random event

2004-01-13 / 5:45 p.m.

After the previously mentioned QT incident, I was driving home and spotted a yard sale sign. I figured I might as well drive by, but when I got to the house, it appeared that you had to go inside their garage, and that frankly just seemed like too much work to me. Besides...calling it a "yard sale" if it's in a garage is just plain misleading. So anyway...I'm just randomly driving through this neighborhood, choosing to try to make a circle rather than turn around in someone's driveway. So I'm driving and looking around. Most of the houses are bland, split level ranches--modest, but decent looking...and then I see one that's all run down with the windows and doors boarded up with "no tresspassing signs" all over the lawn. Then another...in total disrepair, windows smashed in, dark, boarded up. A few more houses down another vacant, boarded up house, and another and another. A few more feet and I come upon a solid row of them, at least six or seven...then an entire cul-de-sac of them. It was very strange, this abandoned stetch of houses in this cheery little neighborhood. Seemed like something out of a bad sci-fi movie.

bad day

2004-01-13 / 5:37 p.m.

This morning, post-gym, I went to the QT for petrol (pst...Hillary...that's British for gasoline) and decided to go inside and get a cup of coffee. So I'm at the register paying for my coffee/gas and there's this other guy next to me buying a pack of cigarettes with his gas. The QT attendant asks the gas and cigarette guy how he's doing, in the way that retail clerks are suposed to...and the guy sighs deeply and says calmly, in a heavy hick-southern twang: "fine, even though my fiancee broke off our five year relationship in the parking lot of McDonalds just now. ::pause:: and on my fucking birthday." Forgetting the rules about taking to strangers, I turn to the guy and ask him if he's serious...he says that he is, in fact, serious...he looks sincere too. Dude, that sucks. Made me feel less pouty about my own state of existance.

tired

2004-01-11 / 9:15 a.m.

All I wanted was to sleep. I knew I didn't have anything to do today--I don't like reading or vegging out in front of the TV when the mother is home, I don't have anyplace to go, anything to do--all I wanted to do was to sleep. Last night at about 3:00 am when I went to sleep, I did everything I could to ensure that I would sleep in. I mostly shut my door (can't shut it all the way, because the stupid cats need access to their box-o-shit), I closed the blinds, turned the clock around, filled my water bottle, and went to sleep. Fast forward to 8:30 am...I've been asleep for about five and a half hours. My mother wakes up, turns on the television, makes herself breakfast, coffee, feeds the cats, puts in a load of wash...People, I don't know if you've seen my house, but it's fucking small. When one person makes that much noise, yeah, no sleeping for anyone else. So here it is. Fucking 9:18 on a Sunday morning. I tried to read, but I really like quiet to do so, and the sound of Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood or whoever is spoiling my concentration. It's too cold to be downstairs. Too early to go anywhere. fuck fuck fuckity fuck. Maybe I've said this before...I don't know, but, um...I do not like living at home.

mal

2004-01-10 / 3:41 p.m.

I really really despise Dr. Phil--for reasons both rational and irrational.

Scrapple

2004-01-10 / 11:59 a.m.

I finished Fight Club yesterday, and Culture Jam this morning. They were both interesting reads, and complimented each other well in that they both used considerable ink reflecting on the dissatisfaction and depression that our increasingly consumption-driven culture may be creating. I had written a bit on both of the books to post, only to realize that no one probably cared. ;p So, if you feel like chatting about either book, you're welcome to...though I won't subject everyone to my ramblings on them.

Yesterday, I had coffee with Kristen--a friend from school who's about to go abroad herself. Made my departure all the more real. Additionally, we went to the little coffee shop in Marietta Sq., which was a refreshing change from Starbucks. Not nearly as crowded with soccer moms and teenagers, but that might just have been the time of day.

In the eve, I voyaged to casa Bliss. We happened to play a game of Scrabble where, once again, I got my ass handed to me despite the fact that I thought I played a pretty decent game. The last three times I've played--with Joe's family, my mother, and Hillary--I've been absolutely destroyed. ::sigh:: you know, I honestly don't ever remember winning a game of Scrabble. I think I'm just going to have to accept that I suck at absolutely every board game known to man. I mean, I'll still play them, but I've given up most hope of ever succeeding at them. Maybe I just need practice :)

pinkhair

2004-01-08 / 1:05 p.m.

So Monday, I�m going to take a practice GRE. I see now that you can take them online, but I think I�ll focus better if I go to the office to take it. I�m nervous...If I do well, it�ll be a big weight off my shoulders, but if I do poorly, I know that it�s going to suck to try to prep hard-core as soon as I get back to the United States this summer. Unnggg. I guess I can�t really do much right now, so I shouldn�t worry.

