Evil Giraffe for Jaime

Christmas has begun!

This is the BEST Christmas because...
I finished all my shopping yesterday.
I get to see my cute nieces every day.
Julie is a great cook!
Columbus is sooo much less expensive than Los Angeles.
Talking to my siblings in person is even better than reading their blogs.

Here is a cute picture of Mandy knitting a gift for someone: who could it be?



The only thing that could make me happier would be if Ben and Grushka were here!

Favorite Things/People of 2007

No Country for Old Men



Once



Lives of Others (released in Germany in 2006, but seen by me in 2007)



The Bryant Park Project/Alison Stewart/Luke Burbank



Gillian Welch



Feist




Grushenka



Common



Silver Lake

Regarding family members disappearing

So...I don't like to think of myself as CONTROLLING or anything...but when Dad up and goes to Paris without letting anyone know, and then Mandy doesn't really tell anyone when she's going somewhere in Canada for several days, I get a little anxious. But, then I thought about it some more, and I think that, although Dad as a parent has an obligation to inform me when he's leaving the country for ten days, Mandy really should be commended for going off on her own adventure. So, Mandy, as long as you don't come back married, I think it's GREAT that you go off on adventures visiting random boyfriends in Canada in the dead of winter. That said, I think you should have a cell phone just in case something terrible happens. After all, I have just seen No Country for Old Men, and the only thing that could have made that movie more terrifying would have been if it were really, really cold outside.

Why don't people steal Netflix from other people's mailboxes all the time?

Bad odds

Yesterday Ben and I went out to Claremont to see Scripps, where I have applied to do my pre-med stuff. After four long months at USC, I wasn't expecting much, but the Claremont colleges are really in a beautiful spot, and Scripps in particular is quiet, well-manicured, and architecturally consistent, which is, sadly, what I've been craving. Now I know what those college guides mean when they say "dorms like palaces". Why is St. John's SO poor?
Today, I had my stats exam at eight. I absolutely rushed through it so that I could leave as soon as possible for Scripps, because it's at least 45 minutes away (which in L.A., sadly can mean 1 1/2 hours away) and my interview was at eleven. I made it, happily, with plenty of time to spare. Overall, I think the interview went well, but I have learned that there are 150 applicants for 14 places, so I'm trying valiantly not to get my hopes up. Sadly, the last couple of days have really convinced me that this program is perfect for me. I like the people I met, I love that the program is small but integrated into the college, and I LOVE LOVE that it is supportive rather than competitive. They seemed interested in St. John's, and although they haven't had any St. John's students there, they have had students from St. Thomas Aquinas, which is about five minutes away from Ben's house in Ojai. They said that the Aquinas students have tended to be immature, sheltered, Catholic boys, which I clearly am not, so I hope that goes in my favor. Anyway, fingers crossed!

Enchanted. Really!

This is embarrassing, but I talked Ben into seeing Enchanted last night in Ventura. We really wanted to see Atonement or Juno, but they're only playing in L.A. and we've been spending weekends in Ojai. So we were looking at rottentomatoes.com and the only movie other than No Country for Old Men (which we've seen and is definitely worth seeing-filmed in the backyard of Santa Fe, by the way) that had good reviews was Enchanted, which I'd always sort of hoped would be good. It was hilarious and sweet! The premise is that a cartoon amalgamation-of-all-Disney-princesses-ever princess finds her true love and goes to the castle to be married and live happily ever after, when the prince's wicked stepmother tricks her into looking down a wishing well.

The princess, Giselle, falls down the well and ends up in a New York sewer, then promptly climbs out of the sewer and wanders around the city asking where the palace is, etc. This movie comes off well because the real-life princess, Amy Adams, plays her part sooooooooooooo sincerely that she's almost believable when she meets Patrick Dempsey, a divorced divorce lawyer, and lectures him about true love. The songs are also pretty wonderful, but the best part is the gently ironic tone of the entire movie, which makes countless amusing references to Disney cartoons past. Anyway, if you haven't seen this movie, which I kind of assume you haven't, I highly recommend it. And if you don't trust me, read someone else's review, because I honestly can't imagine someone sitting through this without laughing out loud.

2 years!

