Well I must say, I've had quite the delightful weekend. What did I do? Well I talked to the Roach and then I...uh...talked...to the Roach some more...er...oh yes - I did my dishes and ate too! And I must say, I've not had such a gleeful, restful weekend in a long time. I also had a chance to sit down and watch the Boondock Saints. It was a really neat-o movie. Made me think a lot.
I didn't get to go to church today unfortunately. I woke up to my alarm and was annoyed and confused by the fact that it wasn't turning off! Then I awoke fully and realized that I had to get up. So I got ready...donned my Akido gi pants (running low on laundry) and a nice shirt so I was all in white and ready for church. I waited for my ride...and then they were late...and then they were simply not coming. I did not realize that Sammi and Jess were still gone. Whoops.
So I surfed the radio to maybe catch a sermon of some sort, but I could only find one radio station that was playing choir-type music. So much for that. I watched Boondock Saints and then got online and found my good friend the Roach. I asked him what his sermon had been about so I could at least have something to think on. Then we talked for the rest of the day. It was awesome. Yeah, I know...I'm a sad sad computer geek shut away in my cave. Oh well. I did manage to pay rent, do dishes, make juice, check snail mail, and fill some jugs with filtered water. Yeah. I was productive.
And one more thing - I do NOT recommend not making fruit punch while wearing all white. Bad idea.
Oh yeah! And before I forget - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TARI!!!!
I've found that the only redeeming factors of the city of Phoenix (aside from people) are the sunsets. The early morning green-yellow smog on the horizon just cannot compare.
I went to school today all day. Bing's mother brought me a 'small' milkshake from McDonald's. Apparently there does not exist a truly small sized shake anymore there. This must have been 22 oz. Now I'm not one to complain about receiving such a marvelous treat. No way - I was very happy to have it. I LOVE milkshakes. I love most anything that is related to ice cream. Or dessert. However, having been raised in a less than wealthy environment, my mother always taught me to not waste food and to finish my plate, so I felt compelled to down the whole thing. Regretfully this did not jive well with my lactose intolerant stomach. So it punished me the rest of the afternoon. Bleh.
Here is a virtual tour of Phoenix from my perspective:
Hello! Welcome onboard Phoenix public transit. Sorry you had to wait 30 minutes, but that's just how we do things here. Now, as you undertake the involuntary yet highly necessary action of breathing you might note the air to be rather heavily laden with human body odor. Pay it no heed, this is normal. Ignore the singing drunk and the staring vagabond, they are normal as well. The seat you are sitting on there you can see, is overlaid with a grayish-purple and lavender speckled base with bits of red, green, yellow, orange, and blue spots here and there. This pukish color combination was designed specifically to hide those grungy butt-marks left by hundreds of previous passengers, as well as any stray flecks of boogers or blood.
Now, if you will please turn your attention to the dirt-caked windows, the first thing we see is the "Welcome to Phoenix" sign. On your right is a run-down ghettoish building with broken windows and to your left is the Castle Boutique - an gigantic adult store. A 'Playhouse' follows next across from an apartment complex. A "Nude Girls" sign beckons your attention on the left as an as of yet unidentified group of mysterious office-looking buildings sit nestled on the right. The Stockyards restaurant and post office come next, and now our little tour ends at Cousin's Subs - part of a longer assemblage of small food services. Good luck. Now try not to attract too much attention to yourself on the walk home or you might be thought a prostitute!
*smile & wave*
Thank God for instant messaging. I like to stay in my hole.
Here are a few more photos I got developed!
Baboon
Coatimundi
Raccoons
Halloween Costume
The Windows I painted
Jeanie and Jasper
Another Angle of the Sunset
Argh! Separation anxiety...
...He loves jelly the most. Ah, but most of all...JellyManKelly loves jelly on...toast.
Don't you just love the warm fuzzy feeling of nostalgia? Here are a few things I remember from being a kid:
popples
Gummi Bears
Square One
slap bracelets
pogs
Crispy Critters
Radar Rat Race
Teddy Ruxpin
Double Dare
Strawberry Shortcake/Rainbow Bright
Care Bears/My Little Ponies
Cabbage Patch Kids
Transformers
Glow worms
Bazooka Joe bubblegum
A Sesame Street without Elmo
Kaptain Kangaroo
Not!
Thundercats
The Bill Cosby Show
Trolls
Babar
Milk: It does a body good
Darkwing Duck
Smurfs
Kissyfur
Hi-ho's
Gumby
Weebles
Pound Puppies
"Ho ho ho" Green Giant
Garbage Pail Kids *shiver*
Condorman
The Red Balloon
Reading Rainbow
Cap Guns
Pogo Balls
"Whenever there's trouble, we're there on the double. We're the Bloodhound Gang."
