SMART PHONES!!!

Robb and I opened our presents today, since we wouldn't be seeing each other tomorrow. He loved his Nintendo 3DS, which I was way nervous about!

And...

HE GOT US iPHONES!!! No shit. I can't even believe it! I was so ready to NOT get an iPhone for Christmas, and...BAM! There they were. And I am loving it! After a trip to Verizon to get them activated, we were all set.

Unfortunately, I had only an hour or so to lavish some attention on him before we both went to our family Christmas celebrations. And I won't see him again until after Christmas. Gotta save up my love until then!

I should be messaging him every ten minutes to tell him, "Thank you!"

Merry Christmas...and there are STILL a shitload of presents under the tree and tons of family to love on.

Hope you all have as happy a holiday as I am having!

Out

No Smart Phones...

Well, it's looking like there will be no smart phones this Christmas.

But my brother is home, so that makes a merry Christmas no matter what is or isn't under the tree.

Robb's distraught that he won't be able to get me what I want this year, but whatever. I'll live. We don't NEED iPhones. And I'm thankful that we have everything we need--housing, food, clothes, a fat kitty. I'd be lying if I said I didn't WANT an iPhone. But whatever. I've suffered worse disappointments than not getting what I want for Christmas. I'm pretty sure we'll manage.

Now if I can just make it through this work week...man...it's only 4 days (and only 3 hours on that 4th day), but it seems like FOREVER.

*trudges on*

Out

Smart Phones?

So there's a small chance that we'll actually be upgrading our phones this Christmas! It's mostly out of necessity, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to be in the cool iPhone crowd. Actually, I don't feel uncool with the phone I have now (Motorola NV 2). I couldn't care less about what someone thinks of my phone--it just makes sense to get one, since I have a Mac. Not only that, but it can be an iPod (which I've wanted for YEARS) and a camera (which is broken for me and has been for months). I got my hopes up about it, but I wouldn't be heartbroken or anything if I was stuck with my same phone for a little while. I love my phone and it works perfectly. There isn't anything cosmetically wrong with it--it's not broken up or dented or cracked or anything. But Verizon is sort of forcing us into getting a smart phone by making all the phones like the one we have sucky. The closest ones looks way cheap and awful. And they're half the price of an iPhone anyway...so...it makes sense. The only thing is that going to a data plan would almost double our bill. That's what's slowing us way down.

I'm not holding my breath that it'll work out, but still. I'd be lying if I said it didn't trump all my other Christmas wishes.

Out

Christmas Miracle!

Hooray! I will have enough money for Christmas this year!

I'm totally going to get Robb a XXXXXXXXX and XXXXXXXX and he's going to love it! So now all I need is a few days to go shopping. Maybe I'll do it Saturday.

That's all I've got today between freezing in my room and trying to keep the cat from knocking everything off my desk.

Out

Holiday Cheer...

My brother is coming to town! In exactly one week I'll be eagerly awaiting his return from the airport. There's nothing like having the whole family together for the holidays. It makes being completely broke and not being able to buy many presents for people seem not so bad. And in a few hours, I'll be able to see what my Christmas budget will be...

Paychecks go up about two in the afternoon two days before we get them, so we can plan accordingly. This year I have that check (minus a $110 student loan payment), a ten dollar bill, and whatever else I can scrape together to spend on people. It's a meager Christmas, but it's forcing me to get creative.

Why do I smell something baking?

*goes to make sure nothing's on in the kitchen*

Weird. Maybe my nose is psychic. Robb's making chocolate chip cookies tonight for my Christmas potluck, since everyone's sick of cheesecake. It's pretty much all I make. Maybe I'll try something different some day when I'm feeling brave. Maybe not.

Anywho, the tree is up and the cards are going to be in the mail here in a few hours, if I get off my butt today and actually go out. I'm not feeling very motivated to do much of anything, which is nice, since it's my day off. Run on. And on.

I'd better go.

Out

Sleep is Awesome...

I've been having trouble sleeping recently. A few weeks ago it was because I was up all night coughing, but I'm over that. Now Robb is sick, which means he snores. But even THAT isn't really what is keeping me awake. I found myself rolling over occasionally last night to make sure he was still breathing when he stopped. And even THAT isn't totally it.

My brain will not shut up recently! And it's not even like anything is going on in my life that would warrant that kind of thing. Everything is routine. And when I do fall asleep? A few nights ago it was a gorgeously furnished house belonging to a world-saving doctor where a nurse asked me if I wanted to read to a patient and it rocked my consciousness for some reason. I've been thinking about that dream for days. Last night it was an adventure involving chopping down a forest to make room for...something I don't recall, having a customer from the bank as an assistant, and flying a friend home and back from his tennis academy in his private helicopter. Oh, and then crashing a car that couldn't stop or turn before giving up and riding to my old home (which I dream about all the time) on a bike with a piece of hard candy in my mouth.

And it's all so vivid and strange and out of control. Sometimes it's so vivid it wakes me up.

What I would give for a night of solid sleep...

Out

State of the Union...

So I haven't been around these parts very much. I haven't been putting my thoughts anywhere, really. Not on paper, not on the web, not really out loud. That would imply that there are thoughts to share, but there really aren't. Nothing heavy or interesting. I guess that's the problem right now. I don't feel interesting...in the least. I just had my ten year class reunion (8 students showed up with various significant others), and aside from saying I just finished writing my sixth unpublished novel and being told I need to take my act on the road since I'm apparently so damn funny, there was nothing to report. I reconnected with a guy I used to be friends with in high school, which was nice.

Last night I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about all the projects I've abandoned recently. I haven't been blogging. I quit playing the new Zelda game because I got frustrated with something. There's a book someone sent me sitting on my desktop waiting to be read and commented on...for almost a year. And all I could do was get out of bed and sit around on the internet for an hour until I was tired again.

I don't have any motivation.

So this is me trying to remedy that. The responsibilities of NaNoWriMo are over, and the holidays are upon us. It's the time of year when people star thinking about how they could change their lives in the new year. And since it's going to be the last year we get (kidding, mostly), I think I'll be finishing things that I've started. That's my resolution.

Keep me on task, folks.

Out

Absent, of sorts...

Riding out the month...way sick...bronchitis, maybe? Not fun.

You know what is fun? The new Zelda. It's eating my life. I'm almost done, though...so...that's good.

Here's to getting better...and finishing.

Out

I CAN'T BELIEVE I WROTE THE WHOLE THING!!!

That's right. I finished last night. 50,311 words. In 14 days. Gloat gloat.

The sucky part about all of that is that I'm the ML for the area, and if I'm not working on something, being at the write-in while people are writing is going to be really difficult.

So I'm trying to come up with something to write while I'm there...something I can add to my word count. I have a second novel idea, but I know I wouldn't finish it by the end of the month.

Maybe I'll just use the random character and plot generator that came in the goodie bags from the kickoff party and write something from that. Hm. Who knows...maybe it'll be better than this year's REAL novel...

Out

30K in 9 Days?!

If you're wondering where I went, NaNoWriMo ate me. I won't apologize, but I will check in right now to let you all know that I'm over halfway done!

30,757 at last count, actually. So...that's way exciting. I'm on track to finish before the 20th, when the new Zelda comes out. Yes. That is my incentive this year.

My back is messed up. My fingers are sore. And my brain wants to sleep. But--

I'm getting there!

Out

It Begins...

It's that time again. And I'm off with a bang!

5100+ words today. It's National Novel Writing Month! And this year? Robb's participating as well. He did over 900 words on his lunch break at work, and he's past 2,000 words at last count. Holy hell! I'm so proud of him I could bust! Hooray for novel writing!

Make that over 3100. He's a MACHINE! And he's a prolific writer, as well!

It's shaping up to be a good year. Writing my story in first person is proving to be a nice, freeing thing. I'm having trouble with tenses, for some reason, but for the most part, it's coming pretty easily. At least today. I had all day to write, though, so I squeezed in a morning session, a write-in with some folks at the Barnes and Noble cafe, and another writing session to push me to 5000 words in the evening.

I'm pulling for being done by the 20th, since that's when the new Zelda comes out!

I'm sure you'll be way sick of hearing about this by the end of the month, but...here we go!

Out

Halloween Decorations?

We carved pumpkins last night.  Remember when people did that?  Robb is actually surprisingly good at this.  Each year we've done it, I've ben way impressed with his designs...free hand with no stencil on that Jack Skellington.  And my pumpkin is like, "Yeah...shut up.  I'm a pumpkin, too."  I love his grumpy little face.

But that got me thinking, as I do.  Ever since companies started selling strings of orange and purple and green lights just for Halloween, along with inflatable lawn crap and light up, pre-carved, plastic pumpkins, Halloween decorations have been LAME!  Remember when your dad would build the dummy and put it out on the porch, milk carton with a mask on for a head?  Kitchen knife in its chest?  Ketchup.  Home-made tombstones and those lame ghosts made from towels and socks or Kleenex and Tootsie Pops?  Remember that?  

What happened?

Now I drive to work and I see orange pumpkin party lights, light up pumpkins in windows, giant inflatable Winnie-the-Pooh made up like a pumpkin in the yard...nothing with any character...nothing that isn't store-bought and just the same as the decorations three houses down...and does ANYONE still carve pumpkins?

I'm only 28 years old, but I feel like a grumpy old man when I say things like this and people look at me like I'm nuts.  There's just no charm to the holiday any more.

Out

It's Happening Again!!!

This Sunday is our Collage-o-Rama for National Novel Writing Month. We'll be cutting, pasting, chatting, freaking out, and generally having a great time collaging our novels into existence. Last year I discovered a whole subplot while doing mine. Let's hope I discover a PLOT this year...blah.

But it's happening! NaNoWriMo is gathering steam and hurtling toward us like a crappy metaphor I'm bound to use in my novel! It's exciting! I'm buying candy to send to our sister group in Perth, Western Australia, and they're working on getting their box of goodies to us over here! Hooray for Tim-Tams and Musk Sticks! Special requested.

