Saturday, October 17, 2009

Pictures From A While Back

I randomly decided to put the pictures from my camera on my computer and found these. They're from a month ago when I went downtown to see a movie and I was walking around the bay. It was kinda awesome, cuz like while I was walking the city was being covered in fog.









Monday, October 12, 2009

For Gretchen.

So I finally did something with my weekend. Last weekend-ish, i went out and went thrift store shopping. I went to this place my sister took me to for sister extravaganza day called Thrift Town. I made a couple of good purchases, I bought a pink skirt, a cute little dress, a stripe-y shirt, and a red and black swirly pattern shirt, all for less than 20 bucks.

Of course when I went out I didn't realize LoveFest was happening, so the trains were really crowded, like really crowded. And people were dressed crazily, and like half naked. Not to mention the fact that they were all, or I should say most, were on something. And while waiting for the m cars kept honking, and people kept cheering. I was just like, whatever. There were so many people, thank god someone got a hint a decided to send three trains right in a row. I held back a got on the third train, which didn't have as many people as the first two, which were packed, like anchovies or olives.

Then I decided, for god knows what reason, so go to the grocery store. Which in itself wouldn't be bad, except when you have two grocery bags of food, and are trying to squeeze into a cramped train. Bad idea. Luckily my food didn't get to crushed.

So anyway, that about the most exciting thing that's happened to me. I am going to try and see Rent this weekend, with Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal, the original Mark and Roger. Eek. Fingers crossed I get tickets.

And also, the Phillies moving on to the NLDS, yaysies.

Oh, and also this made my day.

Friday, September 25, 2009

For Laurence.

Hello.

Me again.

My life has been so boring lately that I felt to document it would be too depressing.

So what's new?

Ummmmmmmm.

Nothing really. My life is that freaking boring. Sometimes I get down, with the lack of friends situation. A couple of weeks ago, during labor day weekend, we got five days off. Furlough days and labor day itself. Well for a good three days of it I was here all by myself. All my other roommates had gone home for the extended weekend, and I was left alone. I literally spent my time alone in my room, with a deafening silence. Most people on campus had left, so it was even quiet outside. I kinda felt like a quarantined patient with a contagious disease being kept away from the general population, or like it was the end of the world and I was one of the few that had survived.

My lack of enthusiasm to do much of anything is a real problem. I need to go to the grocery store to get stuff to make, but I have yet to do it. I've been telling myself for a week and a half to do it. I also really want to go see The Informant and go thrift store shopping at thrift town. Maybe I will work up enough energy to do it. I think the fact that I have to do these activities that are usually enjoyed with friends by myself is making me less enthusiastic about wanting to do it. I'm a pretty independent person, I'm used to being on my own, and at keeping myself entertained, and most of the time I don't care that I have no friends here. There are just times that I wish I had at least one person to do stuff with.

The thing that keeps me sane though, are the people that are my true friends. People I still talk to on a mostly daily basis. They are the people that keep me going, and keep me from losing my mind completely.


Saturday, September 5, 2009

Day of Walking.

Today I walked.

After a day of sitting on my butt, I decided I needed to go out and do something. So I did. I woke up at 7:15, no surprise there. Waking up early is not like the norm. I'm starting to get used to it. It's freaking me out. I watched a couple of Sailor Moons, then checked movie times. I decided I would go down town and see Taking Woodstock, a movie I was really excited about seeing, mainly because I love me some Demetri Martin. Unfortunately, the movie did not meet my expectations. It was just meh for me. I don't know, I just found myself being more annoyed with the movie, then actually enjoying it. The Imelda Staunton character, Demetri Martin's mom in the movie, was so annoying. Like, no redeeming qualities, at all. Also, I kinda wish they had show more of like Woodstock, the concert, then they did, which was basically nothing. I don't know, it was just so meh.

I decided to go to the grocery store. I knew there was a safeway near the ballpark, so I just started walking. I wasn't really sure where I was going, I was only somewhat sure the street I was walking down took me to the ballpark, because I kinda vaguely remembered going that way when me and my sister walked back from the game that one time. It turned out it was the right street. Lucky for me.

I decided to walk back by the bay. It was really nice out. Then I came back and had just enough ingredients to make some beans and rice. It was alright. Now I'm way too tired to really think. So I'm most likely going to call it an early night.

Back Into The Fog

Walking down a deserted street
Church bells are ringing out in the distance
A slight breeze starts to blow
Fwap Fwap Fwap
The wind catches signs for an art exhibit
They bang against the poles which hang them
Fwap Fwap Fwap
I am walking down this deserted street
To my left, the city, swallowed in fog.
To my right, the bay, still shining in the sunlight
I am walking between the two
It is neither light nor dark

But I know no matter how fast I walk
The fog will always catch me

Friday, September 4, 2009

Blah Blah Blah Day.

Today I did nothing.



Absolutely nothing.

I just sat around all day and watched Sailor Moon.

Sigh

It's so pathetic, but I'm freaking loving going back and watching the show. I'm into a whole section that I've never seen before, with a Pegasus that lives in dreams or something like that.

I meant to go down and workout, but I just didn't. I guess I will go on Monday, since it's going to be closed all weekend because of Labor Day.

