5/27/2007

Stressed and Complaining

My right eye has been twitching at least once a day for the past several weeks. It doesn't flutter, it's more like it just gets stuck at half-mast for an instant while I'm blinking.

My back is always stiff. Basically, I feel soreness when I move in any direction. And of course the mattress doesn't help. It never does...

I'm tired all the time, except for at bedtime. That's when I can't seem to calm down enough to let myself fall asleep. Or rather, my mind won't settle. And when I do sleep, it's light and broken.

Luckily, headaches have been infrequent. Though my mind still goes slow when it comes time to use it.

The good news: I finished Editorial Illustration a few weeks ago, and in Student Studio we'll be finished with the project and with the client on Wednesday (hopefully). So that means I can put all of my (very meager) energy into Senior Seminar and Portfolio Professional Development. Yay.

4/23/2007

Deadlines

1 week 'till my birthday.

2 weeks 'till our move-in day.

7 weeks and 4 days 'till graduation.

I am so excited.

3/26/2007

Ketchup

Already done with another term of school. And now I only have one left before earning my valuable piece of paper and venturing out into the real world. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. Ima tell you 'bout the breeze that was Finals Week, Winter '07.

But first, leading up to finals: I don't believe I've made one mention of the giant group project I've had to work on for Environmental Graphic Design. This class (certainly not to be confused with Green Design) covers the graphic design found in spacial settings, and one of our projects for the term was to make a sort of museum exhibit to be produced in full scale, but no larger than 7' tall x 5' wide x 2' deep, and its subject could be anything design-related. So my group and I came up with "Creative Blocks" as a topic, and worked happily on it all term, then finished construction on the Saturday & Sunday before its Monday Due Date on finals week. Then Sunday night I finished up the other project for that class (it was a "Dale" class, you know how he gets... homework up the yazoo), and Paul printed it for me Monday morning to be ready for the afternoon final.

Oh, and here's a picture of our finished project! It's currently on display on the second floor of the school, in the alcove across from room 263.

My next final was Tuesday night, and all I needed for that class was two copies of my mini-book. So Monday night , Paul and I fell asleep promptly upon our home arrival (after our final we had gone out for a couple drinks with Ryan, so we got home at about 9, I think). Then we woke up at about 3 or 4 in the morning, and worked until completion on our mini books. Paul's, by the way, looks really cool. His whole identity is D&D-themed, as explained in his most recent blog posting. Anyway, that was the day I went to Lazerquick and ended up pissed at the world before 10 am. Luckily I was able to cool off shortly after ranting, and the rest of the day went fine, including the presenting of my mini book, which was very casual. My next final wasn't until Thursday morning.

In the meantime, however, I needed to evacuate my apartment. This is the term that my lease was up, so it was finally time to take all my stuff away from the strangers living with it. So I spent Wednesday on packing my belongings into boxes. I was missing a few plates, nearly all my cups, a few pots and pans, my knife block, and probably some other things I can easily replace and I don't care much about. But, I was also missing several pieces of art I did that I can never replace! For this, I am very upset. The two pieces I am most concerned about were the two I received numerous compliments for. I don't consider myself an artist, and these certainly weren't masterpieces. But I am damned sentimental, especially when it comes to something that I made and am rather fond of. I know it's my fault for leaving my stuff there for so long with people I don't know/trust, but still. It just really sucks.

Anyway, Wednesday night was spent staring at the internet, then at about midnight I opened up my homework files only to decide that there were no more changes I needed to make before printing out my final project. So I went to bed rather late (after returning from KINKO'S), and the next morning all we had to do was hand in our final zines before we were sent on our way. I did some more packing at my apartment, Paul's and Ryan's cars were loaded up, and we made our trip up to Centralia for my stuff to be stored at Paul's parents' house. Then we were back in Portland, Ryan went home, Paul and I loaded up his car again, and we were on our way to C-town once again (but not before me forgetting my phone in the apartment after I had already turned in my key... That was pretty crappy).

