31 December 2006

Resolutions!

Tonight, while counting down the hours 'til 2007 with my housemate Vincent, I found a program on TLC called "Resolutionaries" that shows three people each trying to tackle their resolutions with the help of three different coaches, all of whom have very different techniques. So far, I've seen three episodes: organization, quitting smoking and losing weight.

I'm not one for thinking myself worthless if I give up my resolutions too far into the new year, but I do like to make them, if only for tradition.

I have a lot to accomplish before my Bike & Build trip in June, so I'm going to need to be specific with my resolutions in order to prepare myself physically, mentally and financially for this trip.

  • Be prompt with thank you notes
  • Study every day
  • Take a photo every single day -- suggested by Photojojo
  • Each week, research a different aspect of the affordable housing crisis
  • Take my pills every night

January

  • Exercise on stationary bike and/or with personal trainer twice a week for 90 minutes or 25 miles
  • Research Rhode Island and Connecticut towns en route for can't-miss sights
  • Contact regional newspapers about a possible feature on Bike & Build

February

  • Exercise on stationary bike (or equivalent exercise) three times a week for 90 minutes or 30 miles
    -AND-
  • Explore a new bike trail in the Seattle area once a week
  • Research New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio towns near our stops for interesting things to see and do

Happy New Year!

25 December 2006

Merry Christmas!

This is the first year that, when my parents asked, I had no idea what I wanted. Since my birthday is relatively close to Christmas (in late November), my parents ask early and often. In October, they start with "feelers" -- you know, the "your birthday's coming up!" and the "have you happened to see anything you'd like for your birthday?"s. Usually that's enough to get me talking. Once my birthday is over, I will end up asking for the things I didn't get.

In November, I asked for (and received) a down comforter; I've always wanted a comforter that didn't come with matching sheets (a la Bed in a Bag). Since I got the only thing I really asked for, I didn't know what to say to the after-birthday questions.

That was, of course, until I got the Bike & Build manual and it's accompanying list of necessities for the trip. After realizing there were no major holidays between Christmas and our start date in June, I frantically searched the list, looking for the most expensive things I was relatively knowledgeable about to ask for.

And today, after being convinced I would need to be purchasing one on my own, I opened up a digital camera and a cute little camera bag that'll fit in a saddle bag for my bike!



In no way am I trying to brag; I am only attempting to set up one of the papers in the camera box, which is an (not so subtle) attempt at marketing camera accessories. I enlarged the center picture in hopes it'd show more detail.
Message to Sony: Seriously...Whomever signed off on this picture needs to be demoted to the mailroom.

23 December 2006

Thank God for Pull & Seal Envelopes!

After working on my fundraising letters for Bike & Build for over 7 hours straight (printing, signing, folding and stuffing) mostly by myself, I can finally say I'm finished!

After I finished printing out the letters, I realized that the itinerary that came in the rider manual had us traveling in circles around Iowa and the website had us riding to Missoula, building and riding to Missoula after we'd left Missoula that day. Hmmm. I might need to offer my copy editing skills.

Needing an accurate itinerary to include with my letters, I took an hour and a half detour (hyuck hyuck!) and made a pretty kick-ass one myself.

So there you go. Two shoeboxes full of envelopes, brochures, letters, itineraries and SASEs to Bike & Build. 139 of each, to be exact.

20 December 2006

"While You Were Out" SunnTown edition

When I was about 13, my parents let me paint my room any way I wanted, as long as it consisted of pastel-type colours. And nothing, absolutely no colour on the ceiling! I was really a huge fan of the ocean and decided to paint the top half of my walls a light blue, as the sky, and the bottom half three different shades of beige. Yes, I know...how many shades of beige can there be? We actually painted a base color, and we sponge-painted two or three variants on top to make a sand effect. I picked out a seashell border to place between the "sky" and "sand". For an added effect, I glued seashells to the window frame and hung paintings and prints of lighthouses and ocean scenes on the walls. My parents went the extra mile and replaced my hideous carpet with my choice in colour -- teal, or as I liked to pretend, the ocean.

After my brother moved home from Japan and our exchange student went back to Switzerland, I decided to move into the room across the hall, as it's at least 1.5 times the size of my sea room. After the creativity and expenses that went into the other room, I kept my mouth shut about the white walls and ugly brown carpeting in my new room.

This year, though, my mum has gotten into a painting kick and, once my brother got married and moved out, promptly painted his room two dark blues -- something unheard of in my family. My dad had erroneously assumed that it was utterly impossible to paint over dark colours and long ago got us kids to believe that if we painted our rooms black, they'd never be able to put the house back on the market, so this was a big deal. Since completing my brother's room and realizing how little effort and money it takes to make a big difference in the appearance, my mum asked me to pick a couple colours she'd paint my room while I was in Seattle.

So tonight, I arrived home to find my previously bland, white walls painted a lovely pink and brown, which complements the two wall sconces and drapes I bought at Ikea last year! My mum is going to take me shopping on Friday to look for a comforter and some wall decorations to add to the decor.

I'm going to see if I can convince my mum to help me take down the peeling wallpaper in the bathroom at some point while I'm home. Before we do that, though, we're going to have to make at least a couple batches of fudge!

Home for the holidays!

It took me all day to get out of Seattle and a three-hour drive to get home, but with the four Podflix episodes to catch up with made the drive fly by (even though I was driving between 10 and 35 miles slower than usual).

I love the holidays! My parents have the house completely decorated, what with the little villages above the piano and entertainment center, the huge pre-lit tree (that I've finally come to terms with after growing up trekking into the mountains every December to find that special pine to bring home) and the coloured lights everywhere. This year, my dad's really gotten into the spirit of the holidays and hung faux garland on the walls in the living room and even on the banisters. I brought my 4 foot christmas tree home and might set it up in my room. I really like low lighting and leaving it on in my room in the evening will give the room a pretty glow.

18 December 2006

I never thought I'd see the day...

when I'd find out someone found my blog by searching for "pet sharks with lasers on their heads". Usually, when I follow the link my tracker gives me, I'll discover my blog link quickly on the particular search engine. Yet I'm on page six of the Google search and still haven't found my blog. I'm confused as to why the blog reader didn't just go to this site.

Other interesting search queries that have led readers to my site:
  • pain where my bra snaps on left side in back
  • the real truth turbo jam
  • how anne are you?
  • you pale to (from a Swiss version of Google)
  • kill a guy on A TRAmpoline (I'm ranked number three on this search...)
  • occupations that involve creative, humanistic, thoughtful, and quiet types of activities
  • "perform their job responsibilities in a manner that is supportive"
  • cutting edge, informally paced, future-oriented environment

and two instances of "Upstairs Downstairs apartments U district" quite recently. For you two renters, don't bother. The Upstairs Downstairs apartments are really not worth looking at.

13 December 2006

I now know another advantage of looking young: I can buy youth tickets for the ferries!

Since today was my first free day from finals, a new friend from two of my classes this quarter invited me to come with her to Vashon Island for the day. Vashon is the site of our last build day on Bike & Build P2S this summer, and since I live so close, I thought it'd be ridiculous to have not been there before riding across the country to get there.

Riding on the ferry was like putting a kid in a candy store. The last time I remember riding on a ferry was when I was like 7 or 8 years old and my family went to Vancouver Island, B.C. That being said, I made Jasmine suffer through many pleas of "ooh, will you take a picture of me here?!" and "Holy crap! We're on a FERRY!" Since she's lived on "the island", the ferry wasn't so exciting for her.


Shortly after we departed from the shore, I called my mum and told her, just as a ferry worker-man walked by. I looked up in time to see him mouth to my friend "Your friend doesn't get out much!" He returned a couple minutes later with a ferry guide, expressing his regrets that they were all out of coloring books.

