A most interesting weekend. Oh, and like you care, but since I mentioned it in my last daylog (and I don't daylog that often), I didn't get the part for the show on Comedy Central. "We're skewing towards a younger demographic" I was told. If this was pc-speak designed to spare my feelings, it really would have been better if they told me I was too old for the part. I've never felt that politically correct speech was anything but a tool to be a very precise, for lack of a better term, bitch.

So, on to this weekend. Went to see Oliver Wood and The Quidditch Match (I think that's what it was called, that's all I remember about the movie, well, the LOTR and AOTC trailers were cool) and was entertained quite well.

However, since it was opening weekend, we arrived at the movie theater quite early. It was a nice night, so it really wasn't a problem for our group of four people to stand around, socialize and people watch.

Now two of our group, myself and another, happen to be cigarette smokers. We are conscientious of the fact that many people find such a habit bothersome, and as such, when needing a puff, would remove ourselves to the vicinity of the ashtray provided to get our fix.

This didn't bother anyone at all at first. However, as the line for our showing of the movie began to coalesce, my smoking companion and I, each with a lit cigarette, found the line coalescing around us, near the ashtray. I was just in the midst of putting out my butt, mentioning that it's rude to smoke in line, when I hear the following being squawked in my general direction:

"THATCIGARETTEISREALLYNASTYYOUHAVETOPUTITOUTIHAVECHILDREN HEREIT'SILLEGALTOSMOKEINLINEYOUNEEDTOGETYOURSQUAWK SQUAWK SQWUAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWK!!!!"

...and here's someone who could have benefitted from pc-speak. It would have made my representation of her far more flattering in this account...but only in the sense that cats are usually more interesting than amoebas...

Despite our best efforts to politely inform this mother that we were, in fact, extinguishing our cigarettes right at the very moment she chose to begin her rant, we couldn't get a word in edgewise. My smoking buddy and I finally gave up and just showed her our backs but my friend Scott, ever the quick wit, over-shouted her with, "Listen here you piece of white trash with an over acute sense of entitlement, we do not revolve in orbit around you, though that's entirely possible given the gravitational pull your enormous girth seems to provide. So you and your cackling brood need to just pipe down ... my friends have already decided not to smoke in line, though there's nothing to legally prevent them from doing so. They, unlike you, are courteous people."

Have you ever had three hundred pairs of eyes turned in your direction in a public venue, and heard about fifty people laugh at you, all at once? Our squawking lady friend had not, and I swear she reddened quite a bit ... though it was hard to tell underneath all her pancake makeup. She spent the rest of the time in line glaring at us. We spent the rest of the time ignoring her by talking about sex, drugs, and rock and roll in a little higher-than-normal conversational tones, just to make sure both she and her teenaged daughters were properly scandalized.

When several people ahead of us in line started to smoke, I turned and looked pointedly at our adversary. She found something extremely fascinating to stare at on the ground. Perhaps it was her peeling, purple, glittery toenail polish.

Bitter about this? Hell no. Sometimes an easy kill is the most delicious prey.

We watched the movie without incident, but it was somewhat anticlimactic for me. We had made plans to watch the Leonid meteor shower after the movie let out at about 12:30 AM, but a dense bank of fog had rolled in, so instead we figured it would be a good night to sample some absinthe that one of our group had just imported from Spain.

It was an interesting experience, though the absinthe was heavily flavored with anise. As I simply can't abide the flavor of licorice, I ate a lot of chocolate along with the drink.

At first, I didn't feel any kind of buzz whatsoever, but at around the time I finished my first tumbler of the stuff (mixed with water, it turns cloudy similar to Pernod ... only it's far more garishly green in color) I got a feeling of little "pops" of warmth all over my body. You know how when you have a shot of liquor, you'll get a warm feeling in your tummy, right (and I realize I've just alienated all you honky tonk poets out there)? Well, this was similar in nature, but all over my body. From there, I noticed the edges of things seemed to take a sharper, more defined, look to them. And I got a high not unlike being stoned, rather than drunk. Actually it was a bit like both, a state I call droned. :)

The fog never broke, so about 3:00 am, we decide to go up to the mountains to get above the fog to see the meteor shower. However, by this time I've had three tumblers of absinthe and really don't feel like going out into the cold morning. I get dropped off at home, to find a guy sleeping in my bed, and I decide this is a good thing when compared to the prospect of watching the Leonids at a high elevation.

