I'm moving.

See you later, Blogger. It's been real.

See you over at USED HARDCOVERS.

My documentary.

To the small amount of people (if anyone) that reads this blog, here is the documentary I worked on last semester with two classmates about a small dairy here in Oxford, MS.

Been a long time comin'.

Hello there, blog. It's been a while. I'm currently procrastinating - what better time than to briefly update you with what's been going on?

So, here's some bulleted points of the major things that have occurred since I last updated in September 2009 for all those (or no one) who care.

• Less than three weeks away from being halfway done with getting my Master's. Absolutely mindblowing.
• Currently finishing up what is soon-to-be a bad-ass documentary film on a local family-owned dairy. Expect a link to the video when it is all said & done.
  
• Will be working with the Southern Foodways Alliance this summer as their oral history intern. Think it will be really interesting and a great chance to meet fascinating people PLUS more experience in documentary fieldwork.
  
• Starting my thesis next semester. As it currently stands, the topic is the evolution of southern landscape photography as a form of documentary photography. There is little to no scholarship on this topic, so we shall see how that turns out.
• Bought a MacBook Pro last week and am in love. Why did I not make the Apple switch sooner?
• Been working part-time as a research assistant in my department and as an event photographer at mainly fraternity/sorority events at UM. Quite a lesson in the lives of privileged drunken underage people, but every so often some of the kids surprise me.
• In love with Oxford, Mississippi. Have met some of the best people I've ever known in this quirky little town. It really is surprisingly liberal with great restaurants and the nicest people. The kind of town I could retire in way, way down the line. I still can't believe I live a mile away from Bill Faulkner's house...still wave to his statue every time I'm in the Square...still wonder, "What would Bill do?" in some situations (more often than not, the answer is: "Drink").
  
• Met two of my most favorite people ever: my go-to girl and best friend, Novelette. Always there to talk about clothes or vent about class or toss back a few drinks or live-text me through American Idol because no one else we know still watches it. Second, my boyfriend, Mitch. Was really not actively seeking out anyone in this town (borderline pushing people away), but from the second I met him I knew he was something. He continues to be my support system even when I am being a ginormous bitch because I can hardly handle the stress of graduate school. Love love love the two of them, would not trade them for anything.
  

I've generally gotten what I wanted. Not in a bratty, material sense. But as far as jobs, admission into school, internships, and good grades go - I've always gotten them. Recently, at my professor's urging, I submitted a paper for publication in an academic journal. Unfortunately, it did not get published and was returned to me with a rather scathing review. After crying into a margarita (or two) with Novelette and Mitch and letting out a long strand of four-letter words, I realized it probably was a blessing in disguise (pardon my use of horrid cliches, my brain is drained). I needed that initial rejection because I'm sure it will happen frequently in my adult life. Plus, after showing my professor the review he called the reviewer an "irresponsible asshole" who did not even mention my actual thesis in the paper. That kind of made it all worthwhile too.

I cannot wait for summer to be here. So many books I want to read (Sanctuary of Outcasts, Geronimo Rex will be the first two), so many places to visit (Key West in August!), so many rolls of 120 film to polish off - hell, maybe I'll even venture back into the darkroom.

All in all, I am happy. I finally feel content with who I am not just as a person, but as a student, as a member of academia, as a southerner, as a daughter, as a friend, as a girlfriend...the list goes on. I'm just stupidly, sickeningly happy.

Poor Atlanta.
I miss you & think about you every day.

"The Atlantic was born today, and I'll tell you how."

Figured a blog post is due now that I've been successfully residing in Mississippi for a little under a month.

The move itself went very well. Packed up the Focus, the Escalade, and the Budget moving truck and shipped out of Acworth on the morning of August 5th, with Drake, my brother, my best friend since middle school, my mom, and my grandma all in one giant caravan moving across two states. Arrived in Oxford around 3:00 and had successfully unloaded everything in a matter of hours. The clan stayed until Friday morning, helping me unpack and hang things (huge help). The apartment looks great and feels like home because of them. After they took off, I had about two weeks to get acquainted with my new town before school started.

My laptop died about a week after being here (I just got it back this past Friday). As a result and in order to keep from being bored nonstop, Drake and I wound up exploring a lot. We walked in Lamar Park almost every night (still do); the minimal human interaction there saved me from going crazy my first two weeks here, I'm almost positive. Last weekend, I decided to take us on a hiking adventure in Holly Springs National Forest. Somewhere along the trail, like a dumbass, I got us lost, and we were picked up by a couple out hunting for deer approximately twelve miles away from my car. Sorry Mom. Needless to say, don't think we will be trying that one again anytime soon.

I have caught up on my movie watching. I joined Blockbuster Online, and the Oxford library has a surprisingly great selection of movies and documentaries. I also finally grew balls and discovered the joy of going to see a movie alone. The comprehensive list is as follows:

• Sicko
• Bowling for Columbine
• Streetcar Named Desire
• The Long, Hot Summer
• Confederate States of America
• This Film Is Not Yet Rated R
  
• Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus
• O Brother, Where Art Thou?
• Into the Wild
  
• Bonnie & Clyde
  
• I Love You, Man
• Public Enemies
• Inglourious Basterds (twice - it is that good)

School is going very well. I really enjoy my classes, and the people in my program could not be more awesome. It is so refreshing to be around like-minded and motivated individuals after being out of an academic setting for over a year. Maybe I'm speaking too soon, but I feel like I am falling back into the swing of things fairly quickly, much easier than I had expected. So far, it is everything I have been dreaming about for two years, and I couldn't be happier.

At our welcome party last Friday night, one professor busted out a harmonica and a kick drum. Last week in class another discussed the South's potrayal in True Blood as being a sign of the postmodern condition. The classroom that 2 out of 3 of my classes are in is filled with original black and white prints of Faulkner, while the other classroom has a huge screenprint of Elvis hanging on the back wall. Yea, I could get used to this.

Wednesday immediately after class I am leaving to go back to Atlanta for Labor Day weekend. I can't wait. The Focus is finally getting painted (I scratched the right side of it up pretty badly two years ago and never had the resources to get it fixed), my best friend from high school will be in town, I'm going to my final Braves game of the season...so basically, all the makings of an amazing weekend at home.

A couple of pictures of the move:






On a final note, I have been to the farmer's market in the cool little neighboring town of Taylor a couple of times, and each time this contraption caught my eye.

It's a daybed that someone has wired to hang from your porch as a swinging bed, for lack of a better term, and HOLY CRAP, it is so comfortable. Seriously, one day I will measure the success of my life in terms of how many of these I own and use on a daily basis. My first paycheck from a real job is going to one of these, even if it breaks the bank. Sallie Mae, be damned, this is more important!

Last blog post from GA.

The day that I have been waiting for for a little over two years has finally come. This time tomorrow I will be chillin' in my new apartment in Oxford! Cannot wait to finally have a place that actually feels like it is mine. Not the basement apartment of someone's house. Not a boyfriend's apartment. Not my parent's house. MINE. ALL MINE.

And it starts.

Twenty three.
Will be in Oxford for good this time next week.
School starts in less than one month.
Final trivia night tonight.
Stress, stress, stress.
Must stock up on Two Buck Chuck.
Tired of being part of people's mid-life crises.
New rule: no dudes over the age of 30 in MS.
That's all.