tentative DVD list and misc.

Here are my picks to take the jump over the pond to the land of vampires and sarmale.

1). Braveheart
2). Dances With Wolves
3). Fight Club
4). The Last of the Mohicans
5). Led Zeppelin Live DVD Set
6). The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring
7). The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
8). The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
9). The Matrix
10). Animal House
11). Old School
12). Saving Private Ryan
13). Snatch
14). Star Wars: A New Hope
15). Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
16). Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

This is definitely a provisional list. The CD case that I am putting all of these in has room for twelve more movies. I have a ton more movies in my collection (over 100) but I need to pair those I want to take to those I really, really enjoy watching. I might add the first two The Godfather movies, we will see. Batman Begins is also on the maybe list.

In other news, volunteers in Romania created a CD-R of information about what to expect in the Peace Corps in Romania and different things to think about going there. They had a great packing list that I am adapting mine to fit within the list. My older list is almost the same with a few tweaks here and there.

After freaking out over my thesis deadline, I stayed up all night Thursday finishing my thesis. I gave my thesis committee the "draft" version to go over. If they accept my thesis as is, I will be able to defend it either Monday or sometime next week. That option will allow me to receive my diploma in May. If my committee give me back my thesis to edit/elaborate more fully, I will work on that until sometime in early May, defend it, and my diploma will be mailed to me in August instead of May. That is no biggie because I was thinking there for a while that I would have to wait until I return from Romania in 2008 to turn in my thesis. To say I was stressed Friday morning is an understatement, to say the least.

Peace Corps Romania gave us a list of emails of the people going with us. My impression so far is that the Ro 21 group is a broad cross-section from every corner of the country. I am looking forward to meeting them all and having mad adventures in the wilds and not so wilds of Romania.

Pa, pa.

the event draws near

Today I got an email with a listing of all the trainees that are going in our group to Romania. There are quite a few, seventy-one is all. That number includes TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), Environmental Education, Community Economic Development, and Institutional Development. The problem from my end is that for some reason, the Peace Corps Romania office either lost my email address or forgot to send any messages for me because I had to write them saying that others were receiving the messages but not I. It is straighten up now.

Last week, I saw the films V For Vendetta and Syriana. I've heard that they were quality but i was really impressed. V For Vendetta is based on a comic series that was written in Thatcherian Britain about a dystopian, police state England and the avenger so fights to bring down those who did this to England. Syriana is a movie in the vein of Traffic (excellant) about oil, politics, and the intricacies of the relationship. Suffice it to say, I was not feeling too good about being a soon-to-be federal employee but I will survive.

I saw Meaghan and Meg for the last time this weekend. I went and had lunch with Meaghan and her friend Mackenzie at Black Cat. Yum. We then went to a student film festival to see a friend of ours, Sarah, primiere her documentary about her life and the craziness of it. I have to say, I laughed my ass off. Props to Sarah! I won't get to see Meaghan again because she is about to leave for London to participate in the BUNAC program. It allows Americans to live in the UK and work there for up to six months. I did it back in 2003 and i really miss the vitality that is London. And I will miss Meaghan.

Meg came up the mountain on Sunday to celebrate her birthday and to hang out with the old peeps. We hung out at Ashley's and then went hiking at Hebron Rock Colony on the Boone Fork River. We climbed all of the rocks and laid in the sun and had a blast. We went back, had some food, and just chilled with some yellow cake with chocolate icing, my favorite cake by the way. I might get to see her again if I go down to Winston-Salem to visit her but we will see.

I am in the midst of finishing my thesis. If I do not finish it by April 15, I personally grant all of you to beat the shit out of me and make my finish. I will be so glad when I am done with this thing.

Ok. Pa, pa.