Blender mishap! OH NOEZ

Incidentally:



(what you get when you google "oh noes")

Flaming hell, though! (And that right there is the tie-in, I guess...) The blender was all taken apart from the last cleaning, so I'm takin' the receptacle out and putting it on the counter, cheerfully ready to have a tasty smoothie. Adding my half a banana, some frozen blue and raspberries, a little milk. Then to my CREEPING HORROR I see that the milk is forming a little puddle underneath and that of course, the BIT WITH THE BLADES THAT CLOSES THE THING is still in the cupboard. It's not full-on milk chaos yet, but there really isn't much to do besides attempt to slide the whole thing off the counter directly into the bottom. Now it IS milk chaos, with splatters on all surfaces, everywhere, mess mess mess.

One I managed to get everything in there and mixed, it was, of course, delicious, but I'm trying to decide if it was worth all this trouble.

Little more sun, please...

Today I woke up to a clear blue sky, which put me in a pretty good mood. Today marks my return to the store after a couple of melt-downy disaster days which ended with me at home drinking tea and applying for other things, reading books, playing games, grocery shopping, trying to relax. I will make it through work today! I know I will!

Friend and co-worker Mickey has been a big help trying to keep me focused on the fact that I will escape and that it's really NOT such a BIG FREAKIN' DEAL. I don't like feeling trapped by a crummy job, but if I try to remember that I am serving a purpose (feeding those shoppers!) and can somehow just get through it, I are sure to eventually come upon something better.

Anyhow, I'm hoping the weather lasts so I don't have to get wet on my way to work. It's been raining and hailing and even thundering and lightning at times, so I just would like a relatively dry day. Overcast is fine; the clouds have already begun to roll in, just please don't rain on me!! : /

Been blogging and writing on 1Up some more, working on Okami, trying to eat tasty things... I dunno. Life continues! I survive to cashier another day (and eventually to NOT...)

Making a meal out of spinach salad

This...isn't going very well. I've been kinda craving food from home lately, and was thinking about spinach salad the other day. Asked my mom for the recipe and discovered it includes the following:

spinach (drr)
bacon
mushrooms
Italian dressing
hard-boiled egg
green onions

Well, I don't have green onions because I forgot to get them. I don't really like raw mushrooms, so I decided to fry them a bit in what was left in the pan after I poured off the bacon fat. The eggs are finishing hard-boiling now...

Basically what I have so far looks less like a salad than something liable to give me a stomach ache. I was thinking two pieces of bacon, an egg, some mushrooms, a bunch of spinach, and a little bit of dressing. Everything is assembled minus the egg, and it looks horribly unhealthy and...just...not even good.

--

Well, hopefully the eggs are cooked. Maybe it is better to refrigerate them a while before using them. I would have pictures, but my camera is out of batteries (as usual) and it's not that exciting.

Tastes good, but I'm worried that may just be because it's bad for me or something : / I mean essentially it tastes like a breakfast scramble, only it's based more on the spinach and less on the egg.

--

OH GOD LOOK OUTSIDE...I have to walk to work in that. Damn rain. Damn cashiering.

Alternative Efforts

"Expect to hear back from me within the next couple of weeks. :)"

I think it's the smiley face that makes this look so promising. I've been applying around to some game blogs because I'd rather write more and cashier INFINITELY less. This one, I THINK was for the Wii. As in an "all Wii all the time" blog under the Video Games channel heading...

That would be great, since I'm Emawii, but it would also probably require purchasing a Wii. Which, I don't have a problem with that, but the second PC is sort of taking priority at the moment. Either that or I could just mooch off of Jenn...

HAHAHA I think I almost like that idea better. Plus, it'd be a good excuse to hang out.

Pretty sure that is the third one I applied for. Funny that they should reply first. Oh well. Anything is welcome at this point...

Speaking of which, I did manage to get an app in for the reviews intern spot at 1Up. Very nerve-wracking, that was, but I think I did an ok job. At least it still shows my drive to be actually employed by them instead of freelancing around the edges.

On becoming disillusioned with bento

Yeah, I need to stop or it'll just put me off Japanese food completely. The freeness of it at the end of the day when they're just going to throw it out is tantalizing, yes, but we aren't so poor anymore. Groceries are well within the budget.

I know I've commented on this before, somewhere, but it's all so sweet. Maybe once in a while is ok, but nearly everyday is just a mistake. Lunch today was depressingly unsatisfying. Just made me feel yucky. Wish I would've just gone to the grocery store this morning instead of spending three hours reading the Internet.