I really must go out tomorrow. I'm almost out of food. I basically lived off left overs. Soup and stir fry. I was planning on going through my cookbooks and picking out recipes, but I just didn't feel like it. Tomorrow, I'm and going to get out of this chair and do something! For realsies! I think I might go see a movie, then go to the grocery store. That is my plan for the moment.

Random awesomeness! But I went in to check Christina's lavender sprout to see if it needed any water, which it didn't, when I saw in her closet a flower print fedora, exactly like the one I have! I never thought anyone would really want that hat! It's kinda ridiculous looking. I miss my straw fedora fug hat. I can't believe I left it. I got a new one, but haven't worn it yet. It's just not the same.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention. But the other day I when I was in my english class, we had to read something out of the reader, and I was trying to find it. So i'm flipping through the reader, when suddenly my eyes came across the words James Tiberius Kirk. I thought for sure I must be seeing things, so I examined it more closely and discovered it was a whole essay about Star Trek, the series, not the new gq movie. I don't know why, but it made me very happy.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Officially the Start of the Weekend! Yayness.

Today is officially the start of the weekend. Tomorrow is a Furlough Day, Monday is labor day, and Tuesday is yet another furlough day. I kinda don't know why they scheduled it like that, but it does make it kinda awesome. I wish I had known earlier, then I would maybe have planned something. As it stands now, I'm probably not going to do much, maybe go see Extract or Taking Woodstock, or both. Maybe even add in another viewing of Inglourious Basterds. I do have five days to do things.

It looks like I'm going to have a couple of days to myself here. Christina, my other single room roommate, is already gone. She left me a cute little note asking me to take care of her lavender sprout and to feel free to eat her food. My other two roommates, I'm not sure about the one, but it kinda looks like she is already gone too, I think she doesn't have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so she probably already went home. Then my other roommate is going home on Sunday. So, I will have the apartment to myself.

Anyway, today is always the worst day. I have the two worst classes today: third cinema and critical studies.

The thing that really sucks about third cinema, is the teacher. She just plain sucks. It didn't really help that she spent like the first 15 to 20 minutes of the class talking about how she was going to take attendance. It was seriously convoluted. It's like we had to take out a piece of paper, write our name and the date on it, then sign it. Then we had to pass them up to a TA, depending on our last names. Only instead of just flooding them with all the papers, then having them sort through them during the last 2 hours of class, which probably would have been quicker, she had us pass them up like to a specific TA, but like spread out. So like, she was like A-G pass them up, then H-K, or whatever it was, etc. etc. It took an unnecessary amount of time. So now, at every class we must hand in our papers, then at the end of class we collect them. That way, we can't leave early. UGGGGGGGH. Really?! That's so irritating. It's like that's the only way she can get people to stay in class; because she is a really boring lecturer.

The other thing that really sucks about this class is she basically forces us to take notes, because she is going to collect them at the end of the semester. Like, I don't mind taking notes, but good grief, seriously? Then her reasoning is that that is the only way we can learn. Basically it's just so that we don't fall asleep and not pay attention to her boringness. Double UGH. Seriously.

The movie we started watching, but didn't finish, was Black God, White Devil, I believe that's what it's called, don't hold me to that. It's a brazilian film made in like 64. I honestly couldn't really tell you what happened. It's like there is this poor guy on the run, who becomes like a missionary for this Jesus-like figure, Saint Sabastian, but it involves like killing all the non-believers or something. Then some other priests hire a man to kill Saint Sabastian because he is taking away people who go there, and then they are losing profits and such. Violence ensues. There is lots of killing in this movie, that Saint Sabastian kills a baby, no lie.

ANYWAY.

After class I had a plan. I had totally blanked on paying my housing check, so my plan was to go back up to my room, get my check, pay housing, then sign up at the gym and work out. Sounds like a pretty solid plan, right? Well part A went all right. I went back up to my room, grabbed my check, then walked down the stairs to the housing office. I payed them, easy enough looked like smooth sailing. Then crossed over to the gym, to sign up. Usually, you just fill out some paperwork, then if you want to you can work out. I was ready, I had my towel, ipod, and everything (although no actual workout clothes. I totally forgot sweats and my running shoes. I guess that's what I get for packing 12 hours before my flight.) So, I walk into the gym and I ask can I sign up. The girl behind the desk says sure, have your student id?

.........

FUCK! I had totally forgotten about that part. So, I run up stairs, and as I'm walking into my room, I notice the number of our apartment. 605. I looked at the copy of what I had given them. What had I written? 506. GAHHH! I'm such a number dyslexic! Now, I'm kinda in a panic. But I go into my room grab my id card, and I'm off. Again, I run down the stairs, and head to the housing office. Get there, explain what I had done, and she said it would be fine, as long as everything else it right, I should be fine.

sigh.

That was a relief. Then walk over to the gym to sign up then work out. I get in, give her my ID, and she checks my name, then gives me a little sheet of paper, explaining that they had switch everything to the internet, and now you just sign up there. Just had to print something out and turn it in, then I could work out. I get back upstairs and look at the time, I didn't have enough time to fill out the form, print it out, go back downstairs, workout, without being late for class. Oh yeah, and I did all this in like 81 degree heat. I know, it's not that hot, but I want my high 60 degree weather back! I really don't want PA weather! I want my lovely SF weather! I guess working out will have to wait until tomorrow.

