I'm not as excited about this as I'm told I should be, lol. I'm really quite happy, but I'm not looking forward to the expense. Therefore, I'm exploring my options and I'm gonna do as much DIY and "on-the-cheap" things I can.
I'm looking for a dress right now. I'm much more picky about what it looks like than some bullshit designer. I haven't found anything I love yet, but I'm gonna check out the department stores before I enter the dreaded bridal salons.
We're doing the summer wedding thing. But we're doing it on a weekday. I really wanted to do it on the solstice, but that's a Tuesday. Roger said, "Who gives a fuck if it's a Tuesday?" So, we're doing it on the summer solstice. :)
I'm gonna try to see if I can get a friend to take some engagement photos for us. That way they'll be cheap and I can use a picture on our invites. I'm either going to make the invites myself, or do them online through Kinkos or something similar. Depends on the pricing. I'm also gonna make labels to put on candies as wedding favors. I've seen them on hershey kisses and reeses cups before. It's just a fucking sticker on the bottom and they charge HOW much for that? Give me a break! lol. And hair and makeup will be provided via Mom; who used to do makeup for a living. I'm sure I'll think of more things I can do myself to add to this list.
My mom is looking into a possible venue, which seems really nice. If we do use this place it will be all outdoors and we can have the ceremony and the reception both in the same location, which I like. My mom knows someone else who is planning their wedding there and they said the owner of the property is a really fantastic older woman who will help with any and all arrangements you want her to. Since she's been renting out her space in this manner for a long time she knows all the good places to get bargains too, lol. Plus, I'm pretty fond of the notion of a free wedding coordinator coming with the venue. Especially since I'm going to be 2500 miles away until a few days before the wedding!!!!
Also, ceremony? I'm totally not fond of that concept. It seems way too formal for me and that would make me uncomfortable. A wedding is basically just a big party for me, so.... I'm gonna exclude all the bullshit I don't like. Unless Penn Jillette will be my officiant. Seriously. Where else am I going to find an awesome, intelligent, atheistic speaker who can both amuse and engage an audience?? I think I'm screwed, lol.
For now, I'm gonna dump some links here; of things I like and want to consider, in relation to wedding planning:
Real Weddings - A Traditional Wedding in Watertown, MA - White Bridal Bouquet
Real Weddings - A Traditional Wedding in Lost Pines, TX - White Orchid Bouquet
Real Weddings - A Casual Wedding in Denver, CO - White Wedding Bouquet
Real Weddings - A Vintage Wedding in Palmetto, GA - Vintage-style Pink Bouquet
Real Weddings - A Modern Wedding in Pittsburgh, PA - White Wedding Bouquet
Real Weddings - A Modern Wedding in Austin,TX - White Wedding Bouquet
Real Weddings - A Forrest Wedding in Estes Park, CO - White Wedding Bouquet
Real Weddings - A Traditional Wedding in Cambridge, MA - Pink Bridal Bouquet
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Don't read this if you don't want to hear about my VAGINA, lol
Preface: I recently had an IUD (also: IUC) inserted. For me this was a very painful and excruciating experience. It happened about 2 weeks ago, but I've started to have a little pain again over the last day or 2.
What follows is a pretty awesome chat convo:
What follows is a pretty awesome chat convo:
K: So is your new birthcontrol still bothering you?
Monday, November 8, 2010
Esco Faire
So, I had a good time this past weekend. I went to the small Ren Faire in Escondido. I met up with some people I haven't seen in a long time and others that I hadn't previously ever seen in person. I even met up with an old high school friend from PA, whom I haven't seen since mid-college (about 4-5 years ago). Strange to see where people end up in the world.
The faire runs for 2 weekends only, which is actually really shitty. I didn't make it the 1st day last weekend, but I made it the other 3 days. Apparently I change my costume too much, lol. Every day I dressed differently and did something different; this is a big change from being on cast at GLMF where I had to wear the exact same thing for 6 weekends straight - I think I got a bit carried away with this freedom, lol. The only problem is that I have a hard time talking to people b/c they don't realize I'm the same person once I'm dressed differently. This happens at faire a lot - you remember someone by their costume or a bit they were doing and it's hard to recognize them without it. I can't blame anyone, I never pay attention to faces.... I notice details that stand out and once faire is done those are usually gone.
The first day I went was Halloween, which I already talked about - I went as a zombie. This Saturday I brought Dahlia - my Tegu. I wanted to let him get some time out of the house, as we can't take him for walks or anything because our apartment's management doesn't know we have him. I figured he be a bit of an attraction, but I'm used to that when I take him out. OH MY GOD. I seriously under-estimated the amount of attention that he drew. I could barely walk 5 feet without getting stopped by at least 1 person. While I was stopped for 1 person a whole crowd would form. I should have charged for pictures.... I would have made a killing. Luckily Dahlia was a sweetie and was really well behaved. He walked around on his leash or I held him and only got 1 or 2 scratches. I felt bad for the people I was hanging out with though. Every time we tried to walk somewhere it took forever, because of how much we were getting stopped. I answered the same questions about Dahlia so many times that my friends started to rattle off the answers for me, so I could take a break, lol. By the end of the day Dahlia was so tired. And my arms were tired just from holding him all day.
The final day of faire I brought my cup. Yeah, this doesn't sound very impressive, but apparently it is. At GLMF it was common for a lot of the cast to walk around with our mugs on our heads. It was a nice passive-lotsy sort of bit that entertained patrons when we were too tired or had to walk across the faire grounds to get somewhere. It was common, a few people got a kick out of it, but it wasn't very impressive. We also never did it with anything made of glass; the cast typically steered away from glass drinking vessels as the faire grounds most mostly gravel. I have this really fancy looking, blue glass chalice that I now do it with. It's more difficult than a mug because the top is bigger and heavier than the base, but it sits perfectly on my head. I guess this just looks more impressive..... I don't have to worry about dropping it since 90% of the faire grounds are soft grass. I did this when I went to faire in the spring as well, so this has become how people recognize me. I love doing something relatively simple that others seem to think is difficult and are easily impressed by! I got my picture taken almost as much as the day before. I had a good time; and that's what counts.
In past I had begun learning to belly dance with the cup on my head. I couldn't do it this weekend because of the corset I had on, but I'm going to learn a little more for a belly dancer character/costume I may do in the future. The future where I'm comfortable showing off my stomach.... not sure when that will be, lol.
Unfortunately, the only bad thing about this weekend was what a poor excuse for a faire Esco really is. It was good to be able to get a faire fix relatively close to home, but it's not the real deal. The faire is tiny. There is ZERO street cast. They have a Queen that does walk around with her procession, but.... that's it. The guilds camp out in there encampments most of the time and go out to do a few interesting things. The guild I was hanging out with staged some bar fights and such, which is really interesting, but they don't really draw much of a crowd b/c they're not planning out well. They don't announce what's going on or anything. They have a "Battle Pageant" every day... it's..... different. It could be good.... I mean, it has potential. Unfortunately, it's more for the benefit of the guilds than the crowd. They announce things to the crowd, but you can never hear any of what they're saying. They make an attempt at dialogue to explain why they're fighting but you can never hear that either. I've attended on multiple occasions and it hasn't ever been better. All this faire seems to do is whet my appetite for real faire with atmosphere and presence. It doesn't help that they only do 2 weekends at a time.... it leaves no room for development and growth for those that participate. I know that for many I have met here this is their home faire: I'm sorry. I'm not trying to lessen the experiences many have had at this faire, but it's really just not enough for me.
P.S. I'm eagerly awaiting pictures from this weekend. I'll link or post some once I get ahold of them from others.
The faire runs for 2 weekends only, which is actually really shitty. I didn't make it the 1st day last weekend, but I made it the other 3 days. Apparently I change my costume too much, lol. Every day I dressed differently and did something different; this is a big change from being on cast at GLMF where I had to wear the exact same thing for 6 weekends straight - I think I got a bit carried away with this freedom, lol. The only problem is that I have a hard time talking to people b/c they don't realize I'm the same person once I'm dressed differently. This happens at faire a lot - you remember someone by their costume or a bit they were doing and it's hard to recognize them without it. I can't blame anyone, I never pay attention to faces.... I notice details that stand out and once faire is done those are usually gone.