04 December 2006

Riding 26 miles makes me feel like I have mono

On Thursday night, I went to the IMA and rode a bit over 26 miles on a stationary bike. I took a break after an hour to stretch and then hopped back on for the last 8 miles. I've been slowly working my way up in miles over the past couple weeks (in preparation for my Bike & Build trip), but at the end of that ride, I was having trouble keeping my legs from shaking. Thus, this weekend served as a reprieve from exercising. Meaning? I pretty much slept most of yesterday morning and afternoon, as well as most of today.

When I wasn't sleeping, I visited my friend Jacy, who was in town over the weekend. She, her friend Erica and I went downtown to Pike Place Market, where we saw this lovely sign, which had us in giggles throughout the rest of the trip. Erica and I bought cute hats( she bought a beret and I found the cutest wool cloche) at an old-lady store underneath the fish market. Afterwards, we went out to a couple bars for some much-needed girl time.

Oh, on Friday, I got my highly-anticipated packet from Bike & Build! I now have more brochures and envelopes than I know what to do with, but once finals are over next week, I'll be able to put more time into fundraising! Plus, I meet with my new personal trainer on Thursday for our introductory session. I'll probably aim for 15 miles Tuesday night so I don't wear myself out before I meet my PT.

30 November 2006

Keepin' It Real!

I spotted this banner on the side of Kane Hall on campus today. The sign reads "Keepin' It Real 4 CHRIST! It's not about religion...it's about RELATIONSHIP!"



I guess they don't know what happens...when Keepin' It Real goes wrong.

26 November 2006

Exciting News!

I'm ashamed to say I've been reluctant to come back to the blog after my (significant) time away. "What would be the use?" I thought. "My readers have probably by now all but given up on my never writing another entry again." I thought it might be too late. That I'd shamed my blog and, if I ever desired to write online again, I'd have to start over.

I'm sorry for being horrible to you, blog (and readers). You've been great in allowing me space to adjust to my surroundings.

Being back at UW has really altered my reality. I haven't been able to shake the guilt of writing a blog when I have studying to do...that is, until tonight. In all honesty, I have a paper due on Tuesday that I'm terrified to write, and after spending more than two hours reading columns on salon.com, I decided to confess everything here at my home.

Have you ever applied been anxiously awaiting something that could be life-altering, possibly afraid to bring it up with friends in fear that the something would be "jinxed"? For about three weeks, I'd been contemplating applying to a summer program so exciting I was a bit overwhelmed writing the application essays (yes, there were more than one). It took making an appointment at the Odegaard Writing and Research Center to gain enough confidence for me to attempt penning the essays. Once I sent in the app, I still wanted to keep my mouth shut, in hopes that not talking about it wouldn't spoil anything. I mean, how embarrassing would it be to talk, talk, talk about this program I was planning on participating in, gabbing to my advisor, my therapist, my new aquaintences and lifelong friends and then have to explain that, no, actually it didn't work out?

I got in. So here it is. This summer, I'll be riding my bike from Providence, Rhode Island to Seattle, Washington. I know, it sounds crazy, but as soon as I found out about the organization (Bike & Build), I knew I wanted to do it. I'll probably have to rearrange a few finals at the end of Spring quarter to fly to Providence, but my CHID advisor has assured me that my professors will more than likely be supportive.

Bike & Build has six trips during the summer, each traveling through a different area of the country. Each group of about 30 people aged 18-25 ride across the country and stop at predetermined places along the route to help build affordable housing homes. I chose the Providence to Seattle (P2S) trip; the five other "tours" are Central U.S., Northern U.S., Providence to San Francisco (P2SF), Southern U.S. and North Carolina to San Diego.

I seriously suggest checking out the site. While you're there, check out my bio on the P2S Current Roster. And if you decide to apply, let me know!

27 October 2006

And to think, the nebula was actually created in a petri dish

An "Experience" is all I can say about describing the The Fountain, written and directed by Darren Aronofsky (of Pi and Requiem for a Dream) and starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz.

I saw a free advanced screening the other night at The Neptune. Amazing. I think I'm actually going to pay to see it again when it is released in theatres (22 November 2006).


Totally worth it, if only for the amazing cinematography. Hugh Jackman blew my socks off.

15 October 2006

Recap I

First off, I'd like to apologize for my lack of posts. Once my classes started, I had this incredible guilt thinking of writing a blog instead of writing a paper. Plus, my camera phone wasn't able to send my email any pictures for a couple weeks, so I mainly used that excuse.

So here I am. Week 4 of classes is almost here. Shall we do a quick recap of the highlights?

  • Trampoline guy is still at it across the street, though thankfully, he's been keeping it limited to maybe an hour or so a day (maybe more if he's being considerate and jumping mostly while I'm at class). Z has already mentioned his idea of going across the street at 3a and cutting a big hole in the trampoline. Mandy (the former OrthoJew II - she's really not bad at all) wants to do something more destructive, like take springs off of it or something...It's not like I want to kill the guy - I just want to kill his trampoline.
  • Kevin (from the main floor) and Z went fishing for apples out the empty room's window. I have pictures to prove it.
  • And speaking of, a new guy moved into that empty room on my floor. Surprisingly, he's the guy I met who was looking at the house when I came to sign my lease.
  • Also, the other empty room in the basement actually belongs to a guy named Ricky. Apparently, he's losing his eyesight or something. He does that blind person thing of not looking directly at someone when he's talking to them, so I'm not sure where to look when I'm talking to him.
  • Tom, one of the three guys in the attic, has been spotted carrying several odd items into the bathroom, namely a big jug of Minute Maid orange juice. I'm not sure I want to know what's going on there.

Crap. I didn't recap any of my classes. More later...I promise.

21 September 2006

"I'm just keeeeeding!"

I've been meaning to post for a couple days now, but I wanted to wait until my phone was working properly enough to send pictures to my email to post. (Rereading that sentence is really confusing me, but I don't really care enough to rewrite it.)

On Tuesday, Z and I drove down to Ikea and shopped for a new mattress. As the absolute hilarity of the event has subsided, I will just have to make due with pictures.











Here's Z, doing his best impression of Fred Armisen as the Venezuelen nightclub comedien Fericito.

(This is the only way we could fit the foam, queen-sized mattress into my Dodge Neon. )

Housemates II

For the past week or so, I've done some "investigative research," yet no one in the house could tell me who resided in the room next to mine.

As I mentioned before, there are four rooms on the second floor: Z, me, an open, empty room and a closed door next to mine. I was starting to worry about the possibility of smelling the horrible stench of death permeate the hallways until, to my amazement, yesterday morning I heard the distinct sound of jangling keys closer the Z's room. My door was open, so (I thought) I had a pretty good view of the open area just beyond my door.

After a bit of confusion and a sudden belief and then disbelief of invisibility among humans, I finally met Vincent, the newest addition (to me, at least) in the house. Vincent has apparently lived here for over a year, but was gone for the past two months to be at home in Hong Kong (?). He's a grad student at UW studying Speech & Hearing Sciences.

It makes me slightly curious as to why no one had a clue as to who lived in that room, since he's only been gone two months, though the housemates that have lived here for awhile did recognise him ("oh yeah, Vincent! I remember him!").

He doesn't seem that unforgettable.

18 September 2006

Neighbors

Now that I've posted about my housemates, I'd like to say a few words about my neighbors.

To the lovely boys across the street, if you don't stop jumping on that damn trampoline, I'm going to come over and snap your legs in half. I can tolerate the bouncing noises for 15 minutes or so, but don't you think five hours straight is pushing it a bit? How about this: you get ahold of Richard Branson and the three of us will have a little chat about sending you on a one-way ticket to space. That way you can experience anti-gravity all you want.

And you people across the street: if I wanted to listen to death metal on repeat all morning, I'd have already downloaded all of Slipknot's music collection. I'm not saying classical music would be any better, but really, come on now. When my relatives come up to visit, I don't want them asking me with gaping mouths "you live here?!" Could you turn it down a notch? Why don't you use this handy little idea: see that pretty street divider between our houses? You know, the one with all the pretty trees in it? If you stand there and still can hear your music, do us a favor and turn that shit down.

And to whomever was playing techno music twenty minutes ago: play some Paul Oakenfold or something. Even Strongbad's techno was better than that crap you were playing!