Ah! Finally, some pictures of me with pink hair. I took them myself the other day, so the quality isn�t that great. I�m also not looking too photogenic...my hair is wet, and I�m not wearing anything in the way of makeup...still, you�ll get the basic insanity of the dye job. For all of my unfortunate, dial-up kindred, I made the files small. You�re welcome. Anyway, they are here

badabing.

2004-01-07 / 10:15 p.m.

An update? Tomorrow, my precious. yesssssss. I wrote one on my laptop, but I'm too lazy at the moment to edit it, and post it here. I realize that I haven�t updated much, so I�ll give you the short of things tonight. So, without further ado, the abridged version of The Adventures of Pink Hair Girl.

I learned to knit. I started on a scarf...then I started on another one. It will be an action-packed race to the finish....with yarn.

I need to finish the books I�m into now, so I can start on more. Joe loaned me several�including his favorite Philip K. Dick--and I want to read them. Hillary, upon seeing that Joe recommended Snow Crash said she thought I�d really like Diamond Age. Others have praised this novel as well. It was added to THE LIST.

I�ve taken several random photos this week. I�ll try to remember to post them tomorrow. It shouldn�t be a stretch...post exercise, my agenda includes filling out the Census that was mailed to the house that my mother keeps grousing about, laundry, reading, video games, and calling the church down the road that does Spanish Language outreach�I wanna volunteer, it�ll be mutually beneficial. This isn�t exactly a day of rigor, so I have no excuses.

I got my grades today, and they were much better than anticipated. A B+ in espa~ol, and A�s in everything else. Huzzah. My end-of-semester papers (Picasso & Political Art, Globalization�s history in Iran and Turkey, and The relations between Drugs and Globalization) must have been pretty good...makes me feel better about the time and sanity I spent on them. It was indeed the semester of globalization.

Another achievement: Last time I passed by the Will Ferrell Cut-out hanging above Joe&Beckham�s fireplace, I wasn�t as surprised/frightened by it as before. Believe me, it�s progress: that thing is fucking scary when you�re not expecting it.

Hillary�s brother gets the supreme lamest kid of the week award. The Bliss and I, looking very suave in our same-but-different-mod-colored-dollar-store-glasses ::deep breath:: voyaged over to the ole� alma mater to spring her brother from the academic pokey that is Sparkleberry. We thought it would be cool to go and check him out and take him for lunch. We brazenly went inside, demanded the release of lil� Andy, but were shocked at his reaction....he didn�t want to go! Said he had already eaten and didn�t get the point. What self respecting high schooler wouldn�t legally cut class for a free lunch? A tasty lunch, no less! The high school cafeteria smells exactly the same as when we went there�gave me chicken finger flashbacks. Hillary and I, undaunted, continued our extravaganza. Fun was had, though there is little to report.

I�m going to bed now, because I�m lame....or because I�m tired....I�m not sure where to draw the line between the two.

we're going to need a bigger boat

2004-01-03 / 5:13 p.m.

Haven't written a whole heck of a lot lately...been very, I dunno. Blah. Things have been better...of course, things have also been much worse.

Despite the current bitching, looking back on 2003, it was a pretty great year. I inherited a nicer car, which is now equipped with a happy, happy bobble head. I proved the doubters wrong, and confirmed spending a semester in Argentina. I learned to jog three miles without stopping. I purchased Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix within the first ten minutes it was available. I got a job that I actually really really like. I turned 21. I wore an insane hot pink wig. I took two trips to New York City, and one to Boston. I had lots of fun with friends, and made several new friends to have fun with too! I fell in love. Looking back on all the fun, it makes me feel like an ass to complain about my life. I'm a lucky, lucky, chick.

. In a drastic fit of wanting to look different, I asked Hillary to bleach & dye a few chunks of my hair hot pink. It was hard, but Hillary did a really nice job, and I like it. We kinda' went at it blindly...not really knowing where to put the chunks, or how to deal with foils, but it still came out good. Lessons were learned. I'd do it again. Those of you out there in readerland cringing at the thought of me with pink hair can relax...it'll probably be covered up pretty soon. Then again, maybe I'll just dye the whole fucking thing pink. That'll show you.

Right now, I'm reading Fight Club and Culture Jam. After I finish those, I've got a whole list waiting. I want to read the latest Al Franken book, something by Isabel Allende, more of the Borges fiction collection Brian got me for Christmas/birthday last year, another Palahniuk book (since they're easy reads, and I want one that I haven't seen the movie adaptation of), and a book about Argentina before I go.

Last item of business: I went to see Big Fish last night, and it was awesome: it might be my favorite Tim Burton movie of all, but I'm not sure. I was all geared up to write about it, but my train of thought has just been totally derailed...My mother has come home from work, and disrupted my film description schwerve. I'll say something about it later. For now, adieu.