you can stand under my umbrella

I have reverted to my true form - ever since high school, when I was cramming to finish up eight separate essays for my correspondence courses in literature through ISU, I've tended to like to listen to one song on constant repeat while focusing on my work. This tried-and-true technique carried me through various papers, take-home finals, and projects, culminating in the eight hours that I spent listening to 'The Gloaming' while writing my thesis in the 24-hour study room.

Tonight is no different; I came home and didn't accomplish much from eight to eleven, because I started talking to people online (particularly Tammy - we want to go to the Olympics next year, so if you're interested let me know asap). I was trying to accomplish stuff, and had put in 'Sahara' so that I had some familiar background noise, but it didn't work. I only really buckled down when I started listening to 'Umbrella' on constant repeat, which is admitted embarrassing because it's a terrible song - but it's no worse than Backstreet Boys' 'Shape of My Heart', and that song carried me incessantly through some pretty bleak days in college. Anyway, now it's almost 3am, and I finally feel like I'm prepped for tomorrow, so I suppose I should go to sleep.

Today was nice, though; I had a couple of free spots in my day, I had some delicious Diet Cokes (perhaps this isn't noteworthy, but the carbonation/syrup ratio was just right, the ice was perfect, and I added lemon wedges), I had some good 1:1s in which I felt that I had given some good advice, and I topped it off w/dinner with Lauren (aka Subz). We ate at some Italian restaurant that wasn't Pasta? in Mountain View; Pasta? was our original first choice, but they had some guy playing music, so we decided to move on. It was v. nice to see her; she's definitely a real friend, not just a coworker, which is v. nice. Now, though, I definitely need to go to bed - if I fall asleep in my meetings tomorrow, all this preparation won't do a bit of good. Goodnight!