15 September 2006

Housemates

As I mentioned before, my new house has fourteen rooms and at least eight people so far. For my sake (and possibly yours), let's break it down:

Basement (two rooms, I think):

Alex/Sasha: I still haven't met this guy, but I heard he's Russian.

Chris: long haired, scruffy guy who I thought was homeless and was just wandering around. Apparently he works at Bon Appetit, a restaurant inside Nordstrom downtown.

Main floor (five rooms):

Tony: Have seen him once and his girlfriend, Bianca, much more. He's a construction management major at UW and Bianca goes to Western. She told me they fight a lot but "don't feel uncomfortable! We do it all the time!"

OrthoJew II: From what I heard from Z, she isn't very nice and gets really pissy. I tried to make conversation with her, but she just left after telling me her name.

Robert: Older guy. No idea what he does.

Kevin (?): Asian guy who let me use his filtered water pitcher.

Second floor (four rooms):

Z: Hot Tunisian doctor here to study Public Health at UW. He speaks three languages (french, arabic and english) and last year, was with the group of students studying at the American University of Beirut who were forced to evacuate when the bombing started in Lebanon. He has a thick accent and uses the word "retarded" a lot. His blog is in french, but can be translated with Google.

me

Third floor (three rooms):

J: the tall, skinny one I met first, on my way up the stairs on moving day. He likes rap and rock and specialises in stealing guys' girlfriends.

Tom: Older guy. Like in his forties.

R/D: was convinced his name was Tony until last night. Claims he doesn't do anything, job-wise, and pays his rent by being "blessed".


Looks like there's only one other girl so far, other than Bianca. Hmmm.

12 September 2006

Movin' in

This weekend I moved to my new room in a lovely house in the U-District! I've gotten everything set up, with only a few boxes still somewhat full. I have this cute ledge around the corner under the two windows, which is big enough to display my pictures and things. It's even big enough to sit on!

I've met a couple of the people who live here. Surprisingly, a couple of them are older men. I'm trying not to get too creeped out by that, as I do have a lock on my door. Oh, and I found out that the house has fourteen rooms, not eight.

I also started my new job yesterday. Alice, age 2 1/2, is very articulate with her words, making her even cuter once she opens her mouth. We had a fun time coloring and playing ball, and her mum let me use the internet after Alice went to bed.

Looks like things will *hopefully* be working out for me; now, the wait until the 27th.

07 September 2006

I always love free stuff!

Remember the post about me loving free stuff?

No? Well, go back and read it.

I'll wait...


From the same company that rewarded my with a year subscription to Budget Travel comes my newest gadget, a digital voice recorder (7500 points). Yeah, I know that the thing costs like $35 at Best Buy and that 75 surveys is a lot to take to get this for free, but I don't have $35 to be spending, k? Plus now I can pretend to be extra important like doctors do!

The last time I had one of these, it had a mini tape and the batteries ended up eroding in the back. I'd never seen anything like it before. I could never get it to work after that...

Much better than any trip to Idaho!

As I mentioned earlier, I got the Labor Day weekend off to attend a "family reunion in Idaho," and on Saturday, headed up to Seattle for a weekend of Bumbershoot! The festival bragged such acts as Kanye West, A Tribe Called Quest and AFI, but what they didn't mention was the lines. Seriously, I thought I had woken up in Disneyland.

At past festival-type shows, A and I have made a detailed plan of action before we even hit the venue and this time was no different. With schedule print-outs and a map of the Seattle Center in hand, we headed out for our first Bumbershoot experience.

We had planned to use our Warped Tour strategy and see whole shows if possible, but at the very least, leave stages early and catch the last of other bands' sets. But oh no. The lines were horrible. We arrived casually late on Saturday (about 2p) and headed over to the Comedy Stage South (Charlotte Martin Theatre) for the 3p Asssscat with Upright Citizens Brigade show. What we found was a line wrapping around the building. A Bumbershoot volunteer told us that the line was now forming for the 4.30p show behind the 3p line.

Discouraged, we decided to leave the line and head over to the other side of the venue to see The Epoxies at 4p. We waited on line for about an hour for a band I'd never heard of, and once the show started, I waited about twenty minutes before telling A that I was going to leave and get in line for the 5.30p north comedy stage. Good thing I left when I did.

The line was already at least a hundred deep when I got there at like 4.30p.


Bumbershoot was awesome, don't get me wrong. I saw my first live comedy show(s) (not including ComedySports in Spokane) and had lots of yummy food. And those reasons alone were worth the price I paid. Especially for buying a ticket for cheap on eBay three days before. But it's almost worth it to buy the "Platinum Pass" just to not wait in lines. Too bad that pass is $200 more than I paid for mine.

Movin' on

Quitting my job has been very anti-climactic. Two weeks ago, I asked for the Labor Day weekend off (Saturday-Monday) to go to a "family reunion in Idaho" and didn't expect to receive the days off. My plan was to come in and pick up my schedule last Tuesday, notice that I was scheduled to work over the weekend, tell them that I had specifically asked for it off and then quit. Because, hello! It's a family reunion! In Idaho! A 7-hour drive!

(Un)fortunately, and quite surprisingly, they scheduled around my shindig. So today is my last day. Since K-12 classes started on Tuesday, our town theatre has reduced the hours of operation and now opens at 3.30p instead of 11.30a. I'll be working by myself for three hours and then will turn in my stuff. Maybe I should shout "I QUIT!" really loudly before I leave and throw my things on the desk. Or, better yet, use a line from Half Baked, turn to my coworkers and point and yell "Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, you're cool, and fuck you, I'm out!"

Eh. We'll see.

28 August 2006

No, I'm sorry, we don't have "the 9/11 movie" at our theatre. We DO have World Trade Center, though.

In honor of the ending of my summer job, I'd like to add one last entry to the plethora of posts dedicated to the stupidity I deal with at work.

When I decide to pay to see a movie at the theatre, I have usually seen enough advertising for the movie to know a bit about the plot, the actors and occasionally the director. With commercials on tv, to reviews in magazines and weekly papers and often a great deal of chatter online, not only do I pick up on the plot and such, I am repeatedly bombared with the name of the film.

What I fail to understand is why people come up to the box office and have no clue what the title is of the movie they want to see. I'm not going to be picky and complain about the people that mispronounce Barnyard (Barn Jard), Poseidon (Poise-i-don, Po-sid-eon) or Talladega Nights (Tadellega) but I am slightly peeved when people have asked for Over the Edge, Invisible or Lady in the Lake/Pool.

What really gets me is the people that come up and basically make us guess which movie they're referring to. Sometimes, we have no clue; other times, we box office folk know which movie the customer is digging for, but act clueless watch them suffer and get frustruated. A couple examples:
  1. An elderly lady came up and asked for a ticket to the Michael Douglas movie. Had I not already seen You, Me and Dupree, I could have really acted clueless, but she was old so I decided it wasn't worth it.
  2. Someone asked for a ticket to "the car movie", but didn't specify whether they'd prefer the animated or live action film. Granted, if they had small children, I could safely bet on the former, but really, guessing can be quite tricky.
  3. Along the same lines as the second example, two senior citizens requested tickets for the Meryl Streep movie. This would've been easy had A Prairie Home Companion and The Devil Wears Prada not been at our theatre at the same time.

The absurdity of the questions people ask us during the course of our shifts continues to baffle me. My co-worker was asked if John Tucker Must Die was a murder mystery. Another customer even referred to it as John Tucker Might Die. When The Devil Wears Prada was in theatres, I remember a set of parents asking if the film was a scary flick.

And, of course, I've already been asked on three different occasions what Snakes on a Plane is about.
Seriously.

I'm ashamed to say I honestly didn't even see that one coming.

23 August 2006

Not much to report

It's been a week, but there's nothing much to report, other than I secured a part-time job as a nanny for the school year.

I kinda feel like there's nothing else for me to do but wait it out until I move (in two weeks). Work is still giving me about 10-13 hours a week, mostly weekends.

