Some Desert, This

Okay people. I'm getting frustrated. This must be the rainy season or something, because it has rained every day since Sunday here. We're an arid desert. Can you tell by looking at our weather? Of course not. The sun came out this afternoon, and that was nice. But right now, it's thunder and lightning all the way. I have this patio, and when it rains it sounds like a fountain, since all the rain from the roof gutters down on my patio. I'm almost afraid the power will go out with the noises outside. That would be bad because I have no good lighting candles here, and I can't effectively read with a flashlight.

My writing professor lives out in the boonies of the boonies. Last Monday, he got rained in. There was a note on the door apologizing that class was cancelled. This Wednesday, there wasn't even a note, but class was still cancelled, because his car had a flat, and the second car was marooned by the mud and all that. We set up a new class day for tomorrow, but as the freaking sky just opened up like this, I doubt he'll be able to leave tomorrow either. I just hope I get an email before I leave for class this time.

I bought pizza today. Domino's had a three mediums for five bucks apiece coupon, and I succumbed to the convenience of it. I now have little packets of three slices each sitting in my freezer and a few in the fridge. Instant meals. And cheap enough, provided I don't eat two or three packets at a time. That would actually be difficult for me now. I eat my meals regularly, and all, when I can, but I don't have time to eat much. Pizza is nice and portable, though, and I can eat it while I study.

Let's see. I got an A on my paper and presentation. That should thrill you. It does me. I have read my article for Friday, I understand it (!) and I have about a page of possible discussion for it. I have to reread it, adjust the discussion, run it by the professor, and start thinking of a paper topic. I read the Marxist, Reader-Response, and Gender articles for Turn of the Screw. I have a few things to say about Marxism and the novel, but not enough for fifteen minutes of lecture. That'll take some more work. I have yet to read the stuff for tomorrow's class, the Deconstruction and Psychoanalysis articles for Turn of the Screw. That’ll be next on my reading list. I’m going to take an F for participation tomorrow. I think I can afford it.

Derrida’s butter dish is plain glass, with the butter sitting inside a deep rectangular bowl, covered by a slightly etched lid that sits across the top. I was expecting something distinct, like maybe a porcelain dish with blue china patterns or whatnot. You know? If you’re going to go on about how your butter dish matches his, it might as well be a classy butter dish. Derrida, by the way, uses pineapple marmalade on his toast in the mornings. Right. I didn’t care either.

The movie was a whole lot of interview/philosophizing. It was liberally punctuated by lengthy, dramatic readings of excerpts from his writings. There was flashy camera work, optical illusions, spooky ghost music, and frequent artistic pauses where they obviously posed him and told him to stand there for a few minutes thinking deep thoughts. All in all, it sucked. It was like they took an ordinary life and tried to make us think it was somehow spectacular. Not that he led an ordinary life, but they filmed him eating breakfast, watching segments of their previously taped footage, crossing the street, and lecturing. All normal things, all everyday things. And then expected us to feel deeply connected to him. Or something. I’ll tell you how discussion goes. By the way, I do not recommend the movie. Just so you know.

My lights are flickering, so I’m gonna post now while my internet still works. End.