The next day (Sunday), I woke up with a hangover approximately the size of Australia, and didn't get too much accomplished (Sunday is usually the day I devote to domestic tasks like laundry, cleaning the house, etc). I was considering buying a bottle of absinthe from my friend, but the $80 price tag along with the 48 hour long hangover, made me decide it wasn't worth it after all. How Hemingway could tolerate it is beyond me, but then I gather he was always a glutton for punishment...

7:22 - woke up. Later I logged on to E2 and finally noded my first day-log: this one. I've been reading nodes in my copious free time for weeks now, but decided that it was finally time to creare an ID yesterday. Nothing much else has happened yet but i will update this as the day progresses. More later... 11:35 - lunch. As usual I'm having a chicken sandwhich and a can of coke. It's amazing: this is my first day on everything2.com and I think that already I'm addicted. I'm actually typing this while eating my sandwhich. I think there are many things I still need to learn thanks for all your help:- you all know who you are and probably mistakes still to make. It looks like I'll have to learn HTML too. Bear with me, I'm trying.

< next >

Harry Potter this, Harry Potter that, I'm so sick of Harry Potter! Everything I hear around about movies is "do you know if Harry Potter is good?" Mind you, while not a big fan, it wouldn't be so annoying if it wasn't so blown out of proportion in the social infrastructure which is also known as the media. I don't particularly like the books nor am I particularly intrigued by what I see in the commercial, I just wish people didn't talk about it so much. I guess I expect too much. I'd probably talk about Lord of the Rings when the movie comes out. I just hope it doesn't suck as much as Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

As mentioned before, days off are a gift sent from some divine entity. I slept quite early last night, around 3 am, which is late for some but quite early for me. I truthfully attribute it to the lack of slurpees purchased from a nearby 7-11. I've been on a sudden health kick, carefully watching my diet and actually paying attention to the health information on the sides of the boxes. While I love being round (sometimes I feel that my motto is "I'm proud to be round"), maybe its time for me to find me a nice lady out there to have as a romantic companion. While I tell others that I like the way they look , I don't particularly think of myself as "hot stuff" so I think some weight loss might be good. Besides, it takes the right bait to catch the right fish right? On the other hand, since I have been cutting down on the fat (drinking skim milk only, reducing fat, no slurpees, much more cardiovascular activity), I've also been losing a lot of weight at a rate that I didn't expect. I've lost 7 pounds now in a matter of a week, and it has left me drained. I'm going to see my doctor to see whether I'm doing something wrong or whether this is normal because it sure as hell doesn't feel that way.

I spent the whole day almost at home, waking up at 2:30 pm. Groggy would be the best word to describe my condition in the morning. Staggering around finding something to eat, I wound up going to RPM, eating the cheap chinese food there (you get what you pay for). Work called me, thinking that I was supposed to work but I don't remember that. I then slept again from 5-9. I don't know why, but I did. I asked MrFurious whether he would be interested in going to the gym, but apparently was busy doing something else. Not being one to press, I left and did some more cardio. Disappointing, only doing 4 kilometers but its better than nothing. Tried to drop off videos to Hyacinth Gurl but she was busy. I wind up home, doing some more origami.

Now I'm left pondering what to get people for Christmas. I don't really have to get my male buddies anything for Christmas since we have a pact of non-gift giving, but everyone else might pose to be a problem. I'm not known for creativity unless necessary (like during school projects and other such occassions), I'm asking nicely what specific people like but to no avail. If I ask someone what they would like for Christmas, that simply shows that I care enough to get them something. Most of the time, I simply wouldn't care enough to even ask. But that's that for now. I'm left alone in the shopping world. I hope that I can figure it out before Christmas rush in the malls.

Tomorrow is a dilly of a pickle. Pondering whether I should go to Psychology class tomorrow or look for another job. Interesting indeed. Wondering whether the income increase by switching to a job with a lower wage but more hours will be offset by the amount of friends lost at work (especially Jen....HAHAHAHAHAHA). Maybe it won't be such a hard decision after all. You can only talk to the people at work so much right? Since my stupid finals are on the 10th of December and the Christmas party is on the 9th, I won't have much more chances to bond. I'll make it then. For now, my focus is on Christmas presents, health changes and the new Kpop group S. Damn. I feel like I need some more Ativan.
Arghhhhhh!!!!! I just found out that my flatmate is moving out this weekend!