The first day I went was Halloween, which I already talked about - I went as a zombie. This Saturday I brought Dahlia - my Tegu. I wanted to let him get some time out of the house, as we can't take him for walks or anything because our apartment's management doesn't know we have him. I figured he be a bit of an attraction, but I'm used to that when I take him out. OH MY GOD. I seriously under-estimated the amount of attention that he drew. I could barely walk 5 feet without getting stopped by at least 1 person. While I was stopped for 1 person a whole crowd would form. I should have charged for pictures.... I would have made a killing. Luckily Dahlia was a sweetie and was really well behaved. He walked around on his leash or I held him and only got 1 or 2 scratches. I felt bad for the people I was hanging out with though. Every time we tried to walk somewhere it took forever, because of how much we were getting stopped. I answered the same questions about Dahlia so many times that my friends started to rattle off the answers for me, so I could take a break, lol. By the end of the day Dahlia was so tired. And my arms were tired just from holding him all day.
The final day of faire I brought my cup. Yeah, this doesn't sound very impressive, but apparently it is. At GLMF it was common for a lot of the cast to walk around with our mugs on our heads. It was a nice passive-lotsy sort of bit that entertained patrons when we were too tired or had to walk across the faire grounds to get somewhere. It was common, a few people got a kick out of it, but it wasn't very impressive. We also never did it with anything made of glass; the cast typically steered away from glass drinking vessels as the faire grounds most mostly gravel. I have this really fancy looking, blue glass chalice that I now do it with. It's more difficult than a mug because the top is bigger and heavier than the base, but it sits perfectly on my head. I guess this just looks more impressive..... I don't have to worry about dropping it since 90% of the faire grounds are soft grass. I did this when I went to faire in the spring as well, so this has become how people recognize me. I love doing something relatively simple that others seem to think is difficult and are easily impressed by! I got my picture taken almost as much as the day before. I had a good time; and that's what counts.
In past I had begun learning to belly dance with the cup on my head. I couldn't do it this weekend because of the corset I had on, but I'm going to learn a little more for a belly dancer character/costume I may do in the future. The future where I'm comfortable showing off my stomach.... not sure when that will be, lol.
Unfortunately, the only bad thing about this weekend was what a poor excuse for a faire Esco really is. It was good to be able to get a faire fix relatively close to home, but it's not the real deal. The faire is tiny. There is ZERO street cast. They have a Queen that does walk around with her procession, but.... that's it. The guilds camp out in there encampments most of the time and go out to do a few interesting things. The guild I was hanging out with staged some bar fights and such, which is really interesting, but they don't really draw much of a crowd b/c they're not planning out well. They don't announce what's going on or anything. They have a "Battle Pageant" every day... it's..... different. It could be good.... I mean, it has potential. Unfortunately, it's more for the benefit of the guilds than the crowd. They announce things to the crowd, but you can never hear any of what they're saying. They make an attempt at dialogue to explain why they're fighting but you can never hear that either. I've attended on multiple occasions and it hasn't ever been better. All this faire seems to do is whet my appetite for real faire with atmosphere and presence. It doesn't help that they only do 2 weekends at a time.... it leaves no room for development and growth for those that participate. I know that for many I have met here this is their home faire: I'm sorry. I'm not trying to lessen the experiences many have had at this faire, but it's really just not enough for me.
P.S. I'm eagerly awaiting pictures from this weekend. I'll link or post some once I get ahold of them from others.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Halloween '10 - Zombie Pirate / Beaten [Pirate-] Housewife....
This is my Halloween makeup without the rest of my costume. Essentially the makeup was the costume so it doesn't matter what I was wearing. In this outfit I look like a beaten housewife.
The rest of the day I was at the Ren Faire in Escondido, so I was dressed up as a pirate - I was supposed to be a zombie pirate, but the bottom layer of makeup I did, which included slightly greenish skin and a ton of discolored bruises, didn't really show up anymore after I put the blood over it. Initially the costume included an eye-patch as well - the idea being that my eye had been ripped out - but..... I quickly discovered that you have extremely poor depth perception with only one eye. :( If I would have been at GLMF it probably wouldn't have been a problem, since I know the faire grounds like the back of my hand, but at this faire it just didn't work. So I quickly ditched the idea patch.
I also got many random comments.... some complimenting my makeup, but many more joking around about woman beating; people telling me to leave that man and what not. I think the creepiest part about this was that I got hit on - A LOT. Apparently guys find women that have been beaten incredibly sexy..... that just disturbs me.
The rest of the day I was at the Ren Faire in Escondido, so I was dressed up as a pirate - I was supposed to be a zombie pirate, but the bottom layer of makeup I did, which included slightly greenish skin and a ton of discolored bruises, didn't really show up anymore after I put the blood over it. Initially the costume included an eye-patch as well - the idea being that my eye had been ripped out - but..... I quickly discovered that you have extremely poor depth perception with only one eye. :( If I would have been at GLMF it probably wouldn't have been a problem, since I know the faire grounds like the back of my hand, but at this faire it just didn't work. So I quickly ditched the idea patch.
I also got many random comments.... some complimenting my makeup, but many more joking around about woman beating; people telling me to leave that man and what not. I think the creepiest part about this was that I got hit on - A LOT. Apparently guys find women that have been beaten incredibly sexy..... that just disturbs me.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
BATS!
I finally did my Halloween decorating.... that I've been tentatively planning since the beginning of the month.
It's BATS! I've never really been a fan of bats.... I didn't dislike them, but I wasn't drawn to them. I was always more fond of blood and skulls and things that are generally more jarring to the senses. But I fell in love with this idea I had. Now my entire living room is being invaded by bats. :) They are even lurking outside my front door. My next door neighbor has done a TON of decorating outside these last 2 days, so there's pretty much nothing for me to do out there, lol.
This is my neighbor's apartment:
This is outside of my apartment:
And THIS is my living room:
It's BATS! I've never really been a fan of bats.... I didn't dislike them, but I wasn't drawn to them. I was always more fond of blood and skulls and things that are generally more jarring to the senses. But I fell in love with this idea I had. Now my entire living room is being invaded by bats. :) They are even lurking outside my front door. My next door neighbor has done a TON of decorating outside these last 2 days, so there's pretty much nothing for me to do out there, lol.
This is my neighbor's apartment:
This is outside of my apartment:
And THIS is my living room:
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
I'm engaged!
My ring finally came in the mail today! Roger surprised me with it when I got home from work; we didn't think it would be here until tomorrow. :) It was custom made, which is why we were waiting for it. It turned out awesome. :) I totally love it!
This is why we can't have nice things!
Because our cats like to do this:
Almost every day. *shakes head*
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
DIY redecorating - and LOVING it!
Couch is DONE! w00t! So... what started off as just putting a slip cover over the couch kind of turned into essentially re-upholstering it, lol. But it looks sweet, so I'm happy. I'm going to make a couple throw pillows to draw in some more of the color from the curtains we got and maybe add a throw on the back of the couch too..... the cats think that is their personal bed and it makes cleaning the fur off way easier. Pics are on the way, probably tomorrow.
Next projects: fix boyfriend's uniforms, partial re-arrange of living room, throw pillows, finish living room curtains, build headboard and siding for bed.
Next projects: fix boyfriend's uniforms, partial re-arrange of living room, throw pillows, finish living room curtains, build headboard and siding for bed.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
What do I want?
My boyfriend recently asked me what I wanted and what would make me happy. I over-reacted at this simple gesture, because I mistakenly thought that he was inferring that he believed I was not happy. After getting myself all worked up over nothing he explained that that wasn't what he meant, he just wants to make me happy. I in turn explained that I didn't need him to buy me things to to keep me happy, there will always be things I want, but not often things I need.
There are many things I want; many of them contradictory. There are few things I need. I can be whimsical at times, but I don't tend to be impractical. I want to lose weight. I want an awesome DSLR. I want motivation to achieve whatever it is I choose to set my mind to. I want to be able to make up my mind to begin with. I want a whip. I want corsets. I want leather. I want shoes. I want to get married, but I'm secretly terrified of it. I want to be amazing; sometimes I think I am. I want to be successful. I want to have a job doing something I love and find fulfilling, but sometimes I don't want a job at all. I want to go back to school. I want to not be afraid of rejection. I want to be talented; I feel that I am, but I'm a jack of all trades and don't really shine at any one thing. I want to see my family. I want to have people in my life that I care about in some capacity. I want an electric piano. I want a bamboo tenor sax. I want dental insurance. I want to be fearless. I want to rid myself of chronic headaches. I want a photographic memory; or at least a good normal memory. I want nail polish that doesn't chip and hair that does what it's supposed to. I want a hammock. I want quiet time with the man that I love. And I want to be sappy sometimes and get away with it. I want to help my family. I want to fix the government and our country. I want birth control without side effects! I want net neutrality. I want to abolish the two-party political system. I want to always be able to add something, meaningful or otherwise, to this list.
