The day has arrived.

Today, for the second time this year, I have to put on my sub-fusc. Except this time, it's not the magical and mysterious Matriculation ceremony. This time it's the viva voce exam, my final requirement as a Master of Studies student.

I've skimmed through my papers from this year. I re-read my old notes. I'm breathing deeply, have been careful about what I eat, and have sent my friends good luck pokes on Facebook.

The viva can only keep your grade the same or raise it. It cannot lower it. That helps, slightly, but I want it to work towards raising my grade. Otherwise, it won't be worth my while.

But I'm ready. At 3:50 p.m. today, I will walk into 41 Wellington Square and kick @$$.

Bring it on!

I have made my mark on St. Catherine's College.

So today (well, yesterday by now) was our massive garden party. Twelve full hours of garden party goodness. Food, music, games, a lovely day outside--you couldn't ask for anything nicer.

In between sets from the Yukons, our live entertainment, Sha presented the annual MCR awards. They are not unlike the kinds of superlatives you would get in a yearbook--"Most likely to become a millionaire," "Best Dancer," etc.

I got one of the awards. Which one did I get, you ask? See for yourself:

Yes, that's right folks: Most likely to end up in jail. Aren't you proud of me???

This is going on the wall to show my grandchildren someday, right next to my matriculation photo and my diplomas. It is a landmark day.

To be fair, I won two other awards as well: Best sense of humour and Most likely to have killed the MCR fish. The latter has been a running joke in the MCR, fueled by this incriminating article posted by Sha.

It is getting harder and harder for me to face the fact that I will be going home in less than two weeks. Harder still for me to face the fact that some of my dear friends are leaving even sooner than that. Once I get through my viva, it will be time to start packing. How will I get over the shock?

Sorry for that last minute bit of depressing stuff. I didn't mean for that to happen. It's just that after all of these happy and fun events, it's hard to forget that there aren't many of these happy and fun events left...

G'night!
Me

Connecticut Idol

Hey kids, check out my sister Kelly, she's famous.


Last week she sang in a contest for a radio station, and now they have her picture on the ads. They also have her on the main page of the website, but she says they change the photo daily, so I don't know how long it will last. But either way, how awesome is it that she is in the ads?

She sang "I Will Always Love You" the first time around, which she sings amazingly, but she totally got robbed because she had to go first and not many people had arrived yet. She's going back again this week, so if you're in the area, go and listen and vote for her. :)

Hey Kel - I know you're reading this, so I hope you don't mind this bit of shameless promotion! ;)

Help!

Dear loyal blog readers,

Does anyone have the email address for Cindy from Red Bird Rising? I need to email her, but I forgot that her blog is no longer there (unless it has moved and I didn't know it?).

Here's why I need it. I'm submitting my series of cento poems for publication, and I need to get permission from all the bloggers whose lines I "borrowed" to include them in the poem. (You'll get credit in the publication if my poems get accepted!) Cindy's, I believe, is the only one I used that is no longer on the web.

If anyone can point me in her direction, please email me or leave a comment here.

Many thanks!

Feeling inspired yet again

I haven't done a cento poem in a while, so I thought I'd do another one tonight. I don't know how I feel about this one, but I hope you enjoy it.

Don't read it if you can't handle it!

You can live with something for years,
Now I only have one good reason:
It's certainly not meant to sound contemptuous.
She had them custom made
But just a little, tiny bit ugly.

Finally, perhaps the most damning of them all,
There is a pride in not being able to do it.
Bam! Strike me down. Hubris and all.
Talk about delayed gratification.
Those lines really struck a chord with me.