Since I've done the going-away-to-school thing before, I already have most of the stuff I'll need. The house has a full supply of cookware, plates and utensils, so I don't really need to bring my hand-me-down kitchenwares. And I already have all the lamps, sheets and decorations I need to make my new room cozy. So what else do I need to do/get to prepare? It's hard to make a check-list of things to pack when pretty much everything is going with me.

My parents bought me a refrigerator for my room and they still owe me a bike, as they gave mine to my sister-in-law (I'm not that heartbroken over it - it's purple and orange and says JAZZ! on it...not something I want to be seen on past the age of 13). I don't want to get a cheap bike, just something that looks like crap so no one will attempt to steal it. This old friend of my brother's moved to Seattle for college, and during his first quarter, bought a $600 mountain bike and promptly had it stolen. I'm not sure if he didn't lock it up properly with a u-lock, but whatever. The point is, this may be the best bike I'll ever be able afford, considering that I'm not paying for it, so I want to get a good one. My parents have been looking at Wal-Mart, Costco and Fred Meyer, but I'm hoping I can tempt them into spending much more than they planned and go to a bike shop to make the purchase.

Granted, I have no idea what I'm really looking for, so any tips would be greatly appreciated!

16 August 2006

University District, 98105

While I was in Seattle yesterday for a doctor's appointment, my dad and I did a preliminary search for a room/apartment near campus. I brought various craigslist ads with me for reference and thought we'd just call some numbers from apartment building signs when we got there.

We finally found a spot on 17th near 50th to park the truck, my dad's Dodge Ram diesel extended cab, longbed pickup, and got ahold of the folks at Husky Place/Husky Court. I'm familiar with their rooms, as A used to live there, but I wanted to see what the "smaller" rooms look like and how much cheaper they are. For like $550, I could get a room the size of a large bathroom, or, for $650, I could snag a room about the size of 10'X15', with a private bathroom. The buildings are a half block from the university, but the electricity, cable and internet would be up to me.

The second place we saw was a room in a cute house just down the street from where we parked. It had a room for rent sign on the lawn. The landlord came to the property and showed us inside. The house has eight rooms I think, five bathrooms, newly painted interior and new wiring to include cable in each room. For only $585, I get the room and all of the utilities paid for. Not just water/sewer/garbage and electricity; it includes cable television and wireless internet. The only drawback is that it's two long blocks from the university.

We looked at one more place (as I said, this was just a preliminary search - we were planning to come back in a couple weeks to look again), the Upstairs/Downstairs Apartments. They offered rooms in 5-6 bedroom apartments for, um, I don't even remember how much. I was so turned off by the smell that I didn't really pay much attention. The apartments she showed me had wood paneling and generally reminded me of the Brady house (and not in a good way).

After my appointment, Dad and I came back to the U-District, met up with A, went for ice cream at The Mix and decided that the second room was just too good of a room to pass up. We called the owner of the house once more and coerced him into coming back to the area so we could apply and hand him a check!
Imagine a window behind the tree...this is my new window!
(The tree isn't there anymore)

The earliest I can move in is 3 September, but the landlord is willing to hold it for five days at his expense, so I don't have to start paying rent until the 8th.

Now I need to find a job, hopefully on or near campus,, and find a bike to take with me (my mum is demanding I return hers).

On another note, I quit my second job today. Back to the 12-hour a week cinema.

14 August 2006

Note to self: let Nursing Assistant certification expire this year

So I haven't posted anything in almost a week. Reason?

I got a job working the graveyard (no pun intended) shift at a local nursing home last Tuesday and started Thursday night. Since that first night, I've been working 12-hours continuously (four hours at the cinema, eight hours at the nursing home) and have gotten by on just about four hours of sleep a day.

The job entails lots of specific unpleasantries* that I won't go into here for the sake of your lunches. When I accepted the job, I figured I'd be making rounds checking on the residents to make sure they weren't dead, as well as restocking gloves, bags and other necessities in the rooms.

What I failed to remember (having been a nursing assistant years ago) is that most residents in care facilities are incontinent, especially at night.** So, not only do I go to each room and replace water cups, I also check to see if the resident has soiled their briefs.*** Eighty-five percent of the time, I will be changing said briefs and repeating the action at least once more during the course of the night.

I won't go into the imagery for you to ponder, as I'm sure if you're willing, you could conjure up a fairly accurate, if simplified, mental picture. Don't forget to include rolling the (really heavy) person back and forth to position the linens and brief and you're pretty close. I'm not even mentioning how the activity smells.

I feel bad about it, but I'm already thinking of quitting. Changing my sleeping schedule so drastically has reduced me to a dizzy narcoleptic. I've even been having trouble focusing on my image when I look in the mirror.

I just don't know how much more I can take.

I was going to post a picture, but I decided that this related Saturday Night Live commercial parody was easier to search for.


*yes, I'm sure I'm making this word up, but I'm exhausted
**of bladder AND bowel
***a fancy word for adult diapers

06 August 2006

I AM pretty graceful with The Golfer's Lift though

So I really hurt my back. At least two or three times I week lately, I wake up with an uncomfortable pain in the center of my back, right near my bra strap. The pain will usually last maybe twenty minutes or so and will go away when I fall back asleep or when I finally go get breakfast.

I came to the sad realisation that I have never flipped my queen size bed (the one I've slept on for at least ten years) even though I always sleep on the left side, so I enlisted my dad's help* in the venture while I finished my laundry on Wednesday evening.

Unfortunately, when I woke up Thursday morning, the pain was still there, though it was more tolerable (I think). On Friday, the pain returned and came and went all day, but by yesterday, it seemed to have gone after I exercised.**

Today, I woke up with the pain and it has lasted all day, even through four advils. I used a different, more supportive chair at work (instead of a stool) and stayed sitting in a comfortable position through as much of the day as possible. Sitting upright felt the worst.

I can think of only one reason left as to why I'm in still in pain since I*** flipped my mattress: Operation: Awesome Auntie. How could I have been subject to physical pain from the (seemingly) harmless techniques of brainwashing little children? Because I'm the idiot that never paid attention to safe lifting techniques at work and instead laughed at posters like these.

In trying to be the Best Aunt Ever, I scooped my little neice up in my arms every chance I could get. I even felt the little lightning bolts of pain (as shown here) a time or two.

Other than that, the only things really exciting in the past couple days is that I went to see Barnyard with my mum and Kaitlyn (so not worth it - even Kaitlyn gave it a yucky face), saw Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby with my dad (hilarious! - I pulled a muscle in my rib area from laughing so hard at the end) and I went to the store in my pajamas and bought Lucky Charms this morning.

In review:
  • Always maintain proper lifting techniques
  • Use a pro-active approach to mattress flipping
  • Lucky Charms keeps the spirits up.
  • Go see Talladega Nights. Shake 'n Bake.

*Actually, he did all the work. I was downstairs.
**for the first time in over a month
***Once again, Dad gets credit for this one.

03 August 2006

Must.Sleep.Now

Y'all better watch out, 'cause I just joined the planet's Most Awesome Auntie award and I'm bringin' it!

Actually, I've been an aunt for almost five years, but due to being out of the loop for most of them, I'm at a disadvantage. Yet what's great is that my neice and nephew are now of the age in which, if I move quickly and stealthily, I can bypass the introductory stages and right into what's known in the inner circles as "Operation: Awesome Auntie".

How it works is beside the point (and full of trade secrets), but the objective is clear: flood the minds of the impressionable young children with messages, often subliminal, of love, compassion and coolness to accelerate my status to the top of the boards. However, I've talked with the higher-ups and they've given me clearance to share a few "insider secrets", if you will.

1. When the n/n (industry jargon for neice/nephew) comes into town, it's utterly imperative to cancel all plans and prepare.* Without this step in place, the visit could prove disasterous.

2a. Debrief everyone within earshot that you will now be referred to as Aunt (insert name here). Decide on a name to be called and stick with it. No changing to nicknames halfway through the game. These little people confuse easily and only setbacks will come from that.

2b. With name in place and n/n in tow, slip your new moniker in as much as possible. Tactics such as referring to yourself in the third person and even subliminal placement is covered in chapters five and six.

3. Get as much rest as you can, provided that you've already fulfilled your obligations of night-time duty (if n/n is an OnG - overnight guest).

And with that, I must heed my own advice and go to sleep. I was awoken around 4a to screaming from the other room and am now drifting into sleep again.


*The handbook goes into more detail in chapter 3, but since we're limited, let me explain: being prepared can be anything from meditating to baking cookies, even opening all of the cabinets in the kitchen. It's all individual, per the n/n's interests. Making an easy-to-use strategic flow sheet or spreadsheet has also proven fruitful.

30 July 2006

Smelly Cat: Part Two

"What followed next was wretched. 'Twas not another cat, but a cute little black and white creature. The smell hit seconds later and the creature disappeared into the corn. We had been skunkified."

And now, for the continuation to Smelly Cat:

Realising what had just happened and knowing that I'd never be able to get to the store smelling like a skunk (and believe me when I say that I know how well my car can hold an odor), I kept my cool and walked Daisy over to my house. As soon as we hit the grass, she started to roll, but I managed to get her up to my front door and tie her leash around a post. I hastily entered the house, grabbed the cordless phone and the dog leashes, hooked up the dogs and brought them outside with me to figure out what to do next. I called my parents and asked them to pick up some tomato juice at the store and told them the news.

About 25 minutes later, my parents arrived and Daisy was sequestered in her kennel, but since my dogs had gotten close and sniffed her, I didn't want to take any chances. The three of us (my dogs and I) had waited patiently in the mosquito-filled night for my parents to give us the sniff test.

After smelling Lucky and Chess individually, Dad concluded that only Lucky had small traces of skunk-funk in her hair. Moving on to me, Dad smelled my hair, neck and hands and deemed me safe to return inside. But when I came inside and recanted the story, I couldn't help but smell the horrible aroma follow me. Mum sniffed my legs and said she didn't smell anything, but Dad told me that I should probably stay on the safe side and use the tomato juice.

Now, I'm sure that most of you have never had the joy of bathing yourself in tomato juice, so I will have to be very clear: tomato juice in no way feels or smells erotic, especially when cold. If your significant other ever suggests dousing yourself in a food substance to "spice things up", I urge you to look elseware. Go with the cliched whipped creme and chocolate sauce. Never let him or her douse you with tomato juice, regardless of its temperature. It will only intensify his or her craving for a grilled cheese sandwich. And that will only leave you sexually frustrated.*

Imagine, if you will, taking a cold shower, rubbing shampoo in your hair and soap all over your body. Now, replace the water, shampoo and soap in the scenario with tomato juice. That's right. Recall, if you please, the texture of said juice. Remember, it's not the same light and refreshing liquid as apple juice; it's about as thick as the soup variety. Now, once again, imagine massaging that soup into your hair, down to your scalp. Use the loofah and drench your legs and arms in the sauce. And don't get it in your eyes when you wash your face with it.

Grossed out? Yeah. Me too. That's why my shower lasted a good 40 minutes and ended with me vigorously shampooing my hair with three different shampoos and one extra-pretty smelling conditioner.

As for the dog, we dumped her in the stand-pipe, doused her in tomato juice and rinsed her off. Quick three minute procedure and she was ready to shake.

She still smells, but heck, she's not my dog.


*I can only imagine one scenario in which these circumstances could prove fruitful, but unless you and yours have an unhealthy appetite for tomato juice and are very multitalented, it's best to be avoided.

Smelly Cat: Part One

Yesterday was a classic bad day. Bad enough that I decided to sleep on the day's events and write about it today. In light of events surrounding an old friend and an accident she was in, though, it's not that bad.

This weekend, my neighbour, who happens to be my paternal uncle's sister-in-law, is out of town, so she asked me to feed her plethora of outdoor cats and her small dog. I thought it'd be a good opportunity to let her dog, Daisy, spend more time with my two dogs (meaning sniff time).

Before work yesterday, I wasn't feeling very well when I woke up at 5.15a and couldn't get back to sleep, but I didn't think much of it. I retrieved Daisy from next door and leashed up my dogs and took them for the walk down to the road to get the morning paper. I came back, returned my dogs to our yard, fed Daisy and the fourteen cats (I'm actually not exaggerating that number - I really counted fourteen) and went to work.

When I returned from work, I wasn't feeling well, as I had vomited in my mouth a little earlier, so I took a nap. Around 8p, I went to the neighbour's, fed the cats and thought I'd take Daisy for a walk.

Daisy and I didn't get very far before she tested the boundaries of her leash by jumping in some bushes near the cornfield. Thinking it was a cat, I leaned in to get a closer look and see if it was one of the cats I recognised, or if it was yet another cat. Bad idea.

What followed next was wretched. 'Twas not another cat, but a cute little black and white creature. The smell hit seconds later and the creature disappeared into the corn. We had been skunkified.

27 July 2006

Just as good, if not better, than Free Sample Saturdays at Costco

I love getting free stuff.

In elementary school, I began collecting business cards I picked up from various places: offices I'd visit with my parents, from booths in the sundome at the state fair and while participating in the Tour of Homes. The local library even used my collection as one of its exhibits in the glass box when I was about nine or ten.

When I was in middle school, I used to look through the back of magazines and call the 1-800 numbers to obtain catalogues and such (I love getting mail too - but I'll save that for another post). High quality junk mail would follow 6-8 weeks later and I relished the (fabricated) attention.

In high school, I found myself visiting state websites to get "travel information" and ended up with a shoebox full of brochures attempting to lure me into visiting beautiful West Virginia and sunny New Mexico (which I just discarded after lugging it around from apartment to apartment over the years).

A couple years ago, I signed up for a few survey sites (I really like taking quizzes), mostly to feel as though my opinion was worth something to someone other than myself. The thing with many of these survey sites is that most of the time, you don't get any reward or appreciation for your time.* But the quality sites go even further. One such company** awards points per survey. For instance, if you take a survey and get weeded out, you get a smaller number of points than if you had been qualified to finish the survey. I've already cashed in some of my points to get a free subscription to Budget Travel magazine; just 150 more points until I can "buy" a digital voice recorder.

Another survey site sends me free samples to test and provide feedback. It doesn't happen very often, though. I've received a Logitech webcam (from a site testing a new camera-based chat application), a horrible shampoo/conditioner combination that made my hair feel like straw, and, about three weeks ago, another in-shower sample.

I think I'm prohibited from disclosing the brand name, but whatever. It's too good not to share. It's Pantene Brunette Expressions, another spin on those colour-enhancing products. I never thought I'd say this while using Pantene, but my hair feels fabulous. I keep running my fingers through it, it's so smooth. It was all due to the conditioner; the shampoo was really hard to rinse out. But you heard it here first. When this comes out on the market, go get it!***


*other than an entry into a "random $10,000 drawing!" and an occasional fridge magnet.

**I'd mention the site here, but they give points for referring people. And you should know by now that I can't get enough of those points.

***unless, that is, Pantene decides to sell it for $5.49 a bottle as the survey implied.

26 July 2006

Now this is what I'm talking about!

In a previous post, I proclaimed my (extreme) competitiveness regarding board games and the like. What I didn't point out was that I'm not a fan of Monopoly. The chance cards are hardly relevant, the prices are outdated and $200? Come on, even The Game of Life updated.

Well, this bit of news might turn my feelings about Monopoly around. Word is, the (basic) game has already gone a major overhaul in the UK and will be doing the same here in the States. Chance cards, prices, landmarks and even the money will all be updated, including (what I think is the best part), plastic debit cards! Remember the game Mall Madness? Anyone? That shit was awesome, if only for the credit cards!

