I really have a contentious relationship with John Mayer. 80% of the time I think he's a jackass. But I really, really, really am finding myself liking the his new album against my own will. And it doesn't help that a friend of mine, a former newspaper reporter, interviewed him a few times and found him to be charming.

"Heartbreak Warfare" is killing me. "Who Says" is killing me. "Friends, Lovers or Nothing" is killing me. But mostly, this is killing me:

"Don't say a word, just come over and lie here with me
'cause I'm about to set fire to everything I see
I want you so bad, I'll go back on the things I believe
There I just said it, I'm scared you'll forget about me.

It's Friday night. I'm working the second shift. There has been a swine flu outbreak amongst the employees. There are only 2 of us here. Ray offered to braid my hair earlier. I'm propped up in a chair, reading the internet and eating Girl Scout cookies. Well, I was eating Girl Scout cookies. I made myself stop at 5. Which sounds like a lot, but really...that's like almost none in GSC terms.

So that's my Friday. Tomorrow I work from 10:00 to 6:30, which is a big yay! I have to get the apartment ready to have some people over on Sunday night, though I'll probably end up at G/J's during the actual APG meeting.

I had to get an MMR vaccination this morning so that UofA will let me go to school there...I've already had MMR, probably twice at this point, but without the form, there's no proving it, so I went ahead and got re-shot. Seemed easier than trying to track down my infant forms. It's making my elbow and arm hurt like crazy...

Um...Um...I'm really grasping for straws with this update. It's not much of one, I know. Just waiting for fH to send me my w-2 so I can get my FAFSA filed and know more about what I'll be doing school wise. Until them I'm a little in limbo.

Am I COMPLETELY FREAKING INSANE for feeling strongly convicted that I need need to sack up and take on pharmacy school? All 5-ish years of it?

I just keep putting off finalizing my application for the Gerontology program over and over, even though I know that it's pretty much a sure thing. Yet as soon as someone mentions pharmacy, I get all crazy and defensive and...geez. It costs a bizillion dollars. I will be nearly 40 when I graduate. Getting post-bacc financial aid is a nightmare. I will have to do 5 years of chemistry and biology and use parts of my brain that have not seen the light of day in...ever.

I cannot do pre-program classes at a community college, so I truly have no choice but to leave Austin or get into UT. (SNORT!) UA-FS lets people from Texas have in-state tuition(!), provided I can actually get enough financial aid to go back as an undergrad. Or there are some post-bacc pre-med programs that I could take in a variety of states that skirt the financial aid problem. But I will have to go to school full time for 5 years. How will I support myself? Can I actually do this?

The Master's program is easy, comparatively...And I do love me some old people, but...

/whimper.

Happy New Year, flist!

See you all soon, I hope.

Happy, happy, happiest of happy birfdays to my one and only Shari! I hope that today is a wonderful day that starts a wonderful year. Wish I was there to hug the stuffing out of you.

Next year, we celebrate in person again!

I've been crazy sick for the past few days, and have a ton of things to comment on, but forgot one very important thing:

Bridgette died on Monday. Her health was declining so quickly that Suzanne arranged for a mobile vet to come to the house on Monday afternoon and euthanize her. I got to go over on Sunday (probably making them all sick) and say goodbye to her. Fed her lots of french fries, and she seemed to be fairly content. She'd come a long way from where we picked her up on the east side of Lubbock for $80: a tiny, wormy, supposedly "miniature" dachshund with bright red hair. She was not particularly mobile at the end, and ate only sporadically, but she was still the Pig, and we're going to miss her a lot, especially Suzanne.

Little Miss M is now in the middle of a wobbler that has lasted 37 minutes at the top of her lungs. I'm staying awake because I expect my downstairs neighbor just any time now. They're the one person I can't buffer from her crying, and she sounds like I've got her on the rack. So, that leaves me time for a meme!

A) People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blog and replace any question that they dislike with a new, original question.

B) Tag eight people. Don't refuse to do that. Don't tag who tagged you. I tag:


1. make a list of 5 things you can see without getting up:
The picture that my grandmother painted of a house with a little cut out photo of me and Suzanne standing inside
Madeleine’s ashes
The calendar that Kristina sent me last Christmas
The entire first series of Uglydolls
Picture of Me, Sarah and Kristina at the Alamo from like…4 million years ago.

