The Shakespearean Monkey is off my back.

36 hours.
19 in the library.
4 1/2 in classes.
22 slide powerpoint
10 source annotated bibliography
5 Shakespearean plays
20 class handouts
20 minute nap on couch in library bathroom
44 coldplay songs, on repeat
1 new favorite song - Kingdom Come

Done.

Procrastination - the game we like to play

Everyday when I put my hand in my backpack, the pen I pull out is a surprise. Will I get the dependable black pen? Or the blue ink with the gel comfort grip? The Dr. Scholl's for fingers? (that is an idea I could market) I digress, but yes -- when I hurriedly grab for a writing utensil I never know what I am going to write with. The destiny of my notes, my doodles, and my focus are always hanging in the balance of the cosmos.

I should be focusing on this project I have due tomorrow. I have known about it for weeks. I was in the library six hours straight yesterday, and I plan on a good 10 hours today. There is never a dull moment when you procrastinate.

Sunglasses and Poptarts, don't travel

I have a confession to make - I am living with a man named Harold. The Harold B. Lee Library has been my primary residence for the duration of Summer Term. The other man in my life would be jealous, except William Shakespeare is the reason that I held captive in the arms of the library. I have taken to living like a gatherer, which is much more peaceful than a hunter. My primitive lifestyle has inhibited my inherent cooking flair, and I have been living off of Pop Tarts (brown sugar of course) and Costco brand trail mix. Here is what I have learned, Pop Tarts don't survive in the bottom of a backpack, underneath textbooks. Sunglasses are also prone to the same fate of being smashed to smithereens when placed under the same condition. Who knew highly processed, delicate pastries were comparable to adorable sunglasses? All I know is, when you pull out a dark lense coated in sugar dust, a painful moment will follow. Be prepared if you are going to spend your summer indoors with a textbook and internet research.

The unfortunate side to a sunburn.

I have a sunburn. But now I read the post title, I am left to wonder if there is a fortunate side to a sunburn. Nope. there isn't. Pain. People judging you for your risk of later skin cancer. The incredibly awkward situation of only wearing a bathing suit under your shirt because your shoulders are so burnt. I am certain, there is no upside.
It has been three days since I went reading by the poolside, and I still have residual effect from my outdoor recreation. I did not account for the sensitive nature of my baby-white skin when I thought about soaking up the sun for a nice tan. I don't have a nice tan. I have a skin that resembles a lobster shell. I am finally beginning to heal and I am even wearing long pants today! Long pants are my way of saying, "no, I will not rub aloe vera on my knees during class today, I am captain of my epidermis!"
While we are on the subject of aloe vera, have you ever noticed that it is a lovely green color? The green is chemically enhanced I am sure, simply because the vibrant shade of my favorite medicinal plant contrasts with the pulsating red of my shoulders. It is Christmas on my skin. The contrast between the cool green and the violent red provides an extra cooling sensation that is purely psychological. Who ever thought of making aloe vera extra green, I thank you.
My other sunburn remedy is lavender oil. My Auntie Kristin gave me this olfactory-pleasing herbal solution that is supposed to sooth and heal at the same time, as well as giving my roommates and classmates extra notification of my presence. At least my vanity has been healed. I may be bright red, but I smell like a great aromatherapy substance from bath and body works. Thank heavens for that.
The moral of the story is don't read your exorbitantly large homework assignment by the pool... in a swimming suit... for two hours. Not only will you get a lovely sunburn with funny lines but your text book might get wet. (Mine did not, thankfully) My summer has begun with a monumental sunburn. And now my nose is starting to peel. GREAT.
All is not lost, I have learned for next time. Where can I buy some SPF 90?