I am smart as fuck!

Here is a good thing to do when you have lots of leftovers of (1) marinated tofu and (2) mixed roasted vegetables: mince them all up and make potstickers. It is time-consuming, but delicious and it will impress all your friends, hint hint.



Yumy yum.

The breakfast report.

This week that is all about food is nearing a close. It has been a pretty nice, low-key weekend, with my family mostly just hanging out and a few basic activities like watching a DVD and going thrifting occurring. And I am tired, so these sentences are crap.

We haven't actually been obsessiong over food. I overbought, of course, so anyone who wants copious leftovers I will describe shortly should let me know. Monday will be a feast. I have to say, for all my efforts to the contrary, the best meal I've had this weekend (as far as deliciousness is concerned) was at Habibi in Fremont. If you skip the falafel sandwich and get a big platter and some appetizers, that shit is amazing. The falafels and hummus and tabbouli and foule are incredibly flavorful and delicious, so you don't even mind that you're scooping them up with white flour pita pockets. (Probably still better quality than the ones at Falafel's Drive-In. I am really on a tear with the Falafel's hate lately!)

So, anyway, the Thanksgiving feast. It wasn't a lot of work considering the amount of food, but it was far too much food. Of course it was. Who makes too *little* food at Thanksgiving? Weirdoes, that's who. Weirdoes and poor people who have no choice because cans are small and that is sad but anyway. However, most dishes went over well with most of the attendees, although my brother only ate his penne with smoked salmon cream cheese sauce and pronounced it bland, which it was.

The menu:
-Baked sockeye salmon (yum)
-Marc's marinated tofu cutlets with a 2-to-1 ratio of orange to pomegranate juice
-Vanilla-glazed acorn squash, baked with rosemary instead of thyme (tasty)
-Mixed vegetables, tossed with garlic and basalmic vinegar--included carrots, japanese eggplant, fennel bulbs, zucchini, portabello mushroom, red bell pepper, and brussels sprouts
-Vegan smashed red potatoes with garlic and rosemary (Kevin's contribution)
-Barley, wild rice, and pomegranate pilaf--same as last year, except doubled, and I cooked it with too much water, so it was a lot mushier
-Red onion and peanut pakoras, courtesy of my coworker-friend who joined us (awesome)
-Mixed greens with sunflower sprouts, tomato, cucumber, grated beet and carrot, and a fat-free dressing made with greek yogurt, garlic, and fresh herbs
-Vegan apple-cranberry pie prepared by Kevin (delicious)
-Weird low-fat whipped topping with fresh strawberries for mom
-Storebought pecan pies for Paul

Yesterday we all took a trip to Thrift Town in Fremont, which was so much nicer than the thrift stores I've visited in Silicon Valley. I got some mugs and a sparkly mesh shrug for my Christmas party ensemble. They had good prices on stuff, not just marking it up for the hell of it, and it was actually organized by size in most places.

Today we are going to Campbell so Paul can see Good Night, and Good Luck and my mom and I can wander around and I can show her my soon-to-be new neighborhood. Then they get on a plane and go home, not to be seen again until I arrive in Portland on Dec. 23.

The flames went higher.

Last night, we went to see Walk the Line. It was decent--the expected plot structure and characterization was present, because apparently Hollywood can't make a biopic about extraordinary people without resorting to ordinary crutches, but the music was great. The dialogue wasn't terrible. The acting was good.

I've read at least half of Cash: The Autobiography--and I'll probably go back and re-read it and actually finish it sometime soon--so I remembered some of the source material. The movie is about the story of Johnny and June, and they do a good job of focusing on that. I mean, but of course they do, because it's the obvious love story. Why would they go into Johnny's relationships with the other musicians and music business people (about whom he writes at length in the book)? How would that make a good feature film, anyway? So I'll give them props for taking the frequent path and keeping focused on that, if such a thing merits props.

I did like how they showed "Ring of Fire" was June's song about falling for Johnny. I always loved that, and it seems like a lot of people don't know it.