I Heart Huckabee

If I worked on an admissions committee, I would bust my ass to make a decision so that some poor, hopeful (but not tooo hopeful) girl sitting in her apartment waiting patiently (but not THAT patiently) wouldn't be disappointed every time she checked her
email. This is going to be a loooooooong six weeks.

On a brighter note, I am now officially content with the outcome of the 2008 presidential race. Why, you ask? Because of Mike Huckabee. Please don't expect real substance from this post.

As a long-time Edwards-lover and realist,I know that there is no way he is going to win the primary. Thankfully, this year there are so many entertaining, generally sane (or at least entertaining) people running for the Democratic spot on the ticket that I can't lose.

Hillary:


A little severe and power-hungry, but who doesn't want a woman to be president? Plus, she's composed and competent. (That was a pretty non-rhetorical rhetorical question, actually...there are probably millions of people who don't want a woman to president)

Obama:

He's upbeat, articulate, and all this talk about his inexperience is irrelevant: he'll pick good advisors. I also like that he isn't as hyperpartisan as Clinton and Edwards. Hope IS audacious. Plus, who doesn't want a black man to be president?

Richardson:

He isn't going to win, and I don't want him to because he's way too good for New Mexico, but if he did win he'd do really well. Plus, who doesn't want an Hispanic man for president? By the way, if anyone wants to start a crazy new hobby, following New Mexico politics is a good one. It's the wild west out there.

Kucinich:


He is THE reason to watch the debates. Some highlights:
"Everyone should have health insurance? I say everyone should have health care. I'm not selling insurance."
"I am running for President of the United States to enable the Goddess of Peace to encircle within her arms all the children of this country and all the children of the world."
From his website: If you love Joe Biden, you’ll love Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Richardson, and Dodd – but not Kucinich

Plus, who doesn't want another crazy Ohioan to be president?

So, any of these people would be just fine by me.

That brings us to the real news: why I wouldn't mind if a republican won.
Mike Huckabee:


or, as I like to think of him: "red" Jed Bartlett. I want him to beat Giuliani and Romney so badly! He rocked the YouTube debate last week. If he were the republican nominee, I really wouldn't be as scared next fall. Plus, who wouldn't want to vote for an American who's LOST weight? I heart Huckabee.



Sorry, John- I just don't think it's going to happen.

Application limbo

I turned in my applications to Scripps, Bennington, and Goucher and am awaiting responses. I always check my email a lot, but I hate the times when I feel the compulsion to check it every time I walk by the computer or think of the computer. I feel like Marianne waiting for Willoughby's letter, but I hope I'll have a better outcome.

Christmas Wish List

New as of 12/9:
-Having Our Say by the Delany Sisters

Old:
-The Richness of Life- The Essential Stephen Jay Gould
-Better by Atul Gawande
-Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks
-Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson
-Any good book.

-Black choir folder (can be found at musicfolder.com- "The Black Folder-standard")

-Yoga mat

-Art/prints/photographs to decorate my apartment. I have VERY blank walls currently.
-A nice wall map of the world
-A 2008 wall calendar (but only if it's really cool- and only one, please!)

-A YMCA membership

From JCrew:
-Tall city-fit herringbone Parker pant (size 4 or 6 tall-heather charcoal)
-Any of the JCrew stretch vintage cords (size 4 or 6 tall-any color other than orange and red)
-Wool-cashmere Dani coat (6T)
-Perfect-fit long-sleeve crewneck tee (size small-bright colors!)
-York leather driving mocs- I REALLY WANT THESE!!!!
-A good choir dress, like the Flannel Serena dress or Kaylie wool jersey dress (only $99!) at JCrew. Must be black and modest and built to last.

-Any nice sturdy reading-with-tea cardigan (I must replace mine-they all have holes!)

-Running shoes

-A good mug

AWOL

I left many messages on Dad's phone this weekend and then called Mandy to see what's up. Mandy spied on his Expedia account(to be fair, it's our Expedia account too) and found an itinerary. Dad is in Paris. He's going to be gone for ten days. I think this makes him ineligible for emergency-contact status.