I'm gonna lay off it for a while, I think. Of course, that kills the best perk of the job, but if it's free food you don't want and you have the means to get something you do, then it's probably healthier to go buy it. They all look really good, but it seems like once you dig in it all tastes the same. Sweet sweet sweet. I'd rather eat plain vegetables and then enjoy a dessert, thanks.

To ameliorate the current situation I've raided the tea end of the shelf in the pantry (which for some reason is stocked to overflowing. Neither of us knows why it is there.) Plain green tea is wonderful right now.

PS - Rather disappointed with the editing job on this one, but it's up nonetheless.

Shopping

Well, I was going to have pictures, but they weren't working out, sooooo screw it. I bought a Tiger rice cooker/steamer (but not from Amazon, since they're sold out...), David Mitchell's Black Swan Green, and, as expected, Let's Cook Japanese Food!.

Yaaaaay.

The rest of my check is for groceries etc. Plus it's already pay-day again a week from tomorrow ANYWAYS, not to mention all that free money from school I have coming.

I had a shitty morning, but a terrific breakfast of diced ham, eggs, green onions with toast (which I devoured), potatoes (which I picked at a bit) and an espresso milkshake (which was pretty damned awesome.) I deserved all of this.

I have to head out to work soon, but I gotta go to the library in Chinatown to pick up a book I had sent over. It's that New Penguin History of the World which I actually own, but not in San Francisco. I was reading it (at various points in my recent life) but never got very far because school was in the way. I feel like I have more time now. I think I left off somewhere in Ancient..Rome? I'll find my spot somehow...

The 1Upness

Dynasty Warriors DS

QuickSpot

Two on DS, go figure. Should be another on Thursday.

Omidollars!!!

"The National SMART Grant is a new federal grant program for students who are pursuing specific majors in math, science, or technology. Our records show that you qualified for $2,000 from this program for fall semester 2006."

Whaaaaaat? Since when am I a math or science major? Is it because I took ONE intro computer class last semester? Not that I mind being retroactively awarded free money...

Yadda blah blah ahem *cough* "...you will have a credit balance of $476."

O_O

I called and they are sending the check on Thursday. I figure if I get the money as fast as possible, they won't be able to realize their mistake and take it back. That said, I really hope that just because they retroactively awarded it doesn't mean they can retroactively take it back @_@

What I've been up to since Thursday

You will recall that was the day I was very happy and then spent a lonesome and boring afternoon at the store, as seen below in that short post written AFTER I got back, which explains why it lacks the starry-eyed smile-cracking goodness that accompanies such a mood.

Well, Friday wasn't so hot until I got home and then we...well, I don't remember. I imagine we played video games, or something. Or did we watch cartoons?

The weekend was full of games and also of writing about games. I wrote two previews that should go up this week, AND I get to do some exciting work at the OFFICE on Tuesday involving a word that rhymes with "we."

Oh oh oh oh and the whole point of this post was to say (brag?) that I have finished reading every word of Fukubukuro 2006. Now, of this Tim Rogers fellow I know very little, except having read all this I guess I know a bit, huh. Like about some of his previous girlfriends and his homelessness and his translating and his hanging out with famous video game designers. Also that his dislikes Kingdom Hearts II, loves Earthbound, etc. The boy groaned when he noticed me reading this, because he's apparently not so partial to the guy, and in all truth I'm not really sure if I would get along with him either; however, that's beyond the point. The point is that I was pretty amused and learned some things (about video games, which is right up there with Japanese on the top of my "things to learn" list) as well.

My favorite part is the surreal sensation you get when you see the words "GAME OF THE YEAR, 2006." "GAME" is singular, hence you would expect only one, but in each of the sprawling essays--10, not counting the intro-- there is generally at least one. (Do some have two? I'm not going to go back and look...) It's like each link is it's own universe and you are cycling through dimensions. Or a Choose Your Own Adventure novel. The feeling is compounded by the way that in most of the essays you can find at least a hint, if not another explanation, of the context for the games (i.e. the girlfriends, etc), so it really does feel like an alternate reality where everything is the same except the "GAME OF THE YEAR, 2006." It's sort of nostalgic and dreamy, in a way. I can't quite explain it. If you can handle reading through the whole thing (80,000 words, so I hear), I'd say it's definitely worth experiencing.

Today is a national holiday, but our beloved Nijiya (like the best of grocery stores, I guess...I love our 24 hour around the corner) never rests (unless you count the hours between 8 PM and 10 AM.) I leave for work at either 1 or 2, 1 if I choose to eat Okonomiyaki and dawdle at Kinokuniya. Hopefully today will be better than Friday, because Friday, sir, was a drag.

