6.30.2008

Orange guitar picks from left-handed punk rock founder.

By the way,


In 30 hours.

Sure, what do you have?


Don't worry, I understand. You're better than everyone else.


This weekend was work-blur. I volunteered for an event that ate up most of Friday afternoon and Saturday, but I managed to see friends a lot and probably the best movie of the year.


I probably can't express how amazing Wall-e was. Easily, one of the sweetest and romantic films I've ever seen, and considering the suject matter, that's amazing. And it's beautiful. The animation is just stunning. I honestly think the adults in the room enjoyed it more than the kids. I was worried about the lack of dialouge, I thought kids would get lost by it. But, I think everyone in that theater was just so infatuated by what was going on in front of them, it didn't matter.

I think it takes mountains for the best and most believable love story of the year to come from robots who don't speak. Cheers, Pixar.

I am cautious of Holga-use, as I want to treasure it. But here's digital treats from the weekend.


Ashley powdering/chalking her nose.


Marky supporting local entertainment.


And haggered boyfriend & his BFF Sean looking like they're ready for the invasion. My boyfriend hasn't showered in 5 days in that photo.


But most importantly,


MEET BRUCE!


Kyle found Bruce at the Las Lunas fireworks tent, he was just hanging out around the lot, and has really taken a liking to him. And I think it's mutual.


He's still a pretty wild puppy, so Kyle's worried about how hard it's going to be to get him home and adjusted to apartment living. Who knows how it'll go, but I do think Kyle will take him and at the least, try it.

6.26.2008

Blue tooth microphones in vents.

"I know you're young and you can't understand this..."

I HATE HATE HATE when people say that to me. Mostly because it assumes that just because I am young, I am ignorant. But probably partly because I'm scared that it's true.

I applied for my dream job last night. I read the description and started jumping in my chair at work, that's how much I already love it. Sources close the job (at least closer than I) seem to think I've got a shot. So, fingers and toes are crossed. Finding a job that can make you really happy is so rare and the chance of getting one is just too exciting.

It's a dreamy Thursday. Here's five places I really REALLY want to visit (thanks, wiki).


1. Charles Bridge, Prague.

I love bridges. A lot. And this one just fascinates me. Construction started on it in the 1350's and took about 50 years to build. As the only means of crossing the river Vltava (Moldau), the Charles Bridge used to be the most important connection between the Old Town, Prague Castle and adjacent areas until 1841. Also this 'solid-land' connection made Prague important as a trade route between east and west Europe. During the day, it fills up with artists and merchants and at night it has the most beautiful view.


2. Cable Beach, Western Australia.

Of all the beaches I want to see the world, Australia's beaches top the list. The ones on the west coast especially, because they're far less crowded. This one is near Broome. The beach itself is 22.5 km long with beautiful white sand washed clean daily by tides that can reach over nine metres. The water is crystal clear turquoise, and the gentle swells hardly manage to topple over as they roll up onto the almost perfectly flat beach. It's also a nudist beach, but I won't let that stop me.


3. Iceland

Mostly because it looks like a fairy land to me. I can't imagine actual people living in such a green and lush place. Today, Iceland has some of the world's highest levels of economic freedoms[3] as well as civil freedoms. It is also the fourth most productive country per capita. But mostly, it just doesn't look real to me.


4. South Africa

If I ever join the Peace Corps, this is where I want to go. South Africa is known for its diversity, and eleven official languages are recognised in its constitution. English is the most commonly spoken language in official and commercial public life, however it is only the fifth most spoken home language. South Africa is one of only 17 countries worldwide considered megadiverse. It has more than 20,000 different plants, or about 10% of all the known species of plants on Earth. It's also violent as eff, but it's very much in the process of nationalizing... basically the mass population is still trying to identify, after hundreds of years of being ruled by the top 1%. It's exciting, that's what it is. Just the amount of history, gah.


5. Tadoussac, Quebec.

It's the oldest French settlement in the Americas, but the real reason I want to go there is...

SO I CAN SEE ONE OF THESE.


Where do YOU want to go? I DARE you to blog about it!

Also, I decided two things yesterday.


1. Kyle needs a cocker spaniel. He doesn't think so, but I do.

I WILL CONVINCE HIM.

2. If I had any musicial talent whatsoever, I would start a Van Halen tribute band that would sound a whole lot like Reggie and the Full Effect. Everybody would want some.

6.25.2008

Riding for a fall.


