*not all that recent; may write another entry on Thursday or Friday to talk about summer school and such.
Not much has happened since the end of the school year. Heck, I haven’t really had the chance to truly get away from Berkeley, what with having to attend eye appointments every week. I had to get fitted for new lenses since the ones I had weren’t giving my eyes enough oxygen. After that, I needed yet another refitting because they seemed to be irritating my eyes!
The following week, I came in without the test pair I had on before, which was a no-no. I thought they wanted me to see how the trial lens would be. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, I was a subject of sorts that day. Interns and the like had the opportunity to look at my right eyeball through a teaching tube. Apparently I have something on my eye that usually disappears after birth. Thanks, mom! Aside from that, there was also a foreign body in my left eye, but they wanted me to come back the following week to (1) determine my eyes’ response to the lenses and (2) see whether the body would just go away.
This week I had it removed (might’ve been residue from a ripped contact lens) and my lenses were fine–though my vision didn’t feel as sharp this time around–so I won’t have to go back for an appointment until next year. I much prefer these lenses over my previous pair, especially compared to the first test pair I tried on. Stiff contacts feel so awkward. I believe they Acuvue Oasys, two-week disposables. I’m used to monthlies, but the increased health benefits is nice, even if it probably costs more. Yippee! I so prefer going to the dentist over the optometrist; I feel like I’m taking a test rather than attending an appointment when I’m at the optometrist. Eye chart, you are my enemy… It just feels ridiculous to say this letter is an A when I know I’m not looking at an A.
Besides that, I’ve seen two movies this summer so far: Up and The Proposal. As usual, I’m really fond of Pixar movies. I haven’t seen Cars, so I can’t swear that I like everything they’ve done, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I wind up approving of it. Then again, I wasn’t particularly impressed with Toy Story 2. I love Woody, but those Barbies gone wild must’ve turned me off. Anyway, I love how creative the studio is; the short film was adorable, and the way they capture children’s voices is amazing. So adorable! ♥ Tearing a page straight out from a library book…how devious.
I didn’t really know anything about The Proposal, only that my friend Mel wanted to see it. It actually came out on my birthday, which was the day before we saw it. My birthday was also pretty uneventful, though it’s better than last year’s. Red Robin with friends is definitely a step up from going to Carl’s Jr. after school by myself. Hilariously, I didn’t have to show ID for my drink while she did. I even ordered the same thing. We were thinking that I got all the alcohol in my drink while they neglected to put anything in hers. Mik claimed that Mel was probably just an alcoholic who could no longer recognize alcohol unless it is in abundance. Yeah, I’ll accept that as an explanation. 
b …Oh right, my topic sentence claims I’m going to say something about this movie. Erm, it was cute! I quite enjoyed it and wouldn’t mind owning this movie on DVD (Up’s a no-brainer). It reminded me of how little experience I have with editing…and everything, really. I never thought of that as a viable career option for me, but I do enjoy giving people feedback. *shrugs*
edit: All of the computers aside from the one in Alaska in that ‘net cafe with dial-up service were Macs! …I find it really weird that a publishing company out of all places would need Macs. Seriously, you don’t need that much power to write stuff. …Oh right, I really liked how they played with technology and such in the beginning of the film. I continue to wonder what program they were using…
edit2: THE GRANDMOTHER IS AWESOME.
The only other thing I’ve done is finish up Sputnik Sweetheart. Honestly, I didn’t really know much about it, only that a friend of mine really likes it. I had been wanting to read a Murakami novel for some time, so I reserved a copy at my local library. I really love the excerpts I’ve seen of his work and continue to be impressed by how simple yet poetic his writing is and how he conveys complex ideas with few words. He’s got a really…minimalist/sparse style. I’m not sure if that’s the right way to describe it, but the way he describes things is really beautiful without being heavy. It’s not the kind of book that lends itself to close reading, but it’s easy to relate to and is extremely human. Even though I doubt I understand K’s metaphors or the "true" meaning behind the novel, I appreciate the emotions it evokes. I’d like to try reading more of his novels!
Speaking of books, I still have those books I borrowed in my attempt to get ahead before Fall starts. orz Plus, summer school starts on Monday, and I have yet to start on an essay I need to complete (more like I started and then changed my mind on the topic). Guess I’ll try writing a little bit every day? 
;;; I read bits of a guide on writing, but I’m not sure how helpful it is. I remember reading one of the articles in my Intro to Poetry class and liking it…and my opinion on it has changed a bit. It doesn’t seem nearly as insightful as it did in the past. I don’t find the thesis particularly interesting, though the argument wasn’t bad. I just didn’t see a point in making it; perhaps it was more of a lead-in to something else… Nonetheless, I might photocopy some pages. I want to find a good guide on writing literary essays–including a section on how how to bring in quotations effectively, with plenty of sample essays–but perhaps it is not meant to be. I know people say that writing more is supposed to help me improve, but I thrive on examples. If I’m writing crap, how can writing more crap help?
…I’m running out of things to say. Oh right–I ordered a Macbook on Monday or Tuesday from Smalldog.com that should be arriving on Thursday. Hopefully it’ll stick to the estimated delivery date; it’d suck if UPS missed me and had to return it. Requiring a signature confirmation’s good for expensive items, but not being around to sign isn’t cool. Once I’ve paid off this month’s bill, I can get a copy of iWork to mess around with along with a replacement headset for my smartpen. \o/
