Stalwart, Young Soldiers

by Sherard Harrington

Within the course of this week, a friend had a baby, another had a medical emergency (I’m not doubling up here—these were two separate people), another produced a Masters thesis, another deflected an argument with a man prone to domestic violence, and another kissed me on my doorstep in the snow.

This probably just means I have too many friends, right?

Genevieve Tyrrell, author extraordinaire, shot me a message and asked me to say a prayer. For all of my amigos, I’m lighting a candle. May you make it through this week with the grace and tenacity innate in you—that kernel of awesomeness that first attracted me to you. You are wonderful, and you never hear that enough.

AWP Next Week(?!)

by Sherard Harrington

How is AWP (The Association of Writers & Writing Programs) next week? Do you know how ready for that I am?

Not. <~That’s the level of preparation I’m in.

March, you’re a sneaky one.

Ugh, Feelings. And Having Them. (Am I Right?)

by Sherard Harrington

I’m a Letters in the Mail subscriber, and today I spent a good hour or two responding to Elissa Bassist, who wrote an incredibly charming (and vaguely seething) letter about her ex-boyfriend.

And then mine called me today.

I didn’t pick up.

And her letter got me thinking about all of my ex-boyfriends, and what they have in common, and what they don’t, and all of...what could have been, which is the most evil mind trap of them all. Which is a shame, because she seems like such a witty writer; why incite so much pain into the hearts of your readers Elissa Bassist?!

Which of course, only enforces the knowledge that she’s a witty writer. She made me feel different from how I felt when I started her letter. That’s the whole point of good writing, really.

I curse you all to think about your exboyfriends for the rest of the day. My misery brought dessert.

Eh Eh Eh! (Physics)

by Sherard Harrington

My days are starting to look like unfolded cut sections. (In other words, are starting to flow into each other.)

Today I’ve got an art gallery opening in the boonies that opens at 4, and then be back for Physics class at 7pm, and then show my face at the CBC at 11, and then do my studio homework that’s due at 9am tomorrow, and when studio’s finished, I’ve got to study for my Architectural History exam. So...it’s kind of non-stop through the night into another day of work. Unfolded cut section.

Right now I’m doing the Physics homework and then I’m going to study for the Physics test tonight before heading out to the gallery in the early afternoon.

This is how Physics makes me feel:

Facebook Disappoints

by Sherard Harrington

So, went in and changed my relationship status to “single” on Facebook today. And I thought I had managed to hide the switch, but apparently not.

Why doesn’t Facebook have some sort of delayed posting option, or like a cloaked posting option? My boyfriend and I broke up. It sucked. I wallowed. Time to move on. I don’t need the friends I didn’t tell trying to comfort me now. Just because I switched my relationship status and I don’t want anyone to know I switched it doesn’t mean I should have to hide my status to accomplish this. There’s the difference between the figure and how the figure is handled. Get with the times Facebook.

(Actually, I mentioned Xanga last week to a group of 20-somethings, and they all gave me that deer in headlights look. So, maybe I’m the one who needs to get with the times. Just have a public breakup. Go Jerry on this. ...is that show still on, by the way?)

All Dressed Up

By Sherard Harrington

All dressed up and no where to go today. (Screw you presidents! If it wasn’t for the awesome contributions you’ve made to society, I’d spit on your graves.)

So instead, I stayed in and basically just worked on studio work. Check out the little people hanging out in my marble model section! I’ve decided that the people on the right have just gotten their business proposal accepted, and the dude on the far left is running to go tell their other business partner (offscreen).

...maybe later I’ll go to the grocery store and see if any of the Bavarian Tarts are on discount. And then stuff my face with one.

Letter to the Weather

by Sherard Harrington

Dear Snow,

Wait your damn turn. Let the last snow who came in here melt away before you start touching things with your grubby, insensitive fingers.

What You Need to Get Over a Break-Up

by Sherard Harrington

My boyfriend and I broke up. Here’s what’s been helping out:

-Bavarian tarts
-Reruns of Daria
-Lots of schoolwork
-Tiramisu
-Friends who tell me to stop wallowing
-Friends who take me out to movies
-Gum
-A sense of humor
-Reading Lorrie Moore
-New hairdo (if you can call growing it out a new hairdo)
-Reruns of South Park
-Avoiding the radio
-Snow
-White wine sangria
-Memorizing poetry
-Sea salt brownies
-Coffee
-An entire day lying in bed
-Friends who brought me chocolate for Valentine’s Day (goes well with the coffee—just let it melt in your mouth while you’re sipping the black stuff)
-Cleaning
-Chocolate chip cookies.

Happy Valentine’s Day! (Part 2!)

by Sherard Harrington

*ahem* Okay, a little bit more appropriate.

I’m day dreaming, and I’m thinking of you. And I want that guy’s hair. GIVE ME YOUR AWESOME HAIR. Day dreaming and I’m thinking of you.