Lady pose.

It seems that whenever I go out of town for short stints, my sinuses get confused and decide to freak out. So, I took a sick day for the first time in the history of my new job yesterday, hence why I blog not. I spent most of yesterday feeling fantastically confused, my reaction time was next to nothing. I ended up sleeping in my boyfriend's empty apartment because our AC is broken. Kenneth came over and made a large pot of broccoli cheddar soup. My heart was content, that's for sure. I'm feeling a bit better today, but please, no one ask me to multiply or name state capitals for the rest of the day. Geeks might be out tonight.

But anyway, Colorado!

Marky and I went Springs this weekend to see the Mad Caddies on Saturday night. We stayed Friday night in Raton with Stancie, Saturday night in Springs at a motel, and drove back on Sunday.

Before I get started on thsi trip, it's important that you know me and Marky's history with road trips to Colorado. The last time we went up there was in 2005 and there's a reason we haven't been back since. But we decided, hey, it's June, it might not snow. And we did okay.

Our first stop was in Las Vegas for dinner Friday night at the Wendys. The guy who ordered before us kept telling the cook, whom he was clearly friends with, to make his food "with love". So, it was actually, "You better make that with love, homie. Make it with love" since we were in Las Vegas. I told Marky, "When I hear someone use the term 'made with love' in a fast food establishment, I think made with semen." Our trip became known as Made With Love Tour '08.


Stancie and friends took us out to Trinidad bars on Friday night, something that neither of us had experienced. And let's just say that small town bar hopping is a little bit different than going downtown. The first place Stancie took us was called JuJo's.

(bear with me. There is a lot of humorous dialogue this trip that I really must re-create.)
Cat: "Jew Joe's? Like as in the religion Jews?
Stancie: "No, JAY YOU. JU."
Marky: "They could call it Kike Mike's."
I COULD NOT stop laughing about that for the rest of the trip.


And in honor of Emily Stone, this is me trying to draw a swastika on a beer bottle (A THREE DOLLAR FAT TIRE, MIND YOU!). Stancie is amused.


(It's important to note that booze up there is like, retardedly cheap. Shots of Crown are $4 and the people I was with were complaining about it. I was like, "Really. Can it.")

Then we went to the Trinidad Brewing Company which was a little more my scene, mostly because it was a microbrew in an old building. But even more so because I ran into an old friend. I'd been joking with Marky the whole way up about how I was going to run into someone from Raton or Trinidad that I really didn't want to see and it was gonna be awkward as hell. And I ran into Ashley Hargrove, who I know via Matt Floyd, and someone whose company I very much enjoy.

After there, we went to the Circle, or the Trinidad Lounge as it's actually called. There was booty shaking music and probably the best bathrooms in the southwest.


The women's bathroom had this magnificent wall of toilet paper in each stall. And I remember thinking to myself, "There is absolutely nothing in the world that could top this. I wonder if the men's bathroom has the same thing."

So I ask Marky, "Is there a giant wall of toilet paper in the men's bathroom?"
Marky: "Nope, something even better."
Cat: "What could possibly be better?"
Marky: "Depictions of sex positions tiled on the walls above urinals."
Cat: "SHUT UP."





So, that was a good night.


The next morning, we headed out to Springs, with our two trip mascots, Tooshy and Pig. Marky won Pig in a claw machine at Denny's and you can guess where Tooshy came from.


We took Kyle's car, by the way. Which we named Choppah, just so we could say the phrase "Get in the choppah nooow!" as much as possible.

We drove right through Colorado Springs and went straight for Urban Outfitters in south Denver, where Marky bought tight pants and other things commonly found at Urban Outfitters. I bought almighty HOLGA and a really cheap 35mm fish eye camera. I decided it was okay to spend camera money on other cameras. Fantastically excited to see what images I can get with them.


We checked into our motel and then went to downtown Colorado Springs and ate at Phantom Canyon and had some fine microbrews. Their hefeweizen was shockingly banana and clearly a local summer favorite. And then, on to the Caddies!


A few years ago, these guys dominated my iPod for a really long time. I almost forgot about them for a bit and man, am I ever mad at myself for it. Their horn section is killer, their singer has such a diverse voice and their drummer is maybe the most energetic preformer I've seen in a long, LONG time. The venue was also super small, maybe 150 capacity, and it was easily sold out. AND they had $4 Newcastle bottles. So fun!


No. No, we don't.