Most of all, I want to believe that all of this is possible, attainable and within my grasp. I don't want to wait to live my life until it's too late. I'm so happy with where I am currently in the world that I don't want to become complacent and forget that I still have more to do with myself.
There are many things I want; many of them contradictory. There are few things I need. I can be whimsical at times, but I don't tend to be impractical. I want to lose weight. I want an awesome DSLR. I want motivation to achieve whatever it is I choose to set my mind to. I want to be able to make up my mind to begin with. I want a whip. I want corsets. I want leather. I want shoes. I want to get married, but I'm secretly terrified of it. I want to be amazing; sometimes I think I am. I want to be successful. I want to have a job doing something I love and find fulfilling, but sometimes I don't want a job at all. I want to go back to school. I want to not be afraid of rejection. I want to be talented; I feel that I am, but I'm a jack of all trades and don't really shine at any one thing. I want to see my family. I want to have people in my life that I care about in some capacity. I want an electric piano. I want a bamboo tenor sax. I want dental insurance. I want to be fearless. I want to rid myself of chronic headaches. I want a photographic memory; or at least a good normal memory. I want nail polish that doesn't chip and hair that does what it's supposed to. I want a hammock. I want quiet time with the man that I love. And I want to be sappy sometimes and get away with it. I want to help my family. I want to fix the government and our country. I want birth control without side effects! I want net neutrality. I want to abolish the two-party political system. I want to always be able to add something, meaningful or otherwise, to this list.
Most of all, I want to believe that all of this is possible, attainable and within my grasp. I don't want to wait to live my life until it's too late. I'm so happy with where I am currently in the world that I don't want to become complacent and forget that I still have more to do with myself.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Planning is the 1st step toward Procrastination
Things I would like to work on:
- developing a photography portfolio
- get some writing done that can be used as good samples, preferably concentrating on a specific category of reporting or similar style
Neither of those would be very difficult if I could actually get my act together and just do it. The photography is theoretically easier, but most of my work lacks portraits.... or humans. This is mostly an artistic choice, and I stand by it. But, if I would like to possibly submit the portfolio in hope of finding work then I really need to get some good "people shots." I would also need a better camera..... or perhaps I would be better suited to learn some editing techniques and start touching up my current work.
Things I NEED to do, rather than want to:
Take my GRE.... study for my GRE.... sign up for a fucking date to take my GRE.
Obviously not quite in that order. I'm still moderately dreading it. Plus I'm double bad at studying without a deadline. I work well under pressure, extremely well in many cases. Without that pressure I simply don't work... not very productive there. So, the new plan is to see how far in advance I can schedule my GRE test date. That way I will be forcing myself into a deadline, but I will also still be giving myself as much time as I can spare. I need to get my application together for submission by September. I still need to email two Poli Theory profs and cross my fingers, too. Then I need to eventually find my 3rd recommendation letter....
*le sigh*
And now, a picture that makes anyone feel better:
The gorgeous Deborah Ann Woll, as True Blood's Jessica Hamby.
(I have not yet been able to locate the source to properly credit this photo. If anyone has that information, I would very much like to have it.)
- developing a photography portfolio
- get some writing done that can be used as good samples, preferably concentrating on a specific category of reporting or similar style
Neither of those would be very difficult if I could actually get my act together and just do it. The photography is theoretically easier, but most of my work lacks portraits.... or humans. This is mostly an artistic choice, and I stand by it. But, if I would like to possibly submit the portfolio in hope of finding work then I really need to get some good "people shots." I would also need a better camera..... or perhaps I would be better suited to learn some editing techniques and start touching up my current work.
Things I NEED to do, rather than want to:
Take my GRE.... study for my GRE.... sign up for a fucking date to take my GRE.
Obviously not quite in that order. I'm still moderately dreading it. Plus I'm double bad at studying without a deadline. I work well under pressure, extremely well in many cases. Without that pressure I simply don't work... not very productive there. So, the new plan is to see how far in advance I can schedule my GRE test date. That way I will be forcing myself into a deadline, but I will also still be giving myself as much time as I can spare. I need to get my application together for submission by September. I still need to email two Poli Theory profs and cross my fingers, too. Then I need to eventually find my 3rd recommendation letter....
*le sigh*
And now, a picture that makes anyone feel better:
The gorgeous Deborah Ann Woll, as True Blood's Jessica Hamby.
(I have not yet been able to locate the source to properly credit this photo. If anyone has that information, I would very much like to have it.)
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
7 Months of San Diego
I should really post something more than once a month.... at least slightly more.
Yesterday the radio traffic report informed me that the highway was full of teddy bears. Unfortunately it was not the highway that I was on. If it had been I may have stopped for a souvenir, or at least an interesting photo. I haven't been doing much real photography lately, so it would have been nice to get some interesting shots. San Diego is a beautiful place, but most of the sights are very.... photo typical. It's not really anything that hasn't been seen or that would peak any interest. I'd really like to get a decent portfolio going so that I could possibly get some work doing wedding photography. I would also need a better camera though. Something that has been on my "WANT" list for a couple years now, but has never made its way to top priority. I mean, how could it when there are super important things like whips, corsets and knives to buy??! lol.
In other news, I've discovered over the past few months that I mesh well with San Diego drivers. I've always been an aggressive driver, which never really suited my previous demographic. It blends well here. Some drivers can be assholes, but it's that way no matter where you are. For the most part I have discovered that San Diego drivers will let you do/go where you want as long as you take the initiative. If you are hesitant, it won't work. If you sit there, slow down and wait for someone to let you in.... it might work, but not in real traffic, only if you're coming out of a parking lot or something. If you just take your car and put it where you need to be, people will make way for you. It seems to be a mutual thing of respect even, lol. Oh, and you have to be driving fast - always - in order for this to work. But... that's never been much of a problem for me.
I also have gotten so used to 4+ lane highways, that I now feel cramped when driving on a 2-3 lane highway. I was never really afraid of big highways though.... like pretty much everyone back home.
Until next time, kids; hit me up with photography suggestions - my creativity is currently void.
Yesterday the radio traffic report informed me that the highway was full of teddy bears. Unfortunately it was not the highway that I was on. If it had been I may have stopped for a souvenir, or at least an interesting photo. I haven't been doing much real photography lately, so it would have been nice to get some interesting shots. San Diego is a beautiful place, but most of the sights are very.... photo typical. It's not really anything that hasn't been seen or that would peak any interest. I'd really like to get a decent portfolio going so that I could possibly get some work doing wedding photography. I would also need a better camera though. Something that has been on my "WANT" list for a couple years now, but has never made its way to top priority. I mean, how could it when there are super important things like whips, corsets and knives to buy??! lol.
In other news, I've discovered over the past few months that I mesh well with San Diego drivers. I've always been an aggressive driver, which never really suited my previous demographic. It blends well here. Some drivers can be assholes, but it's that way no matter where you are. For the most part I have discovered that San Diego drivers will let you do/go where you want as long as you take the initiative. If you are hesitant, it won't work. If you sit there, slow down and wait for someone to let you in.... it might work, but not in real traffic, only if you're coming out of a parking lot or something. If you just take your car and put it where you need to be, people will make way for you. It seems to be a mutual thing of respect even, lol. Oh, and you have to be driving fast - always - in order for this to work. But... that's never been much of a problem for me.
I also have gotten so used to 4+ lane highways, that I now feel cramped when driving on a 2-3 lane highway. I was never really afraid of big highways though.... like pretty much everyone back home.
Until next time, kids; hit me up with photography suggestions - my creativity is currently void.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Why blog?
Why, oh why, do I want to write things anywhere other than on you?
I guess I will have to explore this problem later..... as I have gotten used to a 5am bedtime, but it's already 5:40am; waaaaay past my bedtime.
In other news, Red Dead Redemption is h4wt. I will elaborate later.
I guess I will have to explore this problem later..... as I have gotten used to a 5am bedtime, but it's already 5:40am; waaaaay past my bedtime.
In other news, Red Dead Redemption is h4wt. I will elaborate later.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
US Soldiers in Afghanistan Remake Lady Gaga Video - Tonic
This is awesome, hilarious and creepily well-done. The one guy can really dance, lol. So much for "Don't Ask, Don't tell".... tehe, I kid, I kid.