And so came Friday, a big day for a few of my friends. Paul and I went to the Portfolio Show, gathering the business cards of everyone we came across. The Graphic Design show was extremely small compared to other terms. And they all had good books (some better than others, of course, but no one had the usual last-minute, terribly-crappy-projects book). Ryan's was fantastic, of course. Then we went to the ceremony to watch Ryan walk. Afterwards, we swung by Angie's after-party, then settled down at Ryan's party at The Kennedy School. It was a relaxed night, not meant for heavy drinking, Paul and I decided. That would come Saturday night.

And it was so. Saturday brought David's predictable end-of-term party, which Paul and I attended after catching a flick in Beaverton. We watched Zodiac, which was largely just a disappointment. Jake Gyllenhaal never fails to dazzle the eyes, though... Man what a cutie! The party was without music, which meant no dancing for me (which is a first!). Still, I think everyone had fun. I did, anyway, and I know Paul did, and so did Ryan. And that's good enough for me. The cops did show up at one point, however... They did the last time we were there, too. But last time, whoever answered the door was smart enough to not let them in. This time it was a smart-mouthed moron who's largely lacking in humility. So, in the cops came, collecting everybody's ID's, then leaving again, giving a citation only to the big-mouth. They didn't ask us to break it up, they didn't tell the under-aged ones to go home, they basically just gave us a warning to screen who we let into the party, and be careful of the morons like the one they cited.

So all-in-all, an eventful week. Now I'm hoping for an extremely un-eventful week, as it is my only bit of vacation before returning to my final three months of school. I'm hoping it won't be as hellish as I'm expecting it to be...

3/20/2007

FUCK LAZERQUICK.

For some reason, I was under the impression that Lazerquick was cheaper, friendlier, and better quality than Kinkos. I'm sorry to Lazerquick for thinking they'd be a better choice. Apparently, I was wrong about all of it. I got some prints there this morning at 8 am ((2) 11x17 document, (1) 11x17 double-sided document, (2) 5 page double-sided document, (3) 8.5x11 document), I was there for an hour, and I was charged $48. The guy who helped me treated me with no respect, talking to me as though I knew nothing about what I was doing, or what he was doing, or what the printers were capable of, or how to set up a document so that it prints correctly. When in fact, I am very aware of all of these things. I understand that printers vary, and that certain papers can't be run through some printers. I understand that, and I'm willing to work with that. But DO NOT fucking tell me that what I'm trying to do is impossible. I know for a fact it's not, as I've had it done before at other places (i.e. Kinkos). And DO NOT tell me that anywhere I go will charge me a "RIP" fee to open any digital file that I bring in. Let alone a $16 per file charge. Fucking ridiculous. And if I want something double-sided, and I know it won't line up exactly, but I don't mind and still want the print, then give it to me, for fuck's sake. Don't give me two separate prints and expect me to deal with it myself when that isn't what I said I was okay with. On top of this fiasco, all my prints are of poor quality. I could have drawn them better, with a crayon. What a joke.

I'll never nay-say Kinko's again. At least they give me what I want/need, and at a fairly reasonable cost, and usually with a smile. God damn.

3/07/2007

No fries, and could you make that soda a Slimfast?

Last night I made Chicken a la King. I never knew something could be so tastealicious with so few ingredients! Yum. And it's oh-so filling. And quick. I haven't had this meal in years and years, and I completely forgot about it until the other night, when I dragged out my Betty Crocker Cookbook so we could go grocery shopping for some good eats.

This "making dinner at home" thing has been going pretty well, actually. We've been eating fast food so much less. I don't think we've even had any Muchos Gracias in a couple of weeks... We've both been losing weight because of it. Which, that's what Paul was hoping for... I, however, was already at a pretty good weight (imo) and now I'm maybe a little on the light side... I guess that just means I need to start working out more so I can firm up those muscles!

2/28/2007

Sugary Sweet

An excerpt from a convo with Ryan:

Callie:man, i totally missed out on easter candy last year
i have to make sure that doesn't happen this year.
i gotta stay on top of that shit

Ryan:
haha

Callie:
damn, it can slip through your fingers in an instant if you don't pay attention
damned seasonal candies...

