Home again, home again, folksy cliche'.
Just spent a week at my brother's place, watering the cat and feeding the plants. Man, I hope I got that right. That cat really was getting pissed by the third or fourth day. He (my brother, not the cat) went down to the Caribbean with his wife and her family, and it seems as though they had them a good old time. I very considerately used their air conditioning, washer and dryer, and big screen satellite TV while they were gone, because I am a very thoughtful person. Really, I am.
What else this week... got to see the National Constitution Center, which is a good time. Got to see K-Bar's last week of shows at the NCC, and she was excellent. Though, her new haircut makes her look like a very historically astute pregnant lesbian. Her husband assures me she's not that astute.
Work went from dead (there were a few of those "come in, look at the internet, get lunch, read, leave after eight hours" days last week) to a wealth of work (the unconfirmed report from upstairs is an expected three more months of steady work) in just a few days.
This week's book club was Scott Pilgrim, which was an entertaining discussion. For some reason it drew in eight previously unseen book club participants, all youngsters. I guess Scott Pilgrim or Michael Cera is a good draw with the high school demographic. I also got to drink and hang out with Rich and Marty afterward, which was nice. We keep saying we should go out and drink after book club, and it was nice to actually do that.
Also, I'm chasing some girl. That's got me sometimes crazy and sometimes pleased. We'll have to see about this.
--11:11 PM, EDT, Hatboro, PA, it's okay, this is a leap year
Quick hits.
Item! Work continues. Word on the street is that this particular project could last into September. That would be nice for a sense of self-assurance, but I know better than to invest too much personal sense of security in such things.
Item! Developing alternate resumes and work searches. Also got some business cards on the way. They are ridiculous, and as such should properly be referred to as "calling cards," as they are unlikely to lead to any business. If they do, though, look out.
Item! Locked myself out of my apartment again this weekend. I want to stress this: not my fault. I know, I know, I keep doing it, so it probably is my fault, but I reiterate: nuh-uh. I took my car to the mechanic (where they didn't like me waiting around - sorry, guys, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, I'll just go walk home a mile in the driving rain) and they offered to give me a lift home while they worked on the car. I accepted, but guess who had my keys? Yep, it was the mechanic with the social anxiety disorder. So, I got a lot of reading done. And walking. The rain was forgiving.
Item! Gerlach's old, Drew and Yumi are expecting, and Jones was in town. Also, Gerlach and Jones, despite years of separation, "look like sisters" and are apparently attracted to men who race motorcycles. After that they started talking about Bret Michaels and Poison, so I just went back to getting exsanguinated by mosquitos.
Item! The World Cup's over! I don't think anyone cares! Fans are evenly split down the "that was a good final" and "that game was like watching a bad student production of Agatha Christie's 'Ten Little Indians'." (Did anyone follow that? Bad acting? Players falling over frequently? Anyone? I don't really follow futbol.)
Item! I'm taking suggestions for new music and old music with which you may think I am unfamiliar. I'm willing to effect swaps of music as well, so let me know what you need or want. My two most recent purchases were Iron & Wine and the Gorillaz. I'm in the market for some old school Wu-Tang (I have Enter... and I'm looking for Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and Liquid Swords), possibly some newer Tori Amos, possibly some Nouvelle Vogue. Only you can increase the community's music awareness!
I have no more items. My dearth of items is concerning. I'm concerned.
--2:14 PM, EDT, Philadelphia, PA, Up from the thirty-six chambers!
Aw, man, has it really been that long? I swear I have some kind of self-reassuring mental editor that convinces me that after I have an idea for a post on here, I have in fact posted it. The truth is more horrible than you can imagine.
Anyway, summer. I actively dislike heat, though an insightful woman pointed out that I don't have to like the heat, I can just enjoy what the heat does to ladies' fashion choices. I can't argue with that. Summer is pretty, and traditionally the season of sweat, though this year I am reassured by my ability to turn my bedroom into a small haven of air-conditioned reprieve. It's not summer's fault that it is not winter, but it could try harder. Look at autumn and spring! They're at least halfway there.
Project continues apace, though we are going to have "lunch" with "all the associates and partners" on Tuesday, which could easily be just lunch, or just lunch with an opportunity for the placement agency to schmooze the client, or for the client to tell us that we did such a great job there's no more work, and dismiss us all. My work is very exciting that way.
Had a very nice meal at Jones this week. And since I'm always monopolizing Kristy's time, I freed up her schedule by taking someone else. (Did I mention very nice?) I probably owe K-bar dinner now, which is good, because it will give me a chance to hook her up with more Scott Pilgrim comics.
OMG Scott Pilgrim!!(!) Next month. Movie. This month. Final volume of the comic. It's going to be a very Scott Pilgrim month, I tells ya. Anyone want to go to the first available movie showing, maybe after getting a little hammered? Because that's my plan. You're welcome to join me, but DON'T STEAL, BITERS.
Canadians want you not to steal.
I know it's been responsible for a few of my failed attempts to wake up on time, but MAN, XPN's Sleepy Hollow is so great. So great. I woke up this morning to some slow, easy folk version of "Hiawatha." Then Norah Jones singing some of the music to a Ken Burns documentary? Yes, please. I need to see if I can get an unscratched version of my Morcheeba records on my iTunes. Also, I need more people to know that TV on the Radio is a badass group. I bought a couple of Adam WarRock tracks, too, because I'm trying to support developing music...? Nah, I just like War Rocket Ajax.
RIGHT THEN. Laundry. Liquid refreshment. Then going out on this holiday weekend. I hope yours is better than mine.
--9:56 AM, EDT, Hatboro, PA, long may you run
It's 3:49 AM, except it isn't, at least where I am.
Charles de Gaulle Airport is a crazy place. I have spent the majority of my time being driven from building to building (or possibly just from parts of enormous sprawling buildings to other parts) and once arriving at the correct terminal, I was forced to get yet another flight correction. Oddly enough, it was for the same terminal, and only thirty minutes difference, but apparently important enough to send me back through security for a new boarding pass.
There's a big shopping extravaganza happening in the terminal, similar to a lot of large airports, with the duty-free draw you get at international airports.
Man, I didn't sleep at all that flight (doo doo doo-doo doo). However, I watched Avatar and Invictus and about half an hour of The Hurt Locker. Also, the woman seated behind me could not figure out that her touchscreen would respond to light taps of a fingernail, and as a result I suffered through about four hours of her punching the back of my seat, where my head goes, with her finger. I thought about asking her to stop, but I didn't. I guess I hoped she would go to sleep, or give up, or what have you.
I kicked her ass in Inflight Trivia Challenