Keys. Woohoo!!!

Love it when the weekend largely goes off without a hitch. I managed to get out to the coast on Friday as planned, snagged a bed at the beach house, got some sleep in between update calls from the course, and watched more “King of the Hill” than I ever have before and it was hilarious. The hashers are totally cool and we actually had a really chill time.

Breakfast was made to order omelets, which rocked so, so hard. After that, the ladies hit the beach for some wandering, chatting and whatnot. The guys went to scout trail and play with the dog in the ocean. I have to admit, there is something about being right next to the ocean that’s incredibly relaxing. I really love it.

After that, we all lounged around the house drinking beer, reading magazines, and changing into hash clothes when we got motivated. Everyone else piled into the cars and headed to the hash while I headed down to the finish line to wait on Indie Rocker. I ended up having a great time running into friends and such so I certainly wasn’t bored. When his team finally did pull into town, we had a short discussion that ended with “meet me at the corner of Such and So Streets and get me the hell away from these people.” Fortunately, I was three blocks away and we made short work of the seven blocks between us and the house. Once I got him in the car, on the beach and got a burger in his hand, he was much happier. Tired, still, but better.

And I’ve only seen him that happy to see me once and it was when he got back from Malaysia. Not kidding!

Anyway, the rest of the weekend was spent partying, cleaning up the place, lounging some more and then eating fish and chips from the boat in Astoria, because that place kicks all kinds of ass because it’s really yummy. Then Indie Rocker slept most of the way home and I sang along to the radio.

Dinner was with Mom and Dad and I got to drive their brand new 2005 Volvo V70R, in midnight blue with beige leather interior, 300hp and all the bells and whistles. This car kicks ass.

And I get to pick up the keys to my new place tonight!!!

Quote of the Day: “The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men.” George Eliot. (I was trying to come up with a quote about moving and this is what I got. Go me.)

Republican Bullshit

This is bullshit. One of my girlfriends in college had a sticker on the back of her Jeep that said "Keep your laws off my body."

Damn straight. This is infuriating. First, the conservatives attack sex ed, which lowers unwanted pregnancy rates and then they attack the methods by which women can prevent or end unwanted pregnancies, giving us few to no options. Give me contraception or proper education or both. Also, abortions lower crime rates! It's statistically proven! Amazing how that works!

Like I needed another reason to be glad that I don't live in South Dakota. Christ.

No quote. I'm pissed.

Productivity measures...

I'm actually having a fairly productive week, all considered. Strong Draught and I did the walkthrough on the new apartment last night and documented everything we saw that needed to be fixed or that we didn't do. It was good. I thought that we were going to write checks and all that fun stuff, but it was our landlord's assistant who we think was not privy to arrangements that we had previously made. Oh well.

Anyway, I started adding some italic notes to my 101 list since I'm apparently accomplishing more than I thought I was. Mom and I signed up for a cooking class at Sur la Table, so that's one more thing off the list once it's done. Truth be told, I actually have already taken a cooking class there, but this one is hands-on and it's actually going to be taught by a friend of mine, so that's pretty cool. I told Strong Draught that if he kicks in for groceries that I will cook, because I am determined to be a good cook and stop complaining about it.

I also managed to pick up a copy of US News and World Report's 2006 rankings of grad schools, so I am actually starting to think about that. I know that I have to pick up a GMAT and GRE study guide next so that I can start that process. It's not going to be fun, but it is necessary.

I sent in the little subscription card for Spin magazine yesterday, but I won't check that off until I get a copy in my mailbox and I've paid for it.

My nails are getting all long too, which is odd for me as I usually bite them and if I don't, I tend to gnaw on them until they break anyway. It's really a gross habit that I've been trying to half-assedly break for years, but it seems to be taking this time. We'll see. I just keep trying to tell myself to keep my fingers out of my mouth. Ick!

Hopefully tonight I head for the coast so that I can miss the traffic in the morning. I'll be picking Indie Rocker's carcass up at the end of the Hood to Coast and then partying with the hashers. Should be fun and it will be nice to get out of town.

Quote of the Day: "I never thought I'd miss you." Bridle, Sage Francis.

Weird, weird, weird.

Boys are so weird. I swear to God, the second I think I’ve figured them out, the rug gets pulled out from under me and I hit the ground swearing. It’s not their fault, but damn, it gets a little old from time to time. Although, I guess that without the speed bumps, I wouldn’t appreciate the smooth sailing as much. And it really has been very, very smooth sailing for a very long time, so really, a little turbulence probably won’t kill me.