My other class was quite boring as well. Again, like my third cinema class, we didn't get started with the lecture for like 20 minutes while the professor and TAs were figuring out enrollment issues. It took a while. The class itself I might find interesting, if only the professor didn't always explain things like she was mad and on the defensive. And, when anyone dares to ask her to clarify anything, it's like she get all huffy, and doesn't really answer the question. I was hoping we would end early again, like we did last week. Unfortunately, she hadn't realized she had let us out early last week.

I was starving after class. I realized I had only eaten a banana at like 8 in the morning (the trend of me waking up at 7 in the am for no reason is continuing) and two little chunks of cheese before critical studies. I bought a coke, just to treat myself after a horrible day. My first soda in like 2 weeks. That's pretty good. I didn't even get one when I went to the movies. When I got back to my room, I made myself a stir fry. Yum.

After watching many more Sailor Moon episodes the thought occurs to me: how does Sailor Moon actually beat those bad guys? It takes her a million years to transform, then it takes her forever to whirl that baton around and fire. You would think that the bad guys could just move out of the way or run away while she's doing all the fancy, unnecessary twirling. Hmmmm.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

The Doldrums of a Monotonous Day

Today could not have been more uneventful.

I woke up super early, mainly because I went to bed at like 9 due to pure exhaustion. I basically sat around and did nothing all day. Went to class.

Today the only class I had was my english class. We talked about pornography. Kind of. We talked about whether is was obscene and the legality of it. Had to read two papers both pro and con about porn. Etc. Etc.

I basically came back and really haven't done much. Attempted to watch some more Sailor Moon, I really can't get over how awful like half the voices are now. Now, as I write this, there is a fucking "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!" party happening somewhere near me. There are just random (mostly guys) shouting "HEEEEEYY!" back and forth at each other. I don't really get it, what's the fucking point? They must me drunk.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

I am seriously exhausted.

I only had one class today, due to a teacher furlough day in screenwriting. It would have been sweet, if I had somehow managed to sleep in. But, alas, i am continuing this tread of waking up ridiculously early for no apparent reason, and even after going to bed really late last night (like 1 in the am I believe). I also, for God knows what reason, woke up in the middle of the night, it took me a good couple of minutes to get back to sleep.

So, that means that I only had one class today; Film Noir. Now, the truth of the matter is the professor for this class majorly sucks balls. It's like, she doesn't really know how to teach very effectively. Her voice plus the warmth in the room equals me nearly passing out. I think the only thing keeping me awake was the guy's hair who was sitting next to me. It was quite long and kept tickling my arm. I honestly have no idea what she was babbling on about. This and that. She kept bringing up westerns, which seems weird, since it's film noir, not a fucking western genre class.

The movie we watched today was Double Indemnity. I rather enjoyed it, but not as much as the guy with the long hair sitting next to me did. He kept laughing at like really random parts, that were kinda funny, but he was like really laughing. At some point I was getting annoyed, but then I was just like, whatevs, he's enjoying himself. the basic plot is that an insurance salesman plots, and goes through with, a murder of one of his clients because he is in love with the client's wife. I really did enjoy it, though.

The teacher is so irritating though, because we have these furlough days, which we're not supposed to have classes, and yet she is making us go out and find movies and stuff to watch on the furlough days. And on her teacher furlough days, we still have to go in and listen to TA lectures. That's lame. Oh well.

Anyway, that's pretty much all I did today.

I really want to continue and watch Sailor Moon, but in the season I'm in the voice actors have changed, and Serena's voice is sooooo fucking irritating. Ugh. But I have really enjoyed going back and watching the episodes. I forgot how ridiculous some aspects of the shows are. For instance, every episode, whenever Tuxedo Mask (btw, how do you think they came about naming him? "hmmmmm, well he wears a tuxedo, mask, and top hat. What do you think? Tuxedo Mask Top Hat?" "No no, that's ridiculous, how about we just call Tuxedo Mask?" "Perfect") shows up, Sailor Moon, or whoever is there, all of them will shout "Tuxedo Mask!",without fail. It's like, we get it, he's fucking Tuxedo Mask, you don't really have to keep saying name. We're not fucking ritards.

The other thing that's really retarded is every episode someone has to tell Sailor Moon to use her tiara or scepter or crystal, or whatever standard thing she uses to vanquish the baddies. You would think she would fucking know what to do. And yet, every episode, they go, "use your scepter Sailor Moon!" or "your turn, Sailor Moon!". I find it really funny, regardless. The other thing that's funny, is that Sailor Moon really doesn't have any powers, it's like she has to use objects, tiara, etc., to kill people, while the other sailor scouts have powers.

Another funny thing about the show is just the dialogue. Like I know it's a translation from the Japanese version, but sometimes it is just so absurd. Sometimes, I think they didn't feel like actually translating it, so they were like what do you think is happening in this scene? I went back and watched a couple of japanese versions with english subtitles, and they are kinda better, they sometimes will have more graphic scenes that were cut out of the english versions, but I hate having to read it, and I'm just so used to the regular voices of the Sailor Scouts, and they all have different name in the original. I'm sorry, but he is Darien, not Mamo. Also, I think they voice actors might be Canadian. They way they say 'sorry' and 'out' sound very canadian to me. (Come on Jessica, come on Tori, let's go to the mall, you won't be sorry)

Also, how come no one ever figured out their true identities? They look exactly the same transformed as when they are normal. It makes no sense.

