slow dancing in a burning room

it's spring and flip flops have never felt this good. thank god. right now i am on day #3 of a really bad cold, which means that my hearing is all screwy and i sound like a smurf. at least i am over day 1 (not being able to breath) & 2 (not being able to talk) of this ridiculous virus. around noon i took some of sara's innocent-looking, generic cold medicine, only to pass out an hour later in the class where we were inconveniently GIVING PRESENTATIONS. i managed to speak while unsuccessfully forcing every muscle in my bod to keep my eyes open and my head upright. in the end, i had fooled no one and simply confessed my earlier drug consumption and dragged myself out of the room.

yesterday morning i failed my first exam ever! i know i should be worried or nervous for my baby/GPA, but the failing grade will be completely accurate. this exam, like the majority of exams, showed my prof the amount of time i devoted to rote memorization (zilch) and basically said: hi, i'm leah nichols (or rather, student ID# ...........) and i cannot memorize 2978 dates, names, theories, and terms in 1 day when sick in bed and that is fine with me.

okay, so i'm not rocking school or my immune system so much lately. however, i have been able to see some pretty darn good movies. but before i forget, my roommate, kristin, just got offered the 'teach for america' job that she's been working for her entire college career. this is terribly exciting. it's so motivational (and fairly rare on a personal level) to see the process that someone goes through to make a goal, work towards it, and achieve it. major kudos to her.

marie antoinette (A)
i've been wanting to see this movie for quite some time, despite the mixed reviews and only knowing marie antoinette for her "cake" line. i liked this movie so much that i am actually excited to see it again! even though kirsten dunst gets a lot of crap, she was perfect for this role. jason schwartzman was also perfect as louis XVI (although not as fat as i expected) for his awkward sweetness. molly shannon and moaning myrtle were both in this movie too, but i don't know what was up with that. the gazillion costume changes in this movie was great for feasting upon all of the absolutely gorgeous dresses. the soundtrack was also great in a not-going-to-buy-it-yet-but-will-listen-to-its-free-clips-constantly way. in summary, sofia coppola is stellar.

half nelson (B+)
i saw this with alison and scott on saturday night at the union. i wasn't sure what to expect, as none of us really knew what the movie was about except for the fact that it stars hottie ryan gosling. it was a fairly realistic story with minimal dialogue of a drug-addicted teacher and his relationships with his students, family, self. overall, a really good film cinematographically (probably not a word) and in terms of character-building and depth, but nowhere near uplifting or "fun" even in the end.

stranger than fiction (B+)
yay will ferrell, maggie gyllenhaal, emma thompson, boo queen latifah (sorry to all the fans) and dustin hoffman. this comedy (but not really) was actually one that went beyond its funny preview clips and was smart enough to make a real story. lots of the movie is semi-awkward, simply because its tone shifts from serious to funny so many different times. everyone in the audience would be silent for a long while and then suddenly be burst out laughing- a bit frightening but i joined in. if you think about the movie too hard, it doesn't make sense. so i recommend this for a night where you really really really don't feel like thinking... maybe when you are half-passed out because you will still get the plot + scattered one-liners.

that is all! now off to real estate with all of the money-obsessed, china-hating mongrels...