But if it does, you guys will certainly hear all about it.

Quote of the Day: “Mumbler! Seriously, I can't understand a *single* word you are saying!” Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Killer Boredom

Good God, are we bored this week. One of my coworkers and I keep passing each other in the hall and roll our eyes every time we do, since we are both totally bored and cannot find enough to keep ourselves entertained. I have pestered everyone who needs pestering and still cannot do it. It’s 10am and my desk is nearly spotless. That is ridiculous. I guess I could apply for a few jobs and daydream about my new apartment some more, but I think that might drive me crazy rather than help.

I did get to see Speedy last night, for a whiplash change of topic. She wasn’t sure if they were going to be able to stop, and as such decided to twist some arms so that they would stop at the Baja Fresh near my parents’ house so that she could at least see Mom and potentially me. After getting out of my meeting, I decided to break a few traffic laws to go ahead and go try to see her. I managed to make it with something like three minutes to go, but I at least got to see my sister for the first time since April. She loaned me her copy of Bruce Campbell's autobiography, which I cannot wait to read, and after she left, Mom took me to Moonstruck to pick up hot cocoas and cheesecake. I really do adore my family sometimes.

Tonight’s the hash, and then tomorrow is our apartment walkthrough (hence the excitement), and Mr. Clean’s BBQ, which should be great fun. Actually, I take that back. Apparently the BBQ will be dramatic, so maybe I’m a little less excited.

Quote of the Day: “Save some face, you know you've only got one/Change your ways while you're young/Boy, one day you'll be a man/Oh girl, he'll help you understand.” Smile Like You Mean It, The Killers.

"I gave her my heart..."

I got a pen. No, I’m not channeling “Say Anything.” I actually did just get a pen. But I’m kind of excited about it because it’s a pretty awesome pen. And it came from our stationary supply rep, which is kind of funny. Anyway, back to the pen. It has its own suction-cup base. The pen itself is big and purple, with a head attached with a spring and the head has a gigantic off-kilter smile and green hair/antennae pieces sticking out the top. And when I write with it, the head boings around like it’s going to come off. Awesome.

Can you tell that I am bored beyond belief today? I tried, but my most high-maintenance doc is out of the office and the other one who usually gives me tons of stuff to do isn’t being very helpful today.

On the bright side, I can work on Bus Project stuff and supposedly Speedy might be in town tonight and we can go get beers. That would totally rock, since I haven’t seen her since April, I think. Although she just called and said she might not. Argh! I think it’s because her suck-ass boss just wants to screw her over, since he seems to like doing that. He’s pretty much the definition of an immature asshole with high-schoolish tendencies, as far as I can tell.

Quote of the Day: “You said something/You said something stupid like/Love won't steal us from loneliness.” Love Steals us From Loneliness, Idlewild.

Packing up, again.

Moving is such a bitch. I really forgot how much I hate it. I spent part of yesterday packing up all of my books, DVDs, computer stuff, and the stuff I never unpacked from the last move. It’s all just been sitting in boxes in the corner of the pool house. Argh.

Then I took a break for three hours to watch the first four episodes of “The OC” Season Two with Strong Draught and Sapphire.

Aside from the moving, I did spend most of Saturday at the Soapbox Derby with Strong Draught and Indie Rocker. It was quite fun and entertaining. I even ran into a bunch of friends and managed to not get drenched by the water cannons being shot at the spectators. After that, the weekend sort of went downhill, but it’ll get better soon. Part of me knows that I just need to relax and things will take care of themselves. They always do, and things have a weird tendency to work out the way that they’re supposed to. It’s the waiting part that takes the most out of me.

I’m listening to “Karma Police” by Radiohead on KEXP and it’s making me feel better.

“This is what you get/this is what you get/this is what you get/when you mess with us/for a minute/I lost myself/I lost myself/for a minute/I lost myself.” Karma Police, Radiohead.

Coldplay! and 101 update!

Got to complete two items with one concert last night!

36. See Coldplay live Done 8/17/2005. Got the good seats and everything and got to see "Clocks" live. Awesome.

99. Attend a concert where I know every word to every song Done 8/17/2005, as I knew every word to every Coldplay song, even when they covered Johnny Cash. We also saw one song of the opening band, who was covering the Stones and I knew the words to that too. Ha-ha!