Did you know that candy over there doesn't ever combine chocolate and peanut butter? Seriously. They think Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are the WEIRDEST thing. So I'll be sure to send those. And...Mike n Ikes were specially requested from us, too. Apparently they're a sought after commodity. Oh, and when we talk to them, they like to ask us about peanut butter and jelly. They think that's even STRANGER. Of course, when they sent us vegemite last year, we thought we would die.

It's like...salty motor oil? Yeah...maybe that. But it comes in those Handi-Snacks with crackers and that tiny red stick to spread it. It was...weird. Very weird.

Of course, ask my group about musk sticks and they'll tell you they're like Peeps pushed through a Play-Doh Fun Factory and flavored with old man cologne. I just think they're delicious.

There are perks to being an ML. For sure.

Speaking of...I have to rush off and check my forums...

Life suddenly became a little more exciting around here.

Out

No Alarm Clock Needed...

No, seriously. I haven't set an alarm for weeks. Why? This time, it's not the cat that wakes me up at the same time every morning. Nope.

This morning's example: "SEAN, DUDE! WE HAVE TO GO! COME ON! SHUT THE DAMN DOOR! COME ON! GET IN THE CAR! WE HAVE TO GO OR WE'LL BE LATE!"

Yeah...and Friday it was kids playing around unattended in cars. Starting them, shutting them off, slamming doors...I can't wait until they drive one through their own apartment windows and get evicted...seriously...the oldest of these kids couldn't be 8 years old yet. I'm just...so friggin done with these neighbors.

This morning I lost my cool and said, "Shut the fuck up," from bed...but I don't think anyone heard me from right below my window because they were too busy screaming and slamming doors.

My god...July can't come quickly enough...ugh. Have you ever had neighbors so bad you contemplated peeing into the fan in their windows while they were gone just for giggles?

Out

Mini-Vacation!!!

The boy and I are going on a mini-vacation this weekend! We weren't sure if we'd go or not, but the room is now booked and I've got Friday off of work. So? Where are we going?

Cedar Point, baby!

It's gonna be in the 50s there this weekend, so hopefully the park won't be super crowded. I'll get to wear a cute sweater (several of which I just got dry cleaned for the season) and ride some of my favorite coasters. It's win-win! Robb got us a room at The Breakers, which is right out on the beach. Lake view room. Early entry into the park. And the best part of it all?

It's the first weekend of HalloWeekends! The first time we ever went to Cedar Point was during HalloWeekends, and it was awesome! Parts of the park were covered in fog, there were great Halloween decorations, and one of the water rides had drowned clowns in the tank. Nothing's better than a dead clown!

So...hooray! That only leaves one question. What do we do during our extra hour?

No contest. I want to ride Millenium Force as many times as humanly possible. If we rode nothing else all weekend, I'd be a happy little otter.

Out

My Packrat Ways...

Saturday I spent the day in and out of the closets at my mom's house. I completely cleaned out the closet in my old room. It was mostly stuff I had outgrown, clothes and toys and stuff. I threw out a lot of stuff I had no idea why I'd kept...stuff I'd had at the OLD house that hadn't found a home outside of a box since we moved. I bagged up four garbage bags of clothes to donate to Goodwill. I even donated some books to the YoungLife garage sale that's going on next Saturday. Then?

Ugh. Then. I had to tackle the hall closet, which was where they jammed everything from my old room when they cleaned it out to make it Mom's office. Blargh. I haven't even come close to finishing that...it go so overwhelming that I just quit and we went to the new house to paint. But I did sort through my two bookshelves that were in there, chose some books to part with for the garage sale, and re-shelved the rest. I have to go back on Tuesday (my mom's birthday!) to finish.

Here's the thing, though...My parents have tons of storage space in the top floor of their garage. Way more than at the old house. So...my mom is letting me keep my stuff up there until we have enough room to get it out of there...or until we get a storage unit. A storage unit probably won't happen. But she asked me to put it all in totes. Do you know how infuriating it is to pack books into plastic totes? Have you ever SEEN a square tote? Me either. They're all rounded corners and tapered walls...it's gonna get messy.

And on top of that? I have every issue of Nintendo Power since #20. Since I was, like, six. They're now on issue #271. So...Where does one put 250 back issues of a magazine he doesn't intend to get rid of? Totes? Ugh...that's gonna be SO HEAVY! But...that's what this has been reduced to. Now...I just need some totes. Maybe I'll go shopping.

Oh, and after that? I have no idea what's in the OTHER HALF of the closet...I think it's mostly games and puzzles and stuff that's not mine...but I see another stack of books on the far side that has me WAY nervous...

You don't have any idea how relieved I'm going to be when this is over...

Out

The Worst Kind...

I woke up this morning to screaming--the kind of screaming that you know is words, but you can't make them out--the kind of screaming that makes you picture little chunks of the person's throat flying out of their mouth.

Accompanying that? Little girl's voice, little boy's voice, both as loud as possible.

Meet our new neighbors.

The have one volume: screaming. And they do it at night, in the morning, in the afternoon...whenever and wherever they are. It's a single mom and her 4 to 6-year-old son, plus some girl that doesn't belong to them but I can't figure out who she is.

When they moved in, they parked in our parking spots. That was our first impression. Strike one. Then, their ghetto friends came in their backfiring cars all day and all night for days. Strike two. Then, I watched her watch her son throw a cigarette package (what the fuck was he doing with a cigarette package?) into the grass and do nothing about it. Strike three.

Not to mention that the hallway reeks of cigarettes and occasionally weed. Not to mention the toys and sidewalk chalk left right at the bottom of the stairs. Not to mention the fact that the loudest noise we've had around here in the 3+ years we've lived here was traffic.

And last night Robb heard her out in the parking lot screaming at no one at the top of her lungs. "I HATE THIS FUCKING TOWN! ARRRGGGGH!!! I HATE IT!" and then her little kid goes, "I hate this town, too, Mommy. Let's go home."

Please? Please? Because if this keeps up, it's only gonna get worse for you.

Seriously...as far as neighbors go, they're the worst kind!

Out

Long Weekend...

This is my fourth day off of work. Tomorrow I must return. Sad sack.

Saturday I helped a friend move. I aggravated my bad foot going up and down stairs with heavy stuff. But we got her moved, and her new place is gorgeous.

Sunday I got to see some writing group peeps that I haven't seen for months. I am starting to get excited for NaNoWriMo! Oh man...Then Robb and I took off to go see my mom's new house.

Oh. My. Gorgeous!

Seriously. I'll get photos to upload some day. It's very 1920s or 30s...all original woodwork. Some original windows. It's got arches and columns and a beautiful staircase...a sun room...a two-story garage with a workroom in the top. It's just...amazing. Especially for $150 less a month than she WAS paying. It's a huge step up. Turns out they decided to move in part because our old landlord came by and went to smoke a joint with the neighbors across the alley. While he was there, he told them that we owed him money. Lies. So...they gone!

And Sunday night on the ride home, I felt like someone had kicked me square in the middle of my back, like, steel toe to spine.

Monday morning it was no better, but Robb and I went to Galena and kicked around the town. I brought money to shop, and all we bought was candy and cheese. I was slightly disappointed that I didn't see anything I really wanted to get for our apartment. But I saved my cash, mostly. By the time I went to bed, every movement was feeling like I was being stabbed in the back.

This morning? Ugh. It hurts so damn bad. Sitting up, standing up, rolling over in bed, bending down, walking...it all hurts. I think maybe I overexerted myself helping move. I'm taking today to do as little as possible...and hoping it helps.

I'm such an old lady.

Out

I'm on a ski lift.

Grocery store with "ground beef" on the sign...in quotes. What is it...really?

If you knew an EMP blast was going to knock out all electricity in an hour, and it would never come back, what would you spend your last hour playing?

If you knew an EMP blast was going to knock out all electricity in an hour, and it would never come back, what would you spend your last hour playing?

Answer here

Eulogy...

Last Friday a customer of mine was hit by a train in town while trying to beat it across the tracks. He hopped out of his friends' car and took off, trying to beat them to the bar. They swung around and went the other way to avoid the train. They had no idea he was even hit until they saw the train stop and saw flashing lights. He was basically killed instantly by the speeding train.

It took me a few days to realize who it even was. No one else seems to remember him at all.

I've been trying really hard to explain him to people, to get them to know who he was. I found myself wondering why. I just kept repeating that he was a pipe fitter who drove a powder blue older model GM sedan, that he came to lane two, wore a baseball cap a lot, had reddish brown hair, wasn't all that friendly but wasn't rude, either, was the same age as me, and since I started there I trained him to have his slips filled out.

It finally occurred to me why I was so adamant that people remember him.

I was eulogizing him.

I was trying to say my farewell to this person I didn't really know that well, trying to put him to rest in my own mind.

Then, last night while we were out, two trains were stopped on the tracks. It turns out that another train hit a car in town. Two in one week. I only hope that no one I know was inside. I'm still trying to deal with the first.

Rest in peace, Joe.

Out

Right Foot Saga...

So, a few weeks ago I dropped an airbake cookie sheet on my right foot. That doesn't sound like it would hurt, but our sheets are way heavy and are shaped kind of like a guillotine blade. Oh, and it fell directly on the bone right at the base of my big toe. It hurt like a bitch and cut a big gash in my foot.

That was healing nicely for about a week when a few guys brought in $20,000 in quarters in five gallon buckets. After I ran it through the coin machine, my right ankle was way sore. I think I twisted it while moving buckets full of thousands of dollars in quarters. In total, it was a half-ton of quarters (2 rolls = $20 = 1 lb.) It stayed that way for several days, but I babied it until it felt better.

A few days ago I was dropping trou while using the toilet and I dropped my heavy-ass belt buckle RIGHT ON the spot where I'd dropped the cookie sheet. Apparently it wasn't all the way healed, judging from how hard I had to try to keep from crying while sitting on the toilet. Holy crap...it hurt. I thought maybe I was better, so Robb and I took a walk last night.