The thing that bothered me with the triteness of the storyline and characterization was this: if I had no idea who Johnny Cash and June Carter were, would I believe this story? Or would it just be another load of mainstream movie bullshit? And I don't think I would believe. It comes off as the same old love story crap you see in every shitty romantic comedy where the guy is a gigantic asshole the strong, smart woman falls for despite herself. At least the movie didn't go long enough to show how loving the asshole was all the woman needed to become the beautiful, wonderful person she never knew she could be.

And, oh, hell yes, I am projecting. Just a little. And their story may actually have been just like that. It's just something I don't believe in and I hate to see and it comes off as totally fake. They fail to show us exactly why June would fall for Johnny.

Anyway. Oh, and speaking of biopics, we tried to watch Finding Neverland the other day. Boring. Turned it off.

It's official.

I'm moving on Dec. 10. I need to make the arrangements for the truck and getting everything else set up (PG&E, Comcast, etc.), but I've got time. I have to pack and I have to figure out what I need. Anyway, it looks like my 24th birthday plans include nesting, and god knows I love to nest.

I signed the rental agreement and all accompanying forms yesterday. I'm going to rent a small truck for hopefully little money and get my stuff from Milpitas to Campbell in a few hours' time. The big shit is a couch, a bookcase, a gigantor TV and stand for gigantor TV, table/desk, plastic filing cabinet, 1 to 3 chairs, futon frame and mattress, and possibly the kitchen chopping block/cart thing. On their own, a few of these things could fit in my car, provided I made about a half-dozen trips. However, there are enough large items (couch, bookcase, possibly the futon frame) that merit a truck rental that I'm going to get them all at once. Much more economical.

I think I have enough pots and pans. I bought a cheap but surprisingly difficult to bend set of flatware at Ikea and I have probably enough dishes and glasses to hold me for awhile, until I want to get creative. I probably need more dish towels and I will definitely need a vacuum. I might replace my current desk for something more space-efficient and sturdy. I also need a coffee table, since I imagine when people come over to eat (which WILL happen now, at least for a handful of work lunches because I will be RIDICULOUSLY CLOSE), that's where it will happen. And I am certain I will need a few lamps and probably a shower curtain.

Yes, I am using my blog as a kind of scattered mental shopping list.

Kevin wants to give me the DVD-RW console because he never uses it; I have asked him to sell me the LCD I've been using for months, too.

I don't know. I am looking at money and I am going to be fucked really soon, but it will all work out after that. Plus I fixed my W-2 so I should get at least a meager tax refund. (I used some IRS calculator thing months ago that said I would owe money, and I am not having any of that. Did you know that if you don't make shit and you live alone and own nothing, despite what the W-2 worksheet might indicate, you shouldn't put down any deductions? Isn't that awesome?)

Anyway, what's going on? Today I need to finish cleaning the house in anticipation of Thanksgiving guests, watch some Netflix rentals so I can send them back, and eat food that is not from a restaurant, good lord.

I had a good day yesterday. Kevin helped me scrub some nasty shit in the kitchen, then I took off to sign the rental agreement and hung out with the Editor for the rest of the day, which is always awesome. We ate at Yiassoo, which is a DELICIOUS Greek fast-food-type Greek restaurant across the street from my new apartment--their pitas are handmade, always served warm and golden, and don't fucking fall apart like the pita pockets used at lesser establishments (*cough*Falafel's Drive-In*cough*); the falafel is up to snuff; the hot sauce is smoky and spicy and delicious and contains not a whiff of ketchup (*cough*). Then we watched Anchorman at his house because he was just horrified that I hadn't seen it already. But that was not enough laughter for one day, because then we went to see Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic at the Camera 12, which was so fucking hilarious it made me feel guilty and thoughtful.

Also, Entourage is pretty all right. "Let's hug it out, bitch" is classic.

Stopgap measures.

I haven't blogged a lot lately. This is the opposite reaction to the breakup I thought I would have, but I don't know that it's an entirely bad thing. Well, not writing much is, I suppose.

I am tired as fuck today because last night I went to see Camper Van Beethoven in Santa Cruz. Thanks again to the Editor (do I even know anyone else anymore? well, yes, I do) for making sure I was well prepared to enjoy their set. There was much rocking out. Even Kevin came, which was out of character for him, but I think he is trying to change his character a little.