US Soldiers in Afghanistan Remake Lady Gaga Video - Tonic
US Soldiers in Afghanistan Remake Lady Gaga Video - Tonic
Friday, April 23, 2010
A Beautiful Sentiment
"If the colleges were better, if they really had it, you would need to get the police at the gates to keep order in the inrushing multitude. See in college how we thwart the natural love of learning by leaving the natural method of teaching what each wishes to learn, and insisting that you shall learn what you have no taste or capacity for. The college, which should be a place of delightful labor, is made odious and unhealthy, and the young men are tempted to frivolous amusements to rally their jaded spirits. I would have the studies elective. Scholarship is to be created not by compulsion, but by awakening a pure interest in knowledge. The wise instructor accomplishes this by opening to his pupils precisely the attractions the study has for himself. The marking is a system for schools, not for the college; for boys, not for men; and it is an ungracious work to put on a professor."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
San Diego Radio
San Diego radio stations play way too much of music that is best heard seldomly. There are many bands and songs that are still enjoyable when you hear them on the radio because they have a certain sense of nostalgia to them. Yet, those same songs become a nuisance when heard with a greater frequency.
This is the formula for San Diego radio. They take songs that are enjoyable when heard once in a blue moon and, apparently using the assumption that you can't have too much of a good thing, they play these songs and others by the same bands way more than anyone (in their right mind) would ever want to hear them. It takes songs that I don't normally mind and makes them mind-numbing.
Some bands that are played way too much for enjoyment include: Tool, Offspring, Everlast, Nirvana. Just off the top of my head.
I don't think I've heard the song Hash Pipe, by Weezer, played on the radio in years. When I heard it a week or two ago, I wasn't put out by it and was able to initially enjoy it in that "oh man, I haven't heard this in years!" sort of way. Now I've heard that song on the radio 3 or 4 more times in the past week. The same has happened with a number of Tool and Offspring songs as well.
Radio here is hit or miss. There are good days and there are bad days. For example, the other day was a good day. I got in the car, flipped through the stations and almost immediately found "Closer" by NIN playing. I was instantly pleased b/c I don't hear NIN on the radio very often. I rolled down the windows, turned the volume up and jammed out happily. When it was over, some terrible song came on. I once again flipped through the stations only to miraculously found more NIN playing - "The Hand That Feeds" - this time on a different station. All in all, this pretty much made my day. However, there are also days like this morning: as I'm dropping the boyfriend off for work "Smells Like Teen Spirit" comes on. At first it's just background noise and I'm not paying attention. After saying goodbye to the boyfriend (by this time almost to the middle of the song) I realize I can't continue listening to Nirvana and I change the station. Only to find the exact same song, just beginning, on another station. Seriously? Was someone at that station listening to other one going, "Hmmm, Nirvana, that's a good idea!" This tragedy was only remedied by the fact that another switch of the station led me to "Don't Stop Believing", which pretty much makes any situation better. San
Alas, there are about 5-6 radio stations that don't completely suck. None of them are good enough to listen to all the time though, I have to constantly change between them. I had hoped that moving to a big city I would at least have better radio options.... well, I guess technically having any stations that don't suck 95% of the time is actually better than normal, lol.
This is the formula for San Diego radio. They take songs that are enjoyable when heard once in a blue moon and, apparently using the assumption that you can't have too much of a good thing, they play these songs and others by the same bands way more than anyone (in their right mind) would ever want to hear them. It takes songs that I don't normally mind and makes them mind-numbing.
Some bands that are played way too much for enjoyment include: Tool, Offspring, Everlast, Nirvana. Just off the top of my head.
I don't think I've heard the song Hash Pipe, by Weezer, played on the radio in years. When I heard it a week or two ago, I wasn't put out by it and was able to initially enjoy it in that "oh man, I haven't heard this in years!" sort of way. Now I've heard that song on the radio 3 or 4 more times in the past week. The same has happened with a number of Tool and Offspring songs as well.
Radio here is hit or miss. There are good days and there are bad days. For example, the other day was a good day. I got in the car, flipped through the stations and almost immediately found "Closer" by NIN playing. I was instantly pleased b/c I don't hear NIN on the radio very often. I rolled down the windows, turned the volume up and jammed out happily. When it was over, some terrible song came on. I once again flipped through the stations only to miraculously found more NIN playing - "The Hand That Feeds" - this time on a different station. All in all, this pretty much made my day. However, there are also days like this morning: as I'm dropping the boyfriend off for work "Smells Like Teen Spirit" comes on. At first it's just background noise and I'm not paying attention. After saying goodbye to the boyfriend (by this time almost to the middle of the song) I realize I can't continue listening to Nirvana and I change the station. Only to find the exact same song, just beginning, on another station. Seriously? Was someone at that station listening to other one going, "Hmmm, Nirvana, that's a good idea!" This tragedy was only remedied by the fact that another switch of the station led me to "Don't Stop Believing", which pretty much makes any situation better. San
Alas, there are about 5-6 radio stations that don't completely suck. None of them are good enough to listen to all the time though, I have to constantly change between them. I had hoped that moving to a big city I would at least have better radio options.... well, I guess technically having any stations that don't suck 95% of the time is actually better than normal, lol.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
A Horse is a Horse, of course
Some guy I spoke to on the phone at work the other night definitely offered me a horse, in exchange for fixing his email. I told him I would have taken him up on the offer, except that I had no where to keep a horse, lol.
The problem was that the guy lives out in the country, where he can have his horses, but because he lives in the country the only internet access he has available is DIAL-UP. That's just plain cruel right there. Other countries have deemed high-speed internet to be a basic human right and, although I think that's a little bit silly, I do still think that we have a long way to go in this country to getting everyone affordable high-speed internet access. I just don't think we need to call it a basic human right in order to convey that this is something everyone is entitled to.
Anywho, I had really already fixed the guy's problem before he even offered me the horse. But since he had dial-up and was on the phone with me (haha, 7th grade memories) he couldn't actually test what I had told him until he was off the phone. Plus I couldn't tell him what steps to take with 100% certainty because he didn't even know what browser he was using.... yeesh... when I asked he told me Net Zero, lol. I'm like, ok.... well, they could have their own browser built-in, similar in evil to AOL.
But when he FINALLY did get off the phone with me he never called back. The phones were dead for most of the night too, so that means it must have worked. It also means he now owes me a horse. Although he did say that he had one crappy horse.... I wonder what qualifies a horse as crappy. My boyfriend said I should have asked him if his horse was amazing.... or if it tasted like raisins.
Frankly, this horse is supposed to be amazing, but it looks pretty crappy to me:
The problem was that the guy lives out in the country, where he can have his horses, but because he lives in the country the only internet access he has available is DIAL-UP. That's just plain cruel right there. Other countries have deemed high-speed internet to be a basic human right and, although I think that's a little bit silly, I do still think that we have a long way to go in this country to getting everyone affordable high-speed internet access. I just don't think we need to call it a basic human right in order to convey that this is something everyone is entitled to.
Anywho, I had really already fixed the guy's problem before he even offered me the horse. But since he had dial-up and was on the phone with me (haha, 7th grade memories) he couldn't actually test what I had told him until he was off the phone. Plus I couldn't tell him what steps to take with 100% certainty because he didn't even know what browser he was using.... yeesh... when I asked he told me Net Zero, lol. I'm like, ok.... well, they could have their own browser built-in, similar in evil to AOL.
But when he FINALLY did get off the phone with me he never called back. The phones were dead for most of the night too, so that means it must have worked. It also means he now owes me a horse. Although he did say that he had one crappy horse.... I wonder what qualifies a horse as crappy. My boyfriend said I should have asked him if his horse was amazing.... or if it tasted like raisins.
Frankly, this horse is supposed to be amazing, but it looks pretty crappy to me:
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Womanly Endeavors
Today I cooked.
Since I'm dieting I don't like to eat very much. The fact of the matter is that I'm not hungry very much and I'm trying to avoid eating unless I'm hungry. I've discovered if I eat a big lunch in the mid-afternoon that it does me good for pretty much the whole day. I don't get hungry much sooner than that, considering my typical day begins around 10. It also helps b/c if I'm going to work in the evening I will have just eaten before leaving for work, thusly eliminating the dangerous potential for getting hungry at work and eating something terrible.
It also works out pretty good with the boyfriend's schedule. If I cook a late lunch for me it ends up being an early dinner for him as well. Plus if I make enough he still has food when I go to work.
So today I made that time-honored, family-dreading cliche that is a CASSEROLE. Haha. It was the first casserole I ever made. I'm not entirely sure if the boyfriend is sold on the idea of shoving all your food together, but he seemed to enjoy it. I'm pretty content with making one thing, but he tends to gravitate toward a more rounded meal, i.e. meat and potatoes (or at least side dishes of some sort). It still had meat in it, chicken to be precise, as I doubt my boyfriend would be capable of eating a meal that lacked meat, lol. (Although he has developed a recent fondness for tofu...) I mixed in a variety of veggies: carrots, broccoli and water chestnuts, and topped it with stuffing. I thought it was yummy, only problem is there is a TON leftover. I guess I will be eating it again tomorrow.