2. how do you style your hair? Depends. When it’s out of shape like it is now, I just pull back the top. When it’s cut properly, I have a modified “Rachel”

3. what are you wearing now? Um…not much…it *is* the middle of the night.

4. what's your occupation? I am a Communications/Development Associate for PCHAS. It basically means that I use photoshop to design a lot of stuff that’s used to ask for funding for the organization, as well as informational materials. I also write and research grants for the agency.

5. the best thing to happen to you as of late?
Steak on Swords. Moneypenny. Chick-fil-a Saturday. Just my whole trip to Fort Smith in general. Except for the ticket. That part, not so much.

6. what is one word you would use to describe yourself? Quirky.

7. what's your current fandom/obsession/addiction? Currently it’s Doctor Who with a side of House and the “Mistress of the Art of Death” series of novels

8. what was the last thing you ate today? Cheetos. The crunchy ones.

9. what was the last text message you received? From Krissy, telling me about her peeps.

10. what websites do you always visit when you go online? Facebook, Livejournal, Gmail

11. what was the last thing you bought? Groceries – hotdogs and buns, cheetos, bananas and Diet DP

12. what are you listening to right now? A howling, bawling, shrieking puppy. I truly do not understand how something so small can make such an ungodly noise.

13. what do you think about before you go to bed at night? Various things. World Peace mostly.

14. what was the last cd you bought? Abba Gold, again.

15. what is your favorite weather, and why? I like the cool spring, right before spring really begins. And the late fall.

16. if you could play any musical instrument, which one would you play? Probably the piano

17. how are you? Really sleepy. Really worried about the neighbors getting ticked off and banging on my door. Worried that the puppy is going to hurt herself in her fit. Really stressed about moving in a few days and being ill prepared. Worried about work, and whether or not I’m doing a good job.

18. what's something you'd like to say to someone right now? There are so many things that I’d like to say to several people, I don’t know if I could pick just one.

19. what's one of your favorite movies? Little Miss Sunshine

Made (very quickly) for work of my new little pink friend:

Krissy made this look all thoughtful and stuff, so I decided to do it too. I'm a lemming that way.

1. Would you do meth if it was legalized? 
No. Methface is yucky. I wouldn't mind the speed properties for weight loss, but I'll figure out something else less deadly.

2. Abortion: for or against? I wouldn't necessarily say I'm "for" abortion, but I definitely think it should be legal. I am a very, very, very strong supporter of the idea that some things can't be legislated.  You can't force people to espouse the same ideals as you, and it's not the government's job to try. And I think that there are situations where abortion is an acceptable solution.  Would I personally have one? Probably not, but that's my choice, and I think that women should be allowed to make that choice.

3. Would our country fall with a woman president? Not at all. I've yet to hear a compelling arguement for why a female president is a bad idea. Being president of the US isn't about sex, but about political savvy and the ability to dance a really tedious dance. The balls you need for the job are metophorical. Frankly, I wish HIllary were still running -- I feel she would be a much better president than Obama.  Now I have to assess McCain as a candidate.

4. Do you believe in the death penalty? I used to be solidly against it, but I was much more idealistic then. I think there should be some reforms, especially here in Texas, but I'm not across the board against it anymore. I think it's appropriate in the case of mentally functioning repeat or violent offenders. 

5. Do you wish marijuana would be legalized already? I have no beef with MJ. And I'm not against it being legalized, mainly because everyone who wants to do it is already doing it. Legalize it, regulate the quality and tax it all to pieces.
6. Are you for or against premarital sex? People are people. They do people things. All through history they have.  At work we were just discussing a 21 year old going into a really inadvisable marriage because she doesn't want to save herself any longer. I really, truly applaud her effort, but... Is that really making a better choice? I don't want kids having sex when they're not ready,  but consenting adults are different.    People will do what they want.

7. Do you believe in God?
Yes. Despite my varying wars with religion over the years, I do believe.  I believe that there is hope and light and strength to be found in God's presence. I believe that prayer actually works, although many times not in the way you'd expect.  I'm still a little wary of overly organized religion, but then again, sometimes I see the connections that people make when they're together and how much good that does.

8. Do you think same sex marriage should be legalized? Yes. I see no reason that gay people should not be allowed to have the same trials, tribulations and legal protections as anyone else. I mean, straight people aren't exactly doing such a bang-up job of protecting the sanctity of marriage, so why is same sex marriage so controversial? Truly I've never seen the point of this one.

