I miss having guy friends.  It's weird, that I don't regularly hang out with guys [not on the fencing team] here, and I miss it.

Also, what the hell is up with my iron?  I went to give blood yesterday, but my iron levels were too low.  Well, that explains why I'm so often tired/light-headed.  But I don't understand: broccoli is supposed to have lots of iron, and I eat lots of broccoli every day.  Yesterday, I had a spinach salad with broccoli.  Stupid iron.

Also, back, I curse you to hell.  No, I can't curl up in a corner and cry, I'm supposed to be at fencing practice.  Stop making me want to. (Also, it'd be nice if I could sit through class.  Just, you know.  It's also unacceptable to curl up in a corner and cry in the middle of class.)

Little Miss Sunshine?  Still awesome.

Reasons Right Now Rocks:

Snow.

One more exam and one more paper, and that's it.

Christmas carols and twinkly lights in my room.

More snow.

The greatest group of people I've ever met at one go and their ridiculous antics.

Waterproof boots.

Seasonal joy.

Guys, it's Christmastime.  And, barring a massive warm spell, we'll probably still have snow on Christmas Day.

Another free concert!  This time it was our Birthday Bash (...kinda, usually it's more of a show that is really truly ours, but this year we had a series of "Birthday Month" concerts and just made this one a little special, with a VIP area and whatnot) with the Silversun Pickups (you might recognize this song, which gets played on WBRU and probably other stations), and Triangle Forest (from Providence) and Steel Train (from New Jersey). Really, really great show - lots of energy, lots of fun.  I really loved Triangle Forest, because they play techno (techno!), and so few Americans do that, not to mention it was really fascinating to see live.  Steel Train was great, too (and they have a song in which the main chorus is "I am your trampoline"!) - I was shocked at how good the opening bands were, not because I expected them to be bad, but because I expected them to be indifferent.  But instead of three decent bands, I got three GREAT ones, and that really made the night for me.

The Silversun Pickups themselves were great, too - I only recognized that one song, but honestly, that didn't matter.  Good, strong, rocking-out music, the best kind for a concert, and the drummer cracked me up.  So dramatic, with so much hair!  It was flying all over the place, and I just loved watching him.  I was also laughing at the number of people who managed to get up on stage, even if only for a few minutes (not sure how much I trust Lupo's* security, although they did do a good job getting them off the stage, and the ones that I talked to were great fun).

And afterwards, there was a party back at the station, and guys, I REALLY love these people.  Remember how last year, Laurie wasn't doing so well until she joined CCE, and now she can't shut up about them? (Love you, Laurie!) Yeah, this is my CCE.  Except I was getting along pretty well before, and now things are just fantastic.

Except that I just realized I have a 15-page paper due December 6th.  Crap.  Oh well - tomorrow is the last fencing practice before break, which is going to make my life so much easier.

*Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel (they have Elvis on their shirts.  It's amazing) is the venue for most WBRU shows (well, most shows in Providence, it appears), and it's a fantastic place.  Apparently, it used to be a hole-in-the-wall, but now it's absolutely gorgeous.  Hardwood floors (or at least the appearance of them), a big floor in front of the stage as well as smaller alcoves along the sides and back (which is where the VIP area was), a circular multi-level bar right in the center of the place, and a really lovely layout.  It just flowed so well, and I kept admiring it.  But everyone at BRU already knows I'm a little weird, so it's ok.

I joined WBRU, the student-run commercial radio station on campus (WBSR is the "traditional" college station), this year.  Some of you may know this.  I LOVE it.  If you  knew the first, you probably know that.  These are some of the coolest people I've ever met: smart, funny, enthusiastic, and really into music without being very pretentious (they are a little pretentious, I'm not gonna lie.  But basically, they just love music).  Pretty much all-around awesome.  Besides which, I get to be on the radio!  Last week, I recorded an ad for RIPTA buses running to the airport, which will run for basically the month of December.  Awesome.

Today, as someone said, I was "living the BRU dream": I came to the station at 7:15 for a meeting, and afterwards, people were gathering to go to a Third Eye Blind show.  They gave us a bunch of extra tickets, so basically anyone who wanted to could go for free.  I knew most of the people who were going, so they all started on me: "Are you coming?" No, I don't really know their music.  "Any of it?"  Well, 'Jumper'.  "You probably know more than you think.  You should come!  It's free!"

So, I just got back from a Third Eye Blind concert.  So much fun - I'm really glad they convinced me to go.  I did know three or four songs, but basically, it was just a fun concert.  The lead singer was wearing a top hat and no shoes, and at one point they brought a couch out on stage.  And Jumper really got the crowd going - it was one of the last songs, and pretty much everyone was belting it, and everyone on stage got a solo (the guitar player was fantastic, and the drummer just as good), and it was just really great.

I wish I had more time to spend at BRU.  Whenever I go, I have fun.

I discovered another benefit of being tall today.  Well, I've been doing it for a year or more, but I didn't realize it was because I'm tall until just now.

When I get take-out at the dining hall, my hands are full when I'm leaving (clearly) and I can't open the door.  So instead, I turn sideways, hit the bar with my hip (it hits just at the widest part of my hips), and lean on the door to open it.  Sure, sometimes I'm not leaning enough of my weight on the door and it doesn't open well, but it works.  I thought everyone did that.

I just saw a girl struggling to open the door because the bar hit above her hips and so she couldn't open it with her waist.  Ah, the perks of being tall.

(Also: I feel like crap today.  I had an exam at 9, so I went to that, assuming that I was headachey and nauseous because I'd stayed up too late studying.  I came back afterwards, skipping my next class, and slept fitfully for 3 hours.  Still not feeling much better.  It's not that bad, just bad enough that I really don't feel like doing anything and just want to lie around - I only ate because I thought it'd make me feel better.  I'm going to bed early tonight.)