Since I'm dieting I don't like to eat very much. The fact of the matter is that I'm not hungry very much and I'm trying to avoid eating unless I'm hungry. I've discovered if I eat a big lunch in the mid-afternoon that it does me good for pretty much the whole day. I don't get hungry much sooner than that, considering my typical day begins around 10. It also helps b/c if I'm going to work in the evening I will have just eaten before leaving for work, thusly eliminating the dangerous potential for getting hungry at work and eating something terrible.
It also works out pretty good with the boyfriend's schedule. If I cook a late lunch for me it ends up being an early dinner for him as well. Plus if I make enough he still has food when I go to work.
So today I made that time-honored, family-dreading cliche that is a CASSEROLE. Haha. It was the first casserole I ever made. I'm not entirely sure if the boyfriend is sold on the idea of shoving all your food together, but he seemed to enjoy it. I'm pretty content with making one thing, but he tends to gravitate toward a more rounded meal, i.e. meat and potatoes (or at least side dishes of some sort). It still had meat in it, chicken to be precise, as I doubt my boyfriend would be capable of eating a meal that lacked meat, lol. (Although he has developed a recent fondness for tofu...) I mixed in a variety of veggies: carrots, broccoli and water chestnuts, and topped it with stuffing. I thought it was yummy, only problem is there is a TON leftover. I guess I will be eating it again tomorrow.
New layout
I say "Huzzah!" for the stretch layout I have changed to. Now I no longer shall suffer the evils of my posts being cramped into narrow columns and my embedded videos being cut off prematurely on the right side!! It makes everything look more streamlined. I'm quite pleased with it.
Easter Earthquake
Yesterday was Easter or, as the boyfriend and I like to call it, Eatser. I actually cooked. It was pretty fun, lol. I made a ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, sweet potato casserole, etc. Well, technically the boyfriend made the sweet potatoes, but anyway... The food was surprisingly good; I'm always surprised when I cook and it turns out good. The only thing that I royally fucked up was the gravy. I had no idea what I was doing.... put in way too much corn starch. I was pretty upset about it and felt that I had ruined the whole meal. But my boyfriend comes along and he's just like, "Ohh, it's not so bad." He watered it down and made it edible. I still didn't think it was very good, but he ate it. I'm not sure if he just ate it to make me feel better, but I appreciate his effort either way. <3 He also made me feel better by letting my know that children world-wide would rejoice at the fact that I had made ham-flavored GAK. Which is definitely what it was, lol.
After all that, he's cleaning up from dinner and I'm making my apple pie. I had to wait until after dinner.... I'm not yet very good at multi-tasking while cooking, lol. So, I'm putting the pie crust on when it seems like someone in the apartment above us is running..... Except it didn't stop. I was pretty confused. I look at the boyfriend, we exchange looks of "qua?" and then he says, "Earthquake." Even when he said it I was thinking there was no way we were having an earthquake, lol. But.... as the shaking didn't subside, I realized that was pretty much the only option. Luckily, the boyfriend knew that you're supposed to go outside during earthquakes (something which I was completely unaware of) and we hurried outside just as all our neighbors were running out as well.
The whole thing only lasted a minute or so and didn't really seem very frightening. I admit I was uncomfortable, but it is moreso due to the fact that an earthquake is one of those situations where you can do nothing except wait. We stood outside and waited, while the worst of the shaking subsided. We could see other apartments where the glass in the windows and doors looked like it was rippling.
Afterward we went back inside and continued what we had been doing. We felt 2 or 3 very small aftershocks in the following hour or so, but that was pretty much it. Nothing had fallen down or broken. The shaking had seemed pretty minor. I was pretty shocked when it was later reported to have been a magnitude 7.2 earthquake.... it certainly didn't seem like much. But the epicenter was also a bit south of us, in Mexico, so I'm sure the further north we were the less we felt.
I texted my family to tell them about my abnormally eventful holiday and, of course, was met with many responses of worry and concern, which I quickly abated as unnecessary. Many San Diego natives that I spoke with said that this is the first time they have felt an earthquake after living here many years. That's comforting, lol. I didn't think it was very bad, but I wouldn't want them to become a frequent and, potentially, worsening occurrence.
Huzzah for new experiences and excitement - way cheaper than a roller coaster and less motion-sickness!
After all that, he's cleaning up from dinner and I'm making my apple pie. I had to wait until after dinner.... I'm not yet very good at multi-tasking while cooking, lol. So, I'm putting the pie crust on when it seems like someone in the apartment above us is running..... Except it didn't stop. I was pretty confused. I look at the boyfriend, we exchange looks of "qua?" and then he says, "Earthquake." Even when he said it I was thinking there was no way we were having an earthquake, lol. But.... as the shaking didn't subside, I realized that was pretty much the only option. Luckily, the boyfriend knew that you're supposed to go outside during earthquakes (something which I was completely unaware of) and we hurried outside just as all our neighbors were running out as well.
The whole thing only lasted a minute or so and didn't really seem very frightening. I admit I was uncomfortable, but it is moreso due to the fact that an earthquake is one of those situations where you can do nothing except wait. We stood outside and waited, while the worst of the shaking subsided. We could see other apartments where the glass in the windows and doors looked like it was rippling.
Afterward we went back inside and continued what we had been doing. We felt 2 or 3 very small aftershocks in the following hour or so, but that was pretty much it. Nothing had fallen down or broken. The shaking had seemed pretty minor. I was pretty shocked when it was later reported to have been a magnitude 7.2 earthquake.... it certainly didn't seem like much. But the epicenter was also a bit south of us, in Mexico, so I'm sure the further north we were the less we felt.
I texted my family to tell them about my abnormally eventful holiday and, of course, was met with many responses of worry and concern, which I quickly abated as unnecessary. Many San Diego natives that I spoke with said that this is the first time they have felt an earthquake after living here many years. That's comforting, lol. I didn't think it was very bad, but I wouldn't want them to become a frequent and, potentially, worsening occurrence.
Huzzah for new experiences and excitement - way cheaper than a roller coaster and less motion-sickness!
Lady Gaga guilt.....
This is probably the most incredible thing I've seen in a long time. It also feeds my guilty liking of Lady Gaga. I seriously do think she should do some work with Marilyn Manson. She is making the impact she wants in a genre where it doesn't seem possible. Her lyrics and style are very dark, I would really like to see that reflected in her music.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Yuffie Cloak
I have wanted for a very long time now to make a version of this cloak:
Though I would like the hat hat be a hood.
Still..... I can't decide on materials and I fear that, even if I did, I am not skilled enough to pull it off.
I would have liked to make it from scrap leather. However, that seemed more practical in PA..... I don't know how often I'd be able to wear leather in San Diego without cooking myself alive. I will have to explore my options. :)
Still..... I can't decide on materials and I fear that, even if I did, I am not skilled enough to pull it off.
I would have liked to make it from scrap leather. However, that seemed more practical in PA..... I don't know how often I'd be able to wear leather in San Diego without cooking myself alive. I will have to explore my options. :)
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Sam Harris' lecture at TED
I have never heard of Sam Harris before, but I'm interested in his work now; based solely off of this brief bio:
"Adored by secularists, feared by the pious, Sam Harris' best-selling books argue that religion is ruinous and, worse, stupid -- and that questioning religious faith might just save civilization."
This is extremely thought-provoking. The concept is a very interesting exploration....
"Adored by secularists, feared by the pious, Sam Harris' best-selling books argue that religion is ruinous and, worse, stupid -- and that questioning religious faith might just save civilization."
This is extremely thought-provoking. The concept is a very interesting exploration....
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Video Time
This is quite good. I'm a bit peeved that embedding is disabled.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLTqecGbdCc
The "ear scene" from Reservoir Dogs. Along with "Stuck in the Middle With You." A fantastic song that cannot be heard without bringing Res Dogs to mind.
Also, a new St. Patty's day piece from College Humor that I found quite amusing:
(the embed works, but it's supposed to be wide screen. If you'd like to view it without cutting off the right edge of the video go here: http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1930647)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLTqecGbdCc
The "ear scene" from Reservoir Dogs. Along with "Stuck in the Middle With You." A fantastic song that cannot be heard without bringing Res Dogs to mind.
Also, a new St. Patty's day piece from College Humor that I found quite amusing:
(the embed works, but it's supposed to be wide screen. If you'd like to view it without cutting off the right edge of the video go here: http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1930647)
Evil Facebooking
I haven't been blogging. I've been lazy. Well... moreso I've been facebooking. It's evil, you see. Anytime there is something I would normally blog about I just bitch about it briefly on facebook instead.