Not better. This morning both my foot AND my ankle hurt. Damn.

Guess it's back to limping again.

Out

Just witnessed a random car accident...eek.

Flashback to the 80s...

Does anyone remember this thing?

The Nerf Boomerang.  I woke up this morning thinking about this thing...It crosses my mind every now and again, and when I send it away, a month or so later, it's back.  Damn thing...

Did anyone else extract a HUGE amount of pleasure from biting this thing?  No?  Just me?  God...I always wanted to just take a big bite out of it...it was the perfect density and texture and...unh.  It still makes my mouth water.

But you're reading the blog of the kid who used to get in trouble for trying to eat sponges.  

Maybe you didn't know that...please stay.

But seriously...did anyone ever get this thing to actually work?  I think ours was designed to get stuck in trees and on roofs and not to come back.

Out

Move-In...

Guess what? The students are back today.

*sigh*

I'm definitely not eating out anytime this weekend...at least not in town.

It's sort of a double-edged sword. The traffic gets worse. The restaurants fill to the brim. It's great for local business. It's great for people-watching. Eye-candy increases a hundred fold. Good thing, too, since getting anywhere takes twice as long.

Guess that means I need to leave for work right about now...

Out

Should NOT...

I was reading the blog of someone much wiser and more comfortable in their own skin than I am (Davey Wavey, for anyone who cares) this morning.  Today he told me that I shouldn't say "should".  

At first, I thought, "What is this new-age crap?"  I was picturing a parent sitting their child in a chair and saying, "Mommy doesn't like it when you hit her in the face with your toy trucks..."

Ugh.

But he says that "should" implies guilt and failure.  As in, "I should go ride my bike, since it's so lovely out today!" or "I shouldn't have eaten that second tuna salad sandwich."  

Makes sense.  He says that negative feelings don't help to foster an environment where we can grow and change for the better.  It's not encouraging.  It's punishment.  We can't change what we "should have" done.  It's in the past.  Why worry about it?

So there's that.  I've put a post-it on my wall to remind me.  

Smart guy, that Davey Wavey.

Out

Infinite Jest...

I started reading David Foster Wallace's book Infinite Jest the other day.

Let me go back...

I have never seen this book in a physical form. I've only looked at it on Amazon and Goodreads. Our library doesn't have a copy, so I requested one through inter-library loan. When the email comes to tell me it's in, I go pick it up. HOLY JESUS! THIS THING IS A DOOR STOP! Seriously...it's 1079 pages. Some of the footnotes have their own footnotes. And it's fiction, for crying out loud.

This book, seriously, people, is going to take me MONTHS to get through. And I'm a pretty fast reader! But here's the thing...some chapters are margin-to-margin with no dialogue for ten pages...and they're BIG pages with small text. This is the book I've been training for all my life! Bring it on.

So far, it's interesting, but not compelling. There's a lot of talk of drugs. There are chapters with characters I haven't identified yet, characters that seemingly don't have names. And so I'm trying to piece it together...but...I'm just gonna keep lugging along until I finish it.

Has anyone read it?

Out

Schedule Mishaps...But...Not Really...

I was working hard, trying to change my work schedule so I could do what I wanted to this month. I was trying to switch a Saturday with any coworker who would switch with me, since it would mean I could skip Market Days (which I wasn't feeling that into this year) and go where we really wanted to go.

So I ask around, and I get no bites. I look at the schedule and think about putting a call out to all the tellers. And then I get on Facebook yesterday morning and see that Market Days is actually THIS weekend...so that means that next weekend I'm free. And next weekend?

Is the ILGRA gay rodeo.

THE GAY RODEO, y'all!!

No, really. It's amazing. We missed it last year because...well...we missed everything last year. Last year sucked. But this year! We're so going. We went two years ago, and it was super fun. I'm not even into rodeo, honestly, but we thought it nothing else, it'd be a great reason to wander around and check out some cute cowboy butt. But seriously, we SO enjoyed ourselves. The people there were so friendly and amazing, and the actual rodeo was SO FUN!

Oh...and the Windy City Cowboys were there performing, which was neat. You might remember them from my coverage of the pride parade. I don't know if they're there this year, but still...worth going.

We're so excited! And I didn't have to change my schedule to get what I want, for once!

Out

Writing Day...

Yesterday was a writing day for me. I made better choices about my time. I let temptations slide by the wayside. And I found inspiration in an unlikely place...

The body of a recreational diver was found in Lake Tahoe after it had gone missing for 17 years. Apparently there was an equipment malfunction, and the diver sank to the bottom. His diving partner was out of air, and when he went back to find him, he was gone. It got me thinking about the guy who was out of air...what kind of person he would be after living through something like that. And...what kind of things this discovery would make him feel and do.

I thought to myself, "Someone should write a story about that."

And then I thought, "Why let someone else do that?!" And I started. I finished the story sometime after 8PM...after working off and on all day. And...I feel good about it. I feel like it's solid. It says what I want it to say, and it explores the kinds of themes and whatnot that I wanted it to explore.

At one point, I looked down at the word count and went, "Holy crap...that's the most I've ever written in one day! And I've written novels in a month." Seriously. Over 6,000 words.

I feel good.

And no matter how much I wanted to play video games all day, it felt so much better to sit at the keyboard and put words on paper. Why can't I always remember that?

Out

What're Your Dreams?

Last night Robb and I were lying on the bed just chatting and harassing the cat, and he asked me a question.

"What's one of your dreams?"

It took me a minute to dig one out of the back of my mind. I've been doing so much day-to-day living and just spending time keeping busy that I haven't really thought about it in a while. My dreams.

I told him that someday I'd like to own a used bookstore.

He wants to run a ski hill.

I want a wall of built-in bookshelves. A place to keep ALL of my books, instead of having them tucked into corners and spread across two counties.

He wants a house and a yard where we don't have to worry about obnoxious new neighbors moving in.

I want to be published.

...

There. I said it. Now it's out there. Do you know how scary that is for me? To admit that? It's way scary. I mean...maybe you all already assumed that I wanted to be published. You'd have to be stupid (or new around here) to not know that. Who writes five novels, three screenplays, a handful of short stories, and a shitload poetry but doesn't want to be published? Durr. But I never say that. It's scary. Terrifying.

Hello. My name is Justin, and I want to be a published writer.

That's my dream. What's yours?

Out

Car...

So, Robb's car is being fixed right now. Thank God for insurance! It's paying the $2950 we don't have budgeted for car repairs. And since it wasn't our fault, it's not even like payments will go up. I'm cool with that.

I've been thinking about cars a lot lately.

My car is an '04 Alero. I took out a 7 year loan when I bought it two or three years ago. I still owe over $5000 on it, but its value is dropping FAST. I'm not really able to make bigger payments on it to pay it off faster...at least not yet. So...yeah...it's a losing game for me right now. Robb and I were looking through a car lot the other night and I realized that I would be just as happy with a car that is not as nice as mine--you know, something cheap that runs. So...thoughts of getting rid of my car and paying it off are swirling through my head...

But I've always said I'd be happier living in the city and not owning a car. Less obligation to travel. No payments. No insurance. Yeah...still a pipe dream.

Out

SO PISSED! MY FFV SAVE FILE DELETED ITSELF AFTER ALMOST 20 HRS!!!

Ends with a Bang...

No, I'm not talking about a romantic comedy.

I'm talking about our Saturday. It was a gorgeous day, and Robb and I were both off of work. We didn't feel like sitting around the house doing nothing (even thought we talk about how amazing that would be when we're running around every other weekend). We'd stayed in bed late, went out to lunch, stopped at Gamestop but didn't buy anything...

Back at home, we decided we wanted to go shopping. To Geneva Commons! We mostly window shopped, honestly, wandering around stores and talking about things. It was nice. I bought some underpants and a new pair of khaki shorts (my balls basically hang out of the old pair, since they're so threadbare) at American Eagle, and Robb bought me a new white shirt from Banana Republic since he bled on my old one and we couldn't get the stains to come out. Oh, and Pottery Barn! We went to Pottery Barn! I love to pretend to shop for expensive furniture. But we actually bought some drinking jars, which I love! They were only $4 each, which is WAY reasonable. And they're CUTE.

Anywho...shopping over, we went to Naperville to eat at BDs Mongolian. There was a long wait, but we're really good at keeping each other company while we kill time. Really, if you can find someone who is fun to wait with, keep them! The meal was great, as always. If you've never been there, you get to build your own stir fry. They give you a bowl and you throw your meat, veggies, etc. in there, make your sauce, and pick some spices. Then, they grill it all on a HUGE round flatiron grill for you. It's pretty neat.

You can't go to Naperville without walking along their beautiful (sometimes flooded) river walk! So...we walked off our meal a little bit and then went to get Cold Stone. Some days it seems like all we do is eat. Some days, I'm okay with that.

We left Naperville pretty late, and I had to work the next day. We got off the interstate, were turning on a green arrow onto a road about two miles from home, and...

BAM! CRUNCH!

Yeah...a car that was stopped at the opposite light thought the green arrow was a green light and plowed right into our rear passenger fender. They knocked the bumper off of Robb's pretty (newly washed and waxed) Saturn...and I was SO MAD! I got out of the car and started over to the car, not knowing who was going to get out but planning on chewing them a new asshole and lecturing them about texting and driving, since I KNEW that's what had to have happened for someone to be SO BLIND.

So the girl gets out of the car and before I even see her, I'm screaming, "WE HAD THE GREEN ARROW! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?!"

And she's all, "I'm sooo sorry...I was getting off of work and I was really tired and wasn't really paying attention and...Justin?"

It was a girl from high school I haven't seen since we sat together at a friend's wedding four or five years ago. It took all the wind out of my sails and I couldn't even properly yell at her. Dang. It was WAY embarrassing for her, since she knew us AND she was a police dispatcher...so all the cops knew her.