24 July 2006

Rage...complete and utter rage

Tonight my dad and I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. The movie had great visual effects was witty to boot; I'd really have liked to pay attention to the film, but these piss-ants of children ran up and down the stairs every couple of minutes and gossiped back and forth with four rows between them. Throughout the movie, I plotted my move to get them to shut the hell up, from shh-ing them (which I did quite loudly once - it even caught my dad off guard) to getting up, walking over to them and telling them to stop ruining the movie for me and fuck off, to leaving the theatre to explain my rage in a calm manner to my least favourite (assistant) manager. By the time the credits started rolling, I felt like I wanted to pop out of my seat, jump over the rows and tackle those little bitches and slam their heads through the floor like in some Tarantino movie. Woah. Rereading those statements makes me sound like a horrible person. Yet I'm going to leave it because that's exactly what the most rewarding scenario felt like at the time.

The most I did, though, was catch up to two of the girls and say "hey girls - could you not talk through the movie next time?" I'm seriously all talk, people.

Let's hope I can take care of this inner rage before I turn into Naomi Campbell and beat people up over a pair of jeans.

Now, where did I put those anxiety pills?

22 July 2006

Titled "An Inconvenient Truth"

My ex-boyfriend told me about a conversation he overheard in the IMA locker room during spring quarter. He submitted it to overheardatcollege and they recently posted it on the site:
Dude #1: I’m going tanning later.
Dude #2: Where are you going tanning?
Dude #1: A salon; where else would you go tanning?
Dude #2: Uh…outside.

Snoozer of a week

It's come to my attention that I keep checking a couple of my favourite blogs and am disappointed to find that they have no new posts, though I haven't posted anything new here for the better part of a week. So for the three of you regulars, my apologies.

This week I:
  • (finally) finished the Battlestar Galactica Miniseries and first four episodes of Battlestar Galactica Season One.
  • went to Spokane and ate at the Pita Pit with Jacy and bought some organizational things at Target so I can feel more organizational.
  • started and completed a Clue puzzle I bought on eBay.
  • have since started another Clue puzzle I bought on eBay.
  • drew up a budget (is that the right phrase?) for this autumn and figured out how much I'd have to work to supplement the financial aid.
  • researched and responded to a couple ads on craigslists for rooms and apartments in the U-District.
  • shoveled a decomposing dead bird off of the front lawn and porch once I realised that, not only were my dogs the prime suspects in the death of the poor thing, they were rolling in the remains and then tricking me into petting them.
  • broke my boycott of Burger King and ordered a medium chocolate shake, a whopper jr with cheese (no pickles, no onions) and a Hershey's sunday pie.

None of these feats are reasons I haven't posted anything, though. I think I was in a rut this week. Hopefully posting this will kick me out of it.

17 July 2006

The Wait List

I was notified by UW Student Housing that, as of right now, I'm on a waiting list to get into a triple room for Autumn quarter. Additionally, if I am assigned a room, it won't be until after the quarter starts. So I'm going to be cancelling my application for that, of course. I've done the "triple room" hell before and won't be doing that again. It's bad enough to share a closet of a room with two 18-year-olds when you ARE an 18-year-old. I can't imagine living with two 18-year-olds in such a small space now that I'm 23. *shudders*

So the hunt is on to find a room in a house or a studio on the north end of campus for less than $500 a month. I still have to budget my grants and loans to decide how much I can actually afford to pay each month for a room, but right now, $500 is my ceiling.

13 July 2006

Movies, concerts and getting the hell out of town

On Monday, I took a much needed respite after the wedding and took an early-week retreat at an undisclosed location for some much needed, let's call it "R&R", shall we? Since no one knows where I've been for the past three days save me and one other person, I'll be as vague as possible concerning my whereabouts.

While I was gone, I used my hard-earned money to see Strangers With Candy. If you like Amy Sederis and Stephen Colbert (and like the tv show as well), I recommend it. The person I went with didn't want to see it and ended up having a good time.

Oh, and before I fled town, I saw Superman Returns. I don't know what the guys from Filmspotting are talking about. And Ebert & Roeper, what the hell? A "mild thumbs up" and a "mild thumbs down?" What is wrong with you people? I agree with Nish, Paul and Willy on this one. It was awesome. 4.5/5!

I have tomorrow off (I think) and then most of next week, so I hope to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and You, Me and Dupree after the Warped Tour on Saturday. Well, I hope I can go to the Warped Tour. I sold my ticket to the person I hung out with when I went MIA because I didn't think I'd get the whole day off this Saturday. As of now, I work from 5.30p-10p, but I might be able to plead with some coworkers to trade.

09 July 2006

How could you resist a hug from such a cutie?!

The wedding went off without a hitch! Thank God! And my hair looked great!

My neice and nephew were so cute as the flower girl and ring bearer!

As we took our photos in the church before the ceremony, Aidan insisted that my favourite Cars character could NOT be Mater, as it was the videographer's favourite. Mine should be the Porshe, as it is a girl in the movie.

Aidan (holding up sheet of Cars puffy stickers): "Which one is your favourite?"
Me (pointing to one of the two Mater stickers): "Mater!"
Aidan: "No. You can't choose that one."
Me: "Yes I can. My favourite is Mater. Make him change his favourite!"
(And later, after several go-arounds)
Aidan (pointing at the Porshe): "No. Your favourite is her. She's a girl."

Later, as I stood up with the wedding party bawling my eyes out during the ceremony, Aidan (who's four years old) came up and gave me a hug in front of everyone! It was so cute (and really needed by myself...i was a blubbering idiot up there). After the ceremony, we had fun with Aidan's Spiderman stickers he received from my mum as a reward for his bravery in front of everyone. Kaitlyn had more fun with her bubbles (see picture at left) than with her Winnie the Pooh stickers.

My dad was well past tipsy at the reception (he claims he must've had twenty beers); I've never seen him dance so wildly!


Everything went well except for the cake being completely different from the one Jamie wanted, though the cake delivered was very pretty. As my aunt said, things like that happen at weddings to give everyone something to talk about later.

Oh, and presents were stolen from the wedding reception. Yeah, I can't believe it either. We don't know how many, but we're going to be doing some investigative work with the present list, the gift registries and with those who attended the reception. Hopefully the thieves didn't get away with much. Bastards.


Now that the wedding is over, there is no other big event to count down to before I head back to UW. Any concerts in Seattle I don't know about yet? Any events I'm unaware of?

Two months left and I'll be back in Seattle!

08 July 2006

Really, how long are wedding pictures supposed to take?

I'm up. It's 3 in the morning the day of my brother's wedding and I'm awake. Granted, I'll be asleep again within the next 45 minutes if my Hypotheses of Early Mornings hold true.

It'd be so sweet if the reason for my early waking was due to my excitement for my brother (who is either a. passed out in a drunken stupor or b. still drinking at this hour), wouldn't it?. But I believe I'm awake because I passed out from the affects of wine drinkage at a measly 11p. That's right, folks. Two (oversized) glasses of wine at the rehearsal dinner and I'm good to go.

The rehearsal dinner went off without a hitch, the tables were set up so pretty (ahem...thank you) and I didn't have to sit anywhere near the Wicked Bitch herself, the Matron of Honor, thanks to the glorious last-minute placecard idea by yours truly.

My Future Sister-In-Law is definitely not a Bridezilla, though it might appear so to take a look at the schedule for the day:
  • 8a Bride, bridesmaids and mums to meet at a local salon for updos, continental breakfast and needless gossip at such an early hour
  • Bride, maids and mums head over to Bride's mum's house for continuation of prep (makeup, dressing, etc). Mimosa-drinking and carb counting among the girls to ensue in the all-too-familiar phenomenon as Hurry Up and Wait*
  • 12.30p Head over to the reception site for pictures
  • Travel to church and continue photography hell monotony session
  • 5p Ceremony begins; maids hopefully haven't wilted from the heat yet
  • After Reception

Notice the block of time scheduled for pictures. Three and a half hours. Of standing. In uncomfortable shoes. In 95 degree weather, no less.

And if I'm forced to dance to one of those horrific Reception staples (you know to which I'm referring if you've ever been to an generic American wedding), someone's gettin' a beat-down.

