She stopped walking

and I knew right away that for some reason the little wrinkly old lady was glaring at me, even though she seemed a bit absent. I continued down the sidewalk feigning obliviousness, but not very well. As I passed her she addressed me, "What size shoes are you wearing?"

Not what I was expecting! "Uh, maybe a seven?"

"Well then stay outta mine! They're only a six!" She scowled.

---------------

Let's all listen to the soundtrack to Sword of the New World (Granado Espada) while we wait for e-mails to arrive!

---------------

I had a dream last night of something sort of like a PvP zone, only the main weapon appeared to be...lassos with tripped-flames so that when you noosed someone and jerked the rope their heads burst into flames. Yeah, I spent most of time running away from some idiot who was in no adept with a lasso. It was vaguely terrifying. There was a good part, but I can't remember it anymore.

---------------

As long as we're here, I might as well confess buying the current issue of GQ expressly to oogle Robert Downey Jr. on the cover. I actually really liked the article, though, and will read it again. And probably again. I need to learn to write pieces like that so that when my Japanese is amazing I can spend quality time with Japanese devs and describe their lives so intimately with such seeming effortlessness.

Too much introspection, not enough action

So it's back to work!

Just for the record, though, the Eurovision party was great. There were just enough people that the room was full, but not so many that we had to sit on each other's laps. Unfortunately I forgot about the required plug-in so we didn't watch it streaming on TV via the PS3, but just on Oleya's laptop. It still worked. The stream only cut out once and that was only briefly, so we saw the majority of the show. How Russia won, I will never know. We thought for a minute Turkey might pull through, and I was a little surprised that Finland didn't seem to have a chance. *Shrug shrugh shrug*

Oleya's (cheesy spinachy pine nutty white saucy) lasagna was brilliant and she also had this super classic salad that I ate probably a third of.

Before the Eurovision event there were some work related shenanigans far into the night resulting in not much sleep. Lots of Rock Band, which does, in fact, beat out Boom Blox at a party. I was thinking about blogging about that, but there's not really much else to say about it besides that. Brevity is always so prized, so maybe I'll just leave it at that: when you have Boom Blox and Rock Band at a party, Rock Band wins. There's not much to explain there!

Age of Conan is coming along nicely, I guess. Crowley on Derketo. No more Noob Island. W00t!

Well fuck

Belgium has somehow managed to not make it to the finals. I sorta want to cry about that. If anyone's computer will, you know, play videos or something, then by all means please go check and see if they somehow botched their performance.

Of the ten I originally said we should look at, seven made it:

Serbia (pretty ballad)
Latvia (pirates)
Spain (creepy dancer)
UK (funky soul)
France (Jesus)
Bosnia & Herzegovina (creepy lovey zombies)
Finland (metal)

Note that of those, four (Serbia--being last year's winner, France, the UK, and Spain) are automatically finalists.

So anyhow, I guess I need to try to figure out what the hell is wrong with my computer. But, I'm still looking forward to Saturday even though Belgium is gone.

The potluck is well underway although I still don't know what to bring. Maybe drinks or fruit or something. Oleya is making lasagna and she has baklava. I mean, that is already a ton of food. So yeah, probably grapes and tea or something. How should I know? I'm bad at potluck.

EDIT:



What is wrong with this? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Europe fails.

Ayn Rand on My Life

"It is the subtler manifestations of the anti-conceptual mentality that are more tragic and harder to deal with. ...the products of modern education who do not like the nature of what they feel, but have never learned to think."

-from "The Missing Link" in Philosophy: Who Needs It

Italics mine. Isn't this what I've been saying all along? This book is validating. Maybe some would argue that's a bad thing. So far, though, I'm sort of admiring the way she is ripping everyone else to tiny stringy tatters of bullshit. I know lots of what she says isn't really very well...accepted. Err in any case, I'm going to go on and find out more about that. Point being, all the stuff she has said so far makes an incredible amount of sense, more than I knew she made. I haven't really read her since my freshman year of high school and if I don't know how to think now I certainly hadn't the faintest idea back then. POINT being, I'm curious to see if there gets to be a time when I can feel myself starting to disagree with what she's saying. Certainly she puts things very strongly, but that's one thing I've never been able to do, so maybe it's time to take cues. It's tricky business.

