Took the big Social Problems test this morning. After studying all weekend (as well as all last night and this morning) for it, I'm not sure I did too well. I'm fairly confident I did okay on the essays, but some of the multiple choice questions didn't even appear to be over material that we've covered, so I don't expect to score too well on that portion.

We watched a 20/20 special report on anorexia in my Abnormal Psych class. It made me cry. Nobody else cried, but I was blubbering like a baby at mothers talking about watching their daughters wasting away to nothing. Lack of sleep must have left me all emotional and sensitive.

I came home and started trying to catch up on 3 days worth of e-mail, lost track of time, and forgot to go to my afternoon class. Eh, it's not like I can follow the lectures in that class anyway. This would be my Research Methods class, by the way, the class in which I have 2 papers -- one group paper and one 10 - 15 page book review over a book I've only just started -- due by next Thursday.

I've got a very ambitious Thanksgiving weekend planned. Between reading the book for my book review, writing the two papers, and studying for my Abnormal Psych text next Thursday, I've got to update Dancing Lessons (thank God I'll have some help with that), try to work on some of my own unfinished fic, beta a couple of other people's fic, catch up on a new mailing list I joined the other day, answer e-mail that I'm way behind on, figure out a way to make at least one of my web sites more profitable (or at least get it to pay for itself), and still find the time to gorge myself on turkey & fixin's, socialize with family, and watch as much of the Thanksgiving Day Buffy marathon as possible. At time like this, I actually have to be thankful that I'm unemployed, because I simply have no time for a job.

Speaking of which, my mom rocks. She's doing everything she can to help me get through school without having to hold a steady job, because she knows as well as I do that there is just no way that I could go to school and work and make passing grades, and that if I had to work my classload would have to be so light that it would take me at least 6 more years to finish my bachelor's. Thank you, God, for my mommy. Because of her I'll be able to start my 30's out as a college graduate.

One paper down, two to go. And I am seriously sleep deprived. There are also tests. One this Tuesday, and one the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, both over material that I have yet to read. The one this Tuesday has me scared, because it's over a buttload of material that, like I said, I haven't even started reading yet. I've a feeling I'm going to have to forego my little sister's 21st birthday party tomorrow night so I can stay home and read. I don't think she'll mind too much, it was a pity invitation anyway. She had no intention of inviting me until she slipped up and invited our nephew in front of me. She thinks I'm an old fogey. She also thinks that I left her bachelorette part early (if you can call leaving a party at 5 AM leaving early) because I was upset at seeing her drinking. I can't convince her that it was because being the only non-smoker in a poorly ventilated room full of chainsmokers was making me nauseated and miserable. Anyway, I do intend to make time to see Harry Potter this weekend, but I think that will be the extent of my socialization until the end of the semester.

I'm skipping my abnormal psych class because I'm just too brain-dead to sit through another class this morning. I made it to my social problems seminar and got my paper turned in, so I'm doing good in my book. I have to be back on campus by 2 to meet with my group for the other group paper I have to write, but right now I'm going to go nap. Or maybe lie on the couch and rewatch this week's Buffy. 'Cause, damn, that one was funny, and my lord, those were some intense smoochies. I think I'm getting to where I can watch Buffy kiss Spike without sqealing like a twelve year old at an N*Sync concert and startling my pets, but I could use some more practice.

I think I'll try to hold the actual nap off until after I get back from the library, so I'll be well rested tonight and thus better able to scream at my TV about how Lindsey is a skanky, whiney bitch and would they PLEASE vote her off already, and if not her, then Brandon, because he's also a whiney little bitch, and also smug, and I hate smugness. And then go laugh at the Tick, where thankfully nobody can get voted off, because I love them all. Well, jury's still out on Captain Liberty, but Bat Manuel rocks.

I'm about to finish up my portion of a paper on school shootings for my social problems seminar (thankfully. I'm sure the project leader is freaking that I haven't gotten it to her by now, seeing as how the entire paper is due this Thursday -- though I've a feeling I'm not the only member of my group who hasn't finished her part of the paper yet). Then I can get to work on the presentation we have to do in December to accompany said paper, and on the group project for my research methods class that's due right after Thangsgiving, and on the 10 page book review I'm supposed to write -- also for research methods -- over a 400 page book, of which I've only read the first 35 or so pages. And somewhere in there I need to squeeze in the text readings for all of my classes so I won't be completely screwed on upcoming tests and finals.

Did I mention that school is hard? Bleah.

I owe some people some e-mail. I swear I'm not blowing you off. I just have to at least get this paper done before I can even think about sitting down to respond.

You should see my part of the house. Wait, no you shouldn't. Nobody should have to see this mess. My kitten has effectively destroyed every room, and I have no time to pick up after her. I don't even have time to fix the bookshelves that she knocked down. So I just stare at them between reading and writing and being too brain-fried for either and try to will them back into place. It doesn't work.