So, in an attempt to remedy this I'm going to go back through my facebook and post some of the more deserving bits here; where they belong. There may be a bit of rehashing and the events may not be 100% up to date, but I'm only going back through my last month's activity, so it's not going to be too irrelevant. We'll see.
I'm hoping to then get in the habit of posting things on here, rather than on facebook. The only nice thing about facebook, currently, is the potential for feedback that is quickly generated. I will have to connect with more people on blogger to correct that, as well.
So, in an attempt to remedy this I'm going to go back through my facebook and post some of the more deserving bits here; where they belong. There may be a bit of rehashing and the events may not be 100% up to date, but I'm only going back through my last month's activity, so it's not going to be too irrelevant. We'll see.
I'm hoping to then get in the habit of posting things on here, rather than on facebook. The only nice thing about facebook, currently, is the potential for feedback that is quickly generated. I will have to connect with more people on blogger to correct that, as well.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Omg! It's the ipad! (Everybody fellates Steve Jobs.)
Apple unveils iPad. Basically an oversized iPod touch. Highly unportable. Costs a billion fucking dollars. Naive general public goes nuts. Everybody else goes "WTF?"
http://www.pcworld.com/article/187956/hands_on_with_the_apple_ipad.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/187956/hands_on_with_the_apple_ipad.html
Monday, January 18, 2010
Dreams make no sense....
I had to drag myself out of bed b/c the dreams I was having were way too creepy. However, at some point in time I was aware that I was dreaming and was even able to consciously wake myself up. I've never been able to do that in a dream before. Most of my dreams go completely forgotten.
It began with me sitting on a large hillside, or perhaps even a mountain side. There were 3 men there, but I did not know any of them. We had apparently just done something illegal and had obtained a lot of cash. I don't remember what it was, but I know we each had wads of money. For some odd reason we had a bunch of point and shoot cameras that kind of sucked, but I was trying to figure out which one was going to work the best. There was one guy who was definitely in charge and he needed us to take pictures of something important...don't remember what. As I was going through the cameras, I was using each one to see how they worked. I got to this one that was pretty decent so I was taking some test pictures. I looked across the way and there was another mountainside. I saw a vehicle driving so I tried taking a pic to see how well it captured motion. The camera automatically zoomed in on the vehicle. At first we were bitching b/c we didn't want a camera that closed in on whatever it thought the subject of the photo was, but then we began to watch what was happening to the vehicle. It wasn't very clear (they were pretty far away), but they got out of their vehicle, some men came over the top of the hill and shot a few of them. Both groups were wearing some sort of uniform, so we couldn't figure out who exactly the good guys and bad guys were. All I can say is that the ones who did the shooting left afterward..... good guys would normally have to stay and report those things. After we saw this the guy in charge of my group told us we needed to ditch a lot of the cash we had to be safe. Most of us did, but the one guy showed me that he still had a lot of cash he was holding onto for himself. I was also told I could keep a piece of jewelry, which turned out to be my snake bracelet. I was wearing it in my dream even, lol.
After this I was suddenly outside of my mom's house. The house was different. It was in a somewhat quiet area and was extremely old. It was the sort of house that would have been extremely valuable and beautiful had to been properly cared for, but it had not. It wasn't in disrepair, just kind of shabby. I remember there being 2 camera boxes sitting on the porch when I walked in the front door. For some reason the mailman, or some similar delivery person, was supposed to be bringing a new camera and taking the boxes. I thought it odd that I had a recurring camera theme in my dream. I went inside and spoke with my mom, who had apparently starting using usenet.... I'm not sure why. I logged on my computer to see if she had actually learned how to post things on forums and, sure enough, I easily found her. Her handle was "Thirty1inHumanTwenty1inRabbit"..... it obviously didn't matter that my mom is 43, lol. I remember talking to her for awhile and how I wanted this really large, antique looking wardrobe that was in her living room. She wasn't using it. Instead she had covered the outside of it with cutouts of celebrities/characters from movies and a lot of other random things. It was all covered in posters or cutouts for sure though. The wardrobe was also sitting on top of another table.... not sure why again.
The dream then skipped ahead quite a bit. Before it had been light out and, despite weird things happening, the vibe had been calm. Suddenly I'm standing next to my car in an alleyway. It's completely dark outside and the alley is lined with fences. One of these fences is only chain-link and I can see into the yard there. There was a spicket coming out of the ground in the end of the yard with a shower head on it... although it was only about knee-height. I was standing next to the car doing something, though I don't recall what, when the spicket suddenly turned on. I became scared that someone was going to come outside and catch me so I decided I would leave and come back for the car shortly. I ran around a dark area that had tons of fences. I couldn't find anywhere to go. Every time I could see a way to go I would find there was an array of fences blocking my way. I was consciously aware of the fact that my dream had simply dropped me in that alleyway. I was pissed of because I knew if I had been able to remember how I had gotten there I would be more familiar with the area and would be able to get out. At one point in time I even circled around and found myself on the other end of the alley I had begun at. There wasn't anyone there, but I still didn't think it was safe to run back and grab the car.
I eventually found a building that had stairs going into it right from the ground level. The halls of the building were all open-air, so I could see up into it and see that it was also creepily lit up. There was a janitor visible on one of the levels who either told me I could come up, or simply gestured.... I can't recall. I went upstairs and spoke with him without actually remembering what was said. At some point in time though I gained the ability to clean anything. Yeah.... I know that sounds really weird. I believe I was supposed to be helping the janitor clean in exchange for staying there for a little while until I thought I could go back to my car. I had this short, metal rod with a sponge or rag or something, on the end of it. I was using this to clean things. For whatever reason, whenever I rubbed things with it they became instantly spotless. I'm not sure if the power was mine or the rod's, but I do know that it was a power. I remember the place being very creepy, and the lighting reminded me of a mental ward at night time. There was that faint, yellowish lighting that's only used before something bad happens. Somehow the fact that I was able to clean things was making the place seem less creepy.... things were literally sparkling after I had cleaned them. Eventually I came to a small, dingy bathroom. It was completely dirty. I went in and looked in the mirror; more creepy lighting. It was very confined and I was off alone somewhere. I started using the cleaning stick to clean it and nothing happened. I started to get upset and tried to clean it more vigorously. I tried to do it manually instead of using the "magic", but neither approach worked. I eventually became very frustrated and knew that something was wrong with the place. I punched the end of the rod into the wall repeatedly and could hear that it was somewhat hollow, but I could not break it. The vibe here was really, really wrong. I know it sounds dumb... I was in a messy bathroom or, moreso, a bathroom that wasn't able to come clean. But the vibe was horror-film, "something bad is about to happen, why can't the characters see it, b/c the audience sure as hell can?!" I woke myself up. I was apparently conscious enough to know that I didn't want to stick around. I woke up with that same bad feeling.... I went and turned on all the lights.
It began with me sitting on a large hillside, or perhaps even a mountain side. There were 3 men there, but I did not know any of them. We had apparently just done something illegal and had obtained a lot of cash. I don't remember what it was, but I know we each had wads of money. For some odd reason we had a bunch of point and shoot cameras that kind of sucked, but I was trying to figure out which one was going to work the best. There was one guy who was definitely in charge and he needed us to take pictures of something important...don't remember what. As I was going through the cameras, I was using each one to see how they worked. I got to this one that was pretty decent so I was taking some test pictures. I looked across the way and there was another mountainside. I saw a vehicle driving so I tried taking a pic to see how well it captured motion. The camera automatically zoomed in on the vehicle. At first we were bitching b/c we didn't want a camera that closed in on whatever it thought the subject of the photo was, but then we began to watch what was happening to the vehicle. It wasn't very clear (they were pretty far away), but they got out of their vehicle, some men came over the top of the hill and shot a few of them. Both groups were wearing some sort of uniform, so we couldn't figure out who exactly the good guys and bad guys were. All I can say is that the ones who did the shooting left afterward..... good guys would normally have to stay and report those things. After we saw this the guy in charge of my group told us we needed to ditch a lot of the cash we had to be safe. Most of us did, but the one guy showed me that he still had a lot of cash he was holding onto for himself. I was also told I could keep a piece of jewelry, which turned out to be my snake bracelet. I was wearing it in my dream even, lol.
