Hello, everyone, I am Erika and I've finally gotten used to blogging since taking Myth & Folklore last semester. I am an English Writing major who has been at OU forever (I am ancient compared to some of you). I only have 2 semesters left after this one (Spring '18)! I am getting a minor in anthropology, the combination of the two makes this class the perfect fit. The best class that I took last semester was called Literature of Empire and it focused on issues such as colonialism and how its represented in different genres of fiction like steampunk and sci-fi, we even got to read the first two volumes of The League of Extraordinary Gentleman graphic novels.
If I'm not at school I am probably working, I spend a lot of time toiling away at Lowe's. I work in the Hardware department and my 5 year anniversary with the company is in March.
If I'm not at school I am probably working, I spend a lot of time toiling away at Lowe's. I work in the Hardware department and my 5 year anniversary with the company is in March.
I am always surrounded by animals. Where I used to live there were 5 people, 4 cats, 3 dogs, and a snake! Now I live alone but I still have a mini-menagerie. I have a 12-year-old, three-legged Great Pyrenees/Bernese Mountain Dog mix named Earl - he is secretly a polar bear, a tuxedo cat full of attitude named Arwen, an orange tabby cat named O'Malley (he was a stray who decided I was his human), and a rat - her name is Mistress Splinter.
(Personal photo of Earl the tripod)
(Personal photo of Lady Arwen)
(Personal photo of Abraham DeLacey Giuseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley, the Alley Cat)
(Personal photo of Abraham DeLacey Giuseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley, the Alley Cat)
(Personal photo of Mistress Splinter)
Some of my hobbies include reading, writing, trying locally brewed craft beers, listening to live music, cooking, woodworking, and playing video games. I am currently reading The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski (the Polish book series that inspired The Witcher video game series). As for my writing, I have a multitude of unfinished novels and short stories in the works. Currently, my favorite local beers are DNR brewed by Coop Ale Works and Anthem's Arjuna both brewed in Oklahoma City - both are highly recommended if you are of legal drinking age. When school is not in session you can find me at the Deli on Campus Corner every Monday to hear the Patron Aints play, there are also fantastic open mic nights all over town at places such as The Blue Bonnet on Main Street. As for cooking, I never use recipes. I usually just make stuff up, more often than not I come up with something pretty tasty - I always joke that I should have a food truck - goals! I work at Lowe's so I am surrounded by tools and lumber all day - I learned most of my woodworking skills from the contractors and retired home builders that shop or work at the store. I have built an entertainment center for my game systems, a giant Jenga set, a few cornhole boards, and shelves for my office with built-in bookends. I have loved video games since I got my very first game system when I was a kid, it was a Nintendo 64 and my favorite game was Super 64 Mario. I visited the National Video Game Museum in Frisco, TX last June and got to play an abundance of old and new systems and games. I am currently playing my way through The Witcher III: Wild Hunt expansions well as reading the books that inspired the game series.
(Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt provided by Wikipedia)
(The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski from Amazon)
I think I've rambled enough. Here's to a great semester, cheers!
Oh, I had forgotten about your anthropology minor, Erika: how excellent! Anthropology is a fabulous field of study for inspiring your imagination and creativity. And, as you can guess, colonialism is a huge part of the history of India and Indian literature... the use of English in India is a case in point, with amazing writers like R. K. Narayan who write their novels in English (you will get to read him if you choose that novelized Ramayana for next week). We are the beneficiaries of the fact that English has become a part of Indian identity; I think I read somewhere that India will soon have the largest English-speaking population of any country in the world, surpassing the U.S. Pretty wild! Blame the British. And I know I keep recommending all these different books to you, but another one I am so sure you will like, and which we have in Bizzell on the shelves for checkout, is this collection of "speculative" fiction based on the Ramayana... scifi, plus other more wild and hard-to-describe experiments. Here's the info: you can go snag it and see what you think! Breaking the Bow: Speculative Fiction Inspired by the Ramayana (I just checked; it's on the stacks... it is so nice being able to see what is or is not on the shelves before you get to Bizzell!) ... The world of fantasy and epic fiction being written in India today is really mind-boggling. Maybe you will end up with stories to contribute to Juggernaut yourself: Juggernaut Books (it's a very cool writing platform and publishing house in India).
ReplyDeleteHi Erika! Great to see you again. Loved your stories last semester and I look forward to reading the ones you write this semester. Your pets are still awesome and I don't remember if I mentioned before but it's cool that you have a pet rat because rats make amazing pets and a lot of people don't realize it. Looking forward to this semester.
ReplyDeleteHey Erika,
ReplyDeleteEarl looks so cuddly! I used to have a Pyrenees mix, they are so big and so much fun! I love going to the Anthem brewery, its a lot of fun to hang out there. I went to the Prairie Artisan Ales brewery in OKC yesterday and it was a lot of fun too. Prairie Artisan is my favorite Oklahoma brewery. If you have a chance to try their Color Block I highly recommend it. I remember being a kid and always wanting a Nintendo 64 but we never had one. So I bought one for myself a few years ago, I play Mario 64 all the time!
Hey Erika! There seem to be so many animal lovers in this class! It is so nice to know that there are so many other animal lovers here with me! Also, it is so cool that you're into so many things academically! Anthropology and English/Writing sound so interesting and I have always wanted to learn more about Anthropology. I hope you are enjoying your last bit of time here at OU and most of all that you are enjoying your sweet pets!