My favorite scouts are Sailor Jupiter and Venus. Jupiter because she was my favorite as a kid. I think I identified with her because she was a brunette, and so was I. And Sailor Venus had some really sweet powers. Mars is too fucking bitchy, Mercury's powers are super lame (even if her hair is super cool), and Sailor Moon is a little whiny.

I kinda love going back and watching old things from the past. Like I watched the evil green ranger 5 episode arc, from the best show ever Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. I remember sitting on my rug in my living room in CA. And dressing up like the pink ranger for Halloween one year. Good times.

Monday, August 31, 2009

One Week Gone.

I've officially had my first week of classes, since technically I didn't have any classes last Monday. I found out about Furlough Days, which are days that we basically get off from classes, but it's really because of budget cuts. Basically there are days when they are just going to shut down the school completely, and no classes are going to happen. Then there are days when the teachers are forced to take days off, and then we have to classes. It really sucks because our tuition went up like 30%, and yet we are getting less actual bang for our buck. Stupid California and it's budget crisis.

That, of course, means my first day of class was Tuesday. My first class of my (hopefully) second to last semester was Screenwriting I. This class I was really worried about. Maybe because I kinda want to try screenwriting as a career, and so taking this class is like testing me. It could also be because it was the first class, so, naturally, I would just be nervous about it. The class was alright, the teacher took like 2 hours to go over the syllabus. This was because he would see something on there that reminded him of something he did once, therefore he would tell the story, in great length. Don't get me wrong, his stories, some of them, were really interesting. He showed a clip from Adaptation, the speech that Robert McKee (Brian Cox) gives to Charlie Kauffman (Nick Cage), for some inspiration for us in picking a topic for our screenplays. He also showed a clip from Dead Again, I think it was called, to show us a way to start off the movie with a bang and so grip the audience right away. This class also come with the news that we would have to read the first 10 pages of our scripts to the class. EEEK! The reason it's the first 10 pages, I learned, is because that basically as long as you have to grip the person to give you money to make the film. I get so nervous when I have to do anything in front of the class, and when it's something that you're so invested in and something that is personal to you. The feedback, while most likely constructive, it's going to be hard to hear. Plus, what if they just don't really get it, or it just sucks. All I know is that I am going to be shaking like a leaf when the day comes that I have to read those first 10 pages.

The second class I had was Film Noir. Now I had to crash this class, mainly because I needed one more class. I didn't really think I was going to get in. At my screenwriting class like 10 people were crashing, and no one got in, because of budget cuts and because the teacher was teaching two screenwriting classes and didn't really have the manpower to read any more than like 40 screenplays. So, my odds of getting in this class were not really looking good. But then a miracle happened, and I got into the class. I was so happy when that happened. I really thought it wouldn't because there were like 30 people crashing, but the teacher was nice enough to let us all in, mainly because she had so many dedicated grad students to help her out. I wasn't sure if I wanted to take the class because of the teacher. I had her for a Hitchcock class, and she really sucked. That's pretty much the consensus is that she is a terrible teacher, but I really needed a class. So there you go. We ended up watching a movie called Woman in the Window. It's about this guy who like sees a painting of a woman in a window, then meets her, and goes out and parties with her. Then they go pack to her place, and an ill tempered boyfriend walks in, and the boyfriend is like strangling the guy, when the guy murders the boyfriend with some scissors. They cover it up, but then the guy's friend is like a DA, so he hears all about the murders. Basically it was really comical because the whole movie the guy is like, I killed him......wait..no I didn't....

Wednesday I had my first English 414 class. I was really dreading it because it was a stupid class I had to take because I didn't pass the JEPET. I actually think this class might not actually suck. The teacher started the class by walking in and speaking spanish, I think asking if it was a spanish class (I'm only guess since I don't speak any spanish). Then he asked what class it was, and people were like 414, and he asked, who's teaching it? And the class answered. He said, "Well I guess I can teach that'" walked in and put his stuff down.

Thursday might be my worse day of the week. Two three hours classes, in the same room. And last Thursday, that room happened to be really hot. First up I had Third Cinema. Unfortunately, I got to class late, and had to sit up front. Unfortunate because we watched a movie that had very shaking images, and it therefore was making me motion sick. The heat also probably didn't help much either. I felt like I could hurl. I couldn't even really tell you what happens. It was in spanish, and I had to cover my eyes to recover, and lost track of what was happening.

My second class I had was Critical Studies. It was less h0t, probably because there were fewer people there. The class was alright. There was a huge debated about what Signifier, Signified and Sign meant. The professor didn't do a very good job of explaining it, and when people started asking questions, she started getting really angry, and all that came out of it, were people feeling more confused. We then watched a short film, called The Act, about like a standup comedian and her act, as it were. If you're interested in watching it, it's like 8 minutes long and just youtube Pi Ware, who is the director.

Nothing much happened over the weekend, too frickin hot to leave. I don't know what was up with it getting up to 90. I mainly stayed in my room and watched TV and reconnected, further, with my inner child and watched Sailor Moon. Seeing as how this post is already much too long, I will write about it some other time. All I will say is that I forgot how freaking awesome it is.