He did warn me that he would be moving out early December, but due to changing circumstances, he's now decided he's moving out three days.

I've just spent the past hour checking my bank accounts to see whether I am going to be in trouble paying for the rent and bills all by my own - luckily, the answer to that question is yes, I will be okay. But only be eating into some of my savings. Luckily, he will be leaving the fridge and couch behind for a little while ... but it's still a big shock ... and it means I will be in a rush for the next few days sorting out what needs to be replaced, what contracts need to be cancelled, what contracts need to be transferred ... arghhhh.

To make it worse, I'm heading interstate over the weekend to scatter my grandma's ashes into the ocean. Frankly, my flatmate couldn't have picked a worse time to move out. Grrrr.

Well no point complaining about it I guess. Complaining isn't going to change the situation so I'll just have to make do with what I've got. Still .... grrrrr.

I haven't written in a few days, so I thought I might jot some stuff down here in the daylog. This weekend was one of the best weekends I have had in a long time. Fred and I spent the weekend in Central Florida geocaching (if you don't know what geocaching is, visit www.geocaching.com). This has become our hobby, our favorite thing to do. Both of us are extreamly competitive, but that doesn't seem to matter. We are working together, as a team, towards a common goal. In doing so, we learn about ourselves, and about each other. He makes me smile constantly, and I am just thrilled to be with him, walking in the woods, being goofy, laughing the whole time. There really is no better feeling then being in love.

Everything Experience
Something that has never happened before happened last night while I was sleeping. Someone C!ed an old node of mine. Which one I will leave as an exercise to the reader, but it was a bit shocking. I thought that you pretty much never got C!ed unless it was a new node. I know that XP and points on e2 don't mean anything, but it was still a pretty neat experience (if you'll pardon the pun).

X-Box Experience
I wandered into town last night to do some things, deposit a paycheck, get some gas before the prices jumped up, and on my way back I figured "what the hell?" and stopped by the mall to see if I could check out an X-Box and/or a GameCube. London Drugs had an X-Box on display, but not running anything. It was priced slightly less than a Playstation 2 ($459 vs $499). The GameCube was also there, very small and very cool looking... I didn't notice the price on it though.

Future Shop fared both better and worse, seemingly at the same time. They actually had an X-Box on display, playing a game! The setup was two TV sets with metal boxes (to prevent theft I guess) under them. They were situated above a wall of console games, both X-Box and GameCube. The GameCube set wasn't on, and the X-Box was playing some lame football game (I'm not a sports game fan by any means). I was there to see two things though... Halo and Rouge Leader, nothing more, nothing less. I set it in my mind that if they had them, I would buy both systems and games on the spot. Now of course, this would never happen, but I figured if I thought it, the salesdroids would smell it on me and actually come and help me.

Ha!

I stood there for a while with salesdroids passing by but no offer to help. Hell, I think I could have stood there with a wad of cash, dropping hundreds on the floor and still gotten no help.

Eventually I wandered to the audio section and asked the droid there about the consoles. I told him I was interested in the X-Box and if he could help me. He wandered to get someone for me.

Apparently they can't change the game. It's "set by head office." If I wanted to buy it right there, on the condition they show me Halo? Gee, sucks to be me I guess. Fucking morons.

X Experience
After my sucess with finding the problem to my Asus Motherboard and nVidia GeForce Stability Problems I decided to update to the newest nVidia drivers for my GeForce 2 GTS video card. They work great now! No more freezing up a few seconds into Quake3! (before I was using older drives that worked fine). Now though, all my X fonts are fscked up :( Weird, wrong shape, all small and messy. Not sure where the problem is :( I managed to get it readable by mucking with the gtk theme but you can tell it's not quite there yet. I may revert back, there's not a huge difference (if any) that I've seen.

After being warned last night by my landlady about the early arrival of workmen, I had reluctantly set my alarm for 8am. This is an hour unfamiliar to me since I resumed my studies and I had no hesitation in hitting snooze at the first call. A second call was unnecessary. The workmen,failing to rouse me with the feeble doorbell, had obviously reasoned that since the front door was going anyway they might as well bash their way through...

