the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train

Alright, I just have two papers to finish-- and one is finished, but needs to be revised/ appendix appended/ bibliography finalized, and the other has maybe... 4 pages left to write? And then there is the bibliography/ footnotes. Something like that. And I have to attend a lecture. And then this semester is in the books.

Of course, it's hardest to concentrate when you're this. close. to the finish line.

Trying to talk to my family about the stuff I'm doing is at times similar to telling my cats about the stuff I'm doing. I get the same bored lack of understanding and changing of the subject. So what's someone like me to do? I'm too nerdy/ geeky/ whatever for normal people, and not smart or experienced enough to have a realistic chance at getting into a health policy/ economic PhD program. It's sadly similar to the problem I have with dating. I'm "too smart for a girl" for the guys that are also into things like sports and good beer, but I'm too "pedestrian" (or, gasp, not into alternative relationship dynamics) for the smart/ geeky types. It's the kind of thing that reminds me of Hunter Thompson--

There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die.

Perhaps I should have entitled this blog "God's Own Prototype." I always thought I was more of the Raoul Duke than Dr. Gonzo type, but perhaps not.

For some reason, my mother seemed weirded out that I was listening to David Bowie (Young Americans, to be specific) when I talked to her. I don't know why-- I've had that particular mp3 for over ten years now. My current playlist would really weird her out-- it's rather eccentric. REM, Crash Test Dummies, U2, Neil Diamond, U2 covering Neil Diamond, Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones, Barry Manilow, Barenaked Ladies, Tom Jones, Chris Isaak, Fatboy Slim, ODB, Gnarls Barkley, Marilyn Manson, Monkees, Beatles, Sinatra, Beastie Boys, Abba, Sonny & Cher, RHPS soundtrack, Ramones, Foo Fighters, RHCP, KC & the Sunshine Band, Cake, Wyclef, the Who, NIN, Blues Traveller, Kenny Rogers, CCR, Stevie Wonder, Cat Stevens, Smashing Pumpkins, Blue Oyster Cult, Smashing Pumpkins covering Blue Oyster Cult, Simon & Garfunkel, Queen, Janis Joplin, Shirley Bassey, NFL Films music, Al Hirt, Jimimy Psihoulis (oh yes, the Steelers Polka), Moby, Rob Zombie, Barry White, TMBG, Weezer, Gnarls Biggie (Biggie Smalls/ Gnarls Barkley smashup)... and that's not nearly all. I think I hit virtually every genre on this particular playlist. Go me.