There was, of course, some traffic irritation in the form of the exit from Highway 85 to get onto Highway 17 was completely blocked off, so I had to take a little tour of West San Jose in the middle of the night and try not to get too lost before I could sleep, but I managed.

What else. Went to Santa Cruz on Sunday as well, this time just to visit the ocean, eat at Dharma's, and see Shopgirl. The Editor has magic powers, so we didn't pay for it, which was fortunate because the movie was awful, awful, awful. If pressed, I will go into further detail. Don't bother with this movie, even if you think you will like it, because it is boring, horribly written, horribly acted crap. And Steve Martin is lecherous and creepy. It may have soured me on future viewings of LA Story, that's how gross he was to me in this movie.

Okay, so you don't have to press for further detail.

On Saturday, I was going to hang out with my friend from work, but she got tied up following her roommate to every major shopping center in Silicon Valley, so I had an unusually pleasant evening with Kevin instead. We went to the wildlife refuge in Alviso again, which was quiet and stunning. There was one spot I think we could have lingered forever, it just felt so peaceful. We went to Ikea, where I bought some random crap for my future kitchen, then ate at Amarin Thai in Mountain View, which was delicious despite running out of brown rice.

My DVDs and TV shows are piling up: I only got through Veronica Mars season 1/disc 1 and Margaret Cho: Revolution over the weekend, but still have Live Flesh and Finding Neverland sitting here, as well as last night's Gilmore Girls and House and I'm taping tonight's America's Next Top Model and Veronica Mars. Plus, of course Netflix is sending more more stuff.

Thanksgiving is next week. I'll have to get cracking on the cleaning and food prep this weekend.

More damn photos.

This is an embarrassment of riches for you photo-loving fools, isn't it?

So, I drenched my hair in some Garnier Nutrisse this morning, and here's how it turned out.





And now I would like to present, for your further viewing pleasure, Kevin.



How awesome is that?

While the dust settles.

It's been a very long, emotional, productive, exhausting, interesting week. Kevin has been going through the stages of grief and appears to have reached acceptance quickly, which is wonderful because now we're getting along well. I mean, we're talking like we haven't in forever. Not that this changes anything, but it makes me (and, I hope, him) feel better about the situation. And for once in my life, I think we'll be able to stay friends.

Which is that as of now, I am moving out in a month. I just received word that my application for an apartment in Campbell was approved. It was pretty much the only place I actually looked at, due to a successful combination of price ($700/month for a 413 sq. ft. studio, full kitchen, bath, and walk-in closet), location (two blocks from the Pruneyard, where I frequently find myself anyway, and 2.5 mi. from my office), and non-shittiness. So now I have a week to cough up $500 for a deposit and I can pay the pro-rated first month when I move in mid-December.

What's a better 24th birthday present than newfound independence?

Because I said I would.

Here is a photo of me dressed as a bunny.



And here is a close-up of the sticky note that provided the inspiration for my costume.



Thank you and good day.

Burying the lead.

I don't actually know how to write this, despite thinking of what to say for a long while now. I'm having an interesting weekend.

And it's not like I've really done anything. I was supposed to go see John Vanderslice last night, but that didn't happen. Instead I hung out with the Editor and Jenn and watched Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, among other things, which was highly entertaining. I also listened to the CD the Editor made me of the Loud Family, which is fucking awesome. Really. This blog is turning into some kind of "Look what my friends told me to listen to this week that I now love!" freakshow.

I'm not doing this right.

Last night I broke up with Kevin. It was a long time coming. You all know it. I feel a lot better having done it. I'm gonna move out when I can find a place.

There's no good way to end this, anyone can see.

ETA: The first person to ask me when I'm moving back to Seattle gets the biggest evil eye I can muster.

Boo.

I spent Halloween doing some trick-or-treating of my own, except mine involved the exchange of cold, hard cash for electronics. That's right: I was buying a TV and a stereo receiver from guys who posted on Craigslist.