Sunday's drive home was pretty uneventful. We got back to Albuquerque around 6 and I had enough time to bring my boyfriend McAlisters at his fireworks stand in Las Lunas.

Curse broken. Eat it, llamas.

6.23.2008

Post-Apocalyptic lifestyles at firework stands.

Why the job market today is really funny.

Job posting for: "Herpetology Collection Manager, University of Oklahoma Museum of Natural History... Responsible for assisting Curators in the management and maintenance of the amphibian and reptile collections in the Division of Herpetology at the SNOMNH. Representative duties for the position include specimen conservation and curation, maintaining computerized records and archives, fieldwork, managing loans and answering queries, and assisting in education, exhibits, and interacting with the public as needed... MS degree in life sciences with an emphasis in herpetology and three years relevant experience required... Starting salary $28,000"

"Physical requirements: Ability to bend, lift (15-44 pounds), stoop, carry, and climb. May be exposed to chemicals and hazardous chemicals."

Trust me, my trip to Colorado this weekend was hilarious. Pictures coming soon, soon, soon.

Also, my mom's learned to text message and I'm currently aim-ing my dad. No. Really.

6.20.2008

We're alone again.

I love my truck. Really, I do. And as such, I try really, really, REALLY hard to not be a stereotypical dumb girl about it. About any aspect of it. If doing self-oil changes wasn't more expensive than taking it to Jiffy Lube (or even better, Joel), I would totally change my own oil.

So, I get really, really, REALLY frustrated when there's something about my truck that I don't understand. Enter: car insurance!

I have NO idea what coverage I need. I would assume a lot of it, because I hit things pretty often. But I don't know how much is too much, what my deductable should be, how much I should pay a month, what will actually be covered, on and on. I guess no one really knows, as insurance is really a sort of gamble regardless. But, really, have you ever tried talking to an actual agent? Getting actual advise? Dude might as well be giving me the run down in Arabic. And insurance websites only exist so they can collect all your information and then harass you into getting a policy, when all you want to do is get a quote.

FAIL. So, I had about the most frustrating afternoon of my life yesterday, trying to figure out all this stuff. Frustration tears are the absolute worst, when all you want to do is really cry, get good and cried out, but you can't even manage that. My dad tries really hard to be helpful, but I think he and my mom are both worried they're going to give me the wrong advise. And when I'm that upset I really DGAF, I just want SOME advise. PLEASE. Just someone tell me what to do.

So, I finally decided to get off the phone and the internet and talk to an agent face to freaking face. I'm going to meet with my dad's agent in Tucumcari over the 4th and hopefully clear my head about it all.

Look at how much I've blogged this week! Everyday! And blogs of what I would believe to be some sort of substance. I like it! I wish that someone would pay me to blog, so I could be like the almighty dooce. But maybe I'm not built to handle the criticism. I think that what I write here is so impersonable because I live in fear of flammers.


I'm not sure why, but Ryan Adams and Mandy Moore dating makes me almost as happy as a british hat.


Almost.

6.19.2008

I think you have a song left to play.

I CAN'T BLOG ABOUT MY JOB. But I can blog about how much I hate that static cling has become something I have to deal with on a regular basis. Sure, it's annoying, but just the fact I must wear things to work that are of a nylon-blend material drives me batty. Absolutely batty.

Marky blogged about how annoying that "What are you going to do now?" question is. I really can't help but agree. I knew the job I took would be temporary, but comments from my big boss has sent the office a'flutter with everyone filling out job applications as quickly as they can type. One of the ladies I work with tells me that I'm so young and the world is limitless and I can do whatever I want to. Is it so wrong of me to want to just sort of drift and see where I end up? Maybe my fear of the future makes me completely reluctant to talk about it. I'm trying to finalize some kind of plan for where I'll end up when this gig is done, but I just DON'T WANNA. I think part of it is financial fear. I'm still new to financial independance and the thought of taking a job that can't pay my bills or living without a job while looking for a good one for a while are equally scary.

I think this frontier in life is the biggest, scariest thing I've faced in a long time. And I really do resent it. Get me back into school so I can prolong adulthood as long as possible, thanks.

I'll be north this weekend. Friday night, Marky and me are staying in Raton, where I'm hoping to indulge in the grand Raton rite of passage known as getting plastered on Coors Light at Schwedes Saloon. Small town bars are the scariest places in America, mostly because it's somewhat likely you'll end drinking with the last person you ever wanted to drink with, like your fifth grade teacher or the high school quarterback. It is a DAMN shame I can't make this trip next weekend. Oh. Rodeo.