Upon returning bleary-eyed to my room I encounter an A4 sheet with far too much writing on it stuck to my door. The essence of this communique from my housemate is that he'd like me to do washing-up, let in builders, get key for new door to him and generally let him know what's going on by voicemail or mobile, if it's no trouble. On top of that I was asked by the landlady to check that the workmen were going to replace one of the front walls they were knocking down with a 'double' one. I'm not entirely sure what this means but bring it up with them anyway. The builder understands, however, and dismisses it straightaway in a thickest brummie accent. This is not good. I raise the landlady on the mobile and then pass her to the reluctant builder who handles the device like an incontinent gerbil. They bang it out (brummie vs plummy) and I go sort the washing up.

By the time I've emptied the bowel the landlord has materialised in his pin-stripes, spouting cavity wall regulations. In response the workman is basing his case on physical constraints.

All this before 9.30am. The rest of the day never really took off after that.

Dear Snick,

Tomorrow is your anniversary. The one year anniversary of your passing. As if I would not know such a thing was coming on. I've been overwhelmed with feelings of sadness for days now at the approaching day. Maybe that is why things have been very hard for me to take of late. I am at a low ebb. I wonder if I will ever look at Thanksgiving the same way? Maybe not. I am grateful for having known you for those brief couple of years. There have been many times where I've laughed remembering some silly thing that you've done.

Who the heck burns WATER?

There have been many times where I've heard your voice guiding me, whispering to me. Sometimes, it's like you have never left, and others......I just wish you were still here.

I would dearly love to talk to you and have you tell me to stop being a silly ass. That was one the best things about you, you know. You could take what I said and turn it around so I could see what I felt beneath the words. You had a way of seeing things from different angles.

We argued like crazy over things. I swear you only took the opposite stance just to get a rise out of me, arguing the points so flawlessly, laughing the whole time. You helped me come to terms with myself, to accept myself as I was. You showed me how to shift weight. More than that, you gave me insights into what it was like for you as a child, and sage advice for dealing with others. How did one so young become so wise? You lived a lifetime in those 19 years of yours. A lifetime.

There are some people who pass through your life briefly, yet leave lasting impressions. You are one such person, Snick. I know your biggest fear was that you would be forgotten, that no one would notice if you disappeared forever. I have noticed.

I have noticed.

No use asking why, there is no why. No one did this to you. No one gave you this disease. It's just something bad that happened. Life is like that. It just is. I can yell and rail and write about the unfairness of life, but the truth of the matter is, there is nothing fair about life. It is what it is. Waves rolling along, ups and downs. You take what it gives you and surf along with it. I like your way better though. The steps of life you called them.

"...and the best part about them is that you can come back down a few steps to hold out your hand to someone else coming up and pull them along with you..."

Thanks for grabbing my hand. I am so grateful for the time we had, for the friendship we formed, I am thankful, because there is a piece of you within me still. So you see Snick, you live on. Within me, and the others whose lives you have touched.

I just feel your loss a bit more keenly this week than I have in a long time. I will do my best to focus on the positive, but I think I'm entitled to feel wistful and I will probably feel better shedding a few more tears for the "big brother" that my kids never got the chance to get to know. For the friend that I miss.

and then I'm gonna go try burning some water so I can shake my head and smile...

I've been dreading this day for weeks.

The term ends soon, and my professors are expecting my work.

I never did care about deadlines in an academic context. I make a religious effort to find my own mistakes, and I view grades as oversimplifications anyway.

Still, I want this work done. It's important to me to at least try out some of what I believe I've learned.

But there's less than no chance of that happening. Lady Luck has a special place in her heart for healers; the bottom.

My work as a healer has always been more important to me than the tattered pieces of paper I hand in. I make it known to my teachers that I know the material.

And right now, I'm sitting here typing this, killing time, waiting for a phone call. My dear brother, a year younger than I, has just been informed that his beloved of 8 years wishes to be with him not a day longer.

I've asked this question before. Why was I called? The same reply, every time. There is nobody else. -

I got word from him over AIM. (Counseling people via instant messaging is difficult, but possible. And people do funny things when you put a gun to their heads.) An hour later. thank you, my friend, my brother

I look outside of my tiny library, where I keep my computer and my work, and, despite all the sour predictions of the weatherman, in the south I can see just a touch of sunlight.

I wrote two short programs in x86 assembly, did a little complex analysis, and all that's left is around 750 lines of C++ code.

My heart is much lighter now. My headache is gone. My hands don't hurt so bad, and my chest doesn't burn.

Today was a good day.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.