The cops came, took our info, etc. Robb's car had to be towed. Poor Saturn. And while we were all standing there, another guy slowed down in the intersection to gawk, and he was almost nailed by someone coming through the intersection just like we were! If it hadn't been for the blaring horn and the screeching brakes, he'd have been smattered all over the road worse than we were!

People are dumb.

So...we got to ride in the back of the squad car all the way home. The back seat? HARD PLASTIC! I was sliding around like a dog on a linoleum floor. Apparently they're easier to clean and perps can't hide contraband in the seats. Good to know.

So...beware the lazy Saturday! They sometimes end with a reunion...or a bang. Or both!

Vacation Stall...

After two days, I still have no fucking idea how to upload photos to Xanga from my computer after the Lion update. That really pisses me off. Why would the update change my photos folder into an icon called iPhoto library that I can't even click from the photo uploader's menu?

How infuriating.

Out

Technical Difficulties...

I'd be blogging about my vacation today if I could get my computer to post photos to Xanga. Hm. Seems that when I updated to Lion, it changed the photo menus that interact with Xanga. I don't have time to fight with it today, but I'll figure it out tomorrow on my day off.

Sorry folks.

Out

So...Amy Winehouse died. I'm sad! I guess I should stop waiting for her next album...although it didn't stop Tupac...

Lion...

I know, I know! I have to blog about vacation, and I will! With photos! I took 730 photos. I'm sure SOME of them are worth sharing...

But.

Last night I upgraded my Mac's OS to Lion. It's available in the app store for $29.99. That's a ridiculously low price for a new OS. They're usually about $100 more than that. Anywho...I upgraded. It took several hours to finish (6:30 until about 10:30), but it's done now.

Impressions? I'm not really sure yet. I don't love the changes to Mail, but I hate change. I don't love that they changed my gestures with the track pad. It took me an hour to figure out that they changed "back" on my internet browser from three fingers swiped back to two fingers swiped back. I don't love the new dashboard...but maybe there's a way to make it less opaque. Right now, it's a separate screen that doesn't overlay the one you're using. It's just an aesthetic thing that I don't appreciate...nothing functionally wrong. I like Launchpad, where you can see all your apps with a single click. That's nice. And Mission Control is pretty much the same thing as whatever it replaced. It just lets you see all the apps that are currently running, lets you switch back and forth among them really easily.

Other than that, I haven't had much time to explore it...or to notice what's different.

One thing I absolutely don't like? Normally, if you scroll to the top of a page using a gesture, it stops when it gets to the top or bottom of the page. Now, though, it has a sort of elasticity, where it pulls down a gray area if you scroll past the top...then it snaps back to the top where it SHOULD HAVE stopped before. They are trying to make it feel more "natural", but...it just feels completely unnecessary.

So...there's that.

I promise I'll blog about vacation soon! Multiple days, even!

FINALLY OUT OF VIRGINIA!!! We stopped in DC to sightsee...but it still took us 100 years to get out of VA. I maintain that they're the worst drivers EVER!

Not even out of town yet and there's a traffic jam...idiots stopping to gawk at a man tying down a boat...I think I'm ready to leave Virginia.

Virginia may be for lovers, but it's certainly NOT for drivers. If I see one more brake light, so help me, God...

And a treaffic jam 25 miles out of Richmond brings this trip to a screeching halt...damn. Hope we can still make Harry Potter at 10!

"This reminds me of a poorer Wisconsin." Robb opining about WV.

This McDonalds has EVERYTHING! Fat people heckling a kid with downs, babies screaming, lots of old people, and a random Asian family. Welcome to Indiana!

Road Trip...

Last night we shopped for road trip supplies. Our shopping list included red vines, gummy bears, beef jerky, trail mix...I felt like I was twelve when we got to the checkout. I half expected Mom to come around the corner and say, "Put those back! No. Get the smaller bag!" We got some responsible stuff, but mostly we'll be having whatever the hell we want on our way across the eastern half of the states.

I'm way excited! There's something about driving from where we are to somewhere hours away and coming home by a different route that makes the country feel small, accessible, and mine. And I wouldn't want to spend hour after hour in the car with anyone but Robb. He's never lost, always adventurous, and hey, as long as he's around, any place feels like home.

The only thing I'm really going to miss is the cat. But a week isn't too long. And he'll have a cat-sitter while we're gone. It's not like the apartment is going to be empty.

So tomorrow morning we're setting out for Virginia Beach. We plan to stop on the way and get a hotel room for the night. We'll get there Friday, see Harry Potter with some friends, hopefully have nice weather so we can go to the beach, and let our friends show us around their city. Then, on Sunday or Monday, depending on their work schedules, we're off to home. There's talk of stopping in Washington D.C., since I've never even SEEN our nation's capital. And all this without a working camera...

We'll probably just share Robb's camera. I'm taking my computer, so depending on internet connections, you might get a few posts while we're there. I'll be keeping a handwritten journal of our escapade, if nothing else. I'm sure you'll hear all about it. However it goes, I'm way excited! I've never been any further east than Eastern Ohio.

Alright. Now? Time to go to work for the eighth day in a row...

Out

Pampered...

Last night, at the suggestion of my coworkers, I decided to pamper myself to try and get rid of my three day headache.  I came home, ate chips, homemade guac, and pizza rolls for dinner (I know...terrible...but we're trying to clean out the fridge before vacation).  I poured myself a glass of wine, drew a hot bath, lit a candle, put some music on, and got in the tub.  It was lovely.  My coworkers had said they thought maybe it was a tension headache, and that a hot bath and a massage might help it go away.

Well, Robb was having dinner with family from out of town, so it was the perfect time to treat myself to a little something.  When he came home, I was still in the bath.  Some relaxing Guns n Roses was playing on the stereo (it was on shuffle...maybe not the best choice).  He came in and gave me a neck massage and a pice of apple coffee cake that his dad had sent him home with (speaking of...I think it's breakfast time).

*munch munch*

And...I got out of the bath after the cat started getting a little too curious about what was on the other side of the tub wall.  I didn't think a screaming ball of fur and claws would be that relaxing.  Did the headache go away?  No.  I mean...it's not there this morning, but it was last night.

Perhaps it packed its bags and left.  If not, well...I'm not taking it with on vacation.  Thursday morning can't come fast enough!

Out

Maze Fail...

So...you might not be able to see it very well in this photo, but...

We printed out some "super tough" mazes at work on Saturday to get me through the ten hour day.  This was the first one I attempted.  I put red pen to paper in the center, and I went basically straight to the exit (lower right).  I'm fairly sure this one was faulty.  The other ones we did ere fifteen minute affairs that involved cursing and searching...but this one...

Super tough fail.

Out

Remember When I Got Fired?

So...in case you're new here, back in February of 2010 I lost my job at National City (now PNC). Why? Well, a stupid-ass old lady brought in a fake $25,000 checks, and I did what I was trained to do with it. Then I was fired for doing what I was trained to do. Then I was denied unemployment because they said I violated a known policy. Bastards.

But today is a happy day! I don't normally celebrate other people's hardships, but this...well...

Casey Anthony might have gone free, but this bitch got justice served on a hot plate. I went in to work earlier this week and saw the police report from the newspaper taped to the vault. And guess what? Phyllis Johnson, 82, was arrested for money laundering.

Apparently she got so deep into the scam that they recruited her to help them scam other people. And then? She got caught. The police warned her that if she did it again, she'd be arrested. She did it again. She got arrested.

Justice, people. What goes around really DOES come around.

Out

Kitchen Fires...

Our smoke detector has no battery in it right now. We took it out when it started beeping because of a low battery, and we never put in a replacement. Good thing, too.

I've started exactly four house fires in my lifetime. Thank God that none of them were serious enough to cause any real damage. My first AND second were for the same reason. I was maybe twelve. I put a strawberry Pop Tart (the kind with the candy sprinkles on top of the frosting) into the toaster and went to finish getting ready for school. They never popped up. The sprinkles exploded after a short while and burst into flames. I walked into the room as flames and black smoke were pouring out of the toaster. We stopped buying that kind after the second time.

The third was in the bathroom. The power was out. We used an overturned paper cup with a hole in it for a candle holder (Mom's idea). The rest of the family went to bed, but I had a friend over. We stayed up late and passed out in the living room without heeding my mom's warning to blow that candle out. In the night it apparently fell, caught a stack of Reader's Digest on fire, and burned the wall a little before ultimately going out. That one still freaks me out if I think about it too much.

Yesterday, however, this little firebrand returned to the kitchen. I was frying taco shells for Robb's delicious chicken tacos (he made homemade guac, y'all!) and apparently wasn't being careful enough with the flaming grease. Whoops. A small fire started on the burner, and I had to employ my best blowing skills to put it out. Three tries later, it finally went out. It was a little nerve wracking, though. I grabbed the pan off the burner before IT could catch fire, and I stepped back. It wasn't really in danger of spreading, but...still...

I won't let it stop me, though. My track record is just that. Only something to be overcome, to be turned into stories and not repeated (except in the case of strawberry Pop Tarts...whoops). In fact, I just pulled a perfect chocolate chip cheesecake out of the oven. No fire!

Out

Get Back to Work!

This is what Reggie Fils-Aime is doing instead of making good decision at Nintendo of America...

That's really all I have to say today.

Out

Goodreads

My friend Dan Lang told me about Goodreads when he was over this weekend. He's created a monster. I spent the majority of yesterday adding books to my shelves, marking them as read, rating them, adding things to my "to read" pile, and marveling at the fact that every book I've ever read since I was able to read is on there. Go Dog, Go!? It's there. War and Peace? It's there. Strangely enough, I gave them both five stars.

I looked at book lists and joined some groups and found some friends. Then I took a bike ride. When I came back, I jumped right back in and added some things I'd only thought of while I was out. By the end of the night my eyes were so tired from staring at my computer screen that I could barely focus. Phew. I slept like a rock, too. Of course, it might have been the dream where I ended up owning Disneyland that kept me sleeping...

Are you on Goodreads? You should find me! I'd love to see what you've been reading, what you are reading, and what you plan to read.