Last weekend was great! Ben's mom made an appointment for me to have a facial and got me this amazing cleanser and lotion. This may sound like no big deal, but I have really really really not been taking care of myself lately, so it feels great to have something nice to motivate me to do so. I also worked on my applications for post-bac programs, watched OSU beat Michigan (thank God!) and took Grushka on a looooong walk.


She's been sleeping for the last 24 hours.
I'm working really hard on a good Christmas list.

Update

I hate USC. It is a horrible place where horrible people go to be in a Legally Blonde-ish, sorority-obsessed, ANTI-educational environment. At least for undergraduates. Anyway, psychology is not at all what I'd imagined, but is a kind of sad, underfunded, disrespected science, overshadowed by neuroscience. I am still really interested in it, but when I started to imagine my life in twenty years, became depressed by the thought of writing grant-proposals, teaching undergraduates, or being responsible for other people's mental health. Yikes.

Soooooo, I'm going to try to be a doctor and be responsible for people's lives instead. I have been really put off by the idea of giving all of my 20s to medical school and internship and residency, but what the heck- I can make it work! Besides, I really don't do well with unstructured time. Being un-busy is so not fun.

So I have to apply to post-bacc programs, which all take one year and which I would start next summer, so that I can then apply to medical school after that. It's going to be a long haul. I'm applying to Bennington (VT), Bryn Mawr (outside Philly), Goucher, Johns Hopkins (Baltimore), and Scripps (suburban L.A.) All of these programs are competitive, so I may very well not be accepted by any of them, in which case I begin applying to second-choice schools.

Applying for things is not fun.

Meanwhile, I am finishing this semester at USC, keeping my eyes open for a full-time job in L.A. for the new year, and tutoring eight elementary school and middle school students.

Grushka

HI all. I'm sorry for not posting very much (understatement, I know). But I refuse to feel guilty about it and have even unprivatized the blog to make it easier to check up on. So! For those of you who have been out of communication for a while, I wanted to send out a little update.

Ben and I adopted a pup from a rescue in L.A., she's called Grushenka (named after a character from Brother's Karamazov) and she's been incredibly difficult health-wise, but such a good dog in every other way! She had serious bowel problems for the first two weeks or more that we had her-she would throw up, didn't touch her food for the first week, and had really terribel diarrhea (including all over the house). We took her to three different vets and then finally to a critical care hospital, which was like House for dogs, where we were met by a laughably sexy Grey's Anatomy-like diagnostician vet. Soooo...after bunches of medication, a barium series, IV fluids, and more than a month of cleaning up diarrhea and boiling chicken for her, she is much better. The vet says that there is nothing we can really do except feed her this special food, keep her out of all other kinds of food, and watch her stools to make sure they don't change. Apparently German shepherds often have really sensitive colons. Who knew?

The upside of all of this (we've had her for a month and a half now) is that I've learned a lot about my good side from working with Grush. I don't know when it happened, but it's like all of a sudden I've grown up: I know how to be consistent, patient, responsible, and calm with her and it works! She knows her basic commands, responds to my whistle, is house-trained, and walks well on a leash. It really makes me wonder- did we ever even try to train Chags and Buffy or are Cavaliers really that stupid? She was obviously really poorly socialized as a puppy, but she's already learned to be friendly with strangers (although she still surprises me-the other day at the park she REALLY didn't like the homeless guy) and she's not aggressive at all-the real work to be done will be helping her be calm around unfamiliar dogs, because she is really afraid of them so far.

Victorious!

Yea Ben! The Columbus Dispatch says you won third place! Congratulations-now take Julie and yourself out for a romantic politicians-wife-post-campaign dinner like she deserves.

Ben for City Council

It's ironic that you have eight siblings...and none of them can vote for you! Happy election day, Ben!

Also, I think that this eagle may in fact be even cooler than Jaime's kittens.

I am such a bad girlfriend (And I'm going to be talking about Harry Potter)

So...about Harry Potter. I couldn't go to the Midnight Wizard Ball because I had to work really early the next morning, so I resolved that I would wait to get the book on Tuesday, when, in Ben's absence, I could read happily without feeling guilty for being so single-minded. I carefully avoided going to the bookstore, but then we were going to go out to a movie Sunday night and, of course, went to Target to buy snacks to smuggle into the movie theater. Target had Harry Potter, for the discounted price, sitting RIGHT THERE. Tempting me. So I bought it (and now own an extra copy that will arrive here tomorrow via Amazon...anyone need another copy?) and spent Sunday from 8pm until Monday at 9pm reading (excepting a few hours for sleeping, working, and tutoring). Completely ignored Ben for 24 hours, even though I'd tried so....hard...not...to.