So I am now the proud owner of a 27" Panasonic TV/VCR/DVD combo unit, although the DVD player is broken, which is fine since I have a DVD player. I also drove up to Fremont and got a Pioneer stereo receiver, which has been verbally guaranteed to work and, hey, I know where he lives. I haven't set up any of this stuff yet, though, because that requires effort and I am tired.

I dressed up as a bunny in the office. I mean, I wore bunny ears and a puffball tail. There are pictures, which I will share with you as soon as someone sends them to me. A handful of other people did a much better job dressing up, though--my boss, the one who wears all black, all the time, wore an off-white vintage dress with big, gauzey belled sleeves that, with the right angle, are fairy wings; the guy who tells me I look like a bunny without the ears and tail wore a lot of spandex and called himself a Crime Fighter; one PM had a chicken costume. Awesome.

Now everyone is sick at work. My cold has been downgraded to low-level congestion and the occasional hack.

Only about three groups of trick-or-treaters rang my bell last night. I suspect I missed the bulk of them while I was getting the stereo. I even burned a copy of 26 Monster Songs for Children special for the kids! Oh, well. One strange thing did occur, though: someone left a big jack-o-lantern on the hood of my car, facing away from the street. The candle was burning and everything. They left the lid on my moonroof. I felt it was kind of ominous; the conclusion on #n00n was: "Cool!"

Is there any significance to an anonymously-gifted jack-o-lantern?

Movie report.

Today I watched three movies.

The Corporation is a depressing documentary about the state of the world with regard to corporations and how they rule everything and how that fucks everyone. I had to watch it in pieces because all at once was just too much. I also feel like I did not learn a lot of new specific information, though the message being all in one place was useful. And depressing. Did I mention that already? It was like a movie version of some stories in The Nation and Mother Jones that I read halfway into and get too depressed to finish all the gory details.

Shaun of the Dead did NOT inflame my zombie phobia. It was very funny. You people were all right.

The Squid and the Whale was damn good, too. Sad and weird and funny and emotional--all the elements of a good indie drama. There were definitely hints of Wes Anderson (he produced it), but it wasn't too quirky for its own good, lacking in emotion, or too distant from its subjects, which are all complaints I have had about recent Wes Anderson movies.

And now I need tea with honey to soothe my dry and scratchy throat.

Going to Portland.

I have finally booked my damn airfare to go home for the holidays. I'll be leaving San Jose the evening of Dec. 23 and returning home late on Jan. 1. Flying into and out of PDX and going straight to Seaside for at least a few days, but should anyone wish to join me down there for some fun, it would be much appreciated. Don't know yet if/when I will be trekking up to Seattle, but I imagine I will be in Olympia for at least a day and I'd like to hang out in Portland as well. I want to see all of you!

As a nice touch, I booked my sister's tickets for the same airline (but out of Oakland) to arrive around the same time as me. Last year she got in early and I got in late, and she had to spend a torturous day alone with mom (KIDDING) and we got to Seaside in the middle of the damn night.

Now all I have to do is figure out what the hell to buy people, and do it online and have it shipped to my mom's house. Hah! I'm so S-M-R-T.

Okay, I am off to conquer my zombie fears. It's a good thing I have Stabby McKnife to keep me company.

Fresh batch of phlegm.

That sounds appetizing, doesn't it? Don't you just want to read it all?

I have been drinking a lot of water and tea and let me tell you, that shit makes a girl have to pee. And despite my increased liquid intake, my lips and nose are chapped and dehydrated and I still feel like a pile of crap. It's pretty much the lowest level of functioning I can be at and not feel guilty for showing up at work. No, instead I have a situation where I feel guilty for missing work.

Parts of today were all right, and other parts, I just wanted to turn off the lights and take off my glasses and take a nap under my desk. I only took off my glasses. Under my desk is one of those plastic floor protection mats and random papers and miscellaneous dust and hair and that wouldn't be very comfortable or sanitary.

The good news is I think things are improving. When I'm sick and congested, my main goal is to maximize the amount of time I can breathe through my nose. This helps me blow my nose less (it hurts after awhile), sleep better, and generally get through the day without looking slackjawed. My next goal is to not hurt or feel fuzzyheaded or like I want to curl up and die. I have only felt the latter in manageable amounts, so that is good. Taking OTC cold meds don't help the fuzzyheadedness, but they do tend to go toward goal #1, so they are taken.

