30 things about being 30. (Not really. But more or less).

[offbalance]

Let's see, where to begin?

I'm home sick. Since I was turning 30 on Thursday (more on that in a minute) I took my annual birthday days off. I had one super-fun day of doing stuff with ginpalace before I woke up on my actual birthday with a nasty sore throat. I tried to ignore it. I even ignored it on Friday, as I ran out to do errands, have lunch with quasisonic and other things similar. But to no avail - no matter how much I tried to rest or baby myself to prevent the sick from happening, it happened. Urgh. I started getting really bad on Sunday night - I felt woozy and my voice was doing weird things. When I woke up yesterday morning? I had no voice at all. AND, my doctor had an emergency, so I couldn't even see him during his office hours on a day I had off anyway. Awesome. I'm home again today ( was supposed to be back in the shitstorm that is work today, but after spending the entire night hacking, sneezing, and such, I called out. Turned out to be a good thing, too. I slept a bit and am starting to feel better). Still, my voice isn't working, and there's a whole bunch of other gross (redacted) things that I don't want to get into. Suffice it to say that my doc felt justified prescribing antibiotic over the phone, and I felt justified accepting (last time I used any was a year or so ago anyway).

And now I'm 30. It's interesting in many ways, no doubt there. But it's hard to say how much different I feel. Granted, there are some things my body doesn't do as well as it used to. (Like drink. But I kind of want to test that out again when I'm better) On the whole, I feel about the same. I have a feeling it's one of those things you feel more of over time - but I have to say that 25 came as a bigger shock than 30. And, I think that I was a bit more tweaked about turning 29 and being *almost* 30 (omg!!) than I was about actually being 30. So there you go.

Thank you to all and sundry for your good wishes on my getting engaged. We're very excited, and I've been doing a lot of research. A lot. It's kind of nice to have a fluffy fun project to mess around with in my extremely limited downtime. With all that's been going on with work and school I've had no time to think about anything. I can hardly manage enough brain to read a book on the subway - I only WISH I were exaggerating.

I have many thoughts about work, but I really don't want to get into them in a public post. Suffice it to say that I think the Publishing industry is mired in its own digital version of the Emperor's New Clothes. That, and I really want to re-read Marshall McLuhan and all the other cool digital media books I read in a college com class I had Freshman year. I feel like everyone is so caught up in the newness of a particular (and honestly, pretty cool) format, that they're really forgetting that readers aren't going to give a crap what format they're reading something in if the book sucks. And, giving people lots of crap to choose from is helping no one if it's...crap. And I also can't decide if I'm seeing the big picture or not being open-minded about the future. It's the kind of thing I'd like to have a sit-down with redesigner about, as he always has amazing things to say on this topic.

As for school? School continues to let me down and excite me in the same ways it has ever since I was a wee girl. On the one hand, I'm jazzed to be learning new things and being challenged. On the other, my professors are endlessly disappointing. One prof in particular is really getting my (and my friend Sz's) goat. He's been increasingly erratic, disorganized, distracted, rude to us, and unfocused. I have theories as to why, but that's all they are. Theories. I keep reminding myself that I have JUST. SEVEN. WEEKS. left and then I will have a shiny diploma. But still, I really wanted to get more out of this program. He's been doing all this english-department bullshit I hated in creative writing classes I could read a Cosmo during and still ace, but as this is a class in Research, Writing, and Litigation, I feel less confident. I don't accept that group work or "co-operative learning" or whatever you call it is anything but a cop-out. I don't want to be taught by my peers. I want to be taught by someone who knows more than I do!! If this person doesn't feel like running a class, I'm sure they can find someone who is willing to actually teach the material. I've done my wasted time sitting in a circle and "communicating." It's bull. You-teacher, me student. You teach, I learn. That simple. It's not "spoon feeding." It's you, doing what you are being paid to do. Now get off your lazy ass and do it. Especially if you feel comfortable criticizing us for not doing things exactly the way you want us to. Argh.

Soon, I will have time again for creative endeavors. I will. I hope. And I will no longer be sick. I doubt work will stop being anything other than hell for awhile, though. *sigh*

Speaking of, I'm going to go sit in a hot shower, after a suggestion from a professor of mine who actually gives a shit that I try a steam room for my congestion.

Comments

[firynze.livejournal.com]

One of these days, you and I need to sit down and talk about the whole publishing industry thing, too. I think we'd have a ball.

Argh, I hate the teachers that think of teaching as "spoon-feeding." There's a difference between handing you everything and teaching it and making you work for it. And there's no excuse to use the "peer learning" format when you're not in a discussion group going over ambiguous readings or topics. Period.

Hope you feel better soon, luv!

[alexandriabrown.livejournal.com]

Just a heads up, I was all pfft 30 whatevs. I completely *freaked the hell out* when I turned 31.

Then I bitched all last year about turning 40 and I still can't believe I'm freaking 40 but it wasn't so bad.