Out

Pride Pride Pride...

We went. We thought we saw all of the parade. We ate. We realized the parade wasn't over. We wandered. We left.

A friend of a friend got in a fistfight with a not-so-nice lesbian that was standing near us. Granted, he was drunk and obnoxious and antagonistic. He deserved to be headlocked and body punched repeatedly. He probably deserved to be led away by the police, which he was. And he probably deserved to be told off at dinner for being a perfect ass. Being. Not having. Read carefully, folks.

We tried to get there an hour early, but...we were thwarted, somehow. We got stuck in a time warp that had us crammed into a an el train with no room to jump to the left OR step to the right. And forget putting your hands on your hips. And then...crowds. Crowds. Crowds.

I still don't know what happened with the two hour cushion we built in to our travel. It's been three years since we've been subjected to the huge, crazy crowds. Usually we get a spot near the barricades an hour early and get to ignore the crowds. This year? we got stuck between a large black woman with her children and the tallest Asian man that God ever made. Not to mention the glitter-throwing kids behind us...there's still glitter in the carpet at home.

But honestly, Robb and I had a good time hanging out, meeting people, talking. Dan's a wonderful conversationalist and a great friend. I only wish he wasn't three hours (four with creative detouring) away. And now I have some new book and music recommendations to look into. What more could you ask for from a weekend? Sun, parade, laughs, music, books...what more is there?

Oh...this: It's not Katy Perry's "Firework" anymore.

"Baby you're a dinosaur,
Come on let me hear you roar..."

What a fun weekend!

Out

Yup...on our way home. Good music and a fantastic lack of ignorant shouting bitches makes for a great ride home.

And now our train is stuck...and a crazy drunk black woman is shouting and pounding on a window...but it's a good message. She's offering to eat girls out.

Okay...it was hot. A friend of a friend got in a fistfight with a dyke and was arrested. A good meal and a good walk later, we decided it was time to go.

Four.

"Born This Way" count? 3.

Parade is crazy...holy cow. More people here than ever before.

The train is packed with rainbows. It begins!

Pre-Pride...

Well, I got my pre-Pride haircut, the one that my Hair Cuttery girl Renee and I joke is the most important one of the year. I'm all set. I think I've decided what I'm wearing. And tonight we do all the stuff we've been meaning to do since the beginning of the week. That includes exciting entries such as: clean the bathtub, do the dishes, sweep the floor, vacuum, prepare the guest bed...

Prepare the guest bed? Why?

Oh...Dan Lang is coming with us! No, really. We're way excited! Saturday night he's gonna roll into town and spend all night playing Ocarina of Time 3D, and Sunday we're gonna drag his ass out of bed and head to the parade! Oh man. Let's hope the Orange Line is reliable this weekend. I'd hate to be late and miss Dykes on Bikes...or the Righteously Outrageous Twirling Corps (if they're there...last year they were not!).

BTW, my camera is WAY broken, so...I probably won't have it with me. I might take my 3DS to take some photos, but...I hadn't decided if I wanted to lug it around. I probably won't. But Robb has his camera (as long as he remembers it and doesn't leave it at home like he did when we went to Glee--j/k, babe! I love you!), and, in the event that we don't have one, it might be nice just to watch the parade for a change.

Anywho...it's a busy weekend. Working today, working Saturday, Pride on Sunday, and working on Monday. Updates on Tuesday!

Out

Boyfriend calls while I'm waiting for him to pick me up at the train station. His car is dead. Dang...looks like I WILL finish reading this chapter...

Music and Running....

I haven't run this week.  Monday it was crappy out, so I figured I'd run Tuesday.  Then my schedule changed, and I had an opening shift instead of a closing shift.  We had a meeting at night, and when I went home, it was storming.  I missed my run.  And today?  So far...rain, tons of wind...etc.  Looks like I could miss my run today, too.  Anyone know where there's a free indoor track around here I could use?  

All these rainy days have had me writing a little bit and playing a lot of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the 3DS (which, can I say, is amazingly new and nostalgic all at once).  Oh...and listening to music.  Of course, there's almost ALWAYS music on at home.  I was curious what my most played songs were, and the list was as follows:

1.  "Fuck You" by Cee Lo Green
2.  "Shame for You" by Lily Allen
3.  "Black Keys" by Andy Davis
4.  "Killing Me Softly" by the Fugees
5.  "Cryin'" by Aerosmith
6.  "(You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin
7.  "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak
8.  "Nervous" by Dryve
9.  "L.O.V." by Fitz and the Tantrums
10.  "Sadie Hawkins Dance" by Relient K

I was honestly a little shocked.   It's not entirely indicative of the music I feel I've been listening to.  I mean, "Fuck You" is a great song, and that one was no surprise.  It's been played WAY more often than any other song...of course, we listened to it, like, ten times when my brother was over right after it came out, so, you know.  

I can't even remember how "Shame for You" goes, s I can't believe it's second.  The next three are pretty accurate, though.  That Aretha song is one I can't remember hearing recently OR very often, but...there it is.

And the last three?  Hm.  Still kind of odd to me.  The Fitz and the Tantrums song should probably be higher on the list.  And I'm really surprised there's no Ben Folds on this list, considering they're my favorite band.  They made the top 25, but there's only one song clocking it at number 20, and it's not one I even love.  

Oh, and number 11?  "The Bed Intruder Song" by Antoine Dodson.  Yeah...guilty pleasure and a party song.  Sometimes I don't play DJ at my own parties; I just let whoever play whatever.  But, honestly, that one's mostly me.  Ha!

Out

 

Hair...

I've contemplated shaving my head.  I love my hair.  It's thick and pretty easy to manage, and I've never thought, "God, I hate my hair..." ever.  But recently, I've been looking in the mirror and going, "Meh."  I'm getting tired of the same style every day, and I think I'm ready for a change.  But...half my personality is in my hair.  

I'm only half joking about that.

I had a dream last night that I was combing it back and it was getting longer and longer and longer until it was flowing and sandy brown and kind of styled like...I dunno...Murphy Brown or something.

Yikes.  The thing is, I was so happy!  Confused about how I'd style it, yes...but happy.  

Will I change it?  Probably not.  I'm a creature of habit, and hair, while there is that old fall back, "It'll grow out," isn't something I take risks with.  Except that one time I dyed it red.  That was kind of fun.  But I'm not going to color it again.  No way.  College is a good time for being "Arizona Clay", but not in the professional, cut-throat world of bank tellering.  *snicker*  I couldn't even type that with a straight face.

I think it's time for a change.  Just not now.  And definitely not right before Pride.  

Out

Late to the Party...

I'm not a trend setter. I'm just not. Change makes me squeamish and keeps me from sleeping. It takes me a long time to accept something as okay after it is introduced. And sometimes? Sometimes I'm just the last person to hear about things.

It seems like every trend I jump on is on its way out. By the time I say, "Oh, I could see myself wearing that..." it's already not cool anymore. I'm that guy.

It extends to television, as well. I think part of that is because we don't have TV at home. No channels. The television I watch is whatever's on at the laundromat every two weeks. Last night it was "How I Met Your Mother," as show I've never seen before. Now that I've seen it, though, I feel like I'm missing out on something everyone else has said was great for a few years.

We're currently watching a show on DVD that I'm not going to name, because I don't want anyone to know that we're watching it. No, I'm not ashamed. I just don't want people to spoil it. But we're way late to that party, too. It makes me wish I'd watched it when it was on, because then I could talk to people about what I think is going on. Instead, Robb and I banter back and forth about it and then we watch the next episode. I love that banter. But just think about how much more it could have been had we watched it when it was on!

I think not wanting to get TV at home is a solid decision. It used to eat my life. Oh, a Mythbuster's marathon? I'll sit and watch all day? 8 hours of Comedy Central stand-up? Why not! And then there's the, "OMG I have to stop what I'm doing right now because _____ is on!" thing. I'm happy not having that obligation, although with DVR and Hulu, that's quickly becoming passe. And then there's the Pushing Daisies syndrome. I find a show, I love it, I get attached, I proclaim it as the best show ever, and then it gets cancelled.

I hate getting dumped by a TV show.

So...yeah...I'm just not on the ball there.

And don't even get me started on current movies...

Out

Nothing to Add...

Have I already told you how much I have found that I adore the album Rumours by Fleetwood Mac? It's been on repeat in my car for weeks. There's just something about it that feels perfect. Other music gets stuck in my head, so I listen to it. This album, though...I CRAVE it. It's unlike anything I've heard...

Enough about that.

I went for my third run of the week. I haven't made three runs in a week since I started, so that's kind of nice. This time, it was just above 50 degrees, so I pushed myself pretty hard. It as a good run. I think if I had better shoes (read: any shoes for running) I'd be able to really run without my calves and feet burning so much. Maybe not.

My brain's scattered. Zombie feeding frenzy!

Happy Friday. Wish I had something to report...sort of. No news is good news, right? Between watching coverage on Nintendo's new system and upcoming games and being at work, I don't have much going on. And I'm working all weekend.

Out

Wednesday Wilt...

It's hot.  Very hot.  What am I doing?  Well, I took a short, short run this morning.  And now?  I'm just doing as little as possible in the AC.  

I used to live for this weather.  I loved being outside when it was hot.  It was my favorite part of the year.  But now?  I'm finding myself becoming one of those miserable, sweaty people you hear about on the news.  Or...something.

You know who else hates the heat?

This guy:

If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have the AC on, probably.  But he just looks so miserable in his little pool of fat and fur.  Although, really, he makes it worse by sitting in the sun when it's already 80 in the apartment.

Thankfully, we're all happier now that we've turned on the air.  

Out

Civil Union...

My lovely state of Illinois just approved civil unions. That means that Robb and I, instead of saying, "well...maybe someday when it's legal," are saying, "well...maybe Tuesday."

Not really. I mean, we've discussed it, and the best reason to do it at the moment is that I'd be able to be covered under his insurance, so I'd finally have health insurance for the first time since college. That was five-and-a-half years and two teeth ago. It would be very nice to have insurance. It would be very nice to be civil-unioned.

