Cool

I just turned on the air conditioners in my apartment for the first time since I moved in last year. This is a big deal, and I'm very paranoid that it's going to make the electric bill sky rocket.
Then again, it was so damn hot in here when I got home tonight, I figured I should turn on the AC so I can actually sleep.

My little sister had her HS graduation party yesterday - it was 95 degrees outside. It was a success though... my mother put me in charge of the food - setting it up and keeping the plates full, and I was a machine - you should've seen how fast I made those cheese plates! It was pretty crazy, but honestly I do love to play hostess, so I was in my element.

I think Katie had a nice time, and I think she liked the scrapbook I made for her. She was voted "most likely to become a professional athlete" and "best legs" by her classmates. Soooo unlike me.

The mehndi I got in Chicago is finally fading. I guess I didn't write anything about the Chicago trip in here. It really wasn't that exciting... except for the crazy guy we met on the train.

This is funny

Excerps from the funniest True/False survey I've ever read:

Please answer true or false to each statement as to if you agree or not with it!

1. Pets are fun.
True

2. I sure like bicycles.
True

3. Generally speaking, tables should have at least four legs.
False

4. When I see a gerbil on a treadmill, I'm reminded of me.
True

8. Cinder blocks are no substitute for a foundation of happiness.
True

9. Walls should be just tall enough to support the ceiling.
True

20. I like cardboard.
True

28. Coat hangers -- what an invention!
True

29. Taken as a whole, the universe itself is pretty much OK, or certainly should be.
True

31. Plywood makes an ideal work surface.
True

35. Paranormal experiences thrill/bore me.
True

39. There's no real point in worrying over anything. Things will probably turn out for the best, or at least they might.
True

46. When mowing the lawn in rural areas, remember to keep a sharp eye out for frogs and the like.
True

51. Most sandwiches are OK, as are office supplies such as paper clips, manilla folders, etc.
True

52. I am often confused by other peoples reactions to me, or by mine to them, or by my reactions to their reactions to me, or something like that.
False

55. Bread is about as useful as food ever gets.
True

71. Aluminum siding is both sturdy and attractive.
True

72. The thing about other peoples opinions is, I bruise easily.
True

75. Hopefully, things will turn out for the best.
True

86. If it's toll-free numbers that you want, then it's toll-free numbers that you'll get.
True

88. I spend too much time thinking about things like wanting to be famous.
True

89. Encountering a fork in the road makes me doubt myself. But then, so does a road with no fork.
True

90. True or False questions are often neither.
True

91. As they say, the principal's your pal.
True

97. Station wagons hold a lot.
True

101. The irony is, unless you actually need glasses, they can make your vision worse.
True

102. A roller coaster is an apt metafore for just about anything.
True

105. Hummingbirds.
TRUE

106. If you'd like to see your oral hygeinist socially, you should meet him/her at the dentist's office.
True

Embracing my inner nerd.

Last night, after watching the Twins beat Chicago, and after a stop at a glorious Irish pub (all Irish pubs are glorious in my book), and after paying only $3.50 to park downtown for 4 hours... I had a wonderful chat with Cory about research/integrity/ethics/skewed statistics/accuracy of research results... and Physics and Sociology - all this over a bottle of wine and some margaritas.
It was wonderful.
I love that kind of discourse.

I can't wait to get back to school were I will (hopefully) be constantly surrounded by other people who like these discussions as much as I do.

The Nightmare

Last night I had a horrible dream.

Summary:
I was at a frat banquet... a frat like the Reds at Gustavus... raunchy gross boys. The only part I remember is standing in the banquet hall and waiting for the food to come out. And it was a buffet of really bad, sticky cold BBQ, which we couldn't eat because someone had forgotten to bring out plates and utensils.
I was standing in the corner and no one was talking to me... and for some reason I had my laptop, and so I was sitting there, watching my screensaver pictures and feeling very awkward.
Someone went to look for plates. When he didn't come back for a while, the other guys started to horse around and wrestle (yes, at a banquet). Then they hit one of the legs of the card table holding up the food, and the crockpots went crashing down, spilling baked beans and ribs all across the gym floor. (It wasn't in a gym, but the floor was like a gym floor.)