ReplyDeleteHi Erika!
ReplyDeleteWriting and Anthropology seems like such an interesting combination of majors! I love anthropology and I wish I could have added it as a minor in addition to my psychology major. However, I am a senior and I am ready to be done with college. It is also my last semester and I am so anxious and excited to graduate and start nursing school!
Hey Erika! I'm sure we crossed paths last semester and it is good to see you again! I am always impressed when i come across someone that is majoring in anthropology as well as writing so seeing that you are perusing both is great! I have taken an anthropology course in the past and really enjoyed it. I think that the two, writing and anthropology, really go hand in hand. Well i hope your semester treats you well and you finish up your last little bit here at the university!
ReplyDeleteI'm such a beer snob! Anthem just had a brewery party type of thing, and a friend of mine went. I was so jealous, but being pregnant, it wasn't the sort of party for me :P Arjuna is a good one from Anthem, but I have to say their Golden One is my favorite. It's very Belgian-esque, and all of my favorites are Belgian (if you ever find yourself in the possession of Delerium, it's an expensive but delicious treat!).
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ReplyDeleteHey Erika! I was in myth and folklore last semester as well. I wish I could surround myself with animals the way you have. I still live with my parents and, unfortunately, they’re adamantly against any more animals. I’m dying for a corgi or a cat, but it looks like I’ll have to wait a few more years. I’m not a huge video gamer myself, but I enjoy a few hours of Skyrim here or there. My boyfriend plays The Witcher III sometimes and that’s one I really enjoy watching, unlike Madden. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHey Erika, I also took Mythology and Folklore last semester and when I saw your picture of Mistress Splinter I remembered your blog from last semester. One of my friends has two rats, which is an unusual pet, so it had stuck out to me. I am curious if you train yours? She is attempting to train her boys to do tricks with lots of treat incentives. I saw you have a year left before you graduate. Hang in there the last year feels like all of them combined, but you are almost there. Good luck in your classes this semester.
ReplyDeleteHello, Erika!
ReplyDeleteRandom question, but do you by chance use Lyft? I'm a Lyft driver and I think I may have given you a ride this past month! My boyfriend has got me hooked on Anthem, and a few of his friends love DNRs. We really like to hang out at Bleu Garten in the city whenever it's warm. They usually have live bands and games, so I definitely recommend checking it out if you're ever out and about in OKC! I'm also a huge cat person, and love seeing yours! Sadly I don't have any of my own, but hopefully soon I will! I hope you have a good last few days of the semester!
Hi Erika! Wow we have a lot in common! The Coop DNR is one of my favorite beers! I love that brewing company, they make such good beers! Also, I'm in a band called the Spicy Boys and we play at the Deli a good amount, so maybe you've seen us. I love the Deli's environment, it's fun but also laid back. You can be dancing and singing up front, or just hanging back with your friends and a good drink. Good luck on your last 2 semesters, I have 2 semesters left too!
ReplyDeleteHey there, Erika! How are you! And Nice to meet you! The first thing that I noticed that you have lot of animal and I think they all are really cute. You major sound interesting and good luck with that major. My major is Management Information System it a business and computer related major and I find that really interesting.
ReplyDeleteHi there, Erika!
ReplyDeleteI was also in Mythology and Folklore last semester! I am so thankful Laura offers this class as well because I really love the set up of her courses as well as the material within them. I love all of your animals and it makes me so excited to go home to my fur babies in just a couple of weeks! Thank you for sharing!
Hey man I feel you on working and finishing school. I work retail too and it can be pretty exhausting. That “Literature of Empire” class sounds epic!! I would be so into that. Your pets are most precious. I want to cuddle them all, especially the rat because I had a rat for a while as a kid and they’re so cute!
ReplyDeleteI think it’s so cool you know about woodworking. I feel COMPLETELY inept when it comes to stuff like that and home repair.
Hello, nice to meet you Erika!
ReplyDeleteI just finished up reading your introduction! First off I just need to say thank you for the cute animal pics, I needed those going into my finals week. My brother is an English major of the sorts as well and is also graduating this spring, wonder if you've had class with him before.
Hello Erika! You have some awesome looking animals. It must be amazing to have that kind of mix in your house all of the time. I love cats and dogs but rarely get to have fun with both at the same time so I'm glad you are living the dream. I am also currently playing through the Witcher and it is one of the best games I've ever played. Glad to see other people enjoying it as well.
ReplyDeleteHi, Erika! It is nice to meet you. This class sounds like it fits your interests perfectly. Your pets are so darling! I wish I could keep one here, but my landlord is not a pet friendly person. You seem to have a plethora of hobbies, which is awesome! I think it is so neat when someone is knowledgable in so many different areas.
ReplyDeleteHi Erika, it is nice to meet you! I love your title for this Introduction post - it is intriguing and ambitious which is amazing. Animals typically do not like me so it is great to hear that you love them the way that you do! While I was reading your blog I saw, "Anthem's Arjuna both brewed in Oklahoma City" and immediately thought of Arjuna from The Mahabharata and his four Pandavas brothers. I hope you have had a great semester and I wish you luck on your finals and future endeavors! :)
ReplyDeleteHey Erika! Funny story, I am only getting to your introduction now that it's the absolute final week, but I commented on some other posts last week. Because of your post talking about your great-grandmother, I wrote a Wikipedia Trails post inspired by your post. I hope you have a chill finals week and have a great summer!
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