Civilly uned?

Civilly united. That's probably what it is. I prefer the previous iteration. Uned. Like, {yoond}. It sounds so dirty. Anyway...

Since people have been asking me about my thoughts and whether or not they'd be hearing wedding bells--sorry, civil union bells...wouldn't want to offend the semantically-obsessed--in the near future, I figured I' just put it out there.

Am I ready? Sure. Are we ready? I think so.

But I don't want to just race off to the court house to get it done. I want a ceremony. I want a wedding. Friends. Family. Presents. I don't want my mom to have to miss ANOTHER of her sons' weddings...you know, since my brother was married for a year and a month before he told us...And I know that if we raced off and got the forms and just united for insurance purposes, I'd never get a ceremony. Saving for a ceremony would fall to the end of the priority list, since we'd already technically be united. But dang it, I want a wedding!

So, soon? Probably not. Someday? I hope so!

Out

Glee...

The concert was amazing. I took pictures with my phone, but honestly, I was too busy staring with mouth agape and hands clapping to do anything much.

They surprised us with the Warblers! The WARBLERS! They were all there. All of them. Oh my gosh. It was amazing. There were video segments with Sue and Mr. Shue. Cheerios handed out barf bags because the show was going to be that vomit-inducingly bad. I didn't get one...sad sad. There was confetti, t-shirt guns, and tons of music. I was staring at the stage at one point and not paying attention to the little stage that was close to us, and Robb smacks me and goes, "LOOK!"

Puck. Was. Right. THERE!

Oh my gosh. There were a few points in the show where I was so overwhelmed by the fact that all these kids I've watched for two years on TV were RIGHT THERE! SINGING! LIVE! that I might have teared up a little. I'm such a fangirl. And going in to it, I was thinking, "This is going to be a lot of fun, but nothing earth shattering or anything..." I don't know if it was the crowd or what, but I got caught up like a little 'tween.

They opened with "Don't Stop Believin'", Britney did "Slave 4 U", Mercedes sang the hell out of "Ain't No Way", they did "Fat Bottom Girls", the Warblers did "Raise Your Glass"...and many others including "Loser Like Me". The show was about an hour with a half hour encore, so about an hour and a half. I thought it was on the short side, but I understand that singing and dancing for two hours can probably be pretty tiring.

All-in-all? Phenomenal.

Out

Glee Live was AMAZING! The Warblers were even there! More later...Right now? Dinner at Nookie's in Boystown. My favorite!

Had An Idea...

I woke up this morning all gung-ho about posting this great idea I had while I was sleeping. Something happened! I had to tell everyone about it! What a great story it would make!

Then I realized it was a dream. Dang.

So here I sit with nothing.

Except to tell you that I'm SO EXCITED FOR TOMORROW!

Why?

The boy and I are going to see Glee...live...in concert. I know it's not the full cast, but I wonder if Mike Chang will be there...I've read that it's a concert with a storyline, something about their rivalry with Vocal Adrenaline. And they've got Lady Gaga's set designer, a huge stage, tons of multimedia. Funny thing is, I know the people who are in charge of Gaga's set...along with Bon Jovi, Journey, Charlie Sheen, etc. They're based out of my town. My friends have dated some of their employees...met celebrities...it's all kinds of exciting. They tell me that this Glee show is pretty amazing.

I might pee in my pants just thinking about it.

I'm gonna go get a towel.

Out

Motivated by Guilt...

This weekend was pretty much one giant feeding frenzy.

My sister's graduation party was Saturday, and my mom made all the food. Potato salad, mostaccioli, pulled pork, watermelon...oh, and cake (it was store bought, but still great)! We hung out with all her friends and the family, played some ladderball (a.k.a. hillbilly golf, ghetto golf) and badminton, drank wine, and ate way too much all day.

Sunday I was at work watching the storm try to knock out our power and listening to my coworker scream every time the lightning struck nearby. It'll make a guy pretty jumpy.

Monday we had a Memorial Day cookout with other friends. We had beer-boiled (and grilled) brats on pretzel rolls, lemon bars, brownies, cole slaw, fruit, chips, veggies...and more drinks. I probably drank a whole day's worth of calories...but we worked some of them (4 or 5) off playing bags and more ladder ball. It was a great time hanging with friends and meeting new ones.

Today? Today it's hot. Muggy. Windy, though. I didn't want to run. But then I thought about everything that I'd eaten this weekend. I said to myself, "You plan to sit around and do as little as possible today, right?"
"Right."
"And you want to do that without feeling guilty, correct?"
"Yup."
"Then get your ass out there and run."
"Fair enough."

So, here I am. Freshly showered. Contemplating a leftover lemon square but knowing I should have a glass of water and some watermelon instead. Oh, and the sunburn itch is, I think, officially over. *sings* "Ding-dong! The itch is dead! Which old itch? The sunburn itch! Ding-dong the itchy itch is dead!"

Out

SO OLD!!!!

Tonight I get to watch my sister graduate from high school.  I remember the day she was born.  I was ten.  Wow.  My brother and I were sitting on the couch with Gramma Gramma (that's what we called her...she was my mom's mom), and we were all waiting for the phone call.  The phone rang.  Gramma Gramma went to pick it up, and when she said it was a girl, I knew that for the rest of my life, I'd have a sister.  My brother cried.  He wanted a brother.  He wanted someone to teach to play catch and who would roughhouse and be tons of fun.  Well, he ended up teaching her all those things, anyway.

I remember telling her her first joke when she was old enough to understand them.  

I remember her first words.  My stepdad dropped a spoonful of applesauce on her head, and she said, "Uh-oh!"  We all laughed so hard we couldn't finish dinner.

Now she's all grown up, having boyfriends, working, and going to college.  COLLEGE!

I can't believe she's so old already.  And even though she'll be 18 in July, she's still my baby sister.  And I'll still kick her ass into shape if she's being stupid.

Love you, Christine!  Congratulations.

Out

Angry Mr. Sun...

So, Robb and I took a bike ride yesterday around 1 PM.  Why was he home?  Why was I home?  Well, he had a dentist's appointment in the morning and took the whole day off.  I'm just off on Tuesdays every week.  So, we decided to take advantage of it.  

Well...during our ride, we had a miscommunication which led to me pulling out in front of him...he slammed on his brakes and ended up coming off the ground a little and then slamming his bike back down.  He never lost control, really, and he didn't fall off.  But he bent the rim of the back wheel.  So...after some apologizing and some ghetto repair, and after a WAY CUTE guy in the maintenance department told us he had no idea where we could find an allen wrench (he didn't look like the type of guy to even know what that was), I decided to go home, get the bike rack and Robb's car, and come rescue him.  So...I did.  

The whole time, though, Angry Mr. Sun was a-beain' down on my shoulders.  Which were bare.  I sunscreened my face, but...nothing else.  So.  When I got back to save him, we put the bike rack on the car--a feat in and of itself--and we took the bike to the repair shop.  An hour and $15 later, it was back to good.  Hooray!  We went to get ice cream (kind of makes the bike ride pointless), and we came home.

In the time it took to get the bike fixed, get ice cream, and come home...this appeared:

That's not a trick of the light, and yes, I AM holding my laptop over my head to take a photo of my shoulders.  Those red lines?  That would be where my tank top stopped.  Oh yeah...it's way red.  Like...inside of a tomato red.  Sleeping last night was no treat...especially with the thunder that sounded like cars exploding outside the window.  Yikes.

Yeah...lesson to learn here?  Wear sunscreen.

Out

A Weekend of Disappointment...

So, all weekend I was poised and ready for the rapture (note sarcasm). I figured that if I was going, I wouldn't have to finish my shift at work. I had lunch with Robb and kissed him goodbye when he took me back to work, thinking that there was a .000000000000001% chance that the guy was right. The time rolled around...and...we finished up closing the bank. I got home, and Robb said something to the effect of, "Well, we're still here." Hell, I'd forgotten all about the rapture in all the excitement about the bank. So...that was disappointing.

Side note: I'm not really serious about thinking the rapture was going to happen, but you know, there's always that tiny, tiny, tiny thought that says, "What if, for some reason, this guy REALLY knows?" And you think that yes, maybe that was the last time I kissed my boyfriend (that's if you believe that we would be caught up in the rapture at all...). You know it's hooey...but...what if?

That was just the first half.

My sister's graduation and party is next weekend. I'm way excited to see my little sister graduate high school. I might have been more excited that my brother was coming back, since I hadn't seen him in about a year (sorry, sis). I really was just happy that we'd both get to be there for her. Well, I texted him for details, and he said he wasn't coming. SO....that really WAS crushing disappointment. And then he tells me, "Oh, I'll be coming in sometime around mid July." Great. That's when Robb and I are taking our road trip.

So...there was that.

But, on the bright side, I had a great shift at work on Sunday with Sausha. Afterwards, Robb and I didn't get swept away in a tornado. And...sex is always good. So...you know...there's that.

Does anyone know what that rapture guy had to say about Saturday?

Out

Progress?

So, today's run left my feet and calves aching. I think my feet still hurt from Tuesday's run and yesterday's work day in uncomfortable shoes. But I came home not feeling like my lungs were on fire or about to implode. So that's an improvement.

I still don't know how I feel about this whole running thing. I like being outside, and today I got to walk my scuzzy self past some local firemen who were out cleaning the ambulance. I love a feeling of progress, and, compared to my first run, this one was WAY better. I can feel my lungs getting stronger as I work them out like any other muscle. Am I losing weight? Well...kind of. I lost a pound from last week. I'm really only over my weight by about 8 pounds, so...it's not like I have 20 to burn. I wouldn't mind the number if it weren't for my shape. I wouldn't mind adding some in places and taking some off in others. We shall see. I already know my neck has gotten skinnier, because yesterday it wasn't a pain in the neck to button my collar for work.

Har har.

So there's that. Progress. Sort of...

Out

In Which I Get My Town Back...