I expect this week to finish up some translations, write more, have lunch with some friends (at least two) via my freshly banked paycheck, and have a great many hours of possible New Yorker, sci-fi, Interweb, RPG reading time sucked away by the store. I'm also having that biospy, FINALLY, on Thursday, which creeps me out a little because (if I haven't reported this already) they will have to take bits of me away if the result matches the result of the original test. Poor little mutated bits. YOU BETRAY ME.

Nice Day

Too bad I had to spend so much time at the store. The weather was brilliant for a while this afternoon. I had a really great morning just chilling and reading. Had some ramen with egg and an ice cream bar for lunch.

None of my friends were at work today. Actually Ivan and Stephen were in San Jose helping out at the new store. They came back later and gave me a ride home. I got lots of food!

Also:

Full Auto 2: Battlelines

Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars

Got more projects coming up next week, w00t ;D

So exhausted...

Crush

Silverfall

That's all I got right now. I'm too tired to blog, but tomorrow, hopefully.

zomg scheduling @_@

So tomorrow, which was to have been my (week)day off, has turned into a whirlwind of activity. Rather than sit at home and translate whatever I want (or not) at my leisure, I planned to attend a PR event with 1Up. This was exciting and fun-sounding. I would have the afternoon to write and translate and relax.

Suddenly, however, I am thrust into being that flexible employee I claimed I would be, when it turns out that the grocery store has to send three cashiers to San Jose to help at the new store. Instead of chilling and intermittently dreading the three day stretch of working afternoons to come, I will actually be...working!! Gah!

It's ok, though. More work = more money. This I must remember!

I also have some dollars from my Mom since she loves me and it's Valentine's Day on Thursday.

I also made a new friend today who is as dissatisfied as I am with his employment situation. We think exactly alike, even down to impaired digestion in the workplace!

Anyhow I should try to keep my chin up.

Puts less stress on all parties involved.

And it's really not that bad. Compared to many gigs I could be working (i.e. a REGULAR grocery store) it's not so bad at all.

Thinking about applying for Reviews Intern at 1Up, but I dunno how I'm going to fit that in. Has to be done by next Friday. It was anxiety-inducing enough the first time around (i.e. back when I applied for previews intern.) It's also too bad that I can't just use my recently published previews as writing samples. They want two reviews of a semi-recent game (two different lengths.) I'm thinking Contact, but we'll see if I can get up the guts to do it.

In the meantime, I've been working on a preview that will maybe go up this week. Mostly I'm just hoping I get a chance to take a peek at what I have heard it may be possible to take a peek at tomorrow. And then maybe I would get assigned to write about it and then maybe that would entail an interview or something. Somehow I doubt many of these things, but it could happen.

That said, I'm gonna have to shuffle home from work tomorrow night to write stuff. Man, I'm gonna have to pack a bag. Probably will go straight from PR to groceries. Work clothes, notebook, uncanny ability to slave away at a cash register all afternoon...those sorts of items; they might fit in my backpack.

Managed to do at least one thing

Before work.

SWEET

The State of Things

Natto need only be tried once. It is not necessary to attempt bravery when you know it is yucky and smelly and gives you nasty breath. Thus, I had pb toast for lunch with high hopes of picking up an orange on the way to work.

I need some fruit.

Speaking of work, I have no idea how I survived yesterday, but I did. Wednesday was such a nice and productive day. There are things I would like to translate today, too, but I have to go perform my six hours of cashier time. Paycheck next week, though!

The thing bugging me the most I think right now, besides the brain strain from repetitive oblivion, is the fact that it's always so chilly. It's not cool to stand there all day being cold (and/or wet, the weather being what it is lately.) Everyone is sick and I absolutely refuse! It's ridiculous.

I can't help feeling like someone needs to rescue me.

What else..oh. A preliminary visit to the doctor yesterday ended with free pills and a green card. Whoo. Now I just have to hope that my test in a couple weeks doesn't come up with the same results as the first, otherwise they have to take pieces away ;_;

Not excited about work today at all. Yesterday I was in a pretty decent mood going in, which I think is maybe also why I had an ok time of it. Still felt long long long, but...in a not so hopeless and despairing way.

Today I just don't want to go. The morning hasn't been so cheerful and I'd much rather work on my Japanese than sell food.

This is the first day I will have my own drawer and oddly enough my number is 112 (i.e. twelve, the best number ever.) Yesterday I was thinking that perhaps it's a good sign, but today all I can think of is that...

I don't want to go.

Don't. Want. To go.

Technically I should just look forward to later this evening when it is said that fun things will occur, but I'm in a such a shitty mood that I just don't care.

Why does this happen to me? Hate hate hate! Argh! I can't do this, but I need to think of a way that I can. I'm not such a wuss as all this, I mean, come ON.