Sunday the Phillie game was on ESPN, so I finally got to watch a game. I've mostly spent my time, watching it on the internet, but just on the thing they have on the MLB site, where it's basically just a pitch-by-pitch record of what happening. That's not really a good explanation, but oh well.

So today, I had my first Critical Studies discussion group. The class was alright, the TA teaching it is very awkward and quiet. I don't really mind all that much, I mean she acknowledged the fact that she was awkward by saying, "Yeah, I'm awkward". Well, anyway we went around the room and introduced ourselves, stating our major (which should be obvious since everyone taking the class is a film major) and then saying our hobbies. We also then discussed the movie that we had watched in class.

Also, random note, I think Majorie from Top Model might be in my class. Here is why I think this: 1. She totally looks like her. 2. Her voice is really similar. 3. She said she was wearing heels for a casting call. and 4. She introduced herself as Marjorie. So maybe? I didn't ask her, I didn't want to be like annoying, so I didn't. We ended up chatting a little bit about class, while the TA tried to figure out the projector to show a clip that ended up only lasting a minute, about what we had already done in the discussion class, she was late while trying to print out her assignment, which was pretty much nothing.

That's it. If you made it this far, I applaud you.

*Soft golf claps*

I'm going to try and update this thing on a daily basis. I know, I've said this before, but I'm really going to try and do it this time. That is all.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Long Rambling Blog Is Long And Rambling, With Bonus Pictures!

I have had an eventful first two days in my new room.

The first day was spent mostly unpacking all of my stuff from the boxes. It was weird actually unpacking my stuff, since I had spent the best part of the night before thinking about unpacking, and unpacking everything in my head. Of course actually unpacking and like daydream unpacking was completely different. I spent most of the day washing everything, from my dishes and silverware to my covers and sheets. I also found out that my sink is broken. That was a rude awakening. I had filled up the left side with water, to wash something or other, and when I emptied it, all the wash came crashing onto the floor, flooding it like the beginning of the titanic sinking. I looked under and saw that the pipes weren't attached at all, and that's why it was leaking. Fucking fail. Throughout the day, we ended up having to dry off the floor like four or five times, as people kept washing dishes or filling the sink up to thaw out some chicken wings. We thought the right side sink was alright, until my one roommate was doing dishes, careful to avoid getting water in the left sink, only to find water spilling out from the cabinet. Well, it appears that the right sink is clogged and the water was going back up through the pipes and coming out the unattached piped. It fucking sucked. But the night ended good, I made some corn chowder (probably the best thing I make), and in the process of making the chowder and getting my clothes out of the laundry, I missed a new episode of Psych. I think that show repeats, fingers crossed.

I foresee a complication that I had not anticipated when I was moving my stuff in. My room is directly across from the Towers, which is mostly a freshmen dorm. This is a problem because most of the freshmen suck, and decided that now that they are on their own they can do whatever and be as loud as they like. I had to endure a woo!party that was happening somewhere outside my room. Every few minutes a random person would just shout 'woo!' at the top of their lungs. Very irritating. And as I laid my head down to sleep, I put Goblet of Fire audio book on my ipod, to drown out the 'woos!', and listened to the first chapter before going to sleep.

It's so infantile, but I'm liking getting read to at night before I go to sleep. It reminds me of when I was a kid and my mom would read me to sleep. It's just a nice little calming thing, especially the guy's voice who reads them (Jim Dale narrator on Pushing Daisies, RIP), so soothing.

Day two was less disastrous. There were a couple of things I needed, so I went out and got them. I needed a longer internet cord, because the one I had had to go across the floor, I knew that at some point I would trip on it, and send my computer flying across the room, breaking it. I didn't want that to happen. I also needed an extension chord for my smaller TV. I am having the weirdest problem with my TV. The outlet is kinda broken, most likely, but the top outlet doesn't really work. Neither of my TV would turn on when plugged into that outlet. The bottom outlet works for my larger TV, but not my smaller one. Then when I tried to plug my cable chord into my larger TV, the cable wouldn't work. The TV said the digital signal was low. But when I plugged it into my smaller TV it worked just fine. So I guess I'm just going to have to watch TV on my smaller TV and then movies and DVDs on my larger one. Such a pain, especially since, as I found out, that my remote for my larger TV works for the smaller one as well. My remote got lost by someone (who never replaced it) and I had bought a new universal remote. I was sitting there in a bout of frustration, when I jokingly pointed my remote at the smaller TV and pressed the ON button. I didn't really expect anything to happen (even though the lost remote looked exactly like the one for the new TV, they are the same brand). Much to my surprise the TV turned on. So that solved that. The only problem is, when the TVs are close together, and I want to turn just one on, both of them go on. So it's really irritating.

