Okay. I have reverted to being 14, and have given in to the Twilight mania. Well, kinda; I haven't participated in any shopping mall riots or anything. But I read the book on Friday - yes, as in, I read the whole book in one day - and tomorrow night LS and I are going to a midnight showing of the movie. Squeal!
Right now, I am completely jealous because one of my (former) co-workers and his daughter, also a Twilight fan, met Peter Facinelli at an airport recently. And in case you were unaware, Peter Facinelli is the epitome of hotness... even if he is blond in this movie. Blech.
You know what I don't get? All the girls going crazy over Robert Pattinson. He looks like a vampire, I'll give him that; but he also looks like Harry Potter (ie unattraactive) and actually was in a Harry Potter movie(s).
But I'm totally behind Kristen Stewart as Bella. She seems awesome, and unlikely to get up to stunts like shaving her head, or traipsing around Hollywood without underwear. Then again, Haley Joel Osment looked pretty innocent too, so I guess you can never tell.
It is so cold right now. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, since it's November and all, but jeez. My parents ran the oven through the self-cleaning cycle earlier, and the entire house smelled like burnt popcorn, necessitating the openage (if that's a word) of every window. That was hours ago, and my bedroom is still a refrigerator.
On the news this evening, I saw a story that seasonal/holiday jobs are currently harder to get into than Harvard. That is exactly what I want to hear while job hunting! All my dreams of being temporary help at Bath and Body Works dashed with one sentence... seriously, I could never work there, because I'd buy everything. And, regrettably, you can't pay bills with lotion and lip gloss.
Maybe I'll just go to Harvard instead. Pfft! Okay, I'll grant that I might be smart enough (and yet incredibly modest), but I'm an surprisingly bad student. You can pretty much ask any instructor I've had between my last real semester in school five years ago, and now.
When I got my new cell phone back in March, I also went ahead and bought the BlueTooth thingy because of the hands-free law that started in July. Well, you know how many times I've used that thing? Other than to test it and make sure it works, exactly zero. It's sitting on my desk, where it does me no conceiveable (sp?) good. Mostly because:
1. When I'm driving, I usually have the music turned up to where I can't hear my cell phone.
2. I don't drive any farther than, say, forty-five minutes to an hour away from home. Rarely has there been an occasion where something was so urgent that it couldn't wait until I got wherever I was going, or to back home again.
3. This has nothing to do with the subject, but I'm very fond of numbered lists lately.
I love it when one of my favorite musical artists does a cover of a song by another one of my favorite musical artists... such as the Killers doing "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."
How cute is that? NK showed it to me after finding it on Perez Hilton when I stopped by to visit her earlier, and I loved it so much I had to come home and watch it again. I could go on about it, but I'll restrict myself to two comments:
1. Why is Dave so far away? I don't think even his big hair (which I love) is so massive that it requires him to stand way out in left field.
2. Holy crap, those are some tight pants! This is not a complaint, just an observation.
I've written and rejected several entries in the past few days. There's pretty much nothing I can say that hasn't already been said, so I'm just gonna run with it:
Yay, we elected Obama!
Yay, California defeated parental notification, again!
Boo/WTF... 52% of Californians voted for Prop 8. It's all at once completely bizarre, disappointing and infuriating. It should never have been on the ballot in the first place, and once it was, it should have been defeated.
What makes me the most upset about it is that I personally know people who (supposedly) support the right of gay and lesbian couples to get married, but they just couldn't be bothered to vote. If they, and everyone else who believes in equal rights, had actually voted, it might not have passed. Not as if that would have stopped the homophobes from fighting the inevitable, but it would have been a very satisfying slap in their face. I'm not completely discouraged, because I know we're gonna fight like hell to make things right.
Now to climb off my soapbox, for my usual non-important stuff:
I've been having freaky dreams the past couple nights. In one of them, I was Dexter, doing what Dexter does... ugh. I blame this on my borrowing the third Dexter novel ("Dexter in the Dark") from the library a few days ago, though I haven't started it yet. I'm scared to; the second book gave me nightmares for a week.
