Six Things

In keeping with my New Year's Resolution, some things that made me happy today:

01. I had brunch today with Katie, Kate, Yona, and Ariel, and it was nice catching up for a few hours. They all have such interesting stories and so many fascinating plans for the next few years! I am so glad I was able to see them.
02. I am hopefully going to see Mr. Tarmey later this week! I miss the man immensely and have so much to tell him and so much to ask. Maybe we will even digress into a discussion about Mrs. Dalloway. I would love that! A few days ago, my friend Haley told me that he showed this year's AP Lit class the poster puzzle I made for Heart of Darkness last year. Surely it makes me seem very silly, but hearing that he held onto my project and also took the (brief) time to share it with others makes me so unbelievably happy. That man single-handedly changed my relationship with literature, and is by far the most influential teacher I had in high school. I hope anyone who has the opportunity to take his classes appreciates just how wonderful and insightful he is.
03. I watched "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" with Emily this afternoon. Clint Eastwood was so handsome! I often categorize him with Paul Newman: both were stunningly attractive in their younger years, and so talented too. Westerns aren't usually my thing but this movie is an exception. Also Ennio Morricone composed the score for the film, which I love because he also wrote the score for "The Mission," which has become one of my favorite scores ever.
04. I am definitely staying at Mount Holyoke College. The decision was not an easy one to make, but I think it will be the right decision in the long run, and I am excited to see what will happen.
05. The book Earth (courtesy of Jon Stewart and the rest of the team from "The Daily Show") is an excellent and humorous read with startlingly accurate portrayals of the way humans have lived in the past and now live today. I laughed so hard, and I highly recommend that anyone with some spare time should pick up a copy and enjoy it from cover to cover.
06. "Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today." (Mark Twain)