I had a whole post typed up. Garbage. I'll just say this: the college kids have gone home. I get my town back.

Out

Err...Umm...

What?

There's no reason for this blog. I just thought it'd been a while since I checked in. I'm trying to find the motivation to go running this morning. It's only 52 degrees, but it was 50 a half hour ago...so...it's movin' on up! I think maybe I'll just...go. But I'm going to be running in different shoes. Not my running shoes. Not new running shoes. It's just that Robb and I took a walk last night, and I was in my other shoes. My calves or feet never hurt a bit, so...I thought to myself, "It can't be any worse to run in those shoes, right?" We shall see.

In other news, I have the best boyfriend ever. We're going to see Glee in concert at the beginning of June. Oh, yes.

Out

Dyson...

Yes, the vacuum guy.  I used to think he was a little bit of a silver fox.  But besides that, he's a shrewd business man.  Look at this:

Never loses suction.  You know those words, right?  The vacuums we had were fine, and I never once thought, "Gosh, I hate that this vacuum loses suction."  But this man...this genius...look what he did?  What's the best vacuum out there?  Oh, the Dyson.  Why?  Because it doesn't lose suction like other vacuums.  See what he did there?  Let's try this one:

No blades.  No buffeting.  You may have heard that, too.  This bladeless Dyson fan is the newest thing.  We're told that regular fans make little puffs of air that come off each blade.  It's not smooth.  It's a little puff puff puff that's very annoying.  But with the Dyson fan, there's no buffeting.  It's better.  But...stop a minute.  Have you ever thought to yourself, "Gosh...I wish this fan weren't buffeting me about with its blades going going going,"?  Me either.  

See what he's doing?

He's creating a problem where there really is no problem.  And then?  He's fixing it.  This man is a millionaire.  And we're all puppets.  Think about it.  What other products or ads are creating problems we don't actually have and "fixing" them?

Out

And I Ran...

Iran's SO far away! What?

Today...today I started running. Officially. Sort of. I still need to go get some better shoes. I have my old running shoes from college that weren't even originally mine. SO...that's a big one.

Let me tell you about running. For the first thirty seconds, you feel like the best person in the world. Doubt creeps in at about the 45 second mark. And then after that, it's just trying not to die while staring at your feet to make sure your legs aren't ACTUALLY catching on fire like they feel. Yeah...I think I pushed it a little too hard. But hey, it's something. It was maybe a 15 minute run/walk, which is 5 minutes less than recommended for beginners, but...I'm WAY not in shape, cardiovascularly speaking, anyway.

I've come to the conclusion that people who run are robots. They HAVE to be! Who pushes themselves that one more mile after the first minute feels so terrible?! I mean...I know they started the same place I did. Burning. Choking. Wanting to lie on the next available lawn and be eaten by ants. While I was running, I just felt so bad...I'm 28 years old, and I can't run around the block without feeling like I need to die.

But then...as I rounded the corner and came home, I felt it. That...satisfaction. I did it. I went for a run. I didn't die. And I think I might do it again Thursday. Three days a week for twenty minutes to start. Then? We shall see. It can only get easier from here on out, right? Right? Right?

So...there's that.

Out

F A T...

So, I'm gaining weight. Like...noticeably. Before you ask, no, I'm not pregnant. I promise. It's just...food babies.

Yeah...I've never been one of those, "Oh my god, I can't eat that!" kind of guys. But I think I'm going to have to start making some better choices about food and exercise. I've stopped working out, basically. Well...HAD stopped. This morning I started again. And I even thought about taking a short run. You know what stopped me? I couldn't decide on clothes to jog in. No, seriously. I'm so lame. It all comes down to the socks...

Not that anyone cares. Not that I'm tying to impress anyone with my bedhead jogging. I don't know why I care.

Excuses...excuses...

Hey, don't look at me like that. Yesterday the boy and I took a bike ride. I almost died, since it was 120% uphill (don't ask how that's possible...we live in some kind of M.C. Escher neighborhood or something...) and it was my first ride of the season. But we made it! It was SOMETHING!

So...thinking about taking a run is a big step for me. I hate running. I told myself I can run around the block (it's a big block), and if I feel like still going, then I will. Maybe I will tomorrow. Right now, I have to get ready for work. Where do you put your keys when you jog?

Out

The Rolling Stones...

So, I checked out Exile on Main Street by The Rolling Stones from the library the other day. I have been reluctant to listen to them for a stupid reason.

They're my dad's favorite band. Last I heard (about seven years ago), he was gung-ho in love with them and had been for a long time. He flew to Arizona once to see them in concert. Yup...

So, listening to them sort of seemed like accepting my destiny, like becoming him in one more area. But, honestly, I see why he likes them. And...I like them. Of course, one of the only good things I got from him was his taste in music. So this shouldn't surprise me...

That's all I've got today. Pretty quietsville in my life right now...

Out

About Jury...

I promise this is the last I'll say about this. Maybe.

Jury duty is over. We reached our verdict. We got a free lunch. He got a slap on the wrist, basically. The court system is so slow that the defendant and his ex wife get along now. So the court case was sort of irrelevant, honestly. That's why the judge didn't give him much of a sentence. Thankfully. Because, honestly, determining the guilt of someone isn't too hard with the evidence they give you. It's making everyone else stop looking at all the shit that doesn't matter and focus on the evidence and testimony that they told us to analyze that sucks.

At one point we were arguing over an "FS" at the end of a text message. It doesn't mean anything to anyone. They didn't address it in the trial. So...why are we spending 20 minutes speculating about what it means? One guy just would NOT let it go. But...we got there. I had to lay it out for them at one point. "My opinion about what is harassment doesn't matter. It' the law's opinion that matters, and the definition is right there in black and white. As such, this text message IS harassment under an order of protection. Plain and simple."

That still didn't do it. We had lunch, and when we came back, everyone was in agreement.

On the way in that morning, I got stared at by a HUGE man in a yellow (not orange) jumpsuit, arm and leg cuffs, and a beard. He wouldn't break eye contact. It freaked me out. *shiver*

But it's over. I made $37.50. $47.50 if you count the $10 bill I found the first day. And all-in-all, it was a pretty positive experience. I'd do it again.

Out

Jury duty today, but I found $10! So...I'm even Steven!

Jury Duty...

Yup. I have jury duty this morning at 9:30. I've never had jury duty. I have to report for selection...I hope I don't feel rejected when they send me home. I have the same feeling this morning as I do before a job interview. Ugh.

So, since I'm going to be at jury duty today, here's something to tide you over. I wrote it yesterday at writing group to answer the prompt "If you could ask God one question..."

------------

I was dead. That I knew. I searched my mind for my final moments and came up with a foggy image of candles. I don’t know. I guess it wasn’t important. But here I was. Heaven. It wasn’t the Ritz. I guess I’m not really allowed to tell you about it...but trust me, you’ll like it when you get here. If you get here. Although to be honest, I haven’t been able to come up with anyone who isn’t here...not that I’ve tried too hard. But...I’m not really allowed to tell you about that.

The thing that was most exciting to me was that I got to have an audience with the big cheese--who isn’t at all like you’re picturing. Unless you’re picturing a giant--never mind. I can’t tell you that, either. But I was thrilled. I got to ask any question I wanted. And it wasn’t like I only got one. I could ask and ask and ask until I was satisfied. But when I got my audience, I was so awed, so in shock, and so happy that my mind sort of went kablooey...like a hive of bees falling out of a rotting tree. I couldn’t get it together, couldn’t make a question materialize. I stood there, agape, something I was sure God had seen before. Apparently you can be embarrassed in Heaven. But all of a sudden it hit me, the question I’d most like to ask.

I opened my mouth, and God said, “You don’t want to know.”

“I think I do,” I replied. “Wait...how do you know what I’m going to ask?”

“I’m God.”

“Riiiight. Sorry. I’m not used to meeting celebrities.”

God laughed. Actually laughed. It was a sound like nothing I’d ever heard. It put me instantly at ease, and I smiled.

“Okay,” God said. “I guess I can tell you. Remember the Crusades?

“Well, I wasn’t there personally, but I know that a lot of terrible things happened in your name.”

“Right. Well...that’s why.”

“Wait...but that was thousands of years ago,” I replied, confused.

“Give or take,” said God.

“So...you’re telling me that the Crusades are the reason that he came to power?”

“Yes.”

“Well...is he here?”

God looked at me. “Not yet.”

“Thank God,” I said. “I’m so sick of Justin Bieber!”

“You’re welcome.”

-----------------

Out

About the Script...

So, I figured out a few things after feeling like this month was a complete waste.

I expected that writing about all that stuff from my past would be cathartic, would help me to get past some thing that have happened even recently. But, honestly, it just dredged up a bunch of crappy memories and forced me to go into detail about them. So, that was a bust.

Honestly, I think it was the wrong venue. No one-man-show could hold all of that. I needed a novel...a memoir. Trying to stage something without being able to see it or know that people could portray all the emotions there...it's hard. It doesn't work. I would have needed pages and pages of stage direction just to get through it. But I skipped all that. I just let it speak for itself.

Do you know what it said?

*pthththththththtbbbbb* It blew a big raspberry at me. But it waited 29 days to do so.

So...maybe the right sentiment, but the wrong medium.

This is one of those projects they're going to publish after I die and it'll win a Tony or something...ugh.

And now I'm feeling chapped. No wonder, since I basically masturbated onto the page for a month. Blech. But it was a learning experience. I keep telling myself that. Maybe it'll stick.

Out

It Is Finished...

FINALLY!

I win.  102 pages.  Wow.  I always forget how much I hate doing this.  So...I'm done until next year, when I agree to do this again.

Out

Happy Place...

I want to be here all the time.

Out

Old Emotions...

God...who would have thought that dusting off an eight-year-old fight and writing about it would be so hard?! Oh...wait...I knew this would make me miserable for the month. I just wish everything else was peaches and roses while I did it. I have to literally drag myself to the computer (okay...maybe not literally) and type. But I made it past the hardest stuff. Now...to fill 27 more pages...with...now. That's going to be the kicker. I don't know what I'm going to do, but...there it is.