As of yesterday, I'm quitting caffeine again. It's way too delicious, and I can never have just a little bit of it.
Sadness: Betsy the SuperJeep got taken to the big junkyard in the sky yesterday... kinda. It's actually the junkyard down the street, and I watched while they picked her up on this little forklift so my dad could get the tires (they're practically brand new), and then set her back on the ground. I almost cried! I was thinking of that terrible part in "The Brave Little Toaster" where they end up in the junkyard and all the cars are getting crushed into cubes. I don't like the thought of it one goddamn bit.
Anyway, at the same junk yard, they had another Frankenstein Jeep that we're considering. My dad thinks it was also in an accident before, as the hood/front is from a different Jeep, but the undercarriage looks good (I know you're not thinking I crawled on the ground and looked at this myself). They started a working car on the lot to give the Jeep a jump, and it will start (eventually) but won't stay started, so who knows what the issue is.
We're hoping to get my cousin's husband over to look at it since he's a mechanic, and get his opinion. I'm trying not to get excited, but the price is right, and aside from the primer-colored hood it looks very decent, even on the inside. Though, it does have a Raiders sticker on the back window. I'm apparently doomed to drive cars with sports logos.
My favorite thing about my new bedroom is the window. Obviously my last bedroom had a window, but it wasn't of much use. Not only was my room on the first floor, but it was right in front. Opening my window really only meant a limited view of the street, and people on the street had a view of me. Creepy!
Now, my bedroom is on the second floor and looks out on the backyard. There's no house behind us, and I have a view of the sky, of the vacant fields nearby, trees, and - somewhat - the field and playground of the nearby elementary school. Since I've been home the last couple weeks, I can hear when recess is going on, and the bells that ring when it begins and ends.
Seeing the sky is really my favorite. I like the sky when it's bright and blue and hot outside, and when it's gray and cloudy and cold, and when the moon shines so brightly that it's like having a lamp on in my room at midnight. I like the purple, pink and orange of sunset... but I love the sunrise. The black sky lightening to navy blue so slowly that you think you're imagining it, the shadows outside turning into recognizable shapes, and all of a sudden it's morning and a new day.
I had a job at a park last summer, and my shift started at six a.m. - actually a quarter til, because I had to be ready to receive visitors at six. There weren't many of them, and I usually spent the first hour reading and watching the sun light up the hills and the trails around me. I'm not a nature person by any means, but that view made getting up before five on weekends well worth it.
Okay, so I didn't make my daily post yesterday. I went downstairs to do dishes around seven last night and thought, "Oh, yeah, I'll have plenty of time before I go to bed." But as it turns out, I didn't start the dishes until 8:00 because we were making sugar cookies (in Halloween shapes), and besides dishes, I had laundry, and then we watched something I forget, and then we watched "Sons of Anarchy." Why do they put so many good shows on at 10? I'm old, and so by the time the show was over, I was pretty much done in.
Randomness:
- We tried sprinkling pumpkin pie spice into some of the sugar cookie mix, and it smelled great; but once the cookies cooled down, you couldn't really taste it anymore. I'm really only fond of sugar cookies when they're right out of the oven, and still soft and fluffy.
- All that baking reminded me that I should actually bake for Christmas this year. I was going to last year, but, well, you know how I am at not following through on things.
- My mom was talking about Thanksgiving last night, and setting up the formal dining room (currently home to her cookbooks, the ironing board and several unpacked boxes) with tables for games. I'm pretty certain this is her not-so-subtle hint that if I try to escape the house this Turkey Day, she'll stab me. She was a bit peeved last year when I went to a potluck dinner at the church I was going to at the time. The thing about Thanksgiving and me is this: I love my family, but not all of them at once... and not for several hours. I'll stick around this year, but if it gets obnoxious, I'm going to hole up in my room with the inevitable "Law and Order" marathon. So there.
