You know how Bilbo said he felt like "butter spread thinly over a piece of bread" or something like that? Spot-on for me now, only I guess he meant he felt old while I just feel overextended. Multi-tasking is not one of my strengths, nor is being charming or asking the right questions, reading things one way... I knew I forgot something. See, I did.
I'm going to be attacked by pdf files in my sleep. I don't know why I imagined that I could march through applications a la "be a warrior, Hilary Faye!" with cool patience and steeliness, whatever. And if I don't start dealing with Econs in the mysterious right way I will flunk left, right and center. Centre. Center.
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My mum brought back brief respite after my cousin's wedding in S.F. And these surpass anything for early birthday presents.

• Garden State soundtrack, where Iron and Wine is good brew indeed.
• Counting Crows' debut album, August and Everything After. I finally meet the Rain King and learn the secret of the name.
• Those ol' Daria movies, Is It Fall Yet? and Is It College Yet? which includes a totally wicked Mystik Spiral video. The crew is still unapologetic and unabashedly satirical, love the 'outtake' shots that rolled along with the credits (Quinn knocked over by a plant, flimsy set nearly killing Tom). The Quinn-directed jibes are oh so mean, but oh so funny -
• Quinn - Sandi said we have plenty of time to catch up next year.
  Helen - What about all the new things you'll have to learn then?
  Daria - Yeah. The second half of the alphabet is even harder than the first.
• Craig Thompson's latest, Carnet De Voyage, packaged like a little travel guide. Paul may have said that musicians spill their souls but I think it's the graphic novelists who do it for a living. Dependingly lyrical: "Valery says he prefers drawings of women to photos, because photographs can be insincere/intrusive - they steal an image, while a drawing is an active interaction and interpretation. You can look at a Baudoin drawing and know he cares for the girl."

And that's enough for now.

I dreamt I saw you walking up a hillside in the snow / Casting shadows on the winter sky as you stood there counting crows / One for sorrow / Two for joy / Three for girls and four for boys / Five for silver / Six for gold and / Seven for a secret never to be told