Ryan:
dork

I'm sure we all know how painfully true this all is. You just gotta make sure you pay attention. Fact: Seasonal candy is by far the tastiest of all the candies. So do NOT let it slip away. Grab that cash/candy with both hands and make a stash.

2/23/2007

Motivation is a slave-driver

Well, Wednesday went fairly well. I didn't get everything on my list, but I got the bulk of it done, including the most important parts (things that were cut out of my day: lunch, 1/4 of the dirty dishes, my identity project, and one of the businesses I meant to email). Everything else went pretty well, though.

The running, however... Dang. I don't know why people would voluntarily put themselves through such torture! I mean, don't get me wrong, it's only proved to me that I need to go more often. But I was gone for a little more than half an hour, and I came back completely out of breath, my eardrums were in near-excruciating pain (that happen to anyone else?), my chest was on fire, and my legs have officially stopped working for the past two days. This is what I get for trying to turn around and be healthy... I wasn't even running the whole time! On the way back home in my loop, I walked for a good portion of the way, and even stopped completely at some points. I had no idea I was this out-of-shape. Damn those good days, being all tempting for exercise and whatnot! Sunshine will be the death of me. Mark my words.

Also, I must confess that I did not quit smoking yesterday. I only had one cigarette on Wednesday, but I had two more yesterday, and another this morning. However, I've made up my mind for good! I'm done smoking. I promise. So don't tempt me, you temptresses!

Okay, this may be related to the smoking, or maybe not-- I'm not quite sure, since I'm not really a heavy smoker by any means. But I've kiiiind of been coughing up blood lately... I didn't think too much of it until I happened to mention it to Paul this morning, who lightly freaked out at me. So, I now have a doctor's appointment next Wednesday. I'm not really worried, just pretty curious. It's been going on for weeks, but moreso in the past couple days, when I developed a sore throat and cough (before the coughing, the blood was showing up in whatever came out of me clearing my throat). This recent cough has also been accompanied with chills and nightsweats. Do you think it's TB? I think I've convinced myself it's not, but I suppose there's still a chance of it... I'm sure it's something that's practically nothing, though. Don't worry.

So that's what's up with me. I plan on having a nice, quiet weekend with Paul. I'll probably try to finish dreading his hair tomorrow (OH YES. It's finally happened.). It's currently 2/3 of the way done, with the hair of the crown of his head just hangin' out bundled in nine little pony tails. It's gunna look awesome... you can almost feel the dread.

2/21/2007

Motivated.

Today:
Smoke my morning cigarette
Brush my teeth
Drink a Strawberry Slimfast
Stretch
Go for a run/jog
Do the dishes piled in the sink
Fold the laundry sitting on the couch
Get another load of laundry going
Make lunch
Figure out what to base my zine on (for a class assignment)
Work on my identity/business card/resume/mini portfolio book look
Post assignments for my group's project
Send my resume to a couple companies
Start dinner, as Paul will probably be home soon by now

I figure if I let the world know what I mean to do today, it might actually all get done. And I know, I know... smoking is maaaaaybe counter-productive to the whole jogging thing, but it's a start, right? Tell you what-- I'll make it the only cigarette of today. And then I'll have one more tomorrow morning, and then I'll quit. Deal? Kay. Deal.

Welp, I'm off to start my day. Wish me luck!

2/19/2007

Let's all go to the lobby, let's all go to the lobby. Let's all go to the looobby, and get ourselves a snack!

Wednesday (Valatimes Day): Russian Dolls.
Paul brought me home a single pink carnation (which is the first flower I've ever received from a boy, not including when one picks the flower right in front of me and hands it to me... that's not quite as romantic...). I thought it was very, very sweet, especially considering that Paul's certainly not the type to get a girl flowers. Anyway, our Valentine's Day activity was to curl up together, and snuggle on the couch to watch the 2 hour-long movie that's been sitting on our coffee table for a month, that we hadn't yet had the time to watch. It was interesting-- sort of a strange movie. It was kind of a love story, but not exactly. More like one of those "oh what does it all mean... relationships... love... sex..." kind of movies. Anyway, I liked it (I grabbed it in the first place, because it has one of my favorite actresses in it: Audrey Tatou).

