I realize that the online world of Solla Sollew has been devoid of funny anecdotes or endearing stories for quite a while. I attribute this lack of literary brilliance to the crazy life of a graduate student. I still think a great deal of what I should write about here; the only problem is I hardly ever take the time or mental energy to sit down and write it. I spend all of my time instead working on my law paper, my research methods lit review, or my query cards for my readings.

Somewhere beneath all of this there must be some creative energy left. So I am going to dig really deep and expose you to some of the weird things that have gone through my head lately.

- I have a real issue with the commercials currently being run by BlueCross BlueShield. This morning I was watching the news when they ran an ad featuring this man whose little boy had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. The ad went on and on about how good BCBS was about helping with his treatments and how money was never an issue, so on and so forth. It's a great story, but what makes me so mad is that IT MADE ME CRY. And it wasn't the first time I'd seen that particular advertisement. Some things are just too emotional to tie to a product or service. I feel like that little boy and his parents have been exploited.

- I have a crush on a guy who rides the bus at 8:15 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I don't even know him, but I am attracted to him for one main reason: he has the cutest nose I've ever seen. I don't know how to describe it exactly, but it has the neatest curve to it. Every time I look at him I find myself drawn to his nose. I look forward to seeing him because I enjoy staring at his nose. This has got to indicate that I am approaching the edge of insanity.

- Yesterday morning a yellow jacket boarded the bus along with everyone else. It was a very uncomfortable bus ride, especially when someone swatted at him with a book and missed. One angry yellow jacket plus 40 innocent passengers in a small confined area is not a good situation. I've not yet been stung by one of them and I have this crazy fear that I'm deathly allergic to them, but we'll never find out until it's too late to save me. It was like looking death in the stinger.

- I have a locker in the graduate lounge in my building. It's very convenient to store things in so I don't have to carry them around (i.e. lunchbox, umbrella, brush, sweater) but it's giving me way too many flashbacks to high school. Everytime I turn the dial I get an uncomfortable feeling that if I close my eyes and open them again I'll find myself back in a world I've long since forgotten (and thankfully so). I think that's the reason why it took me three weeks to memorize my combination.

- I hardly get any mail here. It's beginning to disturb me. I fear that the mail carrier doesn't like me and that he's holding my mail so that I won't be able to pay my bills and my phone and everything else will get cut off. Surely I should be getting junk mail or something.

- Sprocket sleeps all the time. He's the laziest cat I've ever known. But he is so adorable when he's asleep that I can't resist sneaking up on him and giving him a big kiss on the forehead.

- I cooked Hamburger Helper for dinner tonight. There's something very comforting about Cheeseburger Macaroni.