I'm only one page behind right now, but I couldn't bring myself to type another word today. Not after re-typing the emails between my dad and I and correcting for his terrible spelling and punctuation so that someone else could read it on stage if they had to. GAH! That's draining. I'm okay with being behind, though. The Script Frenzy website is down. Has been for days. I'm so okay with that right now. I just hope it comes back up before the end of the month.

But we're moving on. Again. Some more.

Out

Currently...

My mouth is taped shut.
My hands are tied.

Where the hell is my Pulitzer?

Out

Script Frenzy...

So, I'm writing the script about my relationship with my dad. It's not that simple, though. I called it "Mistakes Men Make". I'm 51 pages in, and I'm soooooo blocked. I know where I want to go, but I don't know how to get there. I have to go back and talk about church, relationships, and all of that before I get to where I want to be. It's slow going, and I'm ten pages behind again. I guess I'll catch up tomorrow, because today I only have a half hour and no motivation.

Blah. It's not going well. Usually Script Frenzy is WAY easy. 100 pages in a month? Four pages of script normally takes about a half hour for me, because of all the formatting, the scene changes, stage direction, lots of speakers. This one, though? It's just a LOT of narration. Kind of a one man show. God, it's so terrible. But I think it's doing me some good to write it. Finally.

That is, if I keep on keeping on with it...

Out

The One Where I Am 28...

No, really. Today is the anniversary of my harrowing escape from the womb. C-section. Never touched a vagina. Probably never will.

Well, I finally feel like I'm out of my mid twenties and into the "almost 30s". Which...doesn't thrill me. I don't mind growing older. I've been looking forward to 35 for a long, long time. Like...since I was 16. I always pictured it as the perfect age, the age where you've got life figured out and you're kicking back to enjoy it knowing who you are and what you want out of life. But...the closer and closer I get to all my peers being 35, I realize that they haven't got it all figured out. They don't know what they want out of life. They don't know who they are. They're suffering divorces, job loss, the death of loved ones...

I still look forward to it. But 30...30? Not so much. Why? I don't know. My friend Jhonna said it's probably because 30 feels so much more concretely adult. It does. But I'm all about growing older but not growing old. Maturity doesn't mean you have to stop being a kid at heart. And that's where I am. I'm playing Pokemon, for God's sake! I mean...really. Getting older isn't a bad thing. I have more disposable income, and I can finally start to afford to do the things I've always wanted to do and to have the things I've always wanted to have.

I've got a wonderful boyfriend who takes great care of me and loves me. I'm healthy (as far as I know), and happy (for the most part). We've got a Marbles Kitty and a place for him to plop his fat butt. And there are PRESENTS on the table in the kitchen that it's KILLING ME not to open. No matter the age, I'll never be too old to be excited about birthday presents. Now I'm just old enough to realize that a birthday dinner is a present, too.

Greetings from 28. I wish you were here!

Out

Doesn't Grow on Trees...

This post is not about money.  It's about one thing.  One thing I learned while at Disney Land a bunch of years ago.  I think this might be one of the most common misconceptions out there about something that we could potentially see every day.  

Pineapples.  

They don't grow on trees.  No, really.  Look.

I know...I know...I was floored all those years ago when I found it out.  I think this is my life's calling--dispelling the myths about pineapples growing on trees.  Done and done.  Now what?  Cheesecake for breakfast, most likely.  Now you can't say you didn't learn something today.

Out

Restless Arms...

Last night Robb wakes me up in the middle of the night, "JUSTIN!"  He's yelling from right beside me.  He sounds mad.  I roll over.  "Mmmm?  What?"  And then he starts telling me that he just heard something fall over in the kitchen.  He says it sounded like a pool ball being dropped on the floor or a cabinet door slamming shut.  So we get up, we look around, and we find nothing.  Not a single thing out of place.  So...we go back to bed.

Too much My Ghost Story on tv Saturday at my Mom's house, I think.  

But then we go back to bed and I can't sleep.  I keep almost getting to sleep and he gives the blanket a little tug.  I'm over heated.  My pillow is a little damp from sweat.  And I'm listening for whatever it is he thinks he heard.  I think he dreamed it...but that doesn't mean it makes it easy to go back to sleep.  And on top of it all, I'm hit with restless arms.

I doze off, and there's a current, an itch, a jolt...something...that runs through my arms and makes it necessary for me to shake them out.  It just happens over and over and over and over.  It's WAY annoying.  FINALLY I sit up in bed and say, "Well, I guess I'm just not sleeping tonight."  I wake up sitting up a while later and lay back down...and it finally stops.

It's the most frustrating feeling in the world...

Out

Script Frenzy...

Today is day one of Script Frenzy, that crazy thing where I write a 100 page script in a month.

Thing is, I don't really know if I'm doing it this year. Time shall tell, huh?

Out

Nintendo 3DS: First Impressions

Yes.  I'm a nerd.  Not because I wanted to Nintendo 3DS.  If you're at all into video games, you'd have been a fool not to want to continue to have access to Nintendo's great handheld games.  And with the introduction of Game Boy and GBA games for download, what's not to love?  No, no.  I'm a nerd because I went to get it at midnight on Saturday.  I had it and was back to the car three minutes after it was released.  

It's a pretty little thing, my 3DS.  I got the blue one, and, unlike other systems that are just cast in different plastic, this one has a nice light-to-dark fade on the top screen.  It's actually kind of pretty.  The new thumb stick feels nice, and it even comes with a 2GB SD card for saves and downloads.  Hell, you can put an mp3 on the card and play it on the music channel the system is packaged with.

Speaking of packaged with...the AR (Altered Reality) cards that come with?  Brilliant.  No, really.  Who doesn't want to play mini golf on an altered version of their kitchen table?  It was way neat!  Robb and I stayed up until about 1:30 playing with it.  I wanted to keep it all for myself and just keep playing it, but everything was so amazing to me that I had to keep handing him the system and going, "You have to try this!  This is so amazing!"

I didn't even open the game I bought until yesterday after work, and even then, I played with the system's built-in software for a little bit first.  

Before I get to the giddy glory that is Pilotwings, let me tell you what I'm NOT thrilled about.

This thing doesn't come with the channel to download GB and GBA games.  You can't get it right now, for some reason.  I'm guessing they're still setting it up, but...if it's a major selling point of the system, don't you think they'd have it up at launch?!  Way disappointing.  I wasn't worried about only having one game for it because I could buy and download whatever I wanted to play.  Not so much, apparently.  So...that was a drag.  And I don't know when that service is coming.

And it's hard to show anyone what you're doing, because unless you're front and center, it doesn't look 3D.  Not a spectator system, for sure.  Buy one for your boyfriend, too.

Okay...so there's the negative.  Aside from that, everything is golden.  Except the stylus.  I hate the new telescoping stylus.  When I want to just pull it out and play with it, I don't want to get it all stretched out first.  And in its regular size, it's not big enough to do anything with.  You HAVE TO pull it long first.  And that might be the dirtiest thing I've ever said on my blog.

So...by now you're going, "Who cares about all that.  Tell us about the freaking 3D!"

Have no fears. The 3D is worth it.  Sometimes it's like, "Whoa...it's coming right at us!" and sometimes it's like, "It's like there's a tiny diorama of an island in my 3DS..."  What they say about judging distances is definitely true.  It's WAY easier in 3D.  I didn't think it would be, but it is.  That's what makes Pilotwings so fun.  Flying a plane?  Rocketbelt?  Hang glider?  All three things work just like they did in the N64 days.  This title is seriously taking me way back.  They judge you on time, fuel, accuracy, and objectives, and they judge harshly.  It hasn't gotten any easier.  But, the funny thing is, since I spent hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours playing the 64 version, I didn't feel like the learning curve was too bad, even with a new system to learn.  If you liked that one, this is a must buy.  And don't worry if you think you've seen it all.  It's got some surprises that had me giggling like a school girl in sex ed.

I think it's worth getting for the 3D camera alone.  How amazing!  But...the packaged games and the available titles and the fact that it's a Nintendo handheld are all working together to make this something that any gamer who is serious about keeping with the times needs to get!

That's all I'll say for now.  I gotta get back to perfecting my barrel rolls and thermal updrafts.  Not to mention keeping a small dragon from taking over my kitchen table.  Or desk.  Or floor.  Or boyfriend's prone body.

Out

My Escape...

Today I woke up feeling like I just wanted to escape...to go up into a summer tree house and sit there until someone realized I was missing. I wanted to listen to them searching the yard and shouting for me, calling neighbors, opening closets...and then finally climbing the tree to see if I was up there, a grin spreading across my face as I know I'm about to be found.

I think I'm ten years old again.

Normally I escape into a book or a video game, which I've been doing. But this morning...I dunno.

What's your favorite way to escape?

Out

Music for WTF-ing...

That's the title of my new playlist: a collection of some of the most random and strange songs I own. I needed a little happy today, so I made it!

Check it out:

1. Do Wacka Do - Roger Miller

2. Anus From Uranus - Klaatu

3. Making Ladies - Scissor Sisters

4. Undone - Weezer

5. Ice Cream Truck - Cazwell

6. Gibberish - Relient K

7. New Age Girl - Deadeye Dick

8. Genius Next Door - Regina Spektor

9. Jeffrey Dahmer Went to Heaven - Room Full of Walters

10. Katamari Swing - Katamari Damacy Soundtrack

11. Shankill Butchers - The Decemberists

12. Sweet Transvestite - Glee Cast

13. Nan You're a Window Shopper - Lily Allen

14. I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today - Avenue Q Soundtrack

15. Giants - Five Iron Frenzy

16. MacArthur Park - Richard Harris

17. Bicycle - Plankeye

18. Ugly Bitches - Coolio

19. The Roommate Song - BrentalFloss

20. She Don't Use Jelly - Ben Folds Five

It might be my new favorite CD...

Out