Saturday night, we'll head to Springs for the Mad Caddies and stay the night there and come back home on Sunday. Somewhere in there, we're going to Urban Outfitters in south Denver, where I am determined to find a maxi dress that won't make me look like Kathy Zimmer.

If you plan on buying fireworks this year, go to the tent at the Eubank Walmart. All proceeds from that tent go to recording a Made In Bangladesh album. If you want things that make bigger bang, there's also a tent in Las Lunes, but I'm not sure where yet. I just know my boyfriend will be spending the next two weeks of his life sleeping there. I told me he wants to just let himself go the entire time he's down there. His goal is to look like the bulk of the people he'll be selling fireworks to. His hair is already way too long, and he won't be trimming his beard or showering on a regular basis. He really only has one decent pair of jeans, so he'll probably wear them the whole time, too. I think it's adorable. This is why I win girlfriend awards.

6.18.2008

Well, it's getting better.

Great things happen to me and Kyle when we hang out at condiment stations in restaurants.

We went to Dions last night and were ordering when I start listening into the guy standing next to me and his conversation with his server. This guy is a few inches shorter than Kyle, heavier build, Native, and has black hair down to his ass in a ponytail. Guy has just finished ordering and is picking up his pitcher of cola.

Guy: "Hey, can I get a little more ice in these cups? Yeah, you know, I don't want come up here and bug you again. Just make sure they're really full. Yeah."

Server takes the 4 cups and fills them up one by one, with ice coming out of the top.

Guy: "YOU'RE NATIVE, YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW TO DO THIS."

The server gives him the most confused and insulted smile and the guy just walks off, like this is clearly something he says on a daily basis. The server looked like she might have been Native, but I wasn't exactly blinded by her ethnicity. I guess what really gets me is what does being Native have to do with filling up a cup with ice?

Then, the Guy goes to get straws/lids, Kyle & I do the same. Guy is completely blocking the straws, so Kyle reaches around him and says, "Excuse me." Trust me. Nothing invasive or rude about it. This is Kyle we're talking about here.

Guy: "Excuse me? Excuse me? Excuse YOU."

And as Kyle's walking off,

Guy: "JERKFACE!"

That's right. I typed it. Kyle's a "jerkface" for reaching around straw blocker.

So, in the name of not dealing with drunkies, have some British hats.


From wiki: Royal Ascot is the world’s most famous race meeting, steeped in history dating back to 1711. It is a major event in the British social calendar, and press coverage of the attendees and what they are wearing often exceeds coverage of the actual racing. The Royal Enclosure has a strict dress code--male attendees must wear full morning dress including a top hat, whilst ladies must not show bare midriffs or shoulders and must wear hats.

It's happening right now. I intend on spending at least 60% of my day looking at pictures of hats.






British people are better at wearing hats than us.

6.17.2008

Getting over goofy notions that the environment is sacred.

Me and Kyle went to McAlisters last night for dinner and got into a conversation about the fire works tent he'll be working at this 4th of July.

Kyle: "Sean and Aaron had to go to this sales thing for the fireworks stand, to teach them selling techniques and stuff. Sean told me that there was this Christian band that played regular pop music but just replaced words with 'god'."

Me: "Of course there was. Why wouldn't they play a fireworks sales event?"

Kyle: "And Sean was talking to a manager of another tent and he was all 'I love fireworks. I LOVE fireworks. Praise fireworks. PRAISE JESUS.'"

Me: "Well, sure. That makes sense."

Kyle: "Don't you think that's sort of horrible?"

Me: "What?"

Kyle: "That guy pretty much just put dying for our sins on the same field as fireworks."

Me: "Why is that horrible? People really like fireworks, Kyle."

Random guy getting a lid for his sweet tea: "I have to say I agree with you." He says it as he's walking off, with the most disgusting Texas accent ever muttered in Albuquerque when the Balloon Fiesta isn't going on. Kyle and I just freeze and stare at eachother for a second, then burst into a not-so-well controlled fit of laughter.

Now, what makes this so funny is I have no idea who the guy was agreeing with, me or Kyle. If he was agreeing with Kyle, that's pretty funny. But if he was agreeing with me, that's even funnier. OF COURSE, all my statements were made in jest.

