Jacquelyn's Space

I had a great night last night. Another great discussion in Shakespeare class. The narrative poems were a bigger hit than I thought they would be and there was much to discuss. I got some inspiration from both the poems and the discussion– now I have many creative writing ideas to pursue based off the poems. I also may have a partner for my final project for that class. My professor was asking me about my final project– she is urging me to do a performance project. A classmate overheard and asked if  we could work on the final project together and we can. It seems this classmate is interested in working with me. Of course I shared one of the ideas I was thinking about–turning the poem The Rape of Lucrece into a play, a dramatic production (the seminar is all about asking the question if Shakespeare had a theory of drama and how he went about exploring it in his work)– and all three of us (me, my classmate, and my professor) were all fired up with the ways it could be pulled off. Fun, fun!

Then I went to work. Have I mentioned before how much I love the people I work with? I probably have, ha. I truly do work with a great bunch of people and we laugh and laugh at work (when not pissed off at rude customers and/or our mean store manager, ha–okay, we laugh about those too). I made a funny last night, well more than one but this is the one that sticks out:

The two guys I was working with were talking about an upcoming Star Wars movie and then of course went on to talk about all the other Star Wars movies (and I think there was some Star Trek in there too). I was listening to their conversation thinking “Nerds!” hahaha,  and they couldn’t believe it when I told them I had never seen any of the movies. My manager said, “What do you mean you have never seen the WORST movie series ever made?”  The other kid that was working was aghast, “I grew up watching that series!” He loves it apparently. I replied, “I grew up watching Little House on the Prairie!” HA! Then we all cracked up. My manager, through his laughter, said, “I am sorry.” He was probably thinking, “Nerd!”

I don’t know, I guess you had to be there. LOL.

I am reading The Rape of Lucrece, a narrative poem by Shakespeare for class tomorrow. It is not easy reading and not my favorite Shakespeare reading only because I do not care for long poems. This poem and Venus and Adonis, the other narrative poem the class has to read, are like 36 pages of text all together (in addition to about 100 pages of academic criticism on the poems, yikes!) . At least 1000 lines apiece– now those are some long poems! I really love Shakespeare’s sonnets — only 14 lines. This poem is cool though, very suspenseful. I just read a very scary stanza:

“Now stole upon the time the dead of night,
When heavy sleep had closed up mortal eyes:
No comfortable star did lend his light,
No noise but owls’ and wolves’ death-boding cries;
Now serves the season that they may surprise
The silly lambs: pure thoughts are dead and still, 
While lust and murder wake to stain and kill.”

I read that and was wowed…sounds like a contemporary horror movie or at least a Dexter episode. Now I am at the part where the evil Tarquin is in Lucrece’s bedchamber and about to rape her. It all seems very gothic! I am not sure I will like the rest of the poem– I know what happens after all. The story in the poem is referenced in Titus Andronicus by poor Lavinia. Both Lucrece and Lavinia feel duty bound to kill themselves because they were raped. Not good to say the least.

Motivation where are you? I think I know where I lost it, I am just not sure how to find it. I will keep looking in hopes it will find me.

So many things to do… So little desire to do them. I am bad. All I want to do is lay in bed and watch TV. Oh, once in a while I get the urge to read and write but I am all about the TV lately. Oh, yeah, and eating too. I want to eat all the time. Not good.

I need to get up and get moving. I was thinking today that I really want to get in shape. I did not make my goal of being thin for my last graduation although I did lose some weight. I think I put some of it back on now with my lack of motivation and urge to hibernate. It doesn’t help that I keep getting sick with colds and sinus issues…I have had a head cold now for 2 weeks (since I dusted my bedroom). UGH! Well, as always I ‘endeavor to persevere’ and I have all these things I want to accomplish,  my goals. Such as getting in shape and being thin for my next graduation. I was thinking that I better start now while I have over a year to meet my goal. I think I can do it, ha. I just need to start exercising daily and eating better…and cut out the snacking. Well, cut out the snacking all the time. A little healthy snack here and there doesn’t hurt. What I really need is to get out of bed and quit hibernating.

I just need a lifestyle overhaul.

I am going to attempt it.

I am so awesomely happy with my classes this semester. I am taking 2 classes: literature theory and Shakespeare (theory of drama). My very favorite professor of mine is teaching the Shakespeare and another favorite professor is teaching the lit theory. The more I take classes from these professors the more I realize just how brilliant they are and I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to learn from them. Class discussions have been so interesting and lively I have left feeling motivated and energized. I love it!

Of course I absolutely adore Shakespeare so it isn’t hard to get me interested in the subject matter but the professor Dr. K adds so many layers and depth to each play we read that there is much to explore and I come away with many thoughts and ideas I did not have before. Plus, Dr. K is so giving and nurturing–she is always quick to recognize her students great ideas, insight and/or work.

I did a presentation this week contrasting Shakespeare’s play Richard III to Christopher Marlowe’s Tamburlaine and she must have told me 3 times what a great job I did. Actually, I feel she did half the work for me because she added so much to the discussion that she made it easy. And I did not even have to stand in front of the class to present– just sat among the class (it is conference style) and made my case. I made a point to ask questions/opinions from the class too– maybe that is what Dr. K liked. Now I have one big assignment done and out-of-the-way. Other than a final paper, all I have to do for the rest of the class is read and participate. Yay.

Dr. B, or Prof. B as he styles himself, became a favorite of mine after I took a Virginia Woolf seminar with him (plus I learned that he loves the musician Prince like me, ha). He was kind of laid back, which is nice. He is funny too, but in a subtle way. For lit theory he seems to lecture more and I really get to see what a great teacher he is. The discussion he led last week on New Criticism was delicate (very step by step, planned), thoughtful, and fun. I understood the material from the class reading but I can see how he laid out the discussion and class activity to bring students to understanding if they were having difficulties. It was truly awesome. It seems like it is going to be an interesting and informative class. I have 3 short papers to write for the class (about 1 a month) and 1 presentation (mine is on the last day), which does not seem to difficult.

I love these professors, I love these classes. I am slowly coming out of the funk I have been in and I am happy to be in school again.

I love this slide show:

25 reasons why married sex is better

So many things I can identify with and I am glad people defend marriage and married sex. Sex does not always die once a couple marry, nor does it get boring. I have been married almost 6 years but with my husband for almost 14 years and I have yet to be bored. The comments after the slide show are interesting also — people, mostly men I suspect, complaining about their married sex life and/or how their wives got fat (let themselves go). Is it a problem with their spouse or more a problem with expectations, image, change, and aging? I need to explore this…

My husband was talking with his brother-in-law today (well soon to be ex brother-in-law but I am just going to call him BIL). My husband was telling me that BIL told him he had a bad nightmare recently. Cut up that I am I was like, “What that he was back with your sister?”

In the nightmare, BIL was sleeping in a graveyard. Right away I start thinking that perhaps it is because he is afraid of dying –he did have a heart attack recently. But no, it was not a fear of dying dream. He was sleeping in a graveyard but then was being attacked by a demon that closely resembled his soon to be ex-wife. The way my husband put it BIL couldn’t tell if it was a demon or his ex. Ha! Both BIL, both.

Poor guy.