Anyway, so I went to the student store and bought the extension chord and internet cable. Then I walked over the mall and when into William Sonoma to get an oil pump. It's a thing that you put regular oil into and you can spray it into pans, instead of getting Pam (it's healthier, and this year I am going to try and get healthier). It was about one o'clock, and I decided I would go downtown and see Inglourious Basterds, the new Quentin Tarantino movie, and also to go to the Container Store to see if they had a box slash footrest (they didn't, I was sad). The movie was pretty good, kind of your typical Tarantino movie, great dialogue and graphic violence. I then grabbed a slice of pizza at Blondies, vegetarian, (I ate all of the vegetable, including mushrooms, until I got really grossed out by the mushrooms and took them off) then hopped on the train back to school. (I looked at my pedometer when I got back, and I walked 6,914 steps. That's a pretty epic number, or at least it makes my journey feel so much more epic)

When I got in I started decorating my room with posters. I finished about half of it, until I got too tired, brushed my teeth, listened to two chapters of Goblet of Fire, and went to bed. I finished decorating my room this morning, while watching The Dark Knight. My love for Gary Oldman could not be any higher. He is so fucking badass as Gordon in the Batman movies, and he's Sirius in the Harry Potter movies, who is only my favorite character in Harry Potter.

Without further ado, I present my room, the 09-10 version!


She & Him, Lost in Translation, I Love You Man, Pushing Daisies, Away We Go, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, (500) Days of Summer, B&W photo, Superbad, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Studio 60.

She & Him, Lost in Translation, I Love You Man, B&W Photo, Superbad, Eternal Sunshine, Studio 60.

The view from my window. On the left is the Towers, stupid freshmen. And you can also see the parking garage. Don't I just have the loveliest of views?

My little night stand, with my Finding Nemo lamp and my radio. Also my retainer makes an appearance.

Hot Fuzz, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Dave Matthews Band Poster, Milk.

I'm using the pushpins on this poster as a necklace holder. It's working out quite well.

The Swell Season, Hot Fuzz, and my Office Calendar. This month is Oscar month. Also my piggy bank as a little area all to itself.

A Rainy Day In Paris, Kill Bill, Broadway, Best In Show, Jenny Lewis poster, Flight of the Conchords, Office poster (peaking behind the lamp), and Johnny Depp Pirates poster. Also the top half of my desk area, with my DVDs in it.

Looking at my desk from the door area. A Rainy Day in Paris, Kill Bill, Broadway, Swell Season poster, Hamlet 2, Hot Fuzz, Office Calendar, Best in Show, Jenny Lewis, Office Poster, and POTC poster. Then of course my desk in the middle there.

My desk set up. I'm totally digging it this year. I'm feeling good vibes from it. Makes my room seem more organized. Also you can kinda see Akita in there on my computer, smiling. Made me take it twice so that she looked better.

This is this really cool lamp I bought at Target. It's pretty fucking GQ if I do say so myself. I was hoping to get a lens flare, but I guess the light is just not bright enough to do it.

Six Feet Under, The Wrestler, Hot Rod, A Rainy Day in Paris, Kill Bill, Best in Show, Jenny Lewis, Flight of the Conchords, Chicago, Office Inspiration Poster, Arrested Development, The Office, POTC.

Pushing Daisies, Once, Office, For Your Consideration, Frost/Nixon, Doubt, Six Feet Under, Chicago, SPOOOOOOOOOOOCK!, M. Ward, Gas, Away We Go,

In my closet now. I have a Sunshine Cleaning poster, and on the left you can see a part of my shoe rack.

Clothes and shoe rack.

I tried to get a poster on that wall, but the wall did not agree with me and refused to surrender to the push pins. I think that wall is like just a block of concrete, stupid wall.

Knocked Up (if yo couldn't figure that out).

License to Wed, as well as my vacuum and some wine. I was surprised my mom even got me some alcohol, she had said she didn't want to encourage me drinking (you know because I'm such a booze hound, getting drunk every night *sarcasm*), but then we were at the grocery store looking at the wine section. My mom wanted to get some wine from Livermore that is only sold in California. She then decided to get me some wine from Concannon, which is a winery in Livermore. I haven't opened it yet, but my mom says it's pretty good.

Almost forgot, my new chair. They had these fold up chairs at target on sale, so I got one. It's so freaking comfortable.

Especially good for lounging and watching TV. This is why I wanted a footrest, the box inside part was just to that I could use it to store stuff as well, obviously.


That's pretty much it, not much left to say. Tonight for dinner, I'm going to be making some fried rice with vegetables (corn, peas, onions, and carrots). Exciting stuff.

Friday, August 21, 2009

I Remember When I Used To Be Into Nostalgia.

Yesterday my mom and I decided to make a trek to Livermore. It has been a good five or six years since I have been back there. I had expected it to be so much more developed and different than I remember it to be. Much to my surprise, it hasn't really changed all that much. In fact, most of the places that are still in my memory are still there.

Sure some things have changed, there is some more development, but not around where I was. Mostly up in the hills. Also, the pool I used to train at as a young kid, is no longer open. I think the pool is still there, but the laboratories that were across the street from it (that my mom used to work at) bought out all the land (probably after september 11th, since it's a weapons manufacturer and a government facility). Now you can't even drive in front of the lab. I didn't get a chance to see that old pool. So many memories, like swimming during a quick hail storm or stepping on a bee.