But the best part of the story is I didn't even see the guy until we walked out of the restaurant at the same time. The guy looked exactly how I would picture Jimmy McHughes, Mattlahoma's super conservative Christian father, if he was 15 years younger and a few inches shorter. I then watched young Jimmy get into the largest SUV in the parking lot, with the custom license plate that said POLARBR and drive off.

Me: "I have to go home now and blog about this."

Maria's home, safe and sound. I think she's still pretty rattled, the pictures she showed me of her car are just UNBELIEVABLE. That she's still here, walking and talking, I don't even want to say it, but it's seriously a miracle. I know how grateful I am to that collapsible Toyota, I can't even imagine how grateful her parents are. She's pretty freaking sore, but luckily, she lives with the pro of healing post-car wreck. I told Kenneth last night that my hitting things with my front end has to produce some good. Somewhere.

By the way, props to the dollar theater for carding rated R movies. It made family discount Mondays almost bearable.

6.16.2008

Remained sexy while doing so.

Gosh. Maria got in a car accident last night coming home in Raton. She tried to go around some debris on the road, but ended up hitting it and blowing out a tire, lost control and ended up in a tree, probably going 60mph. Thankfully, from what it sounds like, her car did exactly as it should have and pretty much buckled, saving Maria any major injury. They took her to the hospital in Las Vegas and did some x-rays, but when I talked to her, she didn't think she'd broken anything. And I tend to believe her, as she has a degree in that.


But, RIP to Maria's dear car. What a sweet car Princess Diana was, absorbing all that force to protect her driver. Maria told me her engine is crunched in about 2 feet. It really is unbelievable that you can hit a tree going that fast and not seriously hurt yourself. And in all honesty, it was probably a good thing that tree was there, instead of risking a rollover.

ALSO, Marky got into a wreck on Saturday. He's somewhat sore and his car is still drivable, but he's pretty worried about frame damage. So, send them both well wishes, perhaps even flowers and candy. And drive extra careful this week... something's going down.

In somewhat lighter news,

Kenneth took me to the zoo on Sunday to celebrate my birth. I really do love that place. I realized what a great place it is to exercise too. I've been thinking about getting a membership and going every Saturday morning, walking around it a few times.


The polar bears were extra frisky. Well actually, just frisky. I don't think I've ever seen them in as much motion as they were in on Sunday. This bear was trying his hardest to get that plastic cylinder into the big pool at the top of his habitat. It was so crazy to watch him balance it and then shove it up, like he was serving a volleyball. He would get so frustrated when it would fall back down, but he just kept doing it.

I also worked a crazy lot last week. On top of 40 hours in office, I spent 3 nights at the theater; bartending Tuesday and managing Friday and Saturday. So, I spent a lot of time being tired.


I did have the great satisfaction of a G-Dub reunion of sorts, as one of the old security guys was back in town for about a week. With his visit, came the visits of a bunch of old staffers on Tuesday night. And who are all these people?
First row: Scott (the one visiting from Virgina. He worked at the bar for years and years before moving about 2 years ago.), Jay Dee (did maintenance and janitorial stuff before Kenneth took over. He's my favorite of the sleazy security guards we've had over the years. And trust me, there's been a few.), Kyle (you should know him), Marky (him too), and oh Daniel my Daniel (current head of security and greatest person I've met in a long time.)
Second Row: Kristina (invented the Golden West bartender. If anyone has right to claim that bar as her own, it's that girl.), Jenny (did the office job before me. She is fantastic and from New York.)
Third row: Kathy (mom), me, Phil (if you went into Birdland anytime in the last 5 years or so, you probably saw that guy. He worked security for us for a loooong time.)
Bottom: Patrick (remember how I just typed about sleazy security guards? Yeeeeah, about that...)

But, it was just so great to see everyone all in one place again. It was enough to remind me why I still work there and why I doubt I'll ever be able to leave. I've noticed now that I just love being at the theater. I'll just stop and look around at the building, just because I'm so happy it's still there.


We zombies.


Well, it looks like this little office job of mine might not be hanging around as long as I originally expected. I knew it wouldn't last through the year, but now it's looking like it might not last through the summer. Some office folk think I'll be okay, but I really don't feel like taking any chances. So, I'm starting to think of other places I could possibly work, and starting to think even more about if it's finally time I pick up and head to Oklahoma, once and for all.


I want this place to hire me.