Okay I'm done. For now. Today wasn't very exciting. I just worked all day. I still need to get my ticket to Montana for Christmas, fill out forms for Bing, get friends to be references for my forms for Bing, draw commissions, start my 10 page paper, finish my study guide, get health insurance, write Mom's letter, send birthday gifts, and buy Chirstmas presents. Top of the iceburg. No wonder I like to zone out.
I have this compulsion to draw on bare surfaces. Anything and everything is a potential canvas. Sammi's hand, homework, napkins, desks, boxes...or in the case of this bear - a yogurt lid. I really need to be an artist for a living. Otherwise I'm going to be driving my alternate employers crazy.
Supervisor: "Jo! What are all these doodles all over the Lindsburg file???"
Jo: "Elves!"
I spent all day today taking a first aid and CPR class so I can be hired for this job (So the state will pay me for helping with Bing instead of his family). Next comes a TB test and a physical. Thankfully, Bing's father is an ER doctor and can give me an exam for free! Neat!
I think I need health insurance really bad. Especially after learning all these first aid techniques today. Something about seeing broken bones, blood, and nails sticking through eyeballs that makes me nervous. All these accidents were just that. Accidents. Unexpected and unpredictable. And then I hear these stories about people dying at the hospital because no one will help them because they don't have health insurance. I feel like I'm playing a grand game of Russian Roulette. This new employer I've just been hired by is offering some crappy health insurance, but I think it'd be better than nothing. I also have a card from an insurance man that I've just not called yet. I don't know why I'm so reluctant. Maybe because I'm such a scrooge and have heard health insurance can be pretty high. But I do need it.
I also need to write this 10 page research paper. And do my laundry. I hope to do that today. Right now. Yes, I will forcibly remove myself from this seat and clear those monsters out of the hall. Right now. Yes, here I go!
..........
Or at least...after the Roach gets here.
Went to church in the morning. It was good. We went through geneologies - which would have been boring if it were just names read off, but Pastor Savage told a little bit about each ancestor. I found an interesting looking book called "Roaring Lions" that I think I'll read on the bus or something.
Jess took me to this hamburger joint and I ordered a "Boar's head" just so that I could tell people that I ate a boar's head. It was this skinny long hot dog bratwurst thing. I laughed when I saw it because it was as thick as my finger. Almost a joke. But it tasted good and with the rootbeer float and french fries it filled me up just fine. I saw they had some rootbeer I'd never heard of called "Doc Browns" or something like that. I wanted to try some, but I'd already ordered a drink. Now I wish I'd bought a can for later so I could at least taste it. It looked like it might be one of those rare, rich rootbeers (which I find quite favorable). Jess and I had a long discussion about predestination and then she took me home.
As soon as I got home I turned on my computer and found the Roach to my delight. I ordered my bus ticket to Montana and then called Roach. Then I went to college group and we discussed predestination again. We went 45 minutes overtime because it was a very deep, very complicated matter to discuss. I enjoyed it immensely.
After we were dismissed I hopped around asking if we could go home. Jess and Sammi wanted to go out for coffee which I found unacceptable. Since no one else was going to coffee, though, they decided not to go and I was happy. They bugged me about why I was so eager to go home and who the mysterious other person was I kept referring to. I told them and then I lept out of the vehicle (after it stopped moving, of course) and tore into my apartment.
Inside I discovered some rather unfortunate news from the Roach about time restraints and such. This week is going to be a very long week.
I suppose I should be writing my 10 page paper and filling out my study guide. Poo. It will be nice to be home in Montana without worries or homework.
Jess has offered to take me Christmas shopping tomorrow. I was very happy with this until I found about the unfortunate time restraints. I am not going to be a happy camper come tomorrow night.
Okay so my night turned out much much better than I thought it would. I didn't get to go Christmas shopping (which will delay my package-sending even further), but I didn't much care because even though I was left at home, I had company. And that made my day.
The rest of the day before that was pretty horrible, but I won't talk about that. It was a really long day at work. Sometimes it's not a good thing to have 9.5 hours to ponder.
When I drew this cartoon, I thought it was hilarious, but when I showed it to two people at school they didn't get it. I do hope my faithful readers understand.
Alright, first off I want to apologize for not keeping this thing updated. And I was doing so well! I've just had many distractions of late and as these last days til Christmas count down, I will have less and less time to devote to this or anything other than final projects.
That little girl up there? That's me in kindergarten. Cute. Credit the hair-do to my mom.
My boss called me this morning as I was scrambling to get out a commissioned Christmas card for a family I know, and told me I didn't have to come in. I was immensely relieved, and took my extra time to go Christmas shopping with the Shadow. I found a few good gifts, but not enough for everyone. I'd tell you all about them, but I don't want to risk one of the receivers of these gifts reading this and spoiling the suprise.
In the latter half of the day I syphoned away all my time by sitting and talking to the roach. And then I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and then I called the Roach and talked for two hours. And then I got off the phone and...er...IM'ed the Roach for about two more hours. What a fantastic day! Now if only I had completed some of that pesky school work that is all due next week...