- Speaking of unpacked boxes, my room is unusually disorganized right now. I'm simultaneously trying to: clean, unpack boxes, put away other boxes, find stuff to give away, and throw other stuff away. My room looks like I might have moved in a few weeks ago, instead of five or six months ago. I hate people who move into a new place and have it looking like a model home from the very start - like CC. He and E moved into their place just a couple months ago, and I accused them of having an interior designer because it's so well put together. Not an unpacked box to be seen, not one! Show-offs.
Last night, I dreamed that I was somewhere and they started playing The Cars "Drive," which was pretty awesome since that's my favorite song of the moment. And today, I went into Raley's and they were playing it!
That kinda freaked me out, mostly because I couldn't remember ever having heard music being played there before. Which is dumb; they must play music all the time, as stores do. I guess the songs they play are usually just so awful and boring that I don't even notice it.
Which raises a question: why do grocery stores play music? Does it make people buy more stuff, or would it just be too quiet and weird without it? If they played music that was noticeably obnoxious, I would probably try to not shop there. On the other hand, if there was a grocery store that played, let's say, The Killers, I would probably want to work there.
Actually, scratch that - if The Killers ever made music that was bland enough to be played at a grocery store, I would probably get my tattoo removed.
Last week, I got a new pair of glasses for the first time in three years. Before, in that lovely time when I had health insurance, it covered nearly the entire cost. This time, I was "stuck" with going to a Site for Sore Eyes. The cost of the eye exam was very reasonable. The glasses themselves? Not so much. But they're cute, and a pretty good investment considering that I, you know, have to be able to see well.
Here's a pretty good approximation of what my old glasses look like:
Pretty cute, huh? But both this pair and the pair I had before that looked nearly identical, so I decided to go with something different this time:
It took me an unusually long time (okay, fifteen minutes, but I'm an impulse buyer) to decide on these, but I quite like them. I don't have the right face for the trendy super-square glasses that are all the rage right now, but these are just rounded enough to work. Plus, they're two-toned and kind of in your face. I like glasses with attitude. They're Norma Kamali, if designer names mean anything to you, and I'm glad I went with them instead of these other purple/yellow ones I was considering.
For the past few months, I've been wondering why exactly I keep this blog and debating whether I should continue to do so. Certainly, it's not the most fascinating or informative one out there; but it is mine. And being as stubborn as I am, I think I'll keep it.
I'm planning to change it up as far as content goes, though. As you've read, I'll write a an entry about general life stuff, then ignore it for a week, and repeat. I think I'm going to start posting random little things every day. Besides being more interesting, I think it'll be good writing therapy. I haven't written anything except one half-finished poem in the last three or four months.
Anyway, before I get started with the fun blurbs tomorrow, I thought I should check in and do a recap of my life over the past few weeks...
I went to Las Vegas with EC for my birthday, and we had an absolutely smashing time. We stayed at the Rio, and did the usual tourist stuff: Walked up and down the strip, did a lot of shopping, a bit of gambling, more than enough eating, and not too much drinking. My actual birthday was the best, as I got a tattoo in the afternoon and we saw the Chippendales that night.
Isn't my owl cute? It was surpisingly more painful than my first tattoo, but it was very quick - maybe 20 minutes - and the guy who did it was very cute. Prompted by EC, he (tattoo guy) named him (my owl) Chester. Possibly, I think, because he was leaning on my chest the whole time he was tattooing. Good times.
Other random notes about my trip:
- I really don't like flying, but the next time I do it, I'm definitely going to take Virgin America if at all possible. I flew first-class on my way out there, which was bitchin: free cockails, leg room, and the most adorable "snack box" that had this insanely good raspberry cheesecake. Even sitting in coach (or whatever) on the way back was better than most flights I've had before.
- The majority of people there seemed exceptionally friendly... except for drivers. I think I'd freak out if I ever had to drive there, in between the other million cars, buses, taxis, and stupid pedestrians.