I'm also looking campaign stuff and more federal stuff. What's up, Census 2010? I count real good.

6.09.2008

Right in the middle of duplications.

Because it's Monday and I am completely exhausted, Have a geoduck.


A geoduck, pronounced "gooey duck", is a species of large saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusk, native to the Pacific Coast of the United States and Canada (primarily Washington, British Columbia, and Southeast Alaska). It has a life expectancy of about 146 years, with the oldest recorded at over 160 years. This makes Geoducks the second longest-living organisms in the Animal Kingdom next to the Galápagos tortoises. Today, they sell in Asia for up to US$30/lb (US$65/kg). It is extremely popular in China, where it is considered a delicacy. The geoduck's high market value has created an $80 million U.S. industry.

(for Angie.)

The geoduck is the official mascot of The Evergreen State College, located at the southernmost tip of Puget Sound in Olympia, Washington. The school's Latin motto, Omnia Extares (or, "let it all hang out") is at least partially intended as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the creature's phallic appearance.


HAY. Thanks to everyone for making my birthday lovely. I had a fantastic weekend. So fantastic in fact that it took every part of my being to get out of bed this morning. I am going to take a giant nap when I get home.

6.06.2008

You'll be positive thought it hurts.

I made a survey, how fantastic. The following is the almost complete list of stuff white people like from stuffwhitepeoplelike.com. I decided to see how much of it I really, actually like.