Thursday: Pan's Labyrinth
This movie is everything I've always wanted in a movie since I was a little girl. It has a fairy tale storyline filled with darkness, violence, mystery, wonder, betrayal, mystique, and very blurred lines between fantasy and reality. It's amazing, that's all I can say. Paul and I each downed three beers and then decided to walk down to the movie theater. I figured it would be the perfect time to see this; I've heard nothing but good things and my curiosity had been thoroughly roused.

Friday: Apocalypse Now!
We ended up with another stretch of time, since it was somehow too late to do any homework, yet too early to go to bed still. So we settled down to watch this three-hour-and-twenty-minute movie, which Paul snagged for ten bucks at Best Buy a while back. Unfortunately, this movie was as slow as it was long. I was this close to falling asleep by the end of it. I'm not saying I disliked it, because it was admittedly one of the better war-story movies. It's just not exactly in my taste. And man-oh-man, Harrison Ford is so young! Hah! It was silly. Oh right, Martin Sheen, too (and dang, I had no idea how much Charlie looks like him!).

Saturday: Ghost Rider
Not "Ghostwriter," as I previously had thought (only for a few minutes, though). Mr. Nicholas Cage is quite the BA (imho). Now, listen. I'm sure most of you know the difference between a "movie" and a "film" so I won't go into it. But let it be known that Ghost Rider is a fun "movie." I like it, I don't care what you say. I don't mind the bad actors or the bad special effects. I think it's fun to watch. I enjoyed it. Muchly, considering the slandering brief I'd been given from Paul, beforehand (After watching it, he puts the movie at a step above Fantastic 4. Now that was a bad movie-- a crappy piece of crap that should never have been produced. This movie, however, was fun! I can't sum it up in any other word). Fun.

Sunday: The Shins (live at the Paramount Theater, Seattle!)
YYYYEEESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! I saw them. I did. For reals. And you know what? It was awesome. And I got a cool t-shirt. AND, I am the proud owner of the crumpled piece of paper that is The Shins' set list!!! YES!!! UUuuuuggghhhh it was so worth this lack-of-sleep hangover I have. MMMMmmm hmmmmm.

2/09/2007

Shouldn't a song called "Cowbell" include some cowbell?

If only blogging were as satisfying as digging the crud from under my fingernails with an Xacto knife... I think I'd post a lot more often, and have more interesting things to say when I did.

It seems that lately, bloggers across teh intarwebs are having existential discussions. "Why do I blog?" "Do I really want comments?" "Who really cares?" Well, I've decided to join the bunch, in giving my own opinions on the matters.

Concerning comments: I certainly don't expect comments. I'm not disappointed when I don't receive comments, and when I do, it's like a little bonus. I blog mainly for me, because it's much easier than keeping a diary (I've started diaries before, and they always fall by the wayside), but of course, it's also to keep my friends informed. It's somewhat of a record of my thoughts. Although, I certainly don't use it that way... maybe I should.

Concerning content: I write about anything. I don't really have many constants in my life, so it's easier just to write about "my life, in general." Though, I can't help but wonder... does that make it boring? Does that make it irrelevant to anyone I don't know? Probably. I think if I were someone else, I certainly wouldn't look forward to reading new posts on this blog. It's inconsistent, and it's less-than-entertaining.

That said, let's move on to today's regularly scheduled post.

The good news is, Backstreet boys has not been stuck in my head since the day I posted about it. Hooray! The other good news is, Paul and I were not fighting about the little incident that occurred a few days ago. Instead, it spurred a lengthy, in-depth, nice discussion, which was great. Just thought I'd let you know. And the last good news is: there is no bad news.

2/08/2007

Avantasia

Epic.

2/05/2007

Peat:Repeat

Do you have any idea how many times "All I Have to Give," by Backstreet Boys, has been stuck in my head over the past few days?!?! Waaay too many. I don't know where it's coming from, but it won't go away. Jeezy creezy!