*Naturally, this phenomenon will undoubtedly occur at each mini-event today, at the most uncomfortable of times (i.e., when in close proximity to Hoochie Matron of Honor and Mother of the Bride). Phenomenon is characterized as seemingly endless, mind-numbing and anxiety-laden.

07 July 2006

Did you see where I put my anxiety pills? I think I'll need them ready...

I won't be typing much this weekend, as tomorrow is my brother's big day. Just got back from a pedicure and getting acrylic nails glued on.

When tanning the "traditional way" after my spray tan disaster wore off, I burned the hell out of my body, from my chest down to my, uh...legs. Not fun. Hopefully by tomorrow, the pain won't be so bad. I have to wear a corset, which already has the tendency to pinch in uncomfortable places.

This is me on the 4th. The first snack of the day. I haven't had one of these Nestle things in ages! And the snacking didn't stop there. Since my brother and his fiancee didn't stay for boating and fireworks, we had a whole load of foad for just the three of us.

With fried chicken, sandwiches, grapes, soda, water and tons of other snacks, I must've gained 5 pounds. Oh gosh, I hope I'll fit in my dress tomorrow!

Tubing pics to follow when I get the chance!

04 July 2006

Maybe someone should lend him the book The Jungle...he might reconsider eating all those hot dogs

Today, Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi will attempt to eat his way to first place for the sixth year in a row at Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. He holds the current record in hot dog eating, set at 53 1/2 in 12 minutes.

For a competitive eater, he has a nice body!


As for me, I'll be stuffing my face with junk food, fried chicken, soda and water (not necessarily in that order) as I hang out on the Columbia River and watch my brother fall flat on his face waterskiing as he attempts to impress his fiancee.

You'd think that'd be the best part of the day, but anchoring the boat and watching the fireworks to the sway of the waves is awesome. Here's hoping the waves aren't so strong all the chicken comes back up!

Have a great 4th!

29 June 2006

I look straight out of a sci-fi movie...in a non-flattering way

I woke up this morning to half of my new Mexican colour on my white sheets and comforter. My face, feet and hands, though, have gotten even darker. I washed my face with an exfoliating soap and it seems to have lightened things up, but my hands and feet are apparently going to remain 10 times darker than the rest of my body. Unless they, too, leave their traces over every article of fabric I touch. I've turned into an inkpad. I just noticed my keyboard has bits of spray tan on it...unless it's from the oreos and milk I ate in the light of my computer monitor last night.

Oh well. Hopefully it'll all fade in a couple days. I'm just glad I tried this out a week before the wedding. I guess I'll just have to resort to the traditional way of tanning. Anyone have any tanning accelerator I can borrow?

28 June 2006

Pale to Mexican in 10 minutes

Growing up, my summers were filled with camping trips on Chinook Pass and boating excursions on the Snake and Columbia Rivers, as well as daily swimming practices for the local swim team. All of this time in the sun helped my skin to tan, and occasionally burn, many times over come Labor Day. In high school, I followed in the path of my dad and brothers by lifeguarding; eight hours a day, six days a week of sitting out in the sun made me darker than some of my Mexican friends.

Of course, every winter I'd revert back to my pastiness and never notice the difference.

After working the past couple summers in indoor jobs, I apparently haven't gotten the same colour that I used to, because it has come to my attention over the course of the past year that other people think I'm very light skinned.

This doesn't bother me for two reasons:

1. Since I've already had four moles removed and two have been deemed pre-cancerous, I've become much more careful with my skin.

2. A guy I dated for 2 1/2 years repeatedly told me that he was more attracted to pale girls and was actually disappointed one summer when I started to visit tanning salons in search of a darker me.

However, considering that I'm a bridesmaid in my brother's wedding next Saturday, I decided that I'd look dreadful if I didn't get some colour on my body, as the dress I'll be wearing is this Pepto Bismal pink, which makes me look even more ghostlike than normal. And then people will wonder what that blinding light in the wedding photos is. And I will have to say "my friends, that glowing orb wearing a dress is yours truly."

So what did I do about this?

I decided to strip nekkid in front of a random employee at a salon in Grandview and allowed her to spray tanning solution all over my body. Yes, nekkid and yes, all over my body. Was it worth it? We'll find out soon enough, as it takes a couple hours to completely darken. But my arms are already a light Mexican colour. If it's not dark enough, the girl at the shop said she could make me Indian next week.

26 June 2006

Game Night is on!

When I was in elementary school, I joined the AAU basketball team because a friend played. I was such a horrible player; I didn't even understand the rules of the game until some years later. I also played softball in 6th and 7th grade, after years on the Parks & Rec t-ball and softball teams, and made the "B" squad, though I wasn't too coordinated with catching the ball. I tried out for volleyball and, much to my dismay, was sent to the "you-suck-but-we-have-to-let-you-play-because-this-is-middle-school" intramural team.

With that said, it's safe to say that I'm not one for physical sports. Well, scratch that. I like playing kickball and I love to swim. But I'm not very competitive while participating, probably because I just don't want to lose, or worse yet, confirm my depressing thoughts that I'm a loser. My enthusiasm is always in the game; the accompanying skills, however, are quite often absent.

Yet anyone who's every played a board game with me will tell you that I am a really competitive player. I absolutely love board games and feel really confident with my abilities to leave others in my dust as I race to the finish. My favourites are Clue Master Detective, Hotels (one surprisingly no one has ever heard of but me) and The Game of Life.

While I'm not one for cheating, in the past I've been known to "accidently" bump the board, and with pieces flying everywhere, this makes recovery and continuation of the game nearly impossible. Granted, this was back in high school. As I said, I'm really competitive. But I've matured a great deal since then, really!

Last night, a friend from work brought her boyfriend over and the three of us swam for awhile in the pool and then came inside and played Clue and The Game of Life (their choices!). We had a great time and all three of us were really into it. I was secretly grinning when, in Clue, after making his final accusation and discovering he was wrong, he was visibly pissed at Megan for a slight misunderstanding of who held the card for Sgt. Gray.

Timmy and I were collecting money left and right during The Game of Life, and both took great delight that Megan had to take a loan out to buy her house and made the lowest salary possible by the end of the game. By the end, she turned it around, and we got to laugh at Timmy for losing.

Finally I have a couple friends that not only understand my cutthroat attitude with board games, but enjoy beating each other down with little cars and pawns!

22 June 2006

Who would've known we'd run into bike protesters?

While I was sitting in the Park-and-Ride lot waiting for my friend Ingrid this morning, guess who decided to stare me down!

Yup! One of those sage rats again! I parked my car, casually looked up and about eight feet from my car stood this little guy. He stared at me for a good three or four minutes (seriously) in the same standing position before deciding to go on about his business and crouch down to eat something. He continued to munch on food until Ingrid showed up about ten minutes later and then disappeared.

Ingrid and I went on our 16-mile bike ride, this time from Grandview to Prosser and back. Once we got to Prosser, we ate really unhealthy breakfast at a national fast food chain off the freeway, after being scolded by a random woman while chaining up our bikes.

After our breakfast, we went in search of a OutWest Pet Grooming so I could buy some Greenies for my dogs. Just as we got to the store, crossing the intersection is a house.

No really. A house. Being pulled by a semi. Down the road. I thought that only happened in childrens' books. I mean, I've seen single and double-wide manufactured homes going down the freeway, but never a whole house.



Hmmm...I wonder if you could ship an entire house cross-country. It would save on packing and boxes. But what would happen to the basement?

21 June 2006

Somber

I don't feel writing anything resembling wittiness would be appropriate today, as 21 June marks one year since my lovely cousin passed away. Russell was my most favourite cousin and, as he was several years younger than me, I felt like he was more of a little brother than a cousin.

His home life was rough on him (his dad a drug user and absolutely horrible father and his mother doing the best she could); he was overweight and, being partly raised by our grandparents, our maternal grandfather had the prime opportunity to ridicule him constantly. From a young age, he was put at a disadvantage.