#101 Being Offended. Maybe a little bit. If I get to whine about it later.
#100 Bumper Stickers. Only if they support local music/business. I liked witty Hot Topic stickers a lot when I was in high school.
#99 Grammar. Subconsciously, yes. Thanks to my 7th grade English teacher, who I despised at the time and now passionately love for all she drilled into my head.
#98 The Ivy League. I don't believe in paying that much for education. But, if you can afford it and can deal with that scene, do it up.
#97 Scarves. Maybe. I can't tell how I feel about these new cloth ones, as opposed to yarn-made ones. I think it's harder since I live in the desert. I wore a bandanna a lot in Quebec. Where they also have a lot of white people.
#96 New Balance Shoes. Nope. I prefer Puma's when I'm looking for bar tending shoes/things that actually have arch support.
#95 Rugby. Best part of living in Redondo freshman: UNM rugby practice on Johnson field. THANK YOU.
#94 Free Healthcare. Healthcare is never free. Someone always pays for it. Whether it comes out of your taxes if you're in Canada or Europe, or here where you pay for it independently. I hate the healthcare industry in general, though. Let's talk about why it costs $160 a month to insure a 24 year old healthy female with no chronic medical problems. O RIGHT. Because health insurance is the biggest rip off in the world.
#93 Music Piracy. Nope. And yes. I never actually download music but I have no issues burning music that someone else has downloaded. Does this make me worse?
#92 Book Deals. I'd take one, sure. I have a blog, don't I?
#91 San Francisco. Nope. I'd take the East Bay over it any day. But California is a heartbreaker for me.
#90 Dinner Parties. Noooo. Let's take a Cat, who is normally somewhat awkward, make her wear something business professional, force her to be proper, and speak to people who have no idea why someone would want a Media Arts degree. Taco Bell and sweat pants, thanks.
#89 St. Patrick’s Day. I dooooo. But I actually am Irish. AND I'M NOT JUST SAYING THAT LIKE EVERY OTHER WHITE PERSON DOES.
#88 Having Gay Friends. I actually don't have that many. I wouldn't mind some more.
#87 Outdoor Performance Clothes. GOD NO.
#86 Shorts. GOD NO.
#85 The Wire. Never seen it.
#84 T-Shirts. I have a collection of band tees that could rival any current high school student. I plan on either making them into a quilt, or saving them and making my children wear them against their will, because they will have no how cool they will look later on.
#83 Bad Memories of High School. Oh, the divine trauma. I really do love it.
#82 Hating Corporations. True story! Small businesses, aww!
#81 Graduate School. I guess academia in general. But that's really more of an Asian thing, yes?
#80 The Idea of Soccer. I think I would die if someone tried to make me play soccer.
#79 Modern Furniture. Furniture is way too expensive. I think all I really need is my bed. I could live on the floor pretty easily.
#78 Multilingual Children. It's cute, quince kids translating for their parents. I wish I knew another language, so yes please, teach them while they're young.
#77 Musical Comedy. I'm not fanatical about it.
#76 Bottles of Water. I'd rather drink tap. I think some bottled water tastes bitter. I do not care what you say. Different brands of bottled water have different tastes.
#75 Threatening to Move to Canada. Yes. But it's much easier for me than for most other white people.
#74 Oscar Parties. I normally watch the Oscars in bed with my pajamas on. Sunday night is a bad night to party.
#73 Gentrification. NO.
#72 Study Abroad. I would have loved to have done it.
#71 Being the only white person around. This is easy in New Mexico. I guess I don't really notice it anymore. I love how the subway cars in NYC get darker the farther north you ride.
#70 Difficult Breakups. I think you've got to have a few here and there to make it interesting. But after a few, you learn how fantastic a clean break is.
#69 Mos Def. Nope.
#68 Michel Gondry. I liked Eternal a lot, but not anything else, really.
#67 Standing Still at Concerts. I like concerts where I am forced to stand still because the people around me are crushing the air out of my lungs.
#66 Divorce. It's a good option to have out there. Clearly.
#65 Co-Ed Sports. I really can't do sports at all.
#64 Recycling. Sure. But I don't go out of my way to do it.
#63 Expensive Sandwiches. I just like sandwiches.
#62 Knowing What’s Best for Poor People. Well, clearly. Because all poor people are dumb.
#61 Bicycles. I kind of hate this "Bicycles are hip" trend. But I'll probably jump on it in about a year.
#60 Toyota Prius. They are lovely. I drove one once.
#59 Natural Medicine. Not really, but my dad sure does like it and he's white.
#58 Japan. Nope.
#57 Juno. Yes. I loved it. I hate that people hate movies just because everyone else liked it. Get over it. It was fun.
#56 Lawyers. NO. Except for Mike Peters. He's a big time hero.
#55 Apologies. I hear I apologize a lot, so yeah.
#54 Kitchen Gadgets. I'm still fascinated by the salad spinner, so not so much.
#53 Dogs. I WANT 15 DOGS RIGHT NOW IN MY OFFICE.
#52 Sarah Silverman. I was honestly pretty indifferent until the "I'm Fucking Matt Damon" skit. Brils.
#51 Living by the Water. I live in New Mexico, so clearly not.
#50 Irony. Oh, sarcastic wit, you keep me sane.
#49 Vintage. Cameras, mostly. I just like things that are on sale.
#48 Whole Foods and Grocery Co-ops. I hate paying $6 for an apple, but Whole Foods has the best banana bread EVER.
#47 Arts Degrees. Clearly, I'm a fan.
#46 The Sunday New York Times. No. I didn't read it in New York, so I won't read it here either. However, Raton was on the cover once, talking about the bears. Friggin bears.
#45 Asian Fusion Food. I don't know, is it tasty Asian Fusion food? Can you get Asian Fusion food in Albuquerque? Is that like the Chinese buffets that have mini corn dogs too?
#44 Public Radio. I think if I listened to the radio at all, I would listen to it.
#43 Plays. Not so much.
#42 Sushi. Yum. It's great summer food. I'm not fanatical about it, though.
#41 Indie Music. No point in denying.
#40 Apple Products. Well, yeah. I hear new iPhone gen is to be launched on Monday.
#39 Netflix. I hear it's a good concept, I don't have it though.
#38 Arrested Development. YES.
#37 Renovations. Maybe when I live in a house that I own, I'll like them. But for now, it just seems like it would horribly annoying to have contractors living in your house and listening to power tools all day.
#36 Breakfast Places. Yum, omelet.
#35 The Daily Show/Colbert Report. They're the highest rated news programs and there is a reason for it. I never really go out of my way to watch, though.
#34 Architecture Yes. Mostly in theaters and performance arts spaces. I constantly judge them.
#33 Marijuana. Meh.
#32 Vegan/Vegetarianism. Save da animals. I definitely understand/respect it, and sometimes I won't eat meat for a few weeks and not even realize it. But for the most part, it's too much of a commitment for me.
#31 Snowboarding. This is how Cat would break bones. So Cat does not do it.
#30 Wrigley Field. Why sure! That area of Chicago was pretty much the only good part of visiting there. That and the soup restaurant.
#29 80s Night. At Emily Stone's house are always epic events. Epically drunk and epically costumed.
#28 Not having a TV. I went a long time without using one, unless to watch movies, as the cable was never hooked up to mine in the Princeton house. But now that it is hooked up and I pay for it, I make sure to watch it.
#27 Marathons. No. Are you on drugs? I can't run a block, screw running 27 miles.
#26 Manhattan. (now Brooklyn too!) I'm sorry, how can you not love Manhattan? Museums, shopping, parks, public transportation, glamour, trash, it's the best island ever.
#25 David Sedaris. SUPER bummed I'll be out of town for his book signing on the 21st. He is one funny man.
#24 Wine. I'd rather have beer. Unless it's ladies night and there's pizza too.
#23 Microbreweries. I don't like a lot of microbrews, way too hoppy. But some do okay.
#22 Having Two Last Names. Mine is long enough already. I would not dare hyphenate my child's last name after surviving Vanderpool for so long.
#21 Writers Workshops. I have them. I hate other people critiquing my "art" and I have doing the same to others. But more than anything else, I hate the self-righteous "why it's important" speech. Vomit.
#20 Being an expert on YOUR culture. Anthropology tells me you're automatically an expert on YOUR culture because you participate in it. Everyone has a different culture, but culture is pretty much just who you are. Even being "culturally-naive" is an aspect of culture.
#19 Traveling. Yes please.
#18 Awareness. Aware or in control? Because I think I'm very much about both.
#17 Hating their Parents. Mom rules. If Dad forgets my birthday again, we might have some issues.
#16 Gifted Children. Nobody wants a dumb kid. Well, maybe some people do.
#15 Yoga. Yes. I'm not very good at it, though.
#14 Having Black Friends. I have Sarebear. She is all I need.
#13 Tea. Umm, little bit. I think I've got about fifteen boxes at home.
#12 Non-Profit Organizations. I've worked for two. I hate grant writing and it sucks when you don't get the grant you want. But I guess it's rewarding and what not.
#11 Asian Girls. Not so much.
#10 Wes Anderson Movies. Rushmore is my favorite film of all time, therefore, I love all other Wes Andersons by default.
#9 Making you feel bad about not going outside. Stay inside. I don't care.
#8 Barack Obama. It's because we all want black friends.
#7 Diversity. We're all jealous of everyone else's fun stories of oppression and hatred.
#6 Organic Food. I think it tastes about the same, and you'll probably get cancer no matter what, so...
#5 Farmer’s Markets. You meet a very odd collection of folk there. But for some reason, they all smell really good.
#4 Assists. I guess so?
#3 Film Festivals. College was a giant film festival to me, watching 3 or 4 new movies a week. I'm good for now. And not nearly glamorous enough.
#2 Religions their parents don’t belong to. Not really. My parents left church about the time I started not liking it. It worked out well.
#1 Coffee. Coffee makes me sick. And sad.