(Or maybe that back up singer’s dreads. I’m not picky.)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

by Sherard Harrington

Awwww. I fink u freeky and I like you a lot too :3

Dead Bond Girls and STDs

by Tamra Artelia Martin

So I saw the Bond film Skyfall at the dollar theater a couple of days ago. (Yes, I know it came out on DVD, but I'd rather pay $2 to see it at the cheap theater on a big screen.) Spoiler Alert or Not, Beware. One of the Bond Girls dies.

Then I realized that Bond has sex with a Bond Girl at least once or twice in each movie varying anywhere between 1-2 girls. Later, one of those Bond Girls always dies tragically or disappears forever. Now, this could be a scriptwriter's joke (or the author's, since the series started with books I have no time to read) saying any girl who gets frisky with Bond dies.

Bond had sex twice (almost three times, but the black Bond Girl had sense enough to say no. Kudos for her.) in Skyfall. The odds for these girls are not good, but it made me think of a Saturday Night Live skit I saw years ago when they made fun of Bond and the STDs he'd have from all the sex he loves promoting. I can't find the video, but if you do, watch it. Instead, I found the script. So worth reading!

SNL Bond STD Skit
http://snltranscripts.jt.org/99/99ebond.phtml

After this came to memory, I realized the fate of Bond Girls is not really a good thing. You either (1) die a tragic and memorable death after having sex with the most popular spy ever, (2) earn an STD that's memorable each day after you've had sex with the most popular spy ever, or (3) get off lucky and disappear from the Bond franchise forever with your legs closed and life in tact when you refuse the most popular spy ever.

Let's see. What would I choose? It's so hard (Take that as you will)! Guess it's good to think about precautions and aftermath as we approach Valentine's Day.

Bye Chai,
Tamra

Good Friends...

by Sherard Harrington

Good friends text you to see how you’re doing. Great friends call you from Australia, just to say “hey.”

Good friends share music with you they really like. Great friends read erotic poetry to you on your voicemail.

Good friends get you a thank you card. Great friends get you the only card in the store with a half-naked man on the cover.

These aren’t just generic quips to base your friend levels on. These are facts. My facts, anyway. And I have some pretty great friends.

The ABC of Architects

by Sherard Harrington

IS THIS NOT AWESOME?!?!!??!

(Architecture students with positive attitudes say yes.)

I feel especially excited because I’ve heard of about half of them already, and I’m only in my first year.

“Oops,” and “Oh,” Says Sherard

by Sherard Harrington

Oops. Missed a day. Well, you saw my aforementioned admission of exhaustion.

Here’s what I’ve been up to—I have been chosen to participate in a Gateway Project! (What’s a Gateway Project?) Omg, funny of you to ask. So, a Gateway Project is kind of like that mid-step between working in a classroom and working in the field as an architect understudy of sorts. A Gateway Project is a semester long project where chosen students help out a firm, or a school, or a committee, doing things anywhere from redesigning a cafeteria for a school with students who have Autism to studying traffic flow in a square to see if an extra road is either necessary or even possible to incorporate.

Basically, a Gateway Project is the chance to intern. And I’m doing that. (Be proud—I’m getting practice experience.)

So, I am on a team of people who have drafted and are starting the process to implement a Climate Action Plan, which is this thing that a bunch of universities have signed in an attempt to lower their net carbon emissions over the next few decades. And I have been editing that.

And I’ve also been building more models for school. I’m really proud of this one. I don’t know why.

I think it’s the regal cardboard strip that prevents the marble from escaping down a design hole. Oops on that too!

Oh, and by the way, I don’t know why I chose today of all the days, but I’m drinking “LVP” tea from The Hooker Tea Company, which stands for Lavender-Vanilla Rooibos-Peppermint, which I absolutely love. Best tea blend I have ever tasted. It’s just one of those days I guess. And it’s made more special by the fact that you have to go in-store to get it. (And the store is 1,300+ miles away, back home in St. Petersburg, Florida.)

Hehe, Hooker.

Exhausted

by Sherard Harrington

Tonight I came home after being on campus for over 12 hours, turned on the heat, put on my robe, and crawled into bed. Why does exhaustion sleep feel so good? My anti-drug drug.

Shortest Month Comes as Surprise

by Sherard Harrington

Omg, How is it February already?!

I ordered the 2013 calendar for my personal planner. Hasn’t arrived yet. I’m actually, sorta, vaguely legitimately shocked it’s February already.

Well. No turning back the clock now. Look for one or both of the magazines I work for to go public this month. And for some red balloons. I’ll probably have nothing to do with them, but it’s nice to have something to look for.

Desk at Lunchtime

by Sherard Harrington

This is basically what my desk looks like these days.

Building models. Eating grilled cheese sandwiches. Drinking tea. Staring out the window.

Student Caught Knocking Over Art Supplies

by Sherard Harrington

I don’t know what it is, but ever since I’ve started up school again (M.Arch. program at the Boston Architectural College, first year), I’ve been really klutzy. I’ve been knocking over drawing tubes, leaving my water bottle everywhere, losing hats—just yesterday I dropped my camera in the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art). Thank God the darn thing’s indestructible, because that was not the first time. But nevertheless, it was batteries and the cap and the charger just everywhere in the main lobby. Not doing so hot if my aim was the sophisticated, classy look.