After this I was suddenly outside of my mom's house. The house was different. It was in a somewhat quiet area and was extremely old. It was the sort of house that would have been extremely valuable and beautiful had to been properly cared for, but it had not. It wasn't in disrepair, just kind of shabby. I remember there being 2 camera boxes sitting on the porch when I walked in the front door. For some reason the mailman, or some similar delivery person, was supposed to be bringing a new camera and taking the boxes. I thought it odd that I had a recurring camera theme in my dream. I went inside and spoke with my mom, who had apparently starting using usenet.... I'm not sure why. I logged on my computer to see if she had actually learned how to post things on forums and, sure enough, I easily found her. Her handle was "Thirty1inHumanTwenty1inRabbit"..... it obviously didn't matter that my mom is 43, lol. I remember talking to her for awhile and how I wanted this really large, antique looking wardrobe that was in her living room. She wasn't using it. Instead she had covered the outside of it with cutouts of celebrities/characters from movies and a lot of other random things. It was all covered in posters or cutouts for sure though. The wardrobe was also sitting on top of another table.... not sure why again.
The dream then skipped ahead quite a bit. Before it had been light out and, despite weird things happening, the vibe had been calm. Suddenly I'm standing next to my car in an alleyway. It's completely dark outside and the alley is lined with fences. One of these fences is only chain-link and I can see into the yard there. There was a spicket coming out of the ground in the end of the yard with a shower head on it... although it was only about knee-height. I was standing next to the car doing something, though I don't recall what, when the spicket suddenly turned on. I became scared that someone was going to come outside and catch me so I decided I would leave and come back for the car shortly. I ran around a dark area that had tons of fences. I couldn't find anywhere to go. Every time I could see a way to go I would find there was an array of fences blocking my way. I was consciously aware of the fact that my dream had simply dropped me in that alleyway. I was pissed of because I knew if I had been able to remember how I had gotten there I would be more familiar with the area and would be able to get out. At one point in time I even circled around and found myself on the other end of the alley I had begun at. There wasn't anyone there, but I still didn't think it was safe to run back and grab the car.
I eventually found a building that had stairs going into it right from the ground level. The halls of the building were all open-air, so I could see up into it and see that it was also creepily lit up. There was a janitor visible on one of the levels who either told me I could come up, or simply gestured.... I can't recall. I went upstairs and spoke with him without actually remembering what was said. At some point in time though I gained the ability to clean anything. Yeah.... I know that sounds really weird. I believe I was supposed to be helping the janitor clean in exchange for staying there for a little while until I thought I could go back to my car. I had this short, metal rod with a sponge or rag or something, on the end of it. I was using this to clean things. For whatever reason, whenever I rubbed things with it they became instantly spotless. I'm not sure if the power was mine or the rod's, but I do know that it was a power. I remember the place being very creepy, and the lighting reminded me of a mental ward at night time. There was that faint, yellowish lighting that's only used before something bad happens. Somehow the fact that I was able to clean things was making the place seem less creepy.... things were literally sparkling after I had cleaned them. Eventually I came to a small, dingy bathroom. It was completely dirty. I went in and looked in the mirror; more creepy lighting. It was very confined and I was off alone somewhere. I started using the cleaning stick to clean it and nothing happened. I started to get upset and tried to clean it more vigorously. I tried to do it manually instead of using the "magic", but neither approach worked. I eventually became very frustrated and knew that something was wrong with the place. I punched the end of the rod into the wall repeatedly and could hear that it was somewhat hollow, but I could not break it. The vibe here was really, really wrong. I know it sounds dumb... I was in a messy bathroom or, moreso, a bathroom that wasn't able to come clean. But the vibe was horror-film, "something bad is about to happen, why can't the characters see it, b/c the audience sure as hell can?!" I woke myself up. I was apparently conscious enough to know that I didn't want to stick around. I woke up with that same bad feeling.... I went and turned on all the lights.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Sometimes my array of tabs amuses me...
I had way too many tabs open, so I went to close some. This proved to be rather amusing. Tonight, the tabs I have open included:
UCSD Poli Sci Department Staff listings
ZOYA: Nail Polish
Renaissance Festival.com
Society for Creative Anachronism
NFL.com
ESPN playoffs page
Facebook
Gmail
San Diego House Rabbit Society
DisapprovingRabbits.com
Women's Health
Blogger (obviously)
Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital of San Diego
Google image search for - "Kinkajou" (most adorable pictures ever)
I obviously love animals.... and ren faires, lol. But I find it funny that I had the nail polish tab open right next to the NFL tab. Wow... I confuse myself sometimes. Painting nails and watching the playoffs; that's some good shit right there.
I now decided that I also needed to open another tab:
Budk.com
My viewing or drooling over weaponry has been neglected lately and this is the perfect time to remedy that. :)
UCSD Poli Sci Department Staff listings
ZOYA: Nail Polish
Renaissance Festival.com
Society for Creative Anachronism
NFL.com
ESPN playoffs page
Gmail
San Diego House Rabbit Society
DisapprovingRabbits.com
Women's Health
Blogger (obviously)
Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital of San Diego
Google image search for - "Kinkajou" (most adorable pictures ever)
I obviously love animals.... and ren faires, lol. But I find it funny that I had the nail polish tab open right next to the NFL tab. Wow... I confuse myself sometimes. Painting nails and watching the playoffs; that's some good shit right there.
I now decided that I also needed to open another tab:
Budk.com
My viewing or drooling over weaponry has been neglected lately and this is the perfect time to remedy that. :)
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
R.I.P. Steve Arrington - Another day in Erie, PA
"By the time you hear the siren
It's already too late
One goes to the morgue and the other to jail
One guy's wasted and the other's a waste
It goes down the same as the thousands before
No one's getting smarter
No one's learning to score..."
http://www.wicu12.com/news/index.vnss?newsid=8806&type=News
http://yourerie.com/content/fulltext/?cid=92961
http://geedit.sx.atl.publicus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100106/NEWS02/301059889
http://www.wicu12.com/news/index.vnss?newsid=8810&type=News
http://www.wicu12.com/news/index.vnss?newsid=8808&type=News
I really don't care to make much commentary here, as there's not much I can say. I wish things in Erie were different, there are still a lot of people there I care about. I'm glad I'm not there anymore though, because of things like this.
I wish people weren't so stupid.... I don't know why the kid decided shooting someone sounded like a good idea, but I think the fact that he turned himself in shows that he didn't intend to kill him.... only to shoot him. People need to understand that hurting someone is exactly that. Guns aren't something you play with. Bullets do damage, that's what they're intended to do. Don't shoot someone unless you plan to kill them..... and if you do, maybe you should have a good fucking reason. I'm glad the kid is getting charged as an adult though. 17 is old enough to know better. Now another kid will grow up without knowing his father.
Also, Erie cops are worthless. The video isn't loading anymore, but one of the first people there was this old, black guy who they interviewed on this news. He spoke with Steve while he was laying on the ground bleeding. He saw the gun and saw that he had been shot and called 911; 911 had already been called. He then saw a police cruiser driving past, he flagged the officer down and told him that there was a man who had been shot, who was laying in the snow bleeding..... the officer told him he couldn't stop. It might not have made a difference, but the fact of the matter is... isn't that what cops are supposed to do? Stop when something bad happens. He didn't need to go chasing after the shooter or anything. He could have simply stopped and offered aid to someone who was dying. But no, Erie police don't seem to do that. Perhaps the neighborhood was too bad for the officer to want to get out of his vehicle.... such bullshit.
It's already too late
One goes to the morgue and the other to jail
One guy's wasted and the other's a waste
It goes down the same as the thousands before
No one's getting smarter
No one's learning to score..."
http://www.wicu12.com/news/index.vnss?newsid=8806&type=News
http://yourerie.com/content/fulltext/?cid=92961
http://geedit.sx.atl.publicus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100106/NEWS02/301059889
http://www.wicu12.com/news/index.vnss?newsid=8810&type=News
http://www.wicu12.com/news/index.vnss?newsid=8808&type=News
I really don't care to make much commentary here, as there's not much I can say. I wish things in Erie were different, there are still a lot of people there I care about. I'm glad I'm not there anymore though, because of things like this.
I wish people weren't so stupid.... I don't know why the kid decided shooting someone sounded like a good idea, but I think the fact that he turned himself in shows that he didn't intend to kill him.... only to shoot him. People need to understand that hurting someone is exactly that. Guns aren't something you play with. Bullets do damage, that's what they're intended to do. Don't shoot someone unless you plan to kill them..... and if you do, maybe you should have a good fucking reason. I'm glad the kid is getting charged as an adult though. 17 is old enough to know better. Now another kid will grow up without knowing his father.