The concert was brilliant—very simple, but amazing at the same time. The stage was simple—just the instruments, a geometric backdrop/screen, and a lot of lights. We got there just in time to catch the opening band’s last song, which was a fairly loathsome rendition of “Satisfaction,” by the Stones. We weren’t terribly upset that we missed their set. However, they put on music between sets and the first song to blare out of the speakers was “Fix You.” Whoops. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a band playing its own songs between sets before. Some roadie totally got canned over that!

Our seats were insanely good—we were in the first section, about 20 rows backon the inner aisle. I could see the expressions on Chris Martin’s face and watch the band talking to each other and looking like actual people rather than little bugs on stage. It was a nice change, actually.

The people watching was fairly hilarious, as there were about 12,000 people there running the gamut from total hipsters to frat boys to parents and some girl with absolutely ginormous hair and a copper-colored sequined top that looked straight out of 1976. She belonged at Studio 54, I swear to God.

Anyway, the concert started with a totally dark stage, which was lit up when the guys walked out and started playing “Square One.” They followed that with “Politik,” to which Chris Martin promptly forgot half the first verse, so we heard two lines and then “oh, fuck.” It was awesome. After that, they launched into a few songs from X&Y before playing “Yellow,” which is much better live. Also, they threw out a bunch of huge yellow balloons that had yellow confetti in them for the crowd to play with and then burst at the end of the song. It was hilarious, and probably the only time during the night that Indie Rocker cracked a smile. He was a little tired.

They played a good range of music from their albums (which is nice, as they only have three.), so I got to hear most of what I liked. Hearing “The Scientist” nearly made me cry, as it’s painfully good. They performed “God Put a Smile on Your Face,” “A Rush of Blood to the Head,” and “Speed of Sound,” which I also liked better live. They also did some rather funny improv to some of the songs, which included inserting the phrase “Ducks and Beavers” into one and then discussing smoking joints on the lawn in another one. The band appears to collectively have a good sense of humor and doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is nice.

“Clocks.” Ah, yes. Essentially, we could have left after this song, since it’s the entire reason I bought the tickets to begin with. It was the second to last song in their first set, and I can die happy now. It was brilliant. At the end, Chris Martin is furiously pounding on the piano, just challenging the drummer to keep up, it’s getting faster and faster and all the sudden just crashed to a halt. It was incredible.

We left before the encore, mostly because I had heard everything I needed to hear and Indie Rocker was fading fast. I figured that he had been a trouper up until then and didn’t need to stand around anymore.

Quote of the Day: “We’re called Coldplay.” Chris Martin.

Check, please.

The week has been productive so far. I picked up the lease agreement for the new place and that’s pretty damned exciting. I know that I really wanted this place and now that it’s really going to be ours, the reality of moving is starting to sink in. On the bright side, since there’s three of us, we can already help each other move aside from the big stuff. I told Indie Rocker that he’s pretty much only going to have to help me move my bed and the big dresser, because everything else I should be able to do myself. I’m hoping to get rid of the ugly hand-me-down dresser now, since I’m going to have tons more closet space and some really schmancy built-ins. Awesome.

Also, I get to cross another thing off the list tonight as Indie Rocker and I have tickets to see Coldplay. Yeah, only slightly excited about that. I even sprang for the expensive tickets, so that’s going to rock. Woohoo!

Quote of the Day: “And I'm not gonna stand and wait/Not gonna leave it until its much too late/On a platform I'm gonna stand and say/That I'm nothing on my own/And I love you, please come home.” A Message, Coldplay.

Has it really...

...been that long?

71. Sustain a healthy relationship with a boy for over six months without wigging out completed 8/12/2005. This is actually quite the milestone for me, and Indie Rocker as well. It's a cool feeling, that's for sure.

Quote of the Day: "I wish that I could remember/the moment that we met/did it rain?/or did sunshine/portend our first meeting/what words were said?/what weight given/to that first greeting/my diary doesn't help/it don't even mention your name/until that summer/when bloomed the seeds sown on the moment that we met." Fourteenth of February, Billy Bragg.

No Cause for Concern

So I've gotten some feedback lately that some of you guys are a little worried about me from all the complaining I've been doing. Aww, thanks!

All the same, I really am doing better. I had a spate of bad days right in a row that felt a little overwhelming and now things are starting to get better. By and large, the things that were bad are either fixed or getting better.