- I'm so glad we weren't obnoxious drunk girls. We had the misfortune of standing next to some while waiting for a shuttle from Bally's back to our hotel, and man, I had to fight some homicidal urges there. The loudest (of course) had a 10-minute argument with her boyfriend over her cell phone being all "Well, BABE, I mean I'm having a good time, but I wish you were here to share it with me, BABE, you know?... Hey, has (her cat) made a poop today, BABE?" I don't even get it.
So yes, my trip was fantastic. Good thing, too, because when I got back, things kinda started to suck a little bit. Reader's Digest condensed version: I got into a car accident the day after I got back (Thursday), and got laid off the following Monday.
I won't go into details about either, mostly because it's boring, except to say that the car accident resulted in no serious injuries... besides my car. Initial damage seemed not that bad, but it turns out that the repairs needed cost more than the car is worth. Even that wouldn't be so awful if I'd spent so much money on my trip (though I don't regret it one bit) and/or hadn't lost my job.
As far as that goes, I'm obviously looking for another one. What I really miss the most are the people. My boss was actually out of town on my last day, so we had a great time: grilled cheese sandwiches and Mike's Hard drinks for lunch, and then played Apples to Apples. And this last Friday, the same day I went to pick up my last check, we had a combo barbecue/birthday party for my boss M's wife. The food (tri-tip and chicken) was so yummy, and the wine wasn't bad either. I don't know whether it's good or bad that most of my drinking this year has been done at work; I just know that I'm never going to find another group of people to work with who feel so much like family. You know, in that they're awesome and hilarious but also occasionally infuriating and exasperating.
And don't get me wrong about my actual family when I say this, because I love them: But man, I'm so ready to not live with them anymore. Without my usual commute to and from the office, I have zero alone time. I can't even get out of the house for a day-long shopping spree. It's a shame, that, especially because there's a new mall with a Bath and Body Works (!) now less than 10 minutes from my house. Soon as I'm employed, that's my first destination.
I know I'll be fine, and most of the time I've managed to remain optimistic or at least have a sense of humor about everything, but some days (actually nights) are worse than others. I had a good day Friday, but then came home and just felt awful in the evening. It was basically a pity party for one about both the "no job, no car" thing and about being lonely for someone I keep trying, unsuccessfully, to tell myself that I'm over when I'm clearly not. Then I went to bed, and woke up in time to watch the sunrise. That always makes me feel better.
Enough of this, it's almost time for "True Blood." Despite being mostly stranded at home this past week, I think that and "Sons of Anarchy" are the only shows I'm caught up on. I'm two weeks behind on "The Shield", who knows how many on "Dexter" (I haven't watched since the season premiere), a couple weeks on "Entourage", and so on. Oh, I'm actually current on ABC's "Life on Mars." It's not as wonderfully creepy as the original, and the lead actor isn't as good (though, much more attractive), but I'm enjoying it... if only for the countless opportunities to mock 70s music, fashion and hairstyles. If I didn't have something to fill that void once "Swingtown" ended, I just don't know what I'd do!
Oh, I'm sleepy. I stayed up until about 1:30 a.m., kind of in training for the upcoming few nights, and felt fine when I went to sleep - but now I feel like crap (I woke up at 7:00). At least, starting tomorrow, I'll have caffeine again... yum.
Right now my desk is piled up with toiletries and clothes (socks) that I'm going to be packing for my trip. Squeal!
I've had a pretty bitchin birthday week. I had dinner with LS on Tuesday, JH on Thursday, and my office birthday party was on Friday. Besides the delicious part of it (lasagna, chocolate cake, Mike's Hard drinks), my cubicle got something of a makeover:
Yep, that's bubble wrap; both pink and the regular "clear" kind. I always knew I'd end up with a padded room of some sort...
I lost the habit of writing in my food diary about a week ago, which is too bad; I do feel like it was helping me. I'll pick it back up when I return from my trip. I'll have to work on writing in here, too. In fact, writing anything but a shopping list would be a big step for me right now.
Everyone have a good week, and hopefully I'll have tons of fun things to tell you about when I get back!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 
posted by Yvonne at 4:34 PM - 