Peat:Repeat

Do you have any idea how many times "All I Have to Give," by Backstreet Boys, has been stuck in my head over the past few days?!?! Waaay too many. I don't know where it's coming from, but it won't go away. Jeezy creezy!

2/04/2007

This video is TOTALLY MATH!

Lucas posted this on his blog a few weeks ago, which led me to believe this was going to be one of the most awesome things I've ever seen, before I even watched it. And you know what? I was right. Thanks Lucas!!

1/29/2007

I honestly want to know...

if I am I being selfish, rude or demanding in this situation:

Paul was messing around on his computer, trying to install a new Windows appearance. We had just gotten home from school, and I didn't feel like jumping right back into more homework right away. Instead, I got the bright idea that, since neither of us was really doing anything, maybe Paul and I could hang out; we've both just been doing homework lately, and haven't had much of a chance to "chill" together. So I asked Paul if he wanted to hang out with me, and he said "no." So of course, I asked why not, and he said it was because he was in the middle of something. I pointed out that it wasn't anything important, which I had thought because he could come back to it at any time; he wasn't gaming, wasn't doing homework, nothing that was time-sensitive. But he insisted that it was important to him, and he didn't want to stop just so we could spend time together.

Paul tried to explain to me how I was being selfish, rude and demanding, but I still don't understand why that is. I still don't feel like I was in the wrong. Could someone else maybe shed some light on this?

1/27/2007

Wheeeeeeeee!

The other day I ended up letting Ryan take pictures of me, after all. We only had an hour, because Paul was due to get off of work at that time. But it was fun, no matter how stiff I look in the pictures. I just have a hard time being a model with certain people, I guess. I'm sure my mood has something to do with it, too. But my favorite photographer is still Tommy (sorry Ryan). :)

FYI: One car between two people is definitely not convenient, especially when you've gotten used to otherwise. I've relied on having a car for years, now... I just hope my poor little sedan isn't as broken as I'm thinking it probably is.

Last night Paul and I went to Jesse's b-day party, which was at a very cool-looking place called Bridgeport Brewpub (which sounds to me like they jumbled a bunch of words together). We had no idea it was there, and apparently it's a pretty hoppin' joint. In addition to Jesse's party, there just so happened to be a going-away party being thrown for another girl from our school at the next table. So there were a ton of people there that we knew, and a few new faces. Oh, I tried a beer I actually enjoyed the taste of (surprise!) called Blue Heron. And it was a darker beer! Surprises all around.

At the moment, I have my bangs pulled into two ponytails coming off the front of each side of my head, with another ponytail in the back. I feel pretty (haha).

You know, I absolutely love reading my friends' blogs. I thoroughly enjoy it. So, to all of you out there who have one and haven't updated in a while, you really shouuuuuuld. And to those of you who have just updated for the first time in a year, don't think you can get away with just that one update for months to come. :P

Oh, I don't know how many of you watch House, but I saw it for the first time over Christmas break (after hearing numerous raves about it from Drew), and that show is amazing. I love Gregory House. His cold, ruthless, assholian attitude is oddly attractive, and I can't get enough of the show. Paul merely loves to hate it. Anyway, we've been watching the episodes one-by-one on alluc.org. We finally made it through Season 1, and just started to sink our teeth into Season 2, but all the episodes have been taken down! I'm so distraught over it I can barely eat (jay-kay guys, jk). But still, it's very upsetting. I need my House fix.

A little over a year ago, I bought the book Survivor, by Chuck Palahnuik, as a book to read in the airports and on the airplanes while on my way to and from Florida. I got nearly half-way through the book, and then never picked it up again. There's nothing wrong with the book. I like it. Just, for some reason or another, I have not touched a book in nearly a year. However, I picked it back up again, and finished reading it a couple of days ago. Now, I have two more books sitting in my "to read" pile. They are Invisible Monsters, by Chuck Palahnuik, and Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore. The first one I got just because I'm pretty sure it's the only one of his books I haven't read, yet. The second one I hear is hilarious. One of my former roommates (Riki) read it, and recommended it to me. Besides that, Christopher Moore is the name of my first step-dad, which is kind of weird. The first time I had discovered the writer by this name, was by a poster hanging in a Powell's window, advertising a book called The Stupidest Angel. Sounds like comedy, to me. I'll let you know how these turn out.