I think one major side effect of being sick is that I write awkwardly long sentences without natural pauses.

I made some awesome lazy soup tonight. It isn't Happy Bamboo's pho, but it does in a pinch. Chop up some carrot, a serrano chile, and a chunk of ginger and put them in about 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Take one package of Thai Kitchen rice noodle soup in any flavor--they all taste better than ramen to my palate, and tend to be more spice and citrus-focused, which is definitely better for a cold--and add the contents once the water is boiling, along with anything else you might want to throw in. Today I added a small head of broccoli, two red chard leaves, and a scallion. For fun and protein, I threw in an egg. Serve with some soy sauce and sriracha for maximum spiciness.

A good variation on this is a more pho-like preparation with sliced onion, cilantro, bean sprouts, and basil.

I am sure this is familiar to anyone who has invented 1,000 uses for ramen. It's nothing new, but for me, there is nothing easier and better when I feel like crap and don't want to eat out.

I need to get away from my extreme kitchen laziness in a hurry. I have to make food for a Halloween office potluck--I'm thinking a butternut squash curry and some spiced basmati rice--not to mention the upcoming Thanksgiving festivities for which I will be playing host once again.

Gah, my throat is sore and I need to take some more cold meds before I try to sleep. I will finish this cup of tea and Velvet Underground LP and do just that.

X-ray spex.

I'm so tired, I'm seeing double. It's almost like seeing through walls. As I was getting in my car last night to head home after some post-work grocery shopping, I came down with a monster of a cold and proceeded to get very spotty and restless sleep. Today was a bit of an exhausting haze, if capped by delicious Happy Bamboo pho featuring fake meat and tons of sriracha (a.k.a. rooster sauce) and dinner coversation with my friend the Editor, who was thankfully not too afraid to come into breathing space with a sick girl.

On the bright side, I have my new fucking glasses--though I have some issues with them and may opt to buy some alternative frames on the internet--and managed to tint my hair almost noticeably darker with a mere 7 hours of indigo/henna application. I so do not have the patience for this crap.

I re-watched Mulholland Drive on Thursday. I saw Good Night, and Good Luck on Wednesday. I spent a lot of time behind the wheel carting my sister back and forth across Market to run errands in the city on a Saturday, followed by a rocking show at Bottom of the Hill that left us deaf and exhausted, but happy. I am still waiting to be cured of my zombie phobia with Shaun of the Dead at a time when I don't actually feel like a zombie.

My mind is distracted by unpleasant thoughts of things to come, and I don't want to talk about it. Even if you bring it up. Even if you leave a sad comment. I don't have to speak just because I'm spoken to.

I need to get in bed. I can't skip work and I can't seem to shake this fast enough. Ugh.

Things upcoming and obsessive.

It's movie snob season and I've got a handful of rock show tickets. I want more.

The next movie I have to go see is Goodnight, and Good Luck. I get really excited by journalist stories. All the President's Men was some kind of superhero story for me.

I also want to see The Squid and the Whale, Capote, Sarah Silverman's Jesus Is Magic, and Walk the Line (probably). I will not discount the possibility that other movies exist that I want to see, but I don't presently know what they are.

And then there's music. I upgraded my eMusic account the other day because it was more cost-effective than buying a booster pack, only to realize they apparently don't let you downgrade your account. Maybe I will use it enough to justify the expense, though. If I don't, I'll cancel and start anew.

Here is a list of things I have been listening to:

-The New Pornographers
-The Mountain Goats (wow, that's shocking)
-Blackalicious's Nia
-Dan Bern
-Pulp
-Devin Davis's Lonely People of the World, Unite!
-Devendra Banhart's Rejoicing in the Hands

There is more, but this has been the bulk of my listening. It is always changing. When I drive, though, it must rock or it must make me pleasantly contemplative.