Also, there seems, at least to me, to be many more wineries than there were when I was a kid. We drove down to my old school, Stiver's Academy (I'm not really a hundred on the spelling, but that's what it sounds like in my head) and I remember that when I was a kid we used to either take the city way to school or the horse and sheep way. The city way, while faster, didn't have the scenic views that the horse and sheep way had. The horse and sheep way had horse and sheep, and me and my mom would count how many we saw, I would take horses and my mom would take sheep. Whoever counted more of their animal would win for the day. I know it sounds stupid, but then again I would like seven. Well anyway, the point is, when we were driving the horse and sheep way to my old school, it was covered in vineyards and there weren't many horses or sheep to count. I think it might just be that all the vineyards sold their land to housing developments and then moved back into the hills.

We drove by my old house. It looked awful. They pained it some weird tan color, took out most of the trees, leaving one, there was no grass to speak of, and all of my mom's rose bushes were gone. It was a sight for sore eyes. My mom was very upset by the lack of grass, she had spent a lot of time and money getting a good looking lawn for our front yard, only to see that they tore it out. Now their front yard is nothing but dirt.

And sure not everything has changed. I was surprised by some of the things that were still there. Like The Vine, the theater we used to go to all the time (It was like one of two theaters we used to go to). Last I had heard, they were going to tear it down. So I was shocked when we drove by it, still standing, and still playing two movies, like it always had. And the place we used to get pool supplies, still there with the slide on the roof. Granada Bowl, where I'm pretty sure I learned how to bowl, still standing.

It's funny the things you don't realize you remember until you remember them. Driving through town brought so many memories back. The old mini golf place, with the blue windmill and the pink castle. The park we used to walk to that was near our house. The time I thought no one was there to pick me up after swim practice, so I decided that I had to walk back, only to get picked up one the side of the road by the people who were supposed to be taking me home (then hiding under the bed in embarrassment when my mom found out I tried to walk home). Or that there was a road that connected the Target and the Wallmart. Little things like that.

I am really glad I went back, it had been too long, and yet nothing, at least not the important things, had changed.

I'm Wide Awake, And It's Morning.

I don't know if it is the anxiety of unpacking all my stuff tomorrow or the one coke I had with my In n Out dinner, but I am wired. I am unable to sleep, and I feel jittery. My mind refuses to turn off; I am already unpacking all my stuff from the boxes in my room in my head. I know I need to sleep, my mom set her alarm for 6am, and I know that is when I will be waking up too. I know when that alaram goes off, it will wake me up so severely that I will be unable to go back to sleep. I will barely get three and a half hours, and that's if i were to fall asleep right this minute, which I don't think is going to happen.


It could also be my mom's loud snoring that is keeping me up.



My guess is the coke, i don't do well wit caffeine so late. Note to self, don't drink anything with caffeine so late at night, pretty much after 4 of 5.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

My Hotel Room Is A Dog And I Am A Squirrel.

My hotel room keeps attacking me.

The desk where I placed my computer has sharpish knobs for the desk drawer, and my arms and legs keep brushing up against it and scratching me.

It sucks.

it's happened like a million times in a three day period.

Then tonight, I rammed my shin into the coffee table.

Ouchie!

San Francisco.

I've been in San Francisco for a couple of days now. It really doesn't feel like I'm going to be starting school soon. Usually I have a week and a couple of days to adjust to the fact that I'm going out to California. Normally, my mom and I take a road trip, usually stopping in Chicago to visit my sister and stopping some other choice places (such as Vegas or the Grand Canyon). But this year we just flew out here.

It was quite weird.

Most of my stuff was here, in storage, and the only stuff I had to pack was clothing and movies (which I never unpacked from the box I shipped them back in). I literally packed about 12 hours before the tires went up in the plane. I wasn't really prepared for leaving. I was bummed about missing my friends, sad I couldn't see my Akita one last time, bummed I had to cut my visit with Gretchen short because my mom was stressing about the trip out here.

The flights over here were alright. The first one wasn't very long and we landed on time with enough time to get to our next flight and even to get some food (I got that awesome chicago style deep dish pizza, yum). But then the next flight was a disaster. There was a kid sitting in front of me (there was this one girl, an LA type with a low cut mini dress talking on her cellphone, who went to sit in the vacant seat but then saw the kid and gave a look of utter disgust and kept on walking) that screeched and cried most of the flight. I drowned him out with my ipod, and cool sounds of Jim Dale (the narrator from Pushing Daisies, RIP) as he read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (my favorite book and movie, by far). All was well, until my ipod decided to die on my (I learned that my ipod only lasts a little less than four hours before it croaks). I tried to sleep, but was jerked awake by either the screaming child in front of me or the kid behind me kicking my chair. I know I shouldn't complain, it reminds me of the funny take on technology as said by louis c.k.

But then I landed here, breathed in the cool, crisp air. That familiar smell. And it eased my anxieties, well at least a little bit.


All of my stuff is in my room now, still in their boxes. I will unpack it all tomorrow. It's weird my rooms at my school have been progressively getting smaller. Well at least for the last three years. The room I had freshman year was the smallest, by far. But then the one I had sophomore year was huge, the one last year was like a mini version of the one from sophomore year. Now the one this year is like a mini version of the mini version of the one from sophomore year.

I have yet to meet my roommates, when I moved in, it was early, and I was the first to move in, and I finished before anyone else had moved in. Then I didn't go back the rest of the day and slept in the hotel. When I went back today to drop off groceries, no one was there, again. Hmmm, I guess I will eventually meet them.