9. Do you think it's wrong that so many Hispanics are moving to the USA? I wish that this were as easy an answer as the gay marriage one.  I wish that there were a good solution to this. One that would allow people to work in the US, pay taxes and better their lives without letting so many people abuse the system. But then again, turning away the "huddled masses" seems pretty anti-American.  I don't know the answer on this one. I do know this -- the "wall" is a stupid idea.

10. A 12-year-old girl has a baby... should she keep it? No. Because a 12 year old girl is more than likely the victim of statutory rape, even if it's just another teenager. Regardless of what you think , you're not at the age of consent at 12. She and her parents should decide how to deal with the pregnancy (adoption, parental raising, etc) and she should get on with her childhood to the best she can -- with the help of counseling, etc.

11. Should the alcohol age be lowered to 18? No. 18 year olds are obnoxious at bars.

12. Should the war in Iraq be called off? 
It's really not so easy to call off a war. We're there. We need to get out, but we can't just up and leave without making a huge mess and trivializing the lives that have already been lost. Rock meets hard place. Troops stuck in middle.  I is incredibly sad to me that we're there in the first place, because I don't think we've stabilized the area.

13. Assisted suicide is illegal... do you agree that it should be? No. I think  people have the right to choose their method of passing, provided they can be proven to be mentally stable and capable of making an informed decision.

14. Do you believe in spanking your children? No children to spank. I do, however, believe in throwing a shoe at a wayward cat. Sometimes it's just the only way.

15. Are you afraid others will judge you from reading some of your answers? Considering I only have 4 friends, who I think already know all this, not really.

I'm
pretty sure this makes the baby Jesus cry.

Really? Debra Messing?

Some might say that living in a world of my own design was their issue with me...

Really? You mean that there are those who might not swoon at the thought of living in a world uncompromisingly created by and tailored for an admitted (and proud)hypomanic narcicisst? Wow.

Yes, Jason. Some might say that.

Reading that made me feel a lot better. Like maybe I'm not as F'd up as I give myself credit for sometimes. I always think that I sell out too easily to people with stronger personalities, but maybe I'm not as bad I think. I mean, if I was, I guess I'd still be buying his BS by the cartload.

So *finally* I have pictures of the banquet. Here are a couple and the rest are at snapfish for your viewing pleasure.




http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=218689646/a=94905234_60782298/t_=94905234

It was good. Not as good as last year, but I knew going into it that it didn't have the emotional resonance that the USO show had. The biggest complaint of the night was that the AC was broken and it was 50 billion degrees in the Hall. The next biggest complaint was that there wasn't enough singing, but I'd guessed that most would feel that way. I just don't think it's appropriate for me to declare the banquet my personal concert performance. So, I'll add in more for next year.

This year the decor was probably the most extreme ever. There was a 12 x 8 foot TV as you walked in, crazy colored tables, and a whole 3-door set at the front. The centerpieces were 4 screen TVs that had been carved out of styrofoam. I don't know if you can see them well in the snapfish photos, so I'll try to remember to post a better one tomorrow.

All the sudden other people on the staff are wanting to tell me their ideas for next year, and I keep having to roll my eyes as "American Idol" and the like keeps coming up. No. We will not be doing American Idol. Right now I'm thinking "Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show", but then again, if I'm not at the church next year, I guess they can do what they want.

Anyhow, I wantto write about MK, but I guess I can let it wait until next time, since it's pretty late.

So I watched a lot of video games being played while I was married. Some of them were interesting to watch unfold. Some of them were painfully boring. One of them sticks in my mind more than any other -- it was like watching a movie. A game called BioShock.

It was the most beautiful art direction you could imagine. Think of 20's Deco and 1940's glamour and 50's innocence all digested into this fabulously moody environment. Then sink this awesomeness under the sea so that every window you look out has fish swimming by and whales and really realistic water. Then, populate the place with little girls, huge men in old style diving suits and sci-fi "zombies" that aren't really zombies in the sense that you'd think -- they're just people who've lost it in this crazy environment.

I know I sound like a nut, but it's just the most atmospheric thing that I've seen in a long time, and it almost doesn't matter that I was watching it on an x-box. Don't get me wrong -- it's *way* creepy, but it's utopia gone wrong, and that's just about my favorite theme ever.