Anyways, let's have some haters. Convince me we're both wrong.

Finally some tennis

After having my mom lug out my rackets etc from Wisconsin last AUGUST, I finally finally FINALLY played some tennis yesterday. The balls were a little flat, but Koji's friend Martin, Oleya, and I had fun anyhow. I wish I could afford lessons, but hopefully just by playing more I'll improve.

Other than that it's been mostly work and some high anticipation of moving to my new place. I can't wait to live in the Mission, within walking distance of all sorts of awesome places. I liked Glen Park a lot more than I thought I would, but having Dolores Park, a tennis court two blocks away, my favorite taqueria, the pie shop...so exciting! Plus I'll be near my friends.........and I won't have to deal with living in someone else's house anymore. Or at least, even though I'm living in someone else's house it'll be more as an equal and less as a mouse in a the back of the apt.

Gearing up for Eurovision on Saturday. Should be tons 'o fun. At least, I'm hoping. We'll have to see who makes it out of the two (!!) semi-finals. I wonder if Ireland will...

ZOMG I have a house!

OFFICIALLY I am moving in with Josh of EA and Cupid fame this June. Also, I should be asleep right now, but...

I AM MOVING!!! W00t.

And not to a place that I can put up with, but a place I will actually like. So excited.

I really gotta sleep, though. I hope everything is really going as my way as I think it is.

ZOMG my computer is online

This feels great!! Brought to you by Louis and Aislinn.

I can't really post now, though. And I know my study blog is all old and sadfaced. It's because work is getting verrrry busy and exciting! So I haven't got the time right now : / Lots of things to do. But uhmmmm I'm really looking forward to spending some more time with my new study aids etc.

And thinking about Japanese things.

Oleya and I have been watching Jubei-chan. I guess I will finally be compelled to buy the last disk (not that it wasn't compelling, I think I was just broke). We'll have to see it! Two weeks!

Wheeeeeee!!

I had the saddest excuse for a brat tonight...

Yeah, I'll just wait until I go back home sometime. Pleh! I think maybe following the herd to Burger King would've been BETTER, if you can imagine. We saw Speed Racer! It was me and some IGN catz. A pretty fun time, overall. I guess in the case of a voucher the theater picks up the differece? My coupon was for $7.50, and admission was $10.50, but I didn't pay a dime, even though I offered the girl at the register three dollars. Sweet!

Now I'm freezing my ass off back here at home. Was pretty wired after the movie, so I decided to run with it and have some soda and pb crackers. Gonna watch some anime... Just dabbled in an episode of Lucky Star today and I may have to continue. It's some goooooood shit, and also really good listening practice, if the first episode is any indication. They speak about normal things, so I can understand a lot.

BRRR!!! I'm looking at a studio in the Mission this weekend. I really hope that if it is good I can move in. Available as of the 15th. That is perfect! Other news include some new jobbage writing manuals for EA (*_*) annnnnd applying to the best of my ability to the 1Up previews intern spot (which yes...is what I applied for in the first place...)

The first first place.

Been sort of nostalgic lately.

All the more reason to drown myself in anime until I get either too sleepy or too damned cold ;D

Epic scramble defeated

I had a chill evening with myself. First I watched Adam's Rib--an odd choice, I know, all Battle of the Sexes. I'm going to refrain from thinking about it too much because it was supposed to be me relaxing and not thinking. I just grabbed it since I was in the mood for something old. I have some other movies I got from the library, too. Free = yes.

Then I played some GTAIV.

Finally, I studied some Japanese.

I guess then I got really cold and sleepy, so now I'm on the computer.

I really...REALLY need to move. Sounds like I am totally assigned Age of Conan, which means I NEED Internet--like a banshee. And not just Internet on the landlord's slow and soon to be split THREE ways computer, but on my awesome languishing PC in the other room. Or I just need to leave immediately. I e-mailed some people with an in-law studio in the neighborhood, sounds really great, but I haven't heard back. Crossing my fingers...

Oh blah

Well, my interview was teh fail.

It took place yesterday and I didn't even get a follow-up interview. WHICH is fine. I just need to make more money doing what I'm doing, I guess.

Visiting with Koji's dad was cool, I guess. Sometimes they got in fights at 6:30 am and woke me up, but sometimes he took us out for food, so I guess the trade off was worth it.

Although, I've been eating out too much lately.

So today is going to be my last hurrah for a while (like two days, probably, hurr) in terms of eating out. Ian and his gf are coming up from Santa Cruz for an afternoon of gaming entertainment. We were going to have tasty pizza for lunch, but I guess it will have to be for dinner..........

mlah.

I got half of my Japanese study stuff in the mail, which is cool. The books. They will be discussed in the study blog.

Other than that...Speed Racer comes out next weekend, and since I have a voucher for $7.50, I'm totally going. Probably by myself, which sounds nice. I really like going ot movies alone and I haven't done it in... ... ... ...QUITE a while.

Breakfast and other news

Koji's dad arrived today. We ended up putting off breakfast until he got here because Koji was having a spat with a wasp in his bedroom. Like really freaking out about it, so it took extra time to get out the door.

We ate at possibly one of the slowest diners in the world. I guess because it's really the only one out here, but holy cow. So busy and I swear there must've been like one guy in the back making all the food. I had buckwheat pancakes with an egg and bacon. At least the food was delicious when it finally showed up.

The "other news" is that I just submitted my application to teach for Amity...again. This is the same place I applied last year, but if I get an interview this time I will really do it and hopefully be accepted. I guess the part of the first part is right, as usual, and I'm starting to feel better about the idea. And, you know, all that have adventures while you're young bs. I guess there's no better time for it.

No better time than right now! In the meantime, I'm havnig adventures in the new Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game...for work ;D Luckily I'm in a streak of good games, so despite all the crazy stress that looking for a house caused, I'm doing ok. What's nice is that I don't have to worry about anything, jobs or whatever, until I find out about Japan. Of course, now that I've commited myself to the idea of going to Japan, watch as someone finally offers me a job or I just don't get accepted or something stupid like that, heh. YOU KNOW IT WILL HAPPEN.

Another day

So, Koji's dad is coming over today. Koji told me yes when I asked "Monday" (I had the day wrong--today is the 27th) I am a little less than prepared. I'm glad I cleaned my room yesterday! Right now we are supposed to go out for breakfast, but if he is not here in like five minutes I'm going to just eat pb and j or something. I'm too hungry in the morning to screw around waiting (and he already flaked on me for dinner two nights in a row.)

Ah, here he is. FOOD.

Too emo to blog

Yeah, nothing I write today is going to be anything besides utter bullshit. You'll all just have to wait till my life gets sorted out.

My door broke

So much for The Great Hinge. Now it's more like dangingly by a pube.

Was that vulgar? I dunno, string seems too substantial to describe my situation.

The party of the first part thinks I should go to Japan, which is really a fine idea, I suppose. It's a little awkward reapplying after turning down an interview last year, but maybe it'll work out.

I keep on writing a thousand emolicious things and then deleting them! Awesome! This blog entry is like waves on a beach. It flows down the page and then retreats.

I went out to a rough 'n tumble neighborhood today to see an apt. It was a brand new studio. Very small, but just perfect for my purposes. I need a stronghold and it seems to be that. One room with kitcheny equipment in a corner, a tiny bathroom off one side. It's like a mini-fortress of work efficiency just waiting for me to stack papers and videogame disks all over it. Probably can't afford it, though.

It's probably true that Japan holds more opportunity than even trying to live in that studio would, though.

...

Oh, am I still writing this blog? I should be working or doing something constructive. Or at least posting this. Instead I seem to be...updating my bookshelf on facebook...

*face plant*

I'm sensing a little bit of burnout, but it's OKAY. Do not be alarmed. Just go to bed.

Launch of the study blog

OH LOOK, my old template.

I missed it. That, and I wanted to use the other one for my new study blog that I am in fact, going to start...

How not to suck at Japanese

I considered very seriously trying to find the site I once started (for like two posts) a blog in Japanese that had cute pancake eating mascots on it, but decided to keep things accessible, which means piling at least most of my blogs in one place, i.e. here at Blogger.

If this turns out to be a bad idea I will just scrap it.

Hopefully it won't be. I still haven't decided where I will post Japan-related things that are not necessarily about studying. I may just throw all Japan related goodness over there and leave this for my other pursuits, but it's getting a little silly.

Why split at all? Ostensibly, it will organize content for my imagined readers. Maybe it will organize it for myself. Hopefully it will also motivate me to study more. If I blog here everyday it doens't have to have anything to do with Japanese and I can just ramble about how I had bacon, cheddar, green onion pancakes for breakfast with Oleya and her boyfriend Glen, BUT if I blog there it has to be J-something at least, so to be a GOOD BLOGGER I would need to be REGULARLY J-somethinging.

Errrr and now it's time to go watch Ghostbuster movies with Andrew and Heather! Although I will probably pop into my other blog first to make sure there is at least one post...there...now...

How inapplicable my title is

I know, I know, I should just start a new study blog.

I've been toying with the idea.

God knows I need another blog to not update. Except I would update! I really would. In fact I'd update everyday after studying. It's probably a terrific way to cap the experience...

the experience of studying.

To further enhance my study experience I have made two purchases, which I fully expect to be far more successful than past similar purchases.

1. The uber version of Kakitori-kun.

2. Japanese Graded Readers Level 1 - Volume 1 (w/CD), which, admit it, you totally knew I would buy.

This comes as a direct result of receiving recently in the mail $270 dollars I had not counted on seeing ever again. Obviously these things did not cost me $270 dollars, so I still make money on the deal.

Thankfully, I also make Japanese study materials that I feel will benefit me GREATLY, in fact, to a ridiculous degree.

Expect full impressions soon after they arrive, which won't be for at least a couple weeks.

Next time I get money I wasn't expecting, I'm buying this.

Until then, someone please invite me to live in an empty room in their San Francisco flat? I'm such a good roomie.

Also, now all we need is one of these:

only with American lit, British lit, Russian lit, translated Japanese lit, and...as many lits as we can fit. Someone get on that.

Ready, Set, Tax Day

I think this is the worst day of my life that didn't have to do with love and boys. That's still probably not true, but GOOD GOD tax day is hellish. I suppose it's my own fault for not being quite as prepared as I could've been, but can you ever be truly prepared for your very fist tax day?

Yes, I know you can. Leave me alone.

I was going to try to start the defrazzlement by getting a much needed haircut, but the neighborhood place wanted to charge me 45 dollars. That is ricockulous, and thus, I stay shaggy. I looked at the internet for a little while, but something tells me I will end up back with my newly borrowed copy of Cat's Cradle on the couch in the other room for a bit before I start working again. Or rather, start working at all, for today.

Not to say that I haven't accomplished smallish sporadic necessities, but the big job of the day has been deferred due to, yes, unmitigated tax hell. Actually, it appears I like to lie today, because it was mitigated greatly. My dad did most of my taxes. All I had to do was get the pre-pay for the first quarter of this year in and speed off my W-2 from the one employment I had this year. Those two tasks, however, managed to take up the majority of my day, requiring TWO trips downtown instead of one, but again that is my fault.

I think rather than blaming tax day, we had rather blame my ineptitude in dealing with it. And with that, I hope the rest of the week proves far more successful than the past two days. Good evening!

Chet Baker (and the shit)

He's dreamy. If there were an old Looney Toon with him as the crooning rooster, all the hens would be on the floor so fast. For some reason I knew before I even read about him that his life would be a mess with drugs etc. Wikipedia does have some very nice things to say, though, description wise. I think they hit the nail on the head with words like, "melancholy" and "intimiate." Whether he's singing, or playing, he's one of my favorites.

Annnnd in other news, the week was very busy and workful, which only means the weekend will be moreso. Embargo'd events are great, but then you realize you haven't REALLY even done the work yet, even though you'd been busy. The work is only just stating.

I'm going to see Thao with The Get Down Stay Down tonight, as planned. It'll be my last hurrah. Funny, I feel as though I've said this before. But this time I mean it because there is literally no other way. I have to move out of this apt asap and to do that I will have to actually pay rent. Which means...I have to just work my ass off and see if it's possible. If it's not, then I guess I might have to take a huge step back and get a job. How stupidly depressing. I don't need my career to crumble and fall to its knees. That's one thing that I felt was going well, but I guess it's not REALLY going well unless you can afford what you need, and a few things you want. I'm not really affording anything right now. I was asked the other day how I can have so many people wanting me to write for them and still be so incredibly broke. The answer to that is probably student loans, but I dunno anymore. Hopefully adding all this new work will make things better, but I still have to physically have time to do enough work.

Also, this is secretly depressing because I know if I were amazing at features I could be getting paid more. If I were selling witty orginal articles instead of reviews...

Windy

Is it really that much windier here or is it just all the trees that make so much noise? And the chimney? I think this is shaping up to be a long week. Let's investigate:

Yesterday, a decent day. I actually was even sort of productive. I also ate take-out Chinese food from that stupidly convenient place across from the BART station. In fact, I had the leftovers for lunch today and it's still tasty. Cheesy crab puffs stood in for rangoons, and even though they are so horrible (and these in particular were nothing special at all--like everything that seems to be served at this place) they are sort of nostalgic. They remind me of eating at that buffet in O-town... Plus, cream cheese and crab just tastes good. Stayed up too late punking online after I got home from being out and about, then Koji woke me up with all his bumping around this morning, but whatever.

Today started out slow and has kept on being slow. I'm working on my next review, which I really should just keep doing, as opposed to blogging...

Tomorrow I have some work in the afternoon that will get me out of the house. I'll also have dinner with Andrew, which will be nice since I haven't seen him in a while. I like working with people sometimes, and it'll be fun to tag-team with him.

Thursday will be...a big long day of...something. Work, I imagine. Bunches. Yeah, this whole week will be work. I think that's ok. Maybe something fun'll happen. If I get paid I still want to go see Thao with The Get Down Stay Down on Saturday.

Annnnnd I have to share the computer now. This was terribly unenlightening. To make up for it, a vocabulary word:

ほぼ (hobo) almost, roughly, approximately

More on the rickroll

Ahh, you know the cure for ANY song that is stuck in your head? A good rickroll or two! It's great to know that I will never be upset when this happens to me. I'm sure there are other 'rolls that would annoy my socks into outer space, but this one I can handle (as long as there is still relevant information SOMEWHERE...could you imagine if all actual topical content was replaced with rickroll links?) Anyways, after hanging out with Louis this weekend and singing the song every five minutes, I remembered he had quoted an interview with Rick Astley. I had been meaning to look for one, but it had totally slipped my mind.

Too cool! The only thing better than his comments about the meme and everything are the comments on the article, some of which suggest he perform a live rickroll at one of the Scientology protests. HOW AMAZING WOULD THAT BE?????? Could you imagine? Honestly, I sort of hope that happens. I don't expect it to, but holy cow XD

Secondly, read this article. I laughed my brains out at the end. Like really. It was almost hard to decide which one I liked better, but the LA Times blog wins out...obviously. Still!!! HURR!!! ZOMG!!!