I was at this banquet because (in my dream) I was the only single person in the tri-state area, and some raunchy gross frat boy needed a date, so I was required to go. I was so mad in my dream, because the food was gross and the girls were bitchy and the guys were all stupid.

I woke up this morning feeling pretty disturbed.

Please don't get me wrong - I am very much enjoying my single freedom these days (after I finally got used to it). It's very freeing to know that I can do "whatever the fuck I want to" (within reason).
That said, the thing that sucks is that I don't have any partners in crime. I have recently realized that all of my close friends are suddenly very much attached - to other people. The weird thing is that, for the majority of the time that I've known most of these people, they have been very single.
I am very happy for them - if they're happy (and they all seem to be).
Anyway, the thing that sucks... it's now much more difficult to get ahold of my friends and also to make plans with them... and, it seems, if I get as far as the "plan making" stage, there is now a much bigger risk that these plans won't actually happen.
As in, I feel like I've been ditched quite a bit these days.

I'm sorry, I'm bitching. I guess this is just life/growing up/whatever. It's much harder these days to make fast plans or have spontaneous fun... we all have bigger commitments. Maybe I just don't want it to be like that. And maybe I'm angry about this because it seems like no one else cares and everyone seems very willing to settle for boring, settle for less, settle down.
I just miss my friends.

Honestly though, I know I'll be okay. I'm moving in about 3 months. Life goes on. I still do believe that my friends are good friends, and if I'm ever in trouble, all I need to do is call.

Woo Mike Doughty!

Last night, I saw Mike Doughty perform - in River Falls - for free.
Things like this never happen in RF.

Mike Doughty is amazing. His music makes my life better.

I got a poster for free from the guy that organized the concert (knew him from HS).
Armed with a sharpie, I was determined to get myself an autograph.

I am going to have it framed.

My mother was kind enough to go along with me to the concert... after a day of driving to and from Madison (4 hrs each way) to watch my little sis play soccer.

My mom is probably the coolest person I know. Okay, not "probably"... she is.

This is where I sleep

My new mattress was finally delivered (a few days ago - I'm late with this post)... after a week of restless nights on the 20-year-old peice of crap that was posing as my bed for the past few months... and then half a day of the Original Mattress Factory truck getting lost (okay, not quite half a day).



But just look!
The gross pink thing is the "before" picture...

Gross.

Stupid and gross.







And this gloriousness is the NEW MATTRESS!




This is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
Oh, and it's comfortable too... kind of like a cloud, but better.

After the mover dudes left, I flopped myself onto the bed (like a five-year-old would). Then I laid there and giggled for about 20 minutes.
Then I called my mother.

Happy Birthday MC!

Today is Matt's birthday. Happy Birthday Matt! It's a gorgeous day outside and it's a Saturday - I hope you get out to enjoy it. Also, when you get a chance, get your ass up here to visit!

**The picture is of Matt and me on great night at Patrick's... long long ago (okay, about a year). I suppose it's kind of old, but it's cute.

Big News

I have rediscovered the cheez-it.

Stupid People with Stupid Animals.

Today on my lunch break, I went to Petco (among other places). I do not currently own any animals. I went to Petco because it was the only place in the little strip mall that I hadn’t yet visited.

So I’m wandering around looking at chew toys and fishes and lizards. I stopped at the birdcages. I used to have a parakeet named Jitters. Very dumb bird.

Anyway, I’m looking at the birds and this lady comes up to the birdcage with her cocker spaniel. I’m thinking she’s trying to walk AROUND the birdcage to the back “dog” section, so I step to the side to get out of her way.

Nope. She’s taking her dog to see the birds.

This dog starts going nuts – it’s jumping and yipping at the glass, trying to get the birds. Then the birds freak out and start flying around (as much as they could in those tiny cages) and making scared little bird noises.

And the lady’s laughing and talking to the dog, saying “oh you are a bird dog, aren’t you.”

Okay lady, NOT FUNNY. These birds are terrified and pissed off.

Then she picked the dog up off the floor so it could see the birds in the higher cages. It’s all squirming in her arms, still trying to eat the birds.

I had to walk away.

Seriously! Take your dumb dog to a damn park and let it chase the birds there – don’t bring it into freaking PETCO and have it salivate at birds that are behind glass, sitting in tiny cages so they can’t even fly anywhere!

I’m not going back to Petco.