Anyhow, they're making a movie out it. If they do it right, it will be so amazing. Gore Verbinski (Pirates!) is the director, so you know the effects will be over the top. I really, really hope it turns out well.

That will be the end of my dork rant for the moment. I should have pictures of the banquet tomorrow!

On ew.com, XF is losing a pop-culture throwdown to Lost.

C'mon people...why doesn't anyone understand that those shows wouldn't really exist with XF, not to mention modern fandom...

:::sigh:::

"Rachel Ray Feeds Your Pets".

No, Rachel Ray. Don't feed my pets.

In fact, stay away from my pets.

They don't like you. They don't want your "Buscoti".

My cats don't care for your salmon puffs. They don't spend much time on the docks and would rather eat something they can pretend they caught.

So to sum up, please stop.

That's done. Was completely not as complicated as I was led to believe, nor as emotionally wrought. (Although I was as nervous as I've been in a long time...)

The baliff gave me a script to read to the judge, so there weren't really any direct questions. Got to raise my right hand and be sworn in, just like on TV! Used my best theatre voice and tried not to visably shake. (Seriously--the nerves were the worst part.) Asked for my name to be restored, promised I wasn't pregnant.

The whole thing took about 5 minutes, then I signed the decree in the judge's presence.

End of story.

Actually,no.

Beginning of story.

This one looked kinda funner...

10 Ten Things currently on your desk
9 Favorite ships
8 Of your current favourite songs
7 People you talk to most
6 Favourite kinds of candy/chocolate
5 Favourite bands and ONE artist
4 Websites you visit daily
3 Items on your wall
2 Favourite sayings
1 Favourite movie

10 Things on my desk:
My cellphone
Madeleine's urn (and photo)
Mindmap of the new church website
Guido and Luigi from Cars in their Ferrari racing costumes
2 envelopes of official USMC photos from WWII - Eniwetok and Peleliu
Mal, Jayne and River mini-figs
Photo of me, Sarah and Kristina at the Alamo
2 leftover Table posters of WWII propaganda from the VolAp Banquet
A miniature Eiffel Tower
A snowglobe that my dad brought me from Tennessee

9 Favorite Ships:
Mulder/Scully
Riker/Troi
Mal/Inara
Zoe/Wash
Faramir/Eowyn
Starbuck/Apollo
James Bond/Tracey
Idgie/Ruth
Sharon/Helo

8 of the current favorite songs:
Nothin' Better to Do - LeeAnn Rimes
Big Girls Don't Cry (Yes. Fergie. It's like a sign of the apocolypse.)
Stronger - Kanye
Accidentally in Love - Counting Crows
Grace is Gone - DMB
Candyman - Xtina
Listen - Beyonce (Another sign.)
Graceland - Paul Simon (All time favorite -- not just current.)

7 People I talk to most:
Suzanne
Mother
Angella
Beth
Jason
Mary Helen
Darleen

6 favorite kinds of candy:
Wint-O-Green Lifesavers
twix
chocolate raisins
yogurt raisins
mini-snickers
Reese's Pieces

5 favorite bands and ONE artist:
Dave Matthews Band
Coldplay
Allison Krauss and Union Station
BNL
U2

Paul Simon

4 websites I visit daily:
Livejournal
CNN
TWOP (although I'm not really sure why anymore...)
covenant.org

3 items on the wall
Um...having not hung pictures puts me at a disadvantage on this one.
At work, the Teamwork Builds Ships poster
Pictures of me as MM at the nursing home
A giant Noah's Ark

2 favorite sayings (in the sense of most recent & commonly used, I assume)
"Kill me now."
"The cake is a lie."

1 favorite movie
Little Miss Sunshine

X-Files: The Sequel is a go for 2008.

Ladies, I think this calls for an X-Cursion.

test

Well, Oscar had a birthday party on Friday, too! It wasn't quite as sucessful, seeing as how the birthday boy really didn't care about the streamers or even his special parmesan and butter cake, but it was fun nonetheless. (He's three, and we don't know his exact birthday...we know that it's either Feb 1, 2 or 3, so we just decided to go with Groundhog Day.)

( Anyhow... )

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman 75% Spider-Man 70% Wonder Woman 65% Supergirl 60% Green Lantern 60% Batman 50% Hulk 45% Iron Man 35% Robin 32% The Flash 30% Catwoman 25%

You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz