A House and a Crazy

I have a place to live!

Good. Glad that's out of the way.

It will be much much MUCH better there once I have Internet, which is thankfully (in time for the holiday!) on Monday.

I am certainly a very busy person. Still. I hope that I shall always continue to be one.

Focusing more on health would be good, though. Since my job is the anti-health hahaha Couch potato! If only I had a couch!

Other than that...there are probably things I mean to blog about...

Like how someone painted over my door in French, "Protect us, St. Christopher" and also something in Japanese.

Or how I never really see my roommates very often.

Or............how....I'm going to the FFXI Fan Festival this weekend :D

For Gamasutra!

Nooz abounds, but it seems sort of silly to ramble about it here. I ramble about it all day anyhow ;p

I can't wait for my PC to have internet so I can a) fill out invoices b) update my game blog.

I can spaz about Elebits heh


'n stuff

Wow, this is a pointless blog entry! I think I just wanted to emphasize that I have NO FREE TIME and am in fact, working even now.

I'm quite fond of today's title.

Chacha Limbo...

Ah yes. Well, the time has come to update on many things. There are certain things going very well, for instance, work. Excepting the fact that I don't have any internet things are going quite well. I have an awful lot to do and having a computer online would make them a lot easier. I mean, having a desk and a chair would, too, though, so...

I'm moving tomorrow, but I don't know where. I got out of the crappy place, but haven't gotten in anywhere else. So begins my couch surfing journey. Probably I will start at Oleya's and work my way towards Patrick and Karen's. Meanwhile, the majority of my earthly belongings will be shuttled over to Sharkey's for the time being.

This is all assuming I don't get a miraculous phone call announcing my acceptance at the new apt I looked at the other day. Doesn't seem likely anymore, though...

*sigh*

What else? Oh plenty of things. Lots of parties. Halloween was pretty great. We had a party at Oleya's house with pumpkins and Japanese curry and spice cake with pumpkin ice cream. And then I got all gored up to go to a more purposeful party involving work acquaintances and alcohol. The music was bad!

Uhhhhh...

So far this week has been rather busy, and I feel like it will keep getting busier since I will have to plan careful how and where I spend my time @_@ since...

I'm homeless.

HA~

I think I had something I wanted to blog about

but I can't remember what that was. Lately things just sorta keep going on. They happen. I still need a new apt.

I'm finally reading some more Tom Robbins, which is a good thing. Remember when I read Villa Incognito? That was like LAST last summer. Sheesh. Now I'm reading Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas.

Got a sweet new wallpaper for my work computer:



I love the texture and the colors. Despair is sunshiny!

Got some fun work and some silly work, but tonight I'm hanging out with Oleya.

I'm gonna change my title to something else. People are already accusing me of meaning something by it o_o

"The forgotten once the hay bale is removed? The final curly one that doesn't have chocolate milk-caked insides? >_<"

That was more what I was going for. It's ok, though.

I'll think of something else.

A proper update: Life on the L and most recent adventures

There is a girl giving enthusiastic spoken word and song performances for small children in the next room. Up until a few minutes ago there was a girl sitting in this chair, using it as her home base. Which means just because it was empty doesn't mean she wasn't off somewhere collecting her next attempt at chapter book literature. But her Dad and brother are gone now, too, so it seems like it's safe to take over.

This morning I dropped off After Dark, Haruki Murakami's latest (translated, at least) novel. Good stuff! You can just count on it from him. That same surreal thoughtful feel. Chris and I were talking about this last night on the way home from Berkeley, actually.

We were there for the launch of MANGA: The Complete Guide, since we are both connected to Jason Thompson in one way or another. The after party was like a big spider web, in that respect, with Jason as the spider. We met a pretty groovy chick, though, in videogames, of all things. Was a producer on a bunch of Dreamcast stuff, but she's never played a Wii, so I said she should come over sometime.

After the party we took one of the last BARTs home and then I had to get on the N since I don't live up on the hill anymore. Then the 91 owl was running late or barely at all, so rather than wait 55 minutes for the next train I walked down to Taraval. This is from Judah...and the streets run alphabetically. So..not exactly what I wanted to be doing at the moment, although it's not a bad walk.

Lots of gas stations and lots of gated apts with parked cars out front. When I got down to my street the Hawaiian BBQ/Breakfast place was open as I had been hoping. It felt like the hike needed a more exciting end than "I went home for Cheerios and my comfy couch bed."

I was pretty impress with those guys running a tight ship. Even when a big drunk guy walked in and fell off his stool they just picked him up and pointed him out. Forrest Gump was on TV and I ate a Mahi Mahi burger which...is not what I had expected. More like fish 'n chips stuck between a bun, but it was good, and good for 2 am food, too. Of course, the prices are the type that reflect the huge menu selection and crazy hours, but that wasn't so bad. It was worth it.

Would've been more fun with friends! But my night owl friends in the area can't eat there unless they get the fruit dish or something...

So here starts the backlog of recent events:

I moved to this place on Taraval, on the L line which runs both downtown and to the Zoo. I also take the 28/91 to get between the L and the N after 9 pm because there is construction on weeknights...or something like that. The apt is pretty shitty and I should've paid more attention to detail when I was looking for the place, but I was most concerned about price and neighborhood is sooooo perfect.

It has everything, even my bank. A Walgreens, an all night Hawaiian BBQ (;p), an Asian dessert cafe on the corner, some other restaurants, all of which seem pretty hoppin'. There is also a Safeway just a few blocks down and an organic food shop even closer. Tennis courts and a library are directly across the street from where I live.

Which explains me at the library to steal Internet.

But yeah the apt is pretty crap. I can get neither my laptop nor my Wii to connect to the Wireless there so I haven't even bothered to pick up a card for my desktop yet. Seems pretty futile. There is also no heat.

Needless to say I am looking for a better place.

My roommate doesn't seem to mind any of this, not even the mold in the shower. She is super rare. You need like +20 luck to even spot her through a crack in the door.

I also recently started my job at IGN, where I freelance part-time from their office. This is pretty groovy and pays better than I've ever been paid before. So far I've worked on some Diablo riffs and I just started a Nancy Drew mystery (#17...something about a skull.)

I guess that's pretty much all I can think of at the moment. Otaku USA issue 4 is due for Monday, so I have a couple of articles to finish up, including one for a game I have barely played...so...

yippee.

Oh, and the boy and I aren't broken up, which I know is the question on everyone's minds. Nope. Haven't. Which only begs stranger questions, I'm sure, but whatever ;p

HOLY UPDATE POST BATMAN!

So I changed the title of my blog.

And I moved into my new apt.

I thought about starting a new blog, but I think the title name is enough, and it keeps the old address, so the vestiges remaine.

My new apt has poor air quality, but my room is pretty much set. A couple other items still have yet to make their way over from the boy's, but maybe this weekend we'll get it settled. Then I need to help him put his place back together, probably.

I will update with some pix when I find my camera battery charger, of my new place and the neighborhood. I'm using the wireless at the library at the moment... They also have Haruki Murakami's new book, so I'm gonna check it out.

There are tennis courts right across the street from my house, which makes me happy.

I'm gonna get a haircut, now, I think.

And then go home or something.

I have leftover pizza.

Also, I think I'm just gonna throw the Japan pix up on flickr, or forget about them entirely or something. I don't have the energy to blog it all, I don't think. So if you really want to know about the trip, you'll probably have to just ask me...*sigh*

I dunno if I will really blog too much anymore or not. It doesn't really serve too much of a purpose, I guess.

Mosquito bites

I have a bunch, including one that is not bothering too much (contrary to what one may think) on my foot, but also two that are directly on top of the knuckles on my right hand which DO bother me quite a bit.

And there's been something in my eye, although may have finally worked itself back into my brain. Crossing my fingers. I feel a little better, though.

Japan was awesome, which you see as the other blog continues to unfold. Probably there will be some stuff up on 1Up again at some point too [and here I come back and edit what seems to be a serious plague of typographical errors...I can't seem to put two os on "too" for the life of me : /], but you can already check out my TGS '07 collected works (;p) minus the mag write up that has yet to be...polished...and of course, published, since that won't happen until December.

In the meantime, well, what meantime? I'm busy as hell, as usual. I made a new friend the other day. She treated me to Indian food for lunch since I am broke. I feel sort of bad for allowing myself to owe her lunch before she even really knows me, but we hit it off pretty well and she also, coincidentally, is friends with another fellow in the same building I live in-- I have a feeling we'll be hanging out A BIT. But not this weekend since she's going to visit Ian, which is how I got acquainted with her in the first place.

Well, saying I have an awful lot to do won't make me any less busy, so I should probably just get cracking. Hope everyone had a good month. Sept is pretty much gone...

Wow, I never post!

As if I can even manage this malnourished beast of a blog, I'll be moving operations back to the overseas page starting TOMORROW. Off to Tokyo for two weeks of pure awesome. We'll see if I can even manage to pack all my crud. That will be an adventure in itself.

Game stuff will continue to be posted to that other little land, which obviously given the ratio of game stuff to normal stuff in my life, is far less dejected than this blog here.

TA-DA! As my parting shot I bring you...uhm...

this:



WA HA HA HA I'm going to Tokyo @_@!!!X!!:D!!^_^!!o_o

ZOMG DIGIMON

This is brilliant. There was a period of time in high school when I listened to this song multiple times in a day. I guess I either didn't realize or had forgotten that this was the theme to the first movie. Wow, it's so good though. The video there is someones carefully put together amv, but I'm just so into the song.

Anyhow I watched Digimon Adventure (the movie from 1999) and actually liked it. Taichi and Hikari are adorable. I'm supposedly researching for this game I am playing, since I've never done anything Digimon before, but now I sorta just want to watch some Digimon anime, as if I'm not watching enough things already haha

Photo Dump

If you go to flickr and search for "Company Halt" (under people...with the space between "Company" and "Halt") you will find that I have added a crud bucket and a half of pictures. In sets, even. These are the long lost zoo and bay cruise pictures, as well as the most recent pix from the Palm Springs trip I took.

None of them are terribly exciting or of any consequence, really. I feel like I take very drab pictures. I am uneasy photographing people I don't know, so unless my friends and I decide to have a photo-op, I don't generally take pictures of them. And I would never ask someone to take a picture of me, and sort of forgot to do the self portrait myspace thing...

Ah well :D

Enjoy if you would.

さよなら絶望先生

I'm in love with this show and I know I've spoken of it briefly before, but here I will try to maybe describe some of its appeal and brilliance, and maybe some of its oddities as well.

First off...



It's still on TV in Japan. That means that as fast as the fansubbers can crank them out we will see them. Or at least I will, but I doubt you will not be able to stop watching once you start.

The premise is wonderful: a teacher who is incredibly negative and depressed (as you may be able to guess from that flattering shot of him hanging from the tree by his neck) and a student who is positive to the point of ridiculous naivety. In fact, she suggests (and you get the feeling she's almost OC positive because of her past, maybe...could be some interesting developments in store, either that or it's just more goofy fluff) that he is only trying to make himself taller, and not attempting suicide at all.

As the show continues it becomes a parade of strange classmates such as...



in episode two. There is also an exchange student, a bandaged girl (which is apparently out of style according to), a crazy cell phone girl, and others. You may notice they are all female. It seems only incidentals are male. OH, let us not forget the stalker! That episode was terrific.

The opening and closing themes are rather emo and a bit punk, or at least alternative. Definitely not your typical happy fly J-Pop love and bunnies. Of course, if you couldn't tell by now, the show is primarily dark humor.

Each episode also features a moment like this:



wherein our handsome scholarly hero descends into despair, crying, 「絶望した！」And followed with the reason. He really does get upset about everything and even visits the school counselor regularly, to her annoyance.

Apparently the show started off as a manga, and the creators are very open about the fact that they won awards and have met with much success. Comments are included that almost make you think they are a little put out to be doing an anime, but I'm sure it's meant jokingly. Hopefully they'll get over the little asides, though, because it's a bit tiring. I'd rather just enjoy their work.

Also of note are the censor icons, which are not little black bars, but the face of...the director? Someone. Maybe just some random fellow. They are used sporadically, sometimes to shield an innocent's panties or the nipples of someone's daydream, but at other moments panties are flying with wild abandon, so it just depends on the context, really. It's more a joke in and of itself (he is often glancing off camera) than it is actual censorship.



Anyways, I feel like I've already said too much, but hopefully it will entice you enough to want to see the show. Episode five has just recently been subbed, so off you go to catch up.

The awful dream and its sequel

Well, of course I'm still behind on my blog. Quite behind. But I'm awake early enough that I don't necessarily feel compelled to start working right away (which is bad, because I really have way too much stuff to do) SO I'm gonna describe the creepy dreams I had.

First of all, there were two and I'm pretty sure they took place in the same city. What city that was or if it exists (doubtful) I have no idea, but in the first dream it was also apparently part of a video game. There were various characters, most of whom I seemed to trust, but with one in particular our relationship degraded severely over time.

Getting around the city was fun, except when you were bombarded with salespeople handing out fliers. This happened on occasion and it seemed to me (even in the dream) that these were the fodder enemies of the game. Just there to be obnoxious and slow things down a bit. But they could also come at you in huge groups and be very overwhelming. In fact, when I woke up (with an audible yelp, so you know it must've been pretty bad) I was struggling to get through a doorway and they were all holding me back, trying to pass me free samples and pamphlets.

That was not nearly the most disturbing part of the dream though. There was one point (I assume there was some kind of storyline, since it was a pretty detailed dream, but I only remember the most harrowing portions) where I was sitting with two guys. One was across the sitting area, but the other was on a couch next to me. The latter was upset for some reason. Can't remember why. Anyways, he started crying and I felt bad so I was trying to hug him and say something encouraging. I don't remember. Next thing I know he's not crying, but pawing at me. Like, literally. Scraping his fingers (and then teeth) over my ribcage. And it wasn't like a, "haha I'm joking this is silly" more like a "haha I'm going to rape you and check out my creepy fetish of wanting to rip you to shreds with my bare hands" It was immediately obvious that that was what was going on. He was trying to dig a hole in my torso and it was super disgusting. So anyhow I screamed bloody murder and somehow kicked him off (the other guy did nothing at all) and then ran away.

I ended up meeting one of my friends (in the dream, anyhow) and told him what happened and that's how I learned it was a game. He said there are some characters in there that are challenging, so you have to just learn how to deal with them. And I told him something along the lines of that yeah, I understood that, but it was just really distressing. He didn't seem to have too much sympathy, but by then he was one of the only characters I felt like I could talk to.

There was one other character near the end that I started trusting, but I don't remember what the scenario was. I ended up inviting him to my house for some reason, an Asian guy, I think he was in trouble and needed help as well. I forgot what happened, though...

Then came that scene where I woke up. I was pretty creeped out, mostly about the fetish rapist, so I wanted to wake up the boy and get a hug, but it turned out that I woke him up out of his own nightmare, so we really didn't talk much, but just tried to go back to sleep.

I ended up having another dream, and like I said, it took place in the same city, but then this time I don't think it was a videogame.

I was actually a games journalist (person, thingy whatever the hell) in there, too, but a friend and I decided to join a theater group. Well, I think we were sort of tricked into it (somehow, dunno how) but after the fact we decided it might be fun. My character was actually one of the main ones, named Quitty. The premise, or at least the opening premise, of the play was that my character was transformed to resemble a slightly larger version of this mouse-sized person with no legs. Then I guess the rest of the thing was the trials and tribulations or something of being in that situation. It seemed compelling at the time, probably because that little mouse-sized thing was real.

It turned out that practice was going to be from like 12 to 7 or 10 or something, nearly everyday until the show came out in...October? So we had like a month and a half or so to practice. I had no idea how I was supposed to do that and get all my tons of work done, but I decided it would be worth it.

Some other things happened, like there was a restaurant or a convenience store, but I can't remember what went on there. Also I remember going home, but I don't remember what it looked like (although I think there was a garage??) or what I did after that...

Needless to say, the second dream was much better than the first, even though it challenged my ability to get things done even further than I already am irl.

AH ha ha

SO at least ONE avid reader has called me on my failure to inundate, although if you look closely you'll notice I wasn't really promising so much at all!

The real problem here is that I am much keener on being out doing things than writing about them. Writing is certainly important, but being out doing things is MOREso. In fact, if you never did anything, you wouldn't have much to write about.

So in the case of today I was off eating a mountain of cheesecake while pretending to know Japanese and messing up on the movie times, causing us to instead end up in my living room with a Genki II book between us, translating dialogs for bilingual practice. YAY!

Also applying for that Nintendo job finally NOT after being endlessly pestered-- although I did try last night to no avail-- NO, the final straw was that one of the OTHER ripten writers got a phone interview. That's INSANE. I would very much like in on the action, so my hand is on the table. We'll see what happens!

AS FOR:

my personal anime club - I wanted to spend some time taking screenshots of the appropriate shows, but this is time consuming and ultimately not that important besides a little jazz on this otherwise TERRIBLY WORDY blog. So, erm, not happening. The crux of the post was going to be how I was introduced to this GREAT WEBSITE by my friend who is now in Japan. With all the streaming anime and drama goodness, my schedule is...well, actually my schedule is pretty manageable at the moment. This is two days in a row that I have worked, watched anime, studied Japanese, and read more Harry Potter--way to go!! *flash of the two-fingered victory*

There are so many shows to watch and I keep finding more and more that are MUST SEES. For instance, Kayo told me today that for those 25-30 (or for those who would be culturally aware of the...erm...generation?) Touch is a must-see/read. Currently, I'm checking out Kimagure Orange Road, which I've been wanting to watch for just about ever. Retro anime ALL THE WAY. Or rather, half of the way, because the show I'm watching it back to back with is Denno Coil, which as you could see if you clicked the link, is brand spanking, not-even-through-its-original-run new. How exciting!

Both are wonderful in their own special ways. The former in that ORIGIN OF ALL CLICHES way and the latter in that funky character design, fluffy cyberspace way. Maybe I'll talk about them more later. I'm only up to the fourth ep...

three weekends ago (or whenever that was) - The problem with this post is that I am too lazy to take the pictures off of my camera, fiddle around with them, and post them finally to the Internet. What happened is actually quite simple. The boy and I had an outing to the Zoo, which was pretty brilliant besides their near complete lack of reptiles. We also ate Chinese food!

Then the very next day I forgot to wear sunscreen ON A BOAT (!) with Ian and his visiting friends. We sailed around the bay like a band of merry rogues and then indulged in Ghiradelli sundaes. After gallery-hopping down the street, we decided it was time to head further afield, but not so far as J-town. Eventually settled on Washington Square Park, which according to Ian looked bigger in the painting (or was that his friend who said that? Someone was dissatisfied with the size of the park...hmm hmm hmmmmm) In any case, we weren't there long because the idea had been to have a walk to get hungry for dinner. But after that we decided not to have any, so I got a ride home and put aloe on my face!!!

THE END :D

Catch-up blog day

PREPARE TO BE INUNDATED. Ok, not really. But I'm hoping for like three posts today of which this is clearly the first.

1 (this one) - most recent happenings
2 - my own personal anime club
3 - three weekends ago (or whenever that was)

Obviously I've been REALLY BUSY. That seems to be what I tell people, what goes in my blog, and how I feel. QUITE busy. This weekend I finally got to a point where I had some free time and it was weird. I studied, I read some Harry Potter, I got ahead on work, I played a game that wasn't work, I watched anime (to be elaborated on later), and even got ahead on work because I was BORED.

The thing I really meant to blog about, though, was how my friend left for JET on Saturday. It's a weird feeling, because I probably could've been going right with him if I had applied. It's pretty much the same feeling I get while not applying to this Nitendo job that I stupidly explained to everyone (so now they expect me to get it). Just because you think you're good enough for something, does that mean you have to do it? I like doing what I do now. I'd rather be doing it full-time for someone, or at least I have an idea I would, but writing reviews and especially previews of videogames is a job I can continue doing for quite some time. Maybe that makes me boring.

We went out for lunch in J-town, before his orientation on Friday. He had beef curry and I had some fusion spaghetti. For dessert, we split the most insane crepe (which I believe I have had before with Scotty and which is probably the only one I will ever order at that place because it's delicious and amazing) with green tea ice cream, red bean, kuromitsu, strawberries, and whipped cream...am I forgetting anything? It's pretty intense. Anyways, the point was, he was leaving the next day for a year+ in Japan and I was not. Well, no, that wasn't the point, but it's my point now. It just felt weird, like I wasn't living up to my potential or something. Not like JET is a measure of THE MOST EXTREME POTENTIAL LIMIT or anything, but I had always envisioned myself living in Japan, at least for a while, and I'm not there.

I'm here, of course, which is something I had never imagined. Well, I guess I did at some point, since that's how it all happened, but it wasn't something I had ever wished for on a star in high school or something. My life pretty much rocks, so I feel like things are good. Am I getting stuck in a rut? A six month rut? Is that even possible? I dunno. Change is great, but I want to make sure I'm moving in a direction that goes somewhere. Ideally, living in Japan doing what I'm doing now. That would make sense. But I wonder if I'm screwing myself over by not trying to get more opportunities.

But that's ridiculous anyways. I've made myself a ZILLION opportunities in the last month alone. I dunno. When it comes down to it I'm partly envious, but I know it's dumb to be envious, especially with a job like mine. My friend said I could always apply later and that's totally true. I dunno. It's just a weird feeling, seeing other people carrying out plans you used to have.

B-day Pie GET!!

So after having this crazy craving for banana cream pie for pretty much 3 years, I think, the boy and I finally made one today. Usually I would have Stoughton Cake, but since I had that recently at my grad party I decided to go to the pie route.

We used a recipe in the cook book I got for X-mas, doing it the real custard way with egg yolks and everything. We switched to a graham cracker crust, though, instead of macadamia nuts and shredded coconut. You have to be very patient to make the kind of pie that results from not using instant pudding. I suppose that goes without saying, but really. There were about 4 hours of waiting around for custard to cool and the pie to set. Even in the end it wasn't really set. I wonder if it will set tomorrow. Didn't matter so much. It was tremendously rich and delicious and I'm looking forward to having a second (slightly smaller, I think @_@) slice/scoop of it tomorrow.

PS - This is not the entry that is supposed to contain pix of the zoo and other sites.

At SOME point...

I'm going to blog about last weekend and how the boy and I went to the zoo and how Ian and Co. came up from Santa Cruz on Monday to see some sites. I have pictures. I will post them...just not right now.

This is the thing about bloggin! Takes so much time! For instance, I am now 22. I have been blogging since I was...18? Not here, but yeah, since then. Four years of blogging. I can still go look back at those first posts and wonder how the hell I even made it.

Basically, I'm sort of a workaholic. I even went to the IRS in the Federal Building yesterday (which is only slightly less difficult to get into than an airport) to discuss whether or not I have to prepay my taxes. ACTUALLY, as it turns out, I don't, because I didn't file taxes last year (didn't make enough.) On the one hand, that's great. On the other hand, even if I don't, I don't think I will make enough money to pay back my student loans much less cover the expenses of Tokyo for two weeks even if I do have that super affordable and awesome homestay now. NOTTINGHAM! I want to go to Gamecity, but I have a feeling it won't happen. I need a fundraiser.

Fundraising! Writing about videogames, at least at this juncture, is not terribly good at that. Yet, I hope? I think maybe once I start getting paid for things from some people it will turn out ok, but I still don't have the money NOW to do things in October, and I probably won't until like March, if even then. And how am I supposed to be pick up the last two consoles in the midst of all this mayhem?

Anyways, writing about videogames IS a really good way to suck up your Friday night, or every night! I guess it's good to have a job that you don't particular MIND doing your every waking minute, but it would still be nice to read Harry Potter since we did end up picking it up (the day of) at the grocery store...

and study Japanese...

and get some laundry done...

and watch some movies...

cartoons...

maybe!

One thing I don't have to do unless I strictly want to is run all over town. I've been out and about quite a bit more than I ever expected this week, making the trip to 1up (or further!) twice in a day at least two days of the week. Honestly, I can't believe that it was just Monday that Ian was here and Tuesday was my birthday. Feels like a month ago @_@

Anyways, I'm off to putter about or something. Maybe read a bit before locking myself into a Sword of the New World marathon...

snacktime

I am supposed to be taking a break from staring at games, but I decided I had to blog about this is the worst hummus and carrots I've ever had. This brand of hummus is just way too plain. Needs some spices.

Since I got my first job from IGN I've been working pretty hard. Well, I got a pile of stuff for GamePro, too, so basically I've been working on one game all day and will switch gears after dinner to the MMO project.

Then again, it's Harry Potter night, so I'm guessing (well I was guessing, until I was told) that there are to be not a small number of festivities occurring. I'm not sure the boy will be up for that, but it's possible that we may go out and run amuck. I'm almost tempted to get the book, because I would really like to read it. I don't have any of the other ones, though, as the HP series was a family collection (or mostly my brother's I suppose, in a prominent family location so we could all have access).

Kinda hoping I can leech once someone finishes. I know plenty of people who are getting it and they all intend to read it straight through without stopping, as is the fashion.

THE PAST

I received an e-mail today from a fellow who didn't think I remembered him whereas, in fact, I remember him rather more clearly than most because he had a crush on me and it was a source of some distress when we were paired together for a history project. Then he moved away which I guess was sort of sad but also relieving. We were sort of friends, though, so probably more sad. There was probably much geeking out to be had that was missed.

Anyways, I am supposed to be on my way to lunch with my friend and got sidetracked by this whole thing. Now he'll think I'm a flake!

Taxes o_o

Mmm, so it turns out that I should be on my third tax payment this September...I think. That's bad. And really it's more like my fifth and sixth because I owe both state and federal. Hell, I half wonder if there aren't San Francisco taxes. So much for...anything, I guess. I feel sort of doomed. Taxes are very complicated and it's not like I can afford to hire an accountant (much less much of anything anymore. Gah, I wonder how much I owe. It must be hundreds of dollars...

I don't really want to think about it, but I should probably go down to some offices tomorrow and figure out what I'm supposed to do...

: /

Good day - the coffee

I made the mistake of drinking coffee with caffeine in it today. Forgot to ask for decaf espresso in my mocha. Aiie.

Other than that things were quite good. Met up with a friend from UOP for lunch and we had a bit of a wander. MOMA wasn't open, so we ended up at the mall that is near but not actually the Metreon. There are fancy clothes there.

One of the stores in particular has a rather interesting set-up, but alarmingly all their male manikins had seriously stuffed "packages". Like overly so. I was tempted to mention this at that moment to my friend, but thought he would find it odd that I was putting so much thought into the crotches of manikins.

He (my friend) seems to have evolved his tastes. Or maybe he always had good taste and just wasn't able to afford them. In particular, I enjoyed his exchange with the staff at The Art of Shaving. Apparently he's quite interested in getting a cleaner, more comfortable shave. Challenged that clerk's knowledge, and I think the guy did pretty well.

After that I stopped home quick to grab my J-notebook, the number of whose pages is swiftly dwindling. I need a new one. Anyhow, met Kayo, a neighbor of Shin's, who arrived from Japan almost two months ago. She seems really cool and I'm looking forward to not only studying with her, but also the possibility of just being friends and doing things that friends do like watching movies. She likes the outdoors, so I'm thinking we will maybe have the opportunity to visit parks together. I said we should go camping and wasn't really kidding, although I'm pretty certain neither of us have neither the equipment nor funding necessary for such a venture. Getting my mom to bring tennis rackets from Wisconsin, however, is probably a viable prospect. Until then, I think once the apt is a bit cleaner we will make do with Wii Sports.

Six hundred posts

and this blog is such an emo train wreck! I studied some kanji today. There is one weird one that has a component that is like a stretched out kanji eye. Hard to write because you want to write it like a regular eye would be written.

Yesterday I met up with the guys from ripten for lunch at this Chinese place on Clement. Ate way too much food and it wasn't so much a business lunch as just a screw around lunch. He didn't bring the build he was going to (but we hadn't discussed it lately, so I suppose it's fair that he forgot) but he did bring his gf and his friend's gf and another friend. Ah well, we had fun, I guess, even if it was a bit awkward.

It's been a week since last Sunday when we all went out to the wharf for videogames and goofiness. Checked out the Ripley's museum. It feels like it's been longer, but I guess that's what E3 week feels like...even when you're not anywhere near or having anything to do with it? Maybe that's what a deadline week feels like then, how about that? I like deadlines, though. Keep life interesting.

Today I'll end up going to the grocery store and picking up this place a bit. The bedroom has turned into my creepy freelance nest and really needs some organization and just a good clean. Still have a lot of games to play before I start writing stuff. Worried that the feature is going to come up a little short, or at least feel half-assed because I only got to play half of the games I'm talking about. We do what we can, but I feel like it was a mistake to not import the PSP game, maybe, even though it would've cost me half the pay for the article... That's so silly, though. I hope we find an import sponsor soon. I mean, a discount is only a discount, but every little bit counts. And really, they'd probably be making MORE money off of us that way because once we have a discount we'll feel more inclined to buy things. Right now we just really can't afford it but every step we come closer to affording it makes us want to say, "Screw it! For the good of the magazine we shall import until our pockets are full of sawdust!" Hahaha, I hope not. Too much other crap to pay for, but not quite as much as I thought...at least, I think.

My mom mentioned that my dad got something in the mail that reports my monthly loan payments as a good chunk less than what I had anticipated (on purpose, of course-- always overestimate!) so that's pleasant.

I'm gonna get back to what I was doing now. Mostly I just wanted to get that horrible pathetic post off the top of my blog : / I should really just stay away from my blog when I'm in a bad mood. It never helps and it just makes me look stupid @_@