He talks about children and the choice to have them. It's something about, 'my wife and I were intellectual people, until we had children'. He goes on to elaborate on all the ways children make you awful, hated by others, and so on. It's awful! Damn hilarious, of course, but awful!! I don't want that!
So, the choice stands: no children, more Cosby. :)
Likewise, the feline has been having difficulties adjusting to home. She gets around the other kitty and hisses and curses like a bad, bad girl. She hisses at anyone who smells like the other kitty. tsk tsk tsk!
btw: watching a documentary on Jenna Jameson, a (former?) pornstar. It's weirdly sick, but interesting.
The ceremony was delightfully short, at about an hour and a half. The speakers were good, especially the keynote gal, who had a very long, but sentimental speech. My dearest girl came all the way from the Land O Lakes to see me, which was spectacular. I'm quite sad we never got to create Peni-ville, as planned. *sigh* dammed weather. M&D, Brother and Girlfriend came as well, which was nice. I feel justified, now, for them having experienced a winter in the Great White North. I wasn't making this up!! I wasn't exaggerating!! And, keep in mind, it is only December!!!!!!
Thursday was Sr. Crawl, which I didn't do as well (or did I do it better?) as in May. There were some complications, and I only got to 3 bars and had 4 (non-standard) drinks. BUT -I didn't poison a flowerbed or have to hold the wall to keep the room from spinning. And, I know exactly how many drinks I had. Friday night, we shook booty to some good tunes while trying to avoid picking up chicks for my cowardly-yet-adorable pal. Saturday I gradimatated, gave a tour, and braved a near-blizzard to bid a fond farewell to the sturdiest of friends.
I am yawning through my very last night of work right now. I've had far too little sleep and WAY too much stress in the last week for this. I may let M&D do all the driving tomorrow, after all........
J.L.B., M.T.Y., & J.dB.: Above and Beyond, the True Meaning, my Shoulders. You made it amazing, and I will love you forever for it.
Just for fun: I'm watching TV6 tonight, and they start talking about flu shots... up pops a picture of some needles and a giant marijuana leaf with the word "drugs". Interesting! I had no idea marijuana helped prevent flu!
The bald man on TV just said that we got 10.5" here last night. YOW!!
So... I've been getting calls this week, urgent calls, scary-voiced calls, telling me that I needed to call the audit department IMMEDIATELY. As the week went on, the calls got more urgent, more scary... the roommate even said the lady this morning sounded possessed. Unfortunately, that was true!
Now, I would have been a good person and called back right away, except for one thing... Dear, dear MC got a call from those same people telling her she wasn't actually eligible for graduation. She spent a day or so panicking before they told her, "oops, we were looking at the wrong file." I didn't want to hear that! I didn't want to have to fight! ...i'm just too tired...
This morning's call was the demonic one, so I decided to tough up and call them back. Roomie offered to do it for me, just to buffer the bad news. Sweet, eh? The lady on the other end was SOOO happy when I told her who I was. [she told me she was sooooo happy, I didn't infer it or make it up] The issue? I had put restrictions on my info, trying to protect my privacy. The problem with that is then they can't put my name in the program, let me walk OR tell anyone they have ever even heard of me. eek! I had to go sign a release, no problemo.
They had called me many times, called my home and woke my poor, dear Papa (sorry!!) and were about to mail a certified letter to the house. Is that love or what?
Oh, the other scary thing... So, I get my seating card for graduation and I see A3. Hmm, seems I'll be early in the program. Yea. Try FIRST. Nervous little me will be the FIRST person/student/graduate to march across that stage, get lost, get confused, shake the wrong man's hand while drooling and stumbling. Holy balls.
Holy Balls.
Friday --> Drag show on campus. It was fabulous!! Packed with people, the lighting was lacking, but the decorations were great -like a high school dance! The ladies all looked fantastic, of course. A few highlights: 1. the gal who synced "Barbie Girl" while dancing all stiff like a Barbie doll, wearing a horrid 80s gown and a wig sprayed to get amazing hight and width. 2. Mimi. YOW. Voted the world's most beautiful transsexual and they weren't kidding!! I'd freakin' LUV to have a bod like hers. 3. Audience participation -Spencer getting a standing 'lap'-dance from a queen in clear plastic clothing; Rach and I doing backup for Cher; the guy who got straddled.
Saturday --> Grinder, the band that Darren McCarty (dude, he's a RedWing. sheesh) is lead singer for. The bar was just PACKED with people, a mostly older crowd, but a sick amount of people. Beer was cheap, so we had many. The crowd was sooo bad that my girl and I had to hop the rail to get down on the dance floor. The bouncers were attempting to restrict access, saying it was too crowded. wtf. Good thing I have the type of bro who has taught me you do what you need to do to get a good view. I tried getting some other people to help me rush, but they were wimpy. So, we just climbed on in!
While we were shaking our thang, some thug guy waved me over (shit! security!) and asks 'how many are in my party?' 2 (shit! I shouldn't be telling him anything! Shut up!). Well, I'm security for the band -are you interested in partying with us afterward? Um. Yes. So, after the show, we got talking to some of the guys in the lobby, went upstairs to a psuedo-party room (I now know the secret code -oh yea!), drank free beer and chummed with the fellas, went out to the parking lot where their huge RV was parked and kept on partying. It was EXTREMELY interesting! Finally left at 5 to go home and c.r.a.s.h.
Sunday --> Hung. Over.
Please see the article in the Washington Post for more info: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26623-2004Dec1.html?referrer=emailarticlepg
Amongst the other lies we have to tell our children now, the one that stands out the most with me is Shrub's insistence that condoms fail to prevent the transmission of HIV. I've heard some people say that latex condoms don't protect because latex is too porous. Yea? Well, why do doctors and surgeons and EMTs all wear latex gloves when working on injured and bleeding people? To protect themselves from HIV. Does it work? YOU BETCHA. By telling our children that condoms won't protect them, we are telling them it is okay to not use a condom when having sex. What's the point, if they don't work anyway?
PLEASE take action on this issue. PLEASE. If you are pro-choice, you understand that part of making an educated choice comes with being properly educated. If you are anti-choice -ahem, sorry, "Pro-Life", then you must understand that the best way to stop abortions is to stop unwanted/unplanned pregnancies. Visit www.ppfa.org and get in to the action network. This will allow you to send a letter to your reps urging them to fight against abstinence only sex ed.
And no matter what, we are all human and must care for our sisters around the world. We have to start telling the truth. We HAVE to stop the spread of AIDS.
I have decided that this year, I will be celebrating my 22nd birthday for the second time. This is not an attempt at vanity, as I will go on to celebrate my 24th year of life next year. We are just going to skip over 23. As Blink 182 so eloquently said, 'no one likes you when your 23.'
Really, though, your 23rd year is like being a sophomore in high school. It's a space filler, just taking up time in between 22 (young) and 24 (mid-twenties, grown-up, getting old). You're invisible, you don't really count for much, it's just gonna be a painful and akward year.
So, I'm not going to participate. I will be 22 for another year, and it will be goooooood.
I. Am. Sick. Again!! Aren't I always sick? Yes, it sure feels that way. This time: chest congestion, a sore throat and it positively kills to cough. *ouch* I got lucky and found some old cough syrup in the cabinet, but now that's all gone...
Also, I set a goal to write my essays and finish my Peace Corps application this week. I want it ready to be mailed Monday or Tuesday. Yea, well... the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, or something like that. These damned essays are hard! Well... challenging. The bigger issue is how my writing skills seem to have abandoned me. I'm imcompetant! (i can't even spell)
All the beautiful snow melted away today. Rain, rain, rain.... it is just wet and slushy out there, but no more snow. What is this, May? C'mon Momma! Make up your mind already!! It's winter or it's not, but you Have To Choose!!
AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dinner was very nice. Em & I made cranberry sauce, played Chinese Checkers, talked, finished the oven-shuffle to get dinner done (okay, okay, she did all the work, but I monitored the checker board for safety!), and then we all sat down to a very nice meal. The only meat was ham, and it was minimal, so that was a nice feature. Em's family is really nice, and this was the second time meeting her lil bro. What a weirdo. One of the tubes of crossaints was cut wrong, so lil bro got at it and tried to roll it out new. Well, it didn't really want to roll out and he had no clue, so he put cinnamon and sugar and a poppyseed spread in it, folded it over and cooked it. 30 minutes later.... it was weird. He kept eating it half-cooked, and commenting on how it weighed a pound. Yikes!
After dinner, they taught me how to play Spades and lil bro and I teamed up to whoop some butt! Hell yea!! All those years of euchre (sp?) training finally came in handy -I had some concept of strategy, which I am sure helped. Too bad I never was able to apply it to euchre. Oh well!
Friday night a bunches of us were going to play Drunken' Clue at the Ohio house, but we got distracted by each other and the fact that the lot of us haven't hung out in a long time. It was nice to just catch up, be cool, and not deal with a smokey bar and pricey drinks. Muy divertido!
We drunk dialed Jeffner, too, cause it seems the whole world has a cell phone BUT ME, and part of having the cell is having free weekends and nights and all that. So... 3 hours later... We had her on speaker phone for a while, we were passing her around, stealing her, . . . good times. I miss that girl.
Tonight... dunno. We were planning on the concert at 231, but MC heard it is sucking, so probably not. We are trying out alternatives, including pool at the Shaft and bowling. Not much to do in this town without the 21+ Membership Card.
So, I'm sitting in Border Grill having finished my dinner but still having 40 minutes before work, so I was loitering and reading the paper. In walks this gal - I know her - and she smiles, says hi, how are you, all those polite things, and I am so stumped at what her name is, where I know her from, anything at all, that I grunt a response, like an idiot. So, now she's uncomfortable that I don't remember her (when I should. I know I know her, I know I like her, but damned if I know how I know her or who she is!!), and I'm uncomfortable that I did the wrong thing. We each sat akwardly for a while, until I finally got up and left. I feel like such a schmuck.
I didn't know what to do for that last 30 minutes or so, so I drove in circles and then went to work early. Ugh... How could I be so rude??
I arrived in the dead of the night, rousing no one as I stealthily broke into the compound. All was dark and quiet, save the sounds of slumber eminating from the master bedroom. Today, the residents have fled, leaving me to my own abandon. I've moved in a large quantity of supplies; there will be no need to leave for rations for months.
I am prepared for battle. I will fight to defend my newly-won fortress here on the island. My vantage point is excellent -I will spot their arrival far in advance, while they will have no knowledge of my whereabouts. I've stationed a fierce tiger in the back, standing guard over the forest. She is dark coloured, to blend; bred stong, to defend. The moat along the weaker, north face of the fortress has been freshly stocked with pirhanas, much to my delight.
Inside, I've readied my technologies, the final and most effective part of my defenses. This shall be my connection to the armies on the mainland. We stand ready.
Bring it on, bitches!!!!!!!!!!!
-new experiences, new cultures, new music, new friends, and new views on old friends
-free things (thanks Bogie)
-spending the day in bed, guilt-free
-not having a roommate, if only for a short while
-a perfect autumn day
-everywhere, if you know how to see it. Go. Look. Let me know what you find.
I gotta learn these words... I bet it's on the entrance exam...
I am extremely disapointed with my state and with my country...
Shame, SHAME, on you.
Be very ashamed for what you've done.