I'm out of Ritalin. I've been out of Ritalin for over a month. Synthroid, too. Untreated hypothyroidism and ADD do not a helpful combination make. Oh, and in abnormal psych we filled out these profiles the other day and mine said that I have a propensity towards depression. I just don't accept that. Yeah, I get pretty bummed sometimes, especially when things get hard and I start having to struggle (like now), but I don't think I've ever felt that sense of hopelessness that goes along with severe depression. And I can always give you reasons for why I'm feeling depressed. There's always an identifiable trigger, and I can usually pick myself up fairly easily once I'm done wallowing in self-pity for a while. I think I generally tend to be pretty optimistic. I think I scored high on the potential for depression scale because I scored high on all the questions about wanting to sleep a lot and having no energy, but that's the hypothyroidism for you.

This is already way longer than I'd intended or had time for. All righty, back to my paper. I hope you're having more fun today than I am.

"Once More, With Feeling"

Spoilers ahoy ...

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So, did I love it? Pu-lease. Spike was incredible, and there was a kiss. An incredibly fiery, passionate kiss. Everything else was just icing on the cake.

What didn't I love? When Dawn said that Willow & Tara fighting give her tummy rumblings. Is she 15 or 5? That's my only complaint.

I loved the horned goat guy in the first number (he reminded me of Tim from Monty Python and the Holy Grail). And the dancing vamps. And the hunky guy she rescued.

I loved Anya's rockin' bunny solo. That put me in hysterics. "Or maybe midgets." HEE!

Loved the crew cameos: The mustard guy was David Fury, and the parking ticket lady was Marti Noxon.

Loved the dancing street sweepers.

Tara's voice is so very pretty. I especially loved her duet with Giles.

The demon was very cool.

I loved that we were mercifully spared from Dawn's stereotypical teen angst solo and given dancing instead. The dancing was cool.

Loved, loved, LOVED Xander & Anya's number. The whole thing, but high points were "skeezy cheeses," "his eyes are beady," and "his penis got diseases from the Shumash tribe." BWA! Any reference to the funny syphilis is, well, funny. And I really loved both their rants to Giles right after, though I'm still trying to figure out what each of them are saying. Anya's saying something about feeling like they were being watched, and their apartment suddenly had only three walls instead of four, and where did the fourth wall go?

Spike. Spike, Spike, Spike. My heart broke for him when he figured out Buffy was just there for information, even though "What else would I pump you for" was a total Freudian slip. JM is just so amazing. I loved the surprised/scared look on his face when he started singing, and the way he rolled his eyes when he couldn't make it stop. That whole number was pure Spike. Sexy and dangerous and frustrated and still completely Buffy's bitch and disgusted with himself for it. And in typical Spike fashion, not only completely honest about what he was feeling, but insightful and spot on about what Buffy was feeling. And he vamped out! He hasn't done that since "Crush." And I loved the way he turned human again the second Buffy touched him. A great visual confirmation of my whole "Buffy calms the demon and allows the man to shine through" theory.

"Walk Through the Fire" was a great number all the way around. SMG did a great job there. I loved Spike's lines. "I'm free if that bitch dies! I better help her out ..." and "First I'll kill her, then I'll save her ... No, I'll save her, then I'll kill her!" He is so completely Love's bitch. Poor guy.

Buffy's final song was pretty heartbreaking. So was the look on Willow's face when she learned she'd "rescued" Buffy from heaven.

Interesting that the death wish Spike told Buffy about exactly one year ago (this and "Fool for Love" were both the seventh episode of the season) came true last night. Spike's words to Buffy back then? "Sooner or later, you're gonna want it. And the second- the second- that happens... You know I'll be there. I'll slip in... have myself a real good day."

So what does he say when it finally happens, and he is there? "You'll get along/The pain that you feel/You only can heal /By living /You have to go on living/So one of us is living."

Talk about a one-eighty ...

Interesting also that their kiss also occurred in the same ally where he told her about the death wish. A year ago, after that conversation he tried to kiss her, and she knocked him on his ass and told him he was beneath her. Last night, she kissed him. And I'm really still too incoherent to talk much about the kiss without melting into a puddle of goo, but that was pretty much the hottest kiss in the entire history of the show. Angel who?

Oh! And the little Mutant Enemy guy sang too! That was the perfect capper. Too bad it was all tainted by the preview for next week. I think the Giles/Anya kissage has scarred me for life.

Switching fandom gears for just a sec...

WHEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
New Star Wars: Episode 2 Trailer!!! WHEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

I want! The publicity poster for "Once More, With Feeling."

And now I'm off to the library to research cults. And no, the irony of that statement is not lost on me.

Joss Whedon confirms that the musical episode will run 8 minutes long on its first airing, and then will never be aired in its entirety again. He also confirms that there is a cast recording CD in the works. Yay Joss!

Y'all might as well get used to reading about the musical here for a while. Until it airs and the newness wears off, I've pretty much got a one-track mind.

I had no idea that Amber Benson played Janet in the Rocky Horror Show. I'm guessing the L.A. revival? Anyway, here's an mp3 of her "Toucha Toucha Touch Me."

Now if only Willow would just stop magicking away Tara's personality, I could really start to like her.

Everybody go tell Terrence happy birthday.