Next weekend, I am going to see the Gossip at Bottom of the Hill with my sister and we will rock the fuck out. I also have tickets to see John Vanderslice in early November. I need more things to go to.

This is not a show, but I'd like to go see Davy Rothbart at Bookshop Santa Cruz on Oct. 30. I love FOUND, and when Lauren and I went to the reading at University Bookstore in Seattle, it was a lot of fun. Also, it is free.

I haven't started the cleaning projects yet, but I did trim my hair in the back. Then I grated up some more Lush caca brun henna and made my hair look disgusting, but this time -- following Julie's advice, at least a little -- I washed and conditioned it beforehand. I am going to let it set FOREVER. I want it to take. If it doesn't take, I will do something drastic, like buy really dark hair dye. I don't know why I'm hellbent to do this, but I am.

Early morning Sunday.

What the hell am I doing awake right now? My eyes can barely focus, but I can't escape the feeling that I spend another minute in bed, my brain will explode. Might as well be near a keyboard.

Lately I've had a lot of things running through my mind, things I don't feel like sharing on a public journal that everyone and my mother can read (mom, don't take that to mean anything). I've got an overwhelming need to clean and little of the energy necessary to do it. My house is in such disarray, it makes me tired. There is only so much I can tolerate.

This, boys and girls, is what we call displacement, assuming you didn't learn the definition from the Addams Family movie.

There's still a nagging queasiness in the pit of my stomach that I can't place as nausea, stress, or hunger. My brow is still furrowed, and no matter how much sleep I get, I still want to go back to bed and chase the nap I know isn't coming.

Kevin actually watched Me and You and Everyone We Know with me last night. Well, I fell asleep halfway through, but I've seen it twice already. He even said he liked it. And when he got home, he expressed an interest in going out to a movie. Granted, the ones he mentioned I didn't particularly want to go see, but it was an interesting gesture all the same.

Yesterday was a day of much screen-watching, anyway. I woke up and watched an episode of The 4400, which I then removed from my queue because it isn't actually that good. I'm sure I watched several PBS cooking shows with annoying hosts and popped in Rear Window. I was invited to the Editor's house to be lazy, which I was happy to do. Being lazy involves watching episodes of the '80s Twilight Zone. He had to attend a hockey game and left me with the last 20 minutes of Mulholland Drive, which I borrowed because it requires a second viewing. I need to know approximately five more people like the Editor.

One of the movies Kevin wanted to see was Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit. I told him I couldn't see that movie the same day as watching Mulholland Drive. Besides, people bring their children to that movie.

Today I have Five Easy Pieces and Mulholland Drive to watch. And a kitchen and bedroom to start cleaning. And motivation to regain.

Late night Thursday.

Today is not going well for me so far. After getting home at 3 (okay, not awful, if late), I set my alarm for 8 and proceeded to wake up at 6:45. Feeling nauseous and pensive, I tried to go back to sleep, which was a toss-and-turn affair for the next hour or so. At 8, however, I steeled myself and took a shower, got dressed, and started the morning kitchen routine. Coffee was ground; bread was placed in the toaster oven. Allergy meds and multivitamins were taken.

Only to promptly find themselves in the toilet.

So my boiling water intended for coffee was instead poured over a bag of organic peppermint tea, and I guess I'll try the plain toast later. I've emailed in sick (boss wouldn't be there yet), but if this is some passing bug, I plan to go in later. There is a lot going on today, I think.

Anyway, I was all set to talk about the interesting night I had in Santa Cruz, but now I feel icky. I could still write about it, though. It'll pass the time until I can call my boss.

The plan was to go see Dan Bern at the Attic. I was asked to wear a skirt--black--for reasons I can't quite explain. The overall goal for my appearance was "wicked," though in a totally non-New Englander sense. I bought myself some fishnets the other day when I scored the non-heeled boots at Ross (which also made an appearance, and are quite comfortable) and packed those with a knee-length black skirt and my amusing pink "Fuck! War Heads!!" shirt, figuring this would be enough costuming for one non-Halloween night. My pink shirt was denied in favor of the plain long-sleeved black tshirt I was wearing, but I otherwise must've looked all right. I didn't even see myself in a mirror, and as far as I know, there are no photos.