I think the main problem is that there is no sense of accomplishment. Maybe counting my drawer at the end of the day and noting profits is an accomplishment, but no, not really. There's never any closure, either. Just more customers, customers, food, bags, customers, money, money, money. Maybe I should feel good about helping people feed their families, but no, I don't feel that way. I feel like staying home and translating flash games would be a much better use of my time.

Freaking hell.

Translations of the Day

DQ Swords info here

Wii Fire Emblem info here.

(and linked everywhere. Gotta pimp my stuff ;D)

Translation of silly song

Piipo Piipo Piipo-kun, policemen! HA!

Let's all sing the song of Piipo-kun!

There are antenna on his head

He opens his eyes on the mark

He catches the news with his big ears Our policemen [Yeah, this is awkward, but I'm pretty sure they are referring to Piipo-kun in the first few lines.]

They patrol for our sake to protect the safety of the streets

Do your best for justice Our policemen

Metropolitan Police (Piipo)

Metropolitan Police (Piipo)

To protect everyone's happiness

Metropolitan Police (Piipo)

Metropolitan Police (Piipo)

They patrol for the future

When you're in trouble [say] Come here Come here

They can undertake any consultation [Sounds better than discussion; That wouldn't be much of a police force.]

With their big hands and feet they provide security [only thing I could thing of that wouldn't be transitive] Our policemen

They tighten their belts and go on patrol to protect our kind smiles

Be brave and do your best Our policemen

Metropolitan Police (Piipo)

Metropolitan Police (Piipo)

To protect everyone's trust

Metropolitan Police (Piipo)

Metropolitan Police (Piipo)

They patrol for the world

Piipo Piipo Piipo-kun Policemen (HA!)

Metropolitan Police (Piipo)

Metropolitan Police (Piipo)

To protect everyone's happiness

Metropolitan Police (Piipo)

Metropolitan Police (Piipo)

They patrol for the future

Piipo Piipo Piipo-kun Policemen

We all salute you!

Piipo-kun

(Dunno why everyone insists to spell it Pepo-kun... That has nothing to do with anything.)

He's the mascot of the Tokyo police.

Check out the flash joke (via AltJapan) based on the song.

Lyrics:

ピーポ　ピーポ　ピーポくん　警察官(けいさつかん)だよ （HA!）
　
　「みんなでピーポくんのうたを歌(うた)おう！」
　
１． 　頭(あたま)の上(うえ)には　アンテナ （アンテナ）

　ぱっちりおめめを見開(みひら)いて

　大(おお)きなお耳(みみ)で情報(じょうほう)キャッチ　僕(ぼく)らの警察官(けいさつかん)

　みんなのためにパトロール　街(まち)の安全守(あんぜんまも)るため

　正義(せいぎ)のためにがんばるぞ　僕(ぼく)らの警察官(けいさつかん)

　メトロポリタンポリス（ピーポ）

　メトロポリタンポリス（ピーポ）
　
　みんなの幸(しあわ)せ守(まも)るため

　メトロポリタンポリス（ピーポ）

　メトロポリタンポリス（ピーポ）

　未来(みらい)のためにパトロール

　ピーポ　ピーポ　ピーポくん　警察官(けいさつかん)だよ （HA!）
　　
　　　
２． 　困(こま)ったときには　ComeHere(カムヒア)（ComeHere(カムヒア)）

　なんでも相談(そうだん)ひきうけて

　大(おお)きな手足(てあし)で警備(けいび)をするよ　僕(ぼく)らの警察官(けいさつかん)

　ベルトをひきしめパトロール　優(やさ)しいほほえみ守(まも)るため

　勇気(ゆうき)を持(も)ってがんばるぞ　僕(ぼく)らの警察官(けいさつかん)

　メトロポリタンポリス（ピーポ）

　メトロポリタンポリス（ピーポ）

　みんなの信頼守(しんらいまも)るため

　メトロポリタンポリス（ピーポ）

　メトロポリタンポリス（ピーポ）

　世界(せかい)のためにパトロール

　ピーポ　ピーポ　ピーポくん　警察官(けいさつかん)だよ　（HA!）

　メトロポリタンポリス（ピーポ）

　メトロポリタンポリス（ピーポ）

　みんなの幸(しあわ)せ守(まも)るため

　メトロポリタンポリス（ピーポ）

　メトロポリタンポリス（ピーポ）

　未来(みらい)のためにパトロール

　ピーポ　ピーポ　ピーポくん　警察官(けいさつかん)だよ

　「みんなに敬礼(けいれい)！」

(via Forum Japon)

I will probably get around to translating all this stuff later...maybe. No time now. More grocery things.