Halloween was good (not great). Friday we went to a lame party where there was too much politics, including an asshole elephant who couldn't shut his mouth from spewing ignorance, and not enough fun. So, off to the bars. It was entertaining, to see drunks in costume. Saturday we actually put in effort. I was a Vogue model, dressed in 80's revival -work boots (tongues out), hot pink tights layered under bright yellow fishnets, a black & white skirt with a sharp diagonal cut, lime green deep-V, off-shoulder top, wild silver and green and blue eye/face makeup (thanks Rach!) and a half-fro. Damn cool, I'd say! I was with a nurse, a lounge singer, an 80's prom queen, a middle school gym teacher, a rock star, and something else. What a crew... We met up with an ice princess, some witches, and other weird things. Went to several bars and parties, but nothing was particularly amazing. Stayed out until 4:30/5:30, depending on how you consider the time-change. Yow!
Well, we learned that . . . . . . .
1. Girls who wear skirts get raped, simply because they are wearing skirts.
2. Junior girls should not party with Seniors, because they will get raped.
3. If an underage girl drinks alcohol, she will get raped, because underage drinking is bad and she will get what she deserves.
Nice lessons, eh?
I also learned that giving chocolates to strangers is a lot of fun; it makes them smile in surprise, and that's really awesome.
So, my day: high -breakout session one; low -breakout session two; high -giving away chocolates; low -having absolutely no one show up to help with door-knocking for prop 2; high -talking to CRS; low -finding out I won't get to see CRS after all; high -not quite there yet...
Whew! All of that schtuff was fun and educational, which is a great combo, but wears me out. I definitely could have used more sleep this weekend. Tomorrow, the Boss wants me in at 9am to help prep for the UPYC, which I then participate in on Tuesday morning -ouch. It will be a week of early mornings.
Our condo down in the Cayman Islands got eaten by H.Ivan, and we just found out that our tickets have been refunded (HOORAH!). So, now we have to find a new place to party and a time to do it. Any suggestions on where to go? What's good and what is bad?? Think tropical, sunny, warmth. We are open to all tips! Thanks, dude!
(that's porn music, by the way)
Someone told the trees up here to get nekkid. The maples, being skittish little critters, first paled to a bright yellow, and then, when they realized it wasn't a joke, blushed a bright, bright red. They've started stripping, slowly, working from the top down, but you can tell they are nervous.
I'm sure it doesn't make it any easier to see the oaks, who must not have gotten the memo and are still a deep, healthy green. The pine trees, too; what mean trees! They laugh so hard their needles drop. It's like they are trying to mock the maples.
It sure is beautiful to look at, though....
Mostly, I was just scared as hell that I would have to go to work with no power. Imagine, 12 hours in a cold, spooky house, with no security, no phones, NO COFFEE, no nothin. lawdy!
Never fear. Downtown MQT got power about 4:30p, others about 6:30p, and some poor souls not until 11p. The radio people said that things had been turned off for maintainance and the replacement generator schizzed out and then the backup genny schizzed as well. Seems they should have maintained the replacement team before fixing the front line.
I wonder if they'll make t-shirts for this one....
Out Domestic Violence vigil was Thursday. It went well, made a lot of people cry, as usual. TV6 gave us good coverage, and even the horrendously right-wing Mining Urinal was there. I wish there had been more attendees, but I'm never satisfied with that sort of thing.
Friday was Homecoming, the parade part, at least. Our theme was 'Digging up the Past', so Vox played up the Suffrage. (remember the fight for the right to vote? Back in the early 1900's... 19th amendment... yea, you got it!) Too bad many of our peers didn't get it. We had two banners, one saying "Votes For Women" and the other "Mr. President, When Will Women Have Our Liberty?" A lot of people thought we were protesting Shrubbers, one gal shouted out "but women Can vote!" and a truckful of soccer girls told us they 'didn't get it'. Oh dear!
On the nice side, there were a lot of cheers and positive things, too. We may be controversial sometimes, but dammit, people notice us!!
The College Dems played Farenheit 9/11 last night, too. It was my second time seeing it. Still pissed me off, still made me sad. I know there is a lot of spin, I know that Moore goes for the outrageous, but there is a lot of truth there, too. It balances out with the bullshit on the TV. Or, BUll SHit, as I saw on a t-shirt.
Hey, no matter what, go out and vote, okay?? Just vote for something! Oh, and vote NO on prop. 2! I will tell you that one! It is a BAD, BAD proposition!
1. Get Active! Call your political representative (ie. Demorcratic Headquarters or College Democrat organization) and find out how you can get involved with their events.
2. Talk to people! Let them know your position on different issues, and have the facts to back your stance. You may not change their mind, but at least you'll get them thinking!
3. Sign up for action networks. Most activist sites have them, and I'll give you my two favorites:
Planned Parenthood- http://www.ppaction.org/ppaction/join.html
Human Rights Campaign- http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/actioncenter/join.html
They will send you an email whenever an important issue hits the House or Senate with a pre-composed letter to your representative. Click on the "send" button and away it goes! That's it! You have sent a letter to your senator, congressman, whomever needs to know, and didn't even have to pick up a pen! This stuff works -I have gotten several letters and emails back regarding my letter and the Rep's position and action on the issue.
Good Luck & Let me know how it goes...
We got out on the streets gathering signatures and getting some interesting reactions. Did you know we don't need healthcare, all we need is abstinence? Apparently abstinence is much more impactful than I ever realized! On day 2 we did door-knocking to get more sigs. Boy did that suck. No one was home!! And it feels so intrusive! (i felt dirty)
Saturday night was . . . an example of glorious excess. The hotel bartender was way too friendly with his product and wanted my "I (heart) My Vagina" t-shirt so bad he offered free drinks in trade. Yow. Seems that when something is free, there is a drive to consume twice as much of it. Both of us were happy in the end, tho!
Travelling home was painful. Partly because of Saturday night :( and partly because the conference ended at 3p and our plane didn't leave until 8:30p. UGH. It took forever to get back to MQT. I was so jealous of Al & Aimes to left early... The missed some interesting things, but got home prolly before we even left!
o-tay. Gotta focus on the lecture...
Well, yea, so, we are here to learn how to be the most excellent activists, which will be cool. There will be Voxers from all over MI (ie, MQT, Waste-ern, UMA2 and . . . ??) gathered together to learn activism. We get to go out on the streets and petition, and. . . . something else. It's active, it's groovy.
Holy Canole! Did you know the military restricts your sex positions?!?? According to our resident expert, military personnel are only allowed to engage in the missionary position. If you get caught otherwise, it is 'unbecoming of an officer'. Damn! Talk about being OWNED!
Crikey, the things you learn... many a strange chat tonight, and it's only the first night! ya-hoo! Talking to strangers will lead to way random, way crazy conversations.
Just so yous know.
Outtie.
8 hour car-ride to MQT = bleh :(
The weekend was A-Mazing! First & Foremost, I got to see my Jeffner! Wee!!! She was at work when I got there, so I went looking for her. Crazy chica can just walk away from work for an hour at a time and no biggie. She says some people even go workout in the middle of a shift!! Whoa! I found this lab coat hanging in the stairwell... it asked me to take it home with me. I did. :)
-We ate D-licious foods at the Macaroni Grill and created art on the psuedo tablecloth.
-We went horseback riding, not in Altura, but in Elba. Take note of that. I mean, who says you actually have to live in the same place your mail goes? Sheesh!
-We went to The Farm and examined the crops. I finally got to see this famous place I've been hearing about! And, at the old residence, a friendly dog gave us an enthusiastic tour of the property.
-We went to the Aquarius -always, always an adventure. Yow. The people, the clothes, the dancing, the sex -oh! I mean, the dancing... it's crazy there. I saw mullets, pregnant ladies, bare asses, flobby guts, pissed-off latinas, white guys who think they know how to dance, and all sorts of insanities.
It was fabulously refreshing to get away and see my girl. I feel healed! I should definitely get to see her more often!!
And now, back to the grind....