Oh yeah, and my floor theme is Gotham City. We have some bat signals with our names on the doors. Fun.


Sunday, August 9, 2009

Catching Up.

It's been a while since I wrote in this thing. I haven't been doing it, mainly out of laziness and lack of any original ideas (but mostly it's out of laziness, to be sure). So having seen Julie & Julia twice, I feel compelled to write. That sounds really pathetic when said out loud.

There's not much to update in my life, I am just that boring. I am about to start my fourth and, hopefully, last year of college. Sometimes I feel like I haven't really accomplished anything in three years. I look at where I was when I first started and where I am now, and I'm pretty much still in the same place. I have no idea what I'm going to do with my life after college and again I have no friends. My one friend decided that I was no good to her any more, and hasn't talked to me since I moved out of our dorm room. That's fine, I guess. We must not have been friends after all. I just wish she had manned up and grew a pair and told me me she wasn't my friend anymore, rather than pretend to still be my friend for a couple of months, it's kind of a bitch move. And saying stuff behind my back, to "let out steam" does not a high road make. It's just passive aggressive, talking behind the back, anti-confrontational, high school shit. I imagine cheerleaders to do such antics. Smile at you while they stick a knife in your back type of shit. Very immature, to be sure.

Oh well, I at least know there are some people I can truly count on, and that's the most important thing.

I think about my summer, and lack of job situation. It sucked. I did get a job for a week when the US Women's Open golf tournament came to town. I washed dished in this tent with these awesome guys, Jose and Pedro. Me and Akita were the entertainment for everyone. It was fun, we would sing and make games out of everything. For instance we would guess how many more sheet pans we had to clean. One time I guessed right on the money. It was awesome. When I got interviewed for the job, the guy asked me what major accomplished I had that I was most proud of. Obviously it had to be something major, I could say what I really was most proud of (seeing all of the oscar nominated films and performances for all the major acting categories, no small feat. Or that when the oscars did roll around I guessed like almost all of the categories right.) No. No. It had to be big. I think I ended up just making something up. And what are my biggest accomplishment this summer? I read 4 and half of the Harry Potter books (so far, aiming to finish them all this week before I leave for school). Also, I saw Star Trek 14 times. What kind of accomplishments are those? While it might be fucking logical to see Star Trek 14 times, it's not really life changing.

My life is like all anticipation for something I'm not sure will ever happen. It's a drumroll that never ends. I am also no closer to finishing a script that I am trying to write. Sometimes I think it's foolish to try and accomplish anything. Sometimes I think about the futility of life and it bums me out. Then I try and not think about it, cuz that is just depressing as hell to think about. I can try and resolve to change, but that might never happen. I think once you get to a certain age, it is impossible to change from who you are. I'm pretty set in my ways at this point.

Anyway, that is my life right now. Pretty freaking bleak. I try to keep a positive attitude though. When life gives you lemons, just say "fuck the lemons" and bail. Hopefully this year will be better than last.


Saturday, July 4, 2009

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Mini Road Trip!

A couple of weeks ago, me and my dad took a mini four day road trip. It was really nice. He came and picked me up, we drove down to Monterey on the first day. Stayed the night and saw Observe and Report. That movie is really weird, not really funny ha ha. An old couple left halfway through the movie. I really can't blame them. The movie was just weird. It really didn't help that there was this group of teenagers, who were clearly high, and being really loud and obnoxious. So the next day we drove down and went to Heart's Castle. We did a basic tour that took you to a guest house, the pool, and a couple rooms in the main house. After that, drove down a little bit more and stayed the night in Morrow Bay (I think). Then the next day, we drove back up and did another tour of Hearst's Castle, only this one was more of the main house, and way more interesting. Then we continued back, and again stayed the night in Monterey. We decided to go see I Love You, Man. I am seriously in love with this movie. I seriously heart Jason Segel and Paul Rudd, who honestly doesn't love Paul Rudd? The next day we went to the aqarium in Monterey. It has seriously been forever since I have gone there, like many years. They added a couple of things, like a sea horse part, and now they have penguins. So that was fun. Then we drove back up to San Francisco, took the BART and went to an A's game. It was awesome, we got pretty decent seats. Unfortunately, the A's were playing the Red Sox, and we were surrounded by Sox Fans. Totally sucked, and they all pretty m uch left around the 7th or 8th inning, because their team was losing, and then, in the end, lost. It was entertaining hearing the A's fans mock the Sox fans and they walked to their cars and to the BART.

So here are some pictures from the trip:

Monterey, with some seals on the large rock.

Closer to Hearst's Castle there's a beach where the seals and the seal lions come to hang out and mate and stuff. There were a lot of them. And they do this weird thing where they fling sand on top of themselves. It's weird to watch.


The view from the castle. Not bad.

A guest house bungalow.

The Main house.

The main house from the other side.

Another guest house.

Random art in the garden area.

Random art inside a room.

Outdoor pool.

With a view of the ocean in the distance.


Indoor pool.

Ledge to jump off from and the shallow end.

The castle from a distance.




The Aquarium:
Some jelly fish.

Sea Horses:




Yes, those leafy plant things are actual sea horses.



Penguins!


Turtle!

Sea Otter!

Finish it all up with a baseball game.