Also, Erie cops are worthless. The video isn't loading anymore, but one of the first people there was this old, black guy who they interviewed on this news. He spoke with Steve while he was laying on the ground bleeding. He saw the gun and saw that he had been shot and called 911; 911 had already been called. He then saw a police cruiser driving past, he flagged the officer down and told him that there was a man who had been shot, who was laying in the snow bleeding..... the officer told him he couldn't stop. It might not have made a difference, but the fact of the matter is... isn't that what cops are supposed to do? Stop when something bad happens. He didn't need to go chasing after the shooter or anything. He could have simply stopped and offered aid to someone who was dying. But no, Erie police don't seem to do that. Perhaps the neighborhood was too bad for the officer to want to get out of his vehicle.... such bullshit.
Sherlock Holmes
Iron Man + Sherlock Holmes = YUM.
I only really say that because Iron Man was when I first really noticed Robert Downey Jr. And after reading about his sordid past I understand why. Now I absolutely love him. I don't usually both with celebrities, but if I had to pick my favorite actors/actresses he would be among them. (I avoid saying that I would pick him for my 1 favorite b/c I avoid those sort of choices all together.)
The movie was pretty awesome. I always adore anything set in that time frame. Although I like knowing that there will be a sequel, I do kind of get annoyed when the ignore ending the movie by replacing an ending with a cliffhanger that leaves you waiting for the sequel. I would rather have resolution, and then a bit of a hint of "maybe". It was brilliant regardless.
Plus, now that I have Robert Downey Jr mentally pictured as Sherlock Holmes, I might be able to finally read the books. :)
I eagerly awaited the sequel, along with Iron Man 2, of course.
I only really say that because Iron Man was when I first really noticed Robert Downey Jr. And after reading about his sordid past I understand why. Now I absolutely love him. I don't usually both with celebrities, but if I had to pick my favorite actors/actresses he would be among them. (I avoid saying that I would pick him for my 1 favorite b/c I avoid those sort of choices all together.)
The movie was pretty awesome. I always adore anything set in that time frame. Although I like knowing that there will be a sequel, I do kind of get annoyed when the ignore ending the movie by replacing an ending with a cliffhanger that leaves you waiting for the sequel. I would rather have resolution, and then a bit of a hint of "maybe". It was brilliant regardless.
Plus, now that I have Robert Downey Jr mentally pictured as Sherlock Holmes, I might be able to finally read the books. :)
OCD: Oranges
If I'm eating oranges or bananas I cannot eat the stringy part underneath the peel. You know the part I'm talking about. And, now that I'm talking about it, I wonder if that part has a name.... I'm sure it must. Anyway, I can't eat the creepy, stringy, white stuff.... on the fruit! gah. It drives me insane. Though I have gotten better. I used to be alot worse with oranges. You know how they are segmented into smaller pieces that are each incased in a thin membrane/skin? Yeah.... I used to be so bad that I would painstakingly peel all of that off too, and only eat the individual citrus beads. I think time constraints finally rid me of that habit though, it made it nearly impossible to eat an orange in under 45 minutes. And I quite like oranges. Also, citrus beads? I'm sure there must be a more appropriate word for those, but I'm too tired right now to realize what it is.
Ado.
Ado.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Oh yeah, I almost forgot....
it's New Years. woop-dee-fucking-doo. Oh well, I don't really make new years resolutions. I just reiterate the things I'm always telling myself I need to get done.
I still want to lose weight. I have trouble getting in the mode of eating better, but once I start I can usually stick with it for a month or so, before it gets tough. It's hard to eat right when the boyfriend always wants me to cook dinner, but I'm just going to be straight about it. If he wants stuff to eat that I think is bad for me, then I will cook it for him and not myself. No big deal there.
I've got less hours at work now that the holidays are done. This helps ALOT. It gives me some extra time to think about myself, exercise and when I'm not in a hurry on my lunch break there will be no excuse to eat fast food!
Ok, new years may be dumb, but I think I'm pretty excited about this. :)
I still want to lose weight. I have trouble getting in the mode of eating better, but once I start I can usually stick with it for a month or so, before it gets tough. It's hard to eat right when the boyfriend always wants me to cook dinner, but I'm just going to be straight about it. If he wants stuff to eat that I think is bad for me, then I will cook it for him and not myself. No big deal there.
I've got less hours at work now that the holidays are done. This helps ALOT. It gives me some extra time to think about myself, exercise and when I'm not in a hurry on my lunch break there will be no excuse to eat fast food!
Ok, new years may be dumb, but I think I'm pretty excited about this. :)
Big Brother is after the crazy drivers
Also, the Looking Good and Not Being Douchebags.... does NOT apply to driving. When driving here people just kind of go and expect you to make way for them. Drivers are just as dumb as anywhere else in the nation, but they drive significantly faster while being so dumb.
There are cameras at nearly all major intersections and many speed limit signs note that speed is "Regulated by Radar", but I haven't seen any proof of that so far. People do behave themselves at the intersections though, those cameras are unforgiving and I've already had a run-in with them myself.
People seem to speed a lot more on the freeways than on the streets, which is pretty typical. But one thing that I find nice is the speed limit on most major streets. Unless you are on a small, residential street the speed limit tends to be 40 or 45. This is pretty good in my opinion, considering I normally drove around that speed on roads that I wasn't supposed to. I know 38th street in Erie was just bullshit. The speed limit was 25mph almost the whole way across it because there were houses on at least one side, most of the time. But the fact of the matter is that it is a major street and the speed limit just didn't make sense. It was also rarely abided by.
There are cameras at nearly all major intersections and many speed limit signs note that speed is "Regulated by Radar", but I haven't seen any proof of that so far. People do behave themselves at the intersections though, those cameras are unforgiving and I've already had a run-in with them myself.
People seem to speed a lot more on the freeways than on the streets, which is pretty typical. But one thing that I find nice is the speed limit on most major streets. Unless you are on a small, residential street the speed limit tends to be 40 or 45. This is pretty good in my opinion, considering I normally drove around that speed on roads that I wasn't supposed to. I know 38th street in Erie was just bullshit. The speed limit was 25mph almost the whole way across it because there were houses on at least one side, most of the time. But the fact of the matter is that it is a major street and the speed limit just didn't make sense. It was also rarely abided by.
We've come a long way since the gold rush....
Alot of things in California are strange to those of us who are not natives, though I find it equally strange that I've only been here under 2 months and I'm already beginning to overlook things that previously stood out to me.
Dentists. Just driving along the main stretches of road here I see tons and tons of dentists/dental offices/orthodontists, etc. This leads to believe one of two things (and possibly a combination of both): 1) people in California have terrible teeth, or 2) people in California are obsessed with their appearance and dentists stand to profit off of this. It could be that people here are both obsessed with appearance AND have bad teeth, but I haven't really seen strong proof toward either theory.
To tell you the truth, people here seem to much nicer and far more genuine than people I have encountered in other parts of the country. Maybe different areas of California fit into the artificial stereotype, but from what I've seen of San Diegans, so far, they maybe care about their appearance, but they don't do so to a fault. They have found some happy medium here.... Looking Good and Not Being Douchebags 101.
Another thing that I see a lot as I drive around are yogurt shops. I don't think I've ever seen a yogurt shop before....ever. So it strikes me as odd. There are tons of them here; from little privately owned, rinky-dink ones, to shiny, evidently franchise ones that have self-dispensing machines that charge by weight. I haven't actually gone to any of them yet, but it's on my "Things That Seem Interesting" list. Although I think I'll hit up one of the smaller ones..... the big chain ones seem to charge a ton.
Dentists. Just driving along the main stretches of road here I see tons and tons of dentists/dental offices/orthodontists, etc. This leads to believe one of two things (and possibly a combination of both): 1) people in California have terrible teeth, or 2) people in California are obsessed with their appearance and dentists stand to profit off of this. It could be that people here are both obsessed with appearance AND have bad teeth, but I haven't really seen strong proof toward either theory.
To tell you the truth, people here seem to much nicer and far more genuine than people I have encountered in other parts of the country. Maybe different areas of California fit into the artificial stereotype, but from what I've seen of San Diegans, so far, they maybe care about their appearance, but they don't do so to a fault. They have found some happy medium here.... Looking Good and Not Being Douchebags 101.
Another thing that I see a lot as I drive around are yogurt shops. I don't think I've ever seen a yogurt shop before....ever. So it strikes me as odd. There are tons of them here; from little privately owned, rinky-dink ones, to shiny, evidently franchise ones that have self-dispensing machines that charge by weight. I haven't actually gone to any of them yet, but it's on my "Things That Seem Interesting" list. Although I think I'll hit up one of the smaller ones..... the big chain ones seem to charge a ton.
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