster would be wonderful so I’m really hoping for this writer/editor one BUT if that’s not possible something in retail would be fine just for now.

Meanwhile, I’m taking my painting class on Tues and Thurs.  So far I quite enjoy it!  Now if only this soup-like humidity would dissipate I would no complaints!   

This past weekend I graduated…sort of. I’m still two credits short of my Bachelor of Arts in History from Boston University.  To finish my degree, I’m taking Intro to Painting over the course of the next 6 weeks. That’s right, my entire degree hinges on my ability to realistically portray fruit and other such things. It’s kind of fun pushing paint around a canvas so it won’t be too much of a hardship. I had my first class yesterday and the prof, who has a phd in fine arts, didn’t even give us a syllabus! I’m thinking this is an A for effort kind of class. My favorite kind ;) Anyway, graduation weekend was fun. Various family members came up to Boston to see me get a very nice letter telling me I will get my diploma in September. By then I’ll have already started my Master’s degree a Emerson. The timing is only a LITTLE off! After the history department ceremony we went to dinner at The Chart House. Terrible service, delicious food! Don’t get me wrong, our waitress was wonderful but we had to wait an hour for our table that we had reserved MONTHS ago! Way to overbook on one of the business weekends of their year! But overall it was a very lovely weekend.

Vienna Waltz by Teresa Grant

Not because of the fame or the money or the perks that come with all that but because I would love to be able to dress with absolutely no thought to practical concerns EVERY SINGLE DAY! Leather leggings with 6 ich Christian louboutins? No problem! It’s not like I have to walk across BU campus today! Red lipstick and false eyelashes for day? Whatever! That’s just part of the persona! I wouldn’t necessarily take full advantage of it all the time, but having the option would be nice.

I just finished the last paper of my undergraduate career on how women living in post-Revolutionary America appropriated the same Enlightenment ideals that the founding of our country was based on in order to better their status.  WHEW!  Now I have two finals and then I’m DONE!  :celebratory jig:  

So today, April 23 is the very beginning of World Book Night (which is actually the whole day from what I understand) and I’ll be handing out copies of “A Reliable Wife” by Robert Goolrick all day!  I applied to be a book giver back in January and basically my reasoning was that I am constantly baffled when I find out that people just don’t read on a regular basis so I was attracted to an event which was created in order to spread the love of and interest in reading.  You have only to look at my blog to see that I myself DEVOUR books!  I don’t know if the people who run it actually rejected people but if they did then I think I was accepted for that impassioned reason, plus the fact that I said I would be giving books on BU campus.  A lack of interest in reading is more of a problem among young people, I think.  Anyway, I’ll be handing out books all day today as I go to my two classes and then to work.  The website encourages us volunteers to give books to only light or non readers but I really don’t know how I’m supposed to ascertain that!  If someone says they would like a book I’m not going to interrogate them on their reading habits and then deny them if they’re not light enough!  I will be spreading the word in my classes though so any light to non readers who hear me will at least have the benefit of knowing about the event and maybe being interested based on the fact that it’s so novel (no pun intended).  Just the fact that this widespread event is happening is enough to spread interest in reading!  If I can get a few people who don’t ever read for pleasure interested in the book I’m handing out enough to read it, that will make me happy because I think that you only have to discover one really great book and then that’s it, you’ve been bitten.  That way, the purpose of the event will be fulfilled.  Anyway, Happy World Book Night 2012!             

The Kings’ Mistresses by Elizabeth C. Goldsmith

Funny story on how I came across this book:  In my capacity as office assistant at the BU history department I sort mail into the professors’ mailboxes.  I saw a little card flyer thing for this book in one of my former professor’s boxes around 3 weeks ago and thought it looked interesting so I took a picture of it and now I’m reading it.  Yesterday, I found out the author is also a professor at BU and she was giving talks on this book on campus at the beginning of April and I MISSED IT!  I’m really sad about this because I’m really loving the book.  Hortense Mancini is one of my fave 17th century women and her sister Marie seems like she was pretty awesome too.  Is it nerdy that I have a fave 17th century women specifically?  O well…  

On a related note, I wish it was my primary occupation to patronize the arts and then sit back and enjoy them like it was theirs.  

The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan

If you’re like me, you are constantly on the look out for new books to read. At times, the search for literary entertainment seems fruitless-none of your favorite authors have published anything lately and you just aren’t finding anything that grabs you attention. At others, you find that you’ve compiled a list of books you eventually want to read to get you through the next few months. Personally, I prefer a happy medium between those two extremes. I get frustrated when I can’t find anything but then I get overwhelmed when I’ve found too much. Right now I’m leaning toward that overwhelmed stage. Lately when I see a book I like I’ll take a picture of it on my phone and add it to the “books” album in my camera roll. That album is currently holding 8 photos and I can only assume it’s going to keep growing!! They include, “sister queens” by Julia fox, and “The Kings’ Mistresses” by Elizabeth C. Goldsmith, to name a couple. I’m definitely looking forward to the summer when I have more time to devote to my favorite solitary pastime!

The Queen’s Pawn by Christy English

:drumroll:

EMERSON COLLEGE!  

After much deliberation I have finally settled on attending Emerson for my Masters degree.  Now I have only to mourn my life as a Londoner that never was and think about what types of publishing courses I’m going to take down the T from where I am now!  The decision was NOT easy-anyone who knows me knows what an anglophile I am-but there were too many cons and not enough pros for LCC and vice versa for Emerson for me to just ignore my neurotic lists.  ONE DAY maybe I’ll live in London but that day has not yet come.  Until then, I do love Boston AND Emerson has a great reputation!     

Mockingjay by Susanne Collins

The Duchess: A Novel of Sarah Churchill by Susan Holloway Scott

The only way I can stand to get through the Hunger Games trilogy is by taking breaks from it to indulge my old standby: historical fiction set during early modern England.  The books are so creepy that I know I would never be able to get through the movies, but so compelling that I can’t seem to put them down!  

The Hunger Games by Susanne Collins

Dissolution by C.J. Sansom

I applied to four of them back in mid-January and I haven’t heard back yet.  According to each respective website this isn’t at all strange… BUT IT’S FREAKING ME OUT!!!  Once I know that I got into one school, I’ll feel so much better.  This stress is worse than when I was applying to schools for undergrad because then I knew that I was at least getting into Rutgers; everyone from NJ gets in there.  

I applied to, in order of preference:

1. University of the Arts at London

2. Emerson College

3. Plymouth University

4. The George Washington University

FINGERS CROSSED!!!