For dinner, we went to Mobo Sushi because I'd never been and the Editor felt this was a serious oversight. I indulged in my once-a-month-or-so fish, eating rolls with smoked salmon and eel (and one lovely veggie roll) that were completely delicious. He also made me try (made me!) warm sake, which isn't bad, because the burning alcohol sensation is somewhat masked by the burning heat sensation.

We arrived at the Attic in time to see the opening act, about whom we made snarky comments throughout the set because we are mean. Too much noodling. Dan Bern finally came on and played a lengthy set almost entirely composed of unreleased material, much to the Editor's chagrin. Apparently he hates to hear things he hasn't heard before. However, even he had to admit that it was really good shit, and he bought the 2-disc recording of the set that they made and sold on the spot.

The show ended around 11, but the Editor was not done. He knows a guy (he knows lots of guys) who does the midnight movies at a local theater, and that guy was testing Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. So we sat in an otherwise empty theater in the middle of the night and watched that while his friend showed Dead Alive in another theater. The movie was good, and I saw the inside of a projection booth for the first time, which was strangely really cool for me.

It was a late fucking night. The movie ended just before 2, and as I said above, I got home at 3. And today I feel sick, but my Netflix rentals didn't even get here, so I don't know what I'll do with myself until I feel better.

One year.

I've been in California for a year now. Shit. That's crazy. I've had a job for ten months and haven't hated most of it. This is kind of impressive.

Checking things off.

At least one thing is off my list.

I took off work an hour and a half early to go to Kaiser and get my eyes checked. The doctor said my eyes were corrected to 20/20 with my current prescription, which is good, but I think the new glasses will be slightly different anyway. There is always some change. I picked out some new frames, in black. They're pretty similar in shape to my current glasses, but different materials, and I don't think the clip-on sunglasses are magnetic. I should find out in two weeks, when I finally get the damn glasses.

Then, hoping to meet up with Kevin a little later for dinner, I found a Ross on El Camino and went shopping. Baaad. However, they had these boots for $30, and I could not resist. My Dansko boots are cuter, but they have a heel, which is impractical for some applications, like standing or walking for extended periods of time. My feet are not well-trained to be in pain.

Kevin wasn't answering his desk phone when I got there, so I got mad and went home. Later he told me someone set off a stinkbomb by his desk, which explains his absence, but still. He came home early for him, though, and picked up Indian takeout, so that was nice. He also said he has another spare stereo receiver I can use if he can't make this one work, which means I don't get sound at least until he has the time and inclination to fuck with it, but whatever.

My eMusic Save for Later list is growing. I may need to buy a booster pack to catch up.

Time for work.

Double U-turns.

It's always fun when you have to flip two bitches to get going in the right direction. That goes double for metaphorical U-turns.

Not that I'm going anywhere with that.

I watched a lot of DVDs this weekend. Friday night I hung out with the Editor, who made me watch The Machinist. (It was either that or Mulholland Drive, which--I know, I know--I haven't seen yet, but he made the choice.) Saturday I went through four episodes of Dead Like Me. Today, I had a marathon session of The Last Picture Show, Serpico, and 8 1/2. The latter film highlighted my desperate need for a TV larger than 13 inches. I honestly could not give the Fellini the attention it requires, in large part (no pun intended) because of the size of my set.

So, now, in addition to my need for a new stereo receiver (vintage Marantz? another random hand-me-down? whatever the fuck I can find for $50 on craigslist?), I need a 19+-inch TV set that costs less than $150. I am a big fucking cheapskate.

Oh, and did I mention that my glasses are getting bent out of shape? One side is so mangled that I taped up the hinge with white electrical tape. It's so fucking attractive. I need to make an appointment with a Kaiser optometrist, but the trick is timing: the available appointments in Milpitas are at inconvenient times, and I have no idea which office, if any, would be more convenient for a mid-day appointment.

Awesome. My shopping list now includes a stereo, a TV, and glasses. Nobody gets to tell me how much I need a fucking iPod now. And nothing on my computer better break. Or, god forbid, my car. Because those things would obviously would take priority.