In other news, Ben and I are moving to Silver Lake next Wednesday. Lilly is going to drive out to help us move. My home phone number won't work anymore, but my cell will. Also, I am being kicked off of St. John's email, so I had to get a hotmail account. Gmail wouldn't give me an address even resembling my name. New address: annemariekessler@hotmail.com

SPOILERS BELOW









And you know...I was very pleased with the way that Harry's sacrifice was handled. I really kind of hoped that he was going to die, because it seemed like the only way to guarantee that Voldemort would die...but I think that in the end, the explanation that a part of Harry died, the Horcrux part, was pretty convincing.

Weird when Mrs. Weasley screamed at Bellatrix Lestrange, and the word BITCH was in capital letters. I bet you enjoyed that part, didn't you Jaime? So, anyway, post away about HP. I am completely satisfied by the ending (although it was a little lacking in imagination that they all end up in neat little pairs-so happy Neville didn't die by the way). And I kind of thought that Harry would be defense against the dark arts teacher. I feel free.

In other news, Ben and I are moving to Silver Lake next Wednesday. Lilly is going to drive out to help us move. My home phone number won't work anymore, but my cell will. Also, I am being kicked off of St. John's email, so I had to get a hotmail account. Gmail wouldn't give me an address even resembling my name. New address: annemariekessler@hotmail.com

P.S.- I am addicted to HBO

Ben and I were starting Big Love on DVD and saw an ad for HBO shows. Then I realized. I don't even watch tv anymore. Just HBO on DVD.

Employed!

I had such a great time in Ohio. It was great to see family so much and really fun to bond with Mandy and Ben K with a fun, traditional, Kessler-y project. In addition to tutoring and babysitting this summer, I got a job as a waitress at Cloud Cliff, a wonderful, slow-food, organic, bakery/restaurant. I was pleased to find out that there are no creepy behind the scenes things going on there, and that the people are actually as friendly as they seem. The best part of my first day of work was getting to know the numerous, amazing Mexican men who work there. All of the waitresses are cute girls, and all the rest of the staff are Mexican men, who are soooooo nice and absolutely hilarious. Only difficulty that arises is explaining special orders to the chef. Must learn Spanish. Yay! Ben H started his horsecamp job yesterday and is working right now...the lady who planned this whole thing embodies the stereotype of the irresponsible rich lady, flitting through life without working, and hatching schemes which she only executes halfway. If this sounds at all like me, just remember that I have THREE jobs and am working very hard at growing out of my phase of phases. Sort of.

So far, life after graduation has been amazing. I never quite realized how much emotional energy St. John's drains until this month...I have been generally happier (except for those moments when I am overcome with how messed up the world is) and more in love with Ben H than ever. It is fantastic to be back in Santa Fe with him. We watched Maxed Out the other night (another depressing documentary-this one about how the credit industry seeks out and takes advantage of high-risk people) and it was soooo cute how much it freaked Ben out. He spent the next couple of times opening the mail completely outraged that he was getting solicited by so many credit companies. I have been looking at Idealist.org for job opportunities in L.A. and am considering looking for a longer-term, more noble, job than waiting tables when I get there. We'll see, I guess.

Don't worry Moira, I haven't forgotten you!

This is to Moira,

Happy birthday, Moira! I'm sorry I didn't call you on your birthday...I forgot that from L.A. to Columbus is a three-hour time difference (because I'm used to Santa Fe to Columbus, which is only two hours) and when I picked up the phone to call you it was 10 instead of 9, and then today I just totally dropped the ball again, but happy birthday! But the cool thing is that I'll be in Columbus from this Thursday until next Wednesday, so maybe we could all (your family and Mandy and Ben K too!) go out for ice cream (or whatever you'd like) and celebrate belatedly. What do you think? Can't wait to see you and can't believe you're soooooo big! Love, Aunt Anne