I still hate looking for apartments, but I hate the one I live in enough to warrant continuing the search.

My car looks better than ever and currently doesn't have anything noticeably wrong with it. Except that lack of a front license plate (damned coyote), and I'll get that fixed eventually.

Indie Rocker is terrific and is still speaking to me every day. Shocking, I know.

I'm actually not currently in debt up to my eyebrows, which is nice, and I've also largely figured out what the word "budget" means.

So that's the midweek recap and announcement that my life indeed does not suck as badly as I make it out to sound half the time. Thanks for bearing with me!!

Book I'm currently reading: Independent People, by Halldor Laxness. It's interesting, in that depressing, Icelandic sort of way. This is the third attempt I've made at it and I sort of hate the current protagonist, so we'll see how far I make it.

Quote of the Day: "Say you string me along/Say inertia creeps/Inertia creeps and she comes." Inertia Creeps, Massive Attack.

Rollin'

I’m both more and less frazzled than I was last week. More because Strong Draught and I have plunged headfirst into the rental market here and found it less abundant than we had first imagined. We both have quite stringent requirements for what our next apartment is to look like and as such, are finding most places somewhat lacking. However, we plunge on, mostly because we don’t have a choice.

I’m less frazzled because I had a chance to relax this weekend and enjoy someone’s company quite a bit. Love is definitely in the air these days, as we attended a friend’s wedding on Saturday and another friend announced his engagement on Friday. I’m also pretty pleased that I get to cross another item off my list this week and it’s one I honestly didn’t think I was going to be able to do.

There have been a lot of changes lately—some better than others—and it’s been interesting learning to roll with the punches. I feel like I took a few straight to the chin without rolling and am just now starting to come around and recover. It’s been a learning process, for certain, and I’m pretty satisfied with the current results. It would seem that I’m wrong about a few things and some of them I wanted to be wrong about. However, one of my friends is having a rough day and I hope that I'm right and he's wrong.

Book I’m currently reading: The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

Quote of the Day: “I came out here tonight to look for my friend/I don't know if I'll ever get to see him again/I don't know if I'll make it home tonight/But I know I can swim under the Tahitian moon/One last time under the Tahitian moon." Tahitian Moon, Porno for Pyros.

Holy Crap!

KEXP is playing "Hallelujah" as done by Jeff Buckley. Nobody ever plays that song. I am attempting not to cry as that song always makes me cry when I hear it. Mostly because it's so beautiful that it literally makes my heart hurt when I hear it. But it's one of my all time favorite songs.

This is totally improving my day. Awesome. It's a good music day. I heard "Kimberly Austin" by Porno for Pyros earlier, which totally reminds me of high school and of Lovely Miss M. What a good intro to the weekend!

Quote of the Day: "Baby, I've been here before/I've seen this room/and I've walked this floor/I used to live alone before I knew you/I've seen your flag on the marble arch/and love is not a victory march/it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah/hallelujah." Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley (originally written by Leonard Cohen).

Screw it.

I think that I am officially the unluckiest person in the whole entire world. I have become Murphy. My boss sent me to another department for two days to help them out and what happens? There's a fire in the building I usually work in and nobody in my office has to work today. I don't fucking believe this. So I'm stuck at work and they're all lounging around their houses.

Seriously? I could use something good to happen to me right about now. I'm over this whole bad luck streak I've been having lately. Fuck!!

Quote of the Day: "Soy un perdido/I'm a loser, baby/so why don't you kill me?" Loser, Beck.

Counting my Blessings

I've decided, in light of my horrorshow of a day, that I am going to count my blessings in an attempt to make myself feel better.

1. My family and friends are by and large all healthy and safe from immediate harm.
2. I am not living in a war zone.
3. Just about anything I own that can be damaged can also be replaced.
4. I currently have a job that provides me with the income to live my life.
5. I have an amazing boyfriend.
6. I have great friends who provide a great support system.
7. I have my health.
8. Most of the current problems I have can be solved by getting a good night's sleep, throwing money at the problem, or using a little elbow grease.

Perspective adjusted.

Quote of the Day: "It fell to the floor, an exquisite thing, a small thing that could upset balances and knock down a line of small dominoes and then big dominoes and then gigantic dominoes, all down the years across Time." A Sound of Thunder, Ray Bradbury.