The last time I talked with him, I was really rude. The was some reason, but it all seems so petty now. I was supposed to see him that final weekend, but having chosen last minute not to take the 12-hour round-trip drive to attend another cousin's wedding (from my dad's side of the family) in Olympia, I missed my chance to see him. My parents visited with him, though, when they stayed with my mother's parents after the wedding. My dad said that he looked well and talked brightly of his college prospects.

His mother, my aunt, thinks he had fabricated having symptoms of ADHD so he could get the same prescription a fellow classmate had used. The classmate had lost some weight while using the drug.

Russell was in bed when he was discovered, by his younger sister's baby-sitter, after she hadn't seen or heard from him all morning. He had died of an apparent Adderall overdose. He was only eighteen.

My dad called me as soon as he heard the news. I have never wept before or since like I did that evening; many of the capillaries in my eyelids burst from being under such stress. I sobbed uncontrollably for hours on the floor of my bathroom. Thinking it was a suicide, I blamed myself for not being more available to him. Realizing it had to be an accident has helped me cope.

I miss him so much. I will never stop missing him. You hear that, Russell? Never.


As a serious and respected blogger over the age of 16, I've taken a silent oath to refrain from posting song lyrics; however, just this once, I'm allowing an exemption. It won't happen again.

Occured to me the other day
You've been gone now a couple years
Well, I guess it takes while
For someone to really disappear

And I remember where I was
When the word came about you
It was a day much like today
The sky was bright, and wide, and blue

And I wonder where you are
And if the pain ends when you die
And I wonder if there was
Some better way to say goodbye

Today my heart is big and sore
It's tryin' to push right through my skin
Won't see you anymore
I guess that's finally sinkin' in

'Cause you can't make somebody see
By the simple words you say
All their beauty from within
Sometimes they just look away

And I wonder where you are
And if the pain ends when you die
And I wonder if there was
Some better way to say goodbye
Some better way to say goodbye

-Patty Griffin, "Goodbye"

18 June 2006

I'll believe it when I see it, except in Bollywood!

Any of my friends will tell you that I despise musicals. I think it's absolutely ridiculous that the two gangs "fight" by singing and dancing in West Side Story. I can't get into guys hopping on cars and singing about "Summer Lovin'" in Grease. I don't buy that such macho guys would do that. I'm sorry. I just can't do it.

But I love love love Bollywood films! Granted, I've only seen a couple. I went in not knowing if I'd like the style, but while watching the first one, I really enjoyed it!

Maybe deep down I accept that Indian culture really permits, nay, encourages random bursts of singing and dancing. That, if I were to travel to Bombay, I'd actually experience a musical right before my eyes dancing down the street. Unseen speakers would blast beautiful musical accompaniment and perhaps backing vocals and the people in line at the shops would begin choreographed routines, lip-syncing and dancing all around me in a sea of happiness, saris and billowy outdated pants.

17 June 2006

This is almost as bad as believing Clark Kent and Superman look completely different!

I just finished watching Fire in the Sky. Wow. That's all I can seem to say about it.

While I don't think it'll be giving me nightmares (except the creepy claustrophobic scene with the piece of metal coming down towards his eye), I was rightly freaked out.

What also freaks me out is the fact that Robert Patrick was in this movie. I noticed his name on the Netflix envelope and couldn't place the name. I watched the whole movie and still couldn't place the name with any of the faces. Until I looked it up on good ol' imdb.com.




This is Robert Patrick. With those dreamy eyes, shaggy hair and down home style.




To my shock and horror, this is also Robert Patrick.This Robert Patrick is the man that haunted my dreams for a week when I was eight, after I watched Terminator 2: Judgment Day. This is the Robert Patrick I've been scared shitless of for the past fourteen years.What's even more conflicting is that the movies were made a mere two years apart!

I am so confused about how I feel right now.

16 June 2006

Just call me Snippy Sara

It could be the fact that I currently live with my parents and don't have to worry about rent. It could also be that, since my dad is paying me $20 a week to mow our ocean of a lawn, I don't have to worry about being broke. Regardless of the reason, I've come to the point in my life that I just don't give a fuck if I get fired. Sure, I can customer-service the hell out of someone, but I really just don't care sometimes.
Tonight, we sold out (well, not really...when a movie theatre "sells out" of a particular show, there really are between 15 and 40 seats left. it's totally a misnomer) of our 7.05p Fast and the Furious show. I promptly put up a "sold out" sign, in full view of the next person in line. He had to have seen me put it up and press down on the tape. Because he didn't seem blind when he proceeded to walk up to the counter and ask for two tickets to Fast and the Furious. He even acted shocked when I told him we had just sold out. "Really?" he questioned. Without a word, I pointed right next to his head at the sign I had, not thirty seconds earlier, posted that clearly stated such information.
Later, a girl walked up and asked for four tickets. Actually, it was more like:
Girl:"Me, her, him and her...?"
My response: *stares at her for a good ten seconds*
Girl: *stares back at me*
Me: and WHICH movie did you want to see?

And last night, a guy and girl came up to the ticket counter and, seeing the poster advertising pre-sale tickets for Superman Returns, said "two tickets for Superman," then quickly said "naw, jus' playin'. Two for The Omen". This statement seemed incredibly hilarious to the two. With an annoyed look, I said "Why was that funny?" to which he replied "Just shut up and give me my tickets." I asked him for his ID (they barely looked 17) and then stated "Please don't talk to me like that. I just wanted to know why that was funny. Honestly, I don't get it." After squabbling with me about how I was the one that "started it", I handed him his tickets with a big smile and gave him a "thank you" dripping with sarcasm.

Of course, after reading these examples, they sound watered down. But my writing on the topic could be stifled by my wearing of pajamas at the moment. I think a lot of the anger I develop over the course of a shift might actually come from the disgust of wearing a horrendous uniform and the stupid people just make it worse.

14 June 2006

Face, Meet Fist (and its friend Glass)

You know the type of people that think their own jokes are incredibly hilarious? (I'm not talking about you, A) The kind that think they are amazingly clever and original? Those are the kind of people that annoy me most while I'm at work.

Sure, there are the folks that come up to the booth asking for two tickets and really mean "one adult and two children".

There's the guy that, after peering through the glass for a good five minutes looking at our marquees, walks up and asks how much the ticket prices are, oblivious to the fact that the sign stating such information is clearly displayed on the wall just over my right shoulder.

What really irks me, though, is the forty-five year old man that saunters up to the counter with his wife and says "two seniors for Cars, please," knowing full well that the senior price is for those aged at least 65. Of course, this is followed by a head-tilting laugh/knee slap on his part, with him thinking how clever he must be. Because he must be the first and only person to have ever done that.

Meanwhile, I'm stone-faced on my side of the glass, moments away from shoving my fist through the glass and punching him in the face.

I kid you not, this happens at least once on most shifts. Equally as often is the same senario, yet the man asks for two child tickets. Also interesting to note is that the offender is always a white male and an incredible douchebag.

09 June 2006

I'd rather eat Tic Tacs for a day than monkey chow for a week, that's for sure

When I was in high school, I thought it was so incredibly absurd that Tic Tacs had nutrition labels "based on a 2,000 calorie diet", I decided to calculate how many boxes I'd need to eat in a day (only eating Tic Tacs, mind you) and follow the course. This wasn't an attempt to lose weight, although it should have been, considering that I was quite the heifer back then. It was more about proving the stupidity of Tic Tac nutrition labels.

After consuming over 7 containers of Tic Tacs (the light and dark green ones were my favourite), I had such terrible heartburn that I was forced to consider the fact that I might be the idiot in this case.

Today I stumbled across a website of a similar, if more disgusting, venture. Adam Scott, of The Last Angry Young Man, decided he'd try eating monkey chow for a week to save money on food and time on preparation and cleaning. Video diary links are posted on the blog as well.

Good luck, Monkey Man. Good luck. At least you're trying an experiment with a product you don't normally consume. My esophagus burns just thinking of eating Tic Tacs.