You can't always get what you want.

I had fun swinging by Artur's best friend Tom's party, but wish I'd been with Sara Johnson on her birthday. I'm also really sad about the crazy tornados in Tuscaloosa and the rest of the South, and wonder if there's anywhere left to live sans natural disaster.

Anxiety

I'm still nervous about my oral exam on Monday. When you're anxious about one thing, everything else seems to have the potential to be disastrous.

What a boring blog....

A very nice lesbian named Cindy from the LA Department of Water and Power came to check my breakers in an attempt to stop my electricity bill from going haywire constantly. Also--while I'm happy that I wrote a poem after an Andy Warhol painting--Fun Thursdays are simply less fun without Artur's sister Joanna around.

Of the week? I'd say of the year....

The Missouri Review blog has posted a piece of mine as Poem of the Week. It's here.

Obsession

I continue to be obsessed with following the progress and sometimes deaths of NYC shelter dogs. Also, I continue to be obsessed with not studying enough.

Countdown

One week to go before my oral qualifying exam, and I should be studying, but instead I'm hanging out with all the Ettman siblings, complaining about rampant cell phone use and discussing cuts of brisket. Oh well.

PassEaster

It is Easter at Artur's parents' house, and I cooked everyone pork chops. Sadly, the side of my mouth is still burned from making chocolate- and toffee-covered matzoh with sea salt for Josh Rivkin's Passover seder the other day.