1/24/2007

Gimme dat ding!

The snow last week was magnificent. Paul started to go into work, but came back when he found out no one would be there. So we had a Fun Day together, instead. It started off with a nice, big, hearty breakfast at McDonald's. Then we went home to play in the snow a bit, before rushing off again to Game Stop. There, we found Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, which had a co-op mode, meant for snuggling up on the couch while we played together.

After our triumph at the video game store, we searched Wal-Mart for any resemblances of a sled (since they didn't carry any actual sleds), but the best we could come up with was a garbage can lid. So we decided to search Fred Meyer's, instead. There were no sleds at Freddy's. We went home empty-handed, yet still determined to make the most of things. There (home), we found a couple of lids to large Rubbermaid containers, so we decided to give them a go. Once out on the powder, standing on the hill, we realized there was no way our sheets of plastic would stay on top of the snow, with our body weights pressing on top of them. They simply dug into the snow deeper, with every inch we tried to move. So, back at the drawing board, Paul decided to make a pair of pants out of a garbage bag. The slick surface would have worked, but it would have made his ass hurt like hell. I told him to scoot around on the ground, to try it out... It was hilarious to watch, take my word for it. Anyway, just as we were about to take off for the hill once more, Debbie (Paul's aunt, and our upstairs-roomie) stepped out of the house, proclaiming her ownership of a sled she'd be willing to let us borrow. We snatched the sled, took off for the hills, and tore down the snow. All was right within the world. After thoroughly wearing ourselves out, Paul and I trekked back home, peeled off our wet clothing, curled up under a blanket, and embarked upon the epic battle that is LOTR!. I can't remember what happened after that. Probably dinner...

This morning I woke up bright and early with Paul, so I could catch a ride with him into town (since my car doesn't work... that's a-whole-'nother story... but it has to do with the freezing temperatures...). The reason I needed to come to town was to go down to PSU to check out a textbook I need for my online Physics class. However, upon arriving at the library, I came to find out that I could not check out the book, because it's been put on reserve by a teacher, and I am not a student. So, I'm stuck doing nothing in Portland until Paul gets off of work, which is at 4.

To top things off, I have an odd amount of energy emanating from me, and no one to share it with, since everyone's either in class or at work. I've been trying to talk to Paul and Meggan, but they're both busy... working. Psh. I randomly ran into Lizz on the streetcar back from PSU, which was very cool. But she had to go to class, so that was short-lived. Oh, I also randomly ran into Tesheeka's (former roommate) mother, whom I had not seen in about a year-and-a-half. That was kind of weird. I did manage to catch Ryan, too, before I headed down to PSU. He was downtown for work, but left fifteen minutes later 'cause he had nothing to do. Or something like that. So we hung out for a little while before he headed back home. He's been practically begging for me to let him take pictures of me, and I've been less than cooperative. So... that might finally happen today, on account of my abundance of energy and lack of other activities.

I've been wanting to say "thank you" to everyone for all the support you've given me. I'm really sorry I haven't replied to any of your emails. Honestly, the only reason is that I don't really know what to say. I greatly appreciate everything each of you has said to me, and it feels really good to know you're there for me (not that I ever had a doubt :) ). But really, I just don't know what to say about this. Now that it's over with, I think I just wanted to let you know that it had happened. I don't feel regret or shame, and I know what I did was the right thing for me. There's nothing for me to really be depressed about, anymore. But all the same, I'm sorry for not replying. It's kind of rude of me.

And with that, I return to my boring, energized day! Hope yours is just as energized, but more eventful.