56 out of 101. Soooo, that means I'm half white? I guess living in New Mexico altered me.

6.05.2008

Not for a second.



In case you missed this,


It was the inspiration for Geeks team name last night.

But, you really should watch this too, if you didn't see it.



It really gets good at about 1:40. HOW YOU DOIN, ST. PAAAAAAUL? LET ME HEAR YOU SCREEEEAAAAM!!! Like seriously, was Justin Timberlake there, or...?

Casual Fridays is the worst thing in the world. Here you go, Catherine, you don't have to look like you're about to fire someone today. Enjoy demin at work!

6.03.2008

Still we lost control.

I hope all of you voted today. Even though I know half of you didn’t. That’s not me being mean, voter turnout is expected to be under 50%. But, Jefferson Middle School was busy this morning when I went. So, prove statistics wrong! Polls are open to 7:00 and I know, I know, you’ve all probably worked a dumbly long day by the time you sit down to read this, but go here to get a sample ballot and figure out where you vote. Then, take five minutes and google and candidate or two, see if you like what they’re doing, and THEN go to whatever school or library you’re supposed to. Trust me, it’s close. They do that for a reason.

I might go count ballots tonight, doesn’t that sound exciting?!? (There is a reason our Geeks Who Drink team dominates political categories, all I’m sayin…)

Out of town ain’t happening for my birthday. Far grander things popped up on the horizon and I pounced, which means I spent just enough this week to ex out Vegas, especially since I would be paying for the trip somewhat exclusively. Hopes of camera for the magical day are also fading fast. But, I still plan on celebrating 24 in style. There are paddle boats on Tingley Beach and this sounds like about the greatest thing ever, as well as a trip to the Natural History Museum. Everyone’s invited! There will also probably be nachos. There are always nachos.