Found this

on Wonderland.

Emo Interlude

EDIT: I'm never gonna be able to remember all the produce codes.

I feel sort of like my life has been cut in half, and also sort of like all this rice isn't really a good thing for me.

Maybe it's ok.

I dunno. In the morning I wake up, have breakfast, send the boy off to work, putz for a couple hours, and have lunch. Then I hike to J-town, do the grocery store thing for 5 or 6 hours with a rushed dinner break, come home and putz. I have a snack eventually and sack out at some point.

THAT's what I do all day, all the while feeling like my Japanese is a lost cause.

And I also feel really weird, like something is off or disconnected. The boy and I are good, but I'm worried we may just start...co-existing or something. Like, very blandly. It's sort of a horror.

And I've been worrying about stupid things lately and I'm sure it's just stress from the job. I never have done well having a job. Blockbuster and Quizno's always just had me feeling a little wrong, even if I was having an ok time. Why should having a job have to make me feel so weird always? It would be stupid and irresponsible to NOT have one. What if NO job ever makes me feel good? What if everything just stresses me out and turns me into a square grouchy pill who snaps at people for no reason and worries that rice is bad for her? Or that three cookies is too many? Or that her freelance isn't good enough?

Tomorrow is my day off and I'm not sure what I will do. Obviously not grocery store things for five or six hours, so I'll have to come up with something. Maybe some WoW. I also have some dumb paperwork junk to take care of, medical and residential...

I need something to look forward to. Hopefully the boy and I will do something good together this weekend.

Dunno why I feel so sad.

Mad Loot

Today at work I had half-priced sushi for lunch. I am usually not too impressed with California rolls, but the ones they make their are ridiculously good.

I bought a bag of frozen takoyaki on sale for $2.99.

THEN, when I was leaving after a never-ending (i.e. five hour...I'm such a wuss) shift I got:

fresh takoyaki
a bento with tempura, rice with nori, and some kind of little salad
ikura don

FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

w00t

Not my best

Taito Legends 2

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

The fruits of last week are a little sour. Room for improvement!

I'm off to bag groceries, now.

Downsides to the grocery business

Or rather, the grocery cashier business.

In all my happiness about getting a job I realized that I forgot to factor in the PAIN that comes of bagging groceries. I was soooooo sore last night, which uber sucked cuz we were at a fun party and I would've much rather been in tip-top shape.

I had that thing where something in your neck is pinching ALL the way down your arm, and my wrist hurt, etc etc. Back, feet, everything. ALL HURTY.

Number 2 extreme suckage is that I lost my ring. The ring Scotty gave me for X-mas is probably nestled in someone's shungiku right now. This is very upsetting. Scotty said not to worry about it at all, not an expensive ring, he would get me a new one, but I still feel pretty crummy about it. My finger is lonely ;_; and I really liked having it. When I told one of my co-workers, they said that if people find them they generally bring them back, so I'm crossing my fingers for that...

My third complaint is that a fifteen minute break is JUST enough time to WOLF down a bento. No 2 second phone calls, even. It sucks. Plus after you've WOLFED down your bento, it's not like you have the luxury of digesting it at all. You're back out on the floor bagging like a banshee and no wonder your stomach is all messed up when you get home.

Moo.

In other news, Kitsune Udon is REALLY bad for you! It's all that fried bean curd, but I guess I hadn't thought of it that way. Just had it for the first time, instant for lunch, heh.

Next week I work MT 3-8 and RF 2-8, so that gives me time to freelance and hit up friends, etc.

Yadda...

Cancer Drugs and Wind Power

So, has everyone heard that cancer might be cured? According to Wikipedia, the news was first published in Cancer Cell.

From the website:

"Cancer Cell publishes exciting and highly significant studies in a broad range of cancer research, from those elucidating significant advances in understanding the disease processes of cancer to those establishing new paradigms in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancers."

Anyhow, I was surprised I hadn't heard about it yet. I kinda try to keep my head poked out of the turtle shell. It's been picked up in a couple places...oh wait, here's Newsweek. So maybe it is getting more coverage. Or maybe I just came to it old. Anyhow, if you haven't heard yet it's good news.

Then I was reading in Wired about wind power ideas. I just love the fact that when people come up with these great ideas they get shot down because, “They saw us as competing with oil and natural gas.” Oi. It just reminded me of the cancer drug thing because the people who were passing it around were wondering why they hadn't seen a bigger happiness about it and thought that maybe the drug companies would be mad.

How can anyone be upset about cancer cures and cleaner energy? How about we screw MONEY for once, and just make things better. People are such idiots.