1/14/2007

Breaking News

Paul and I just did a major spring cleaning (either a few months early, or really, really late... take your pick). We re-arranged the basement into a pretty good configuration, then spent the past few days re-hooking electronics, organizing supplies, straightening papers, getting rid of old junk, and finding places to store, not stash, things. We still have a few things left to do... there are a couple of filing cabinets that need to be rid of all the junk they contain. Then, we might actually be able to use them to store important papers and such! Imagine that!

Christmas break went well. The first week was a bit slow; I didn't get some of the things done that I meant to. Well, I guess the only thing I didn't do was move the stuff in my apartment into storage, but I still have three months to do that. But either way, it was a pretty lazy week. Then that Friday night Paul and I went out to a movie, as a sort of last-night-together-for-a-few-days night. We saw the holiday date movie, The Holiday, which was very great and well-written. Then Paul departed for his parents' house Saturday night, and I left for my parents in the morning.

This year marked the first time I've ever slept in the living room on Christmas Eve. I may have been dreaming, but I think I saw Santa break into the slider door around midnight... Either way, Abby was ecstatic that Monday morning. But of course, Christmas is always amazing when you're three years old. The day brought holiday cheer and lots of fine foods. Good times all around!

A few days later I made my way up to the LAN party, already in progress. I pulled into town to find Drew, Tyler, Tyler's GF (sorry, I forgot her name...), Justin, Paul, Jim, and Ryan seated in a booth at the local Sherri's (aka Shelly's). It was quite a greeting. The LAN was tons o' fun, what with drinkin', movie-watchin', dancin' (thanks to me), Guitar Hero 2-in', oh, and of course, lots o' gamin'. Then we all brought the new year in with a countdown, champagne, yelling, cheering, leftover firecrackers, kissing, smoking, more cheering, hugs, and smiles.

Paul and I came back home a few days later, both exhausted and satisfied by our breaks. I must say, I definitely feel much more ready to go back to school this term than I did last term. Which is good, 'cause last term was absolutely awful for me. It wasn't really the classes that kicked my ass, so much as it was everything outside of school, and I mean everything. I couldn't catch a break last term. However, things are definitely looking up, and I'm feeling optimistic and tons more energetic. Woooo!! HAPPY 2007!!!!

1/08/2007

HAPPY NEW DAY!

Does anyone believe that the first day/week of classes sets the mode for the rest of your term? I hope that's how it works, 'cause I had a pretty good day. I had Environmental Graphic Design today, which seems like a class that could be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to it, at this point. It seems like something that I could even be interested in as a career... who knows.

After class I swung by my apartment to grab my mail, and met my new "roommate." She seemed like a sweet girl, and I'm not entirely sure she was happy with the two girls she's now stuck living with. I don't blame her... they're a bit slobbish, from what I've gathered. I shouldn't be "living" there for too much longer; my lease is up in March, and I'll probably just move my junk up to Paul's parents' house for storage until we get our own place.

On the way home from my apartment, while turning onto the freeway on-ramp, I glanced into my rear-view mirror just in time to catch a jeep absolutely TEARING around the corner behind me. It drifted (Tokyo-style) around the corner, nearly toppling as it did so, then violently swerved several times in both the lanes behind me to regain control. It was too dark to see his face, but I wish I could have known if this maneuver ended up manifesting his joy, or his soiled pants...

I'd love to update you on my Winter break at this point, but at the moment I've a three-page paper to write, as well as a month of dinners to finish planning. You see, my New Year's Resolution was to get fit, which essentially means, for me, to gain some muscle mass. But I figured that before I can do anything, I should start eating right so I actually have the health/energy/nutrition to work out. On top of that, Paul decided he'd like to start eating right, so we decided on this decide-our-meals-in-advance system, so we know which foods to keep on hand, and so we can monitor what exactly it is we're eating, and make sure it's mostly things that are good for us. Maybe I'll post the calendar when I'm done with it, so you can use it... It'll be like you're eating dinner with us!

OH! One last thing... also on the way home, I heard a very fun new song, by none other than Modest Mouse! Apparently they have a new album coming out soon(ish) called We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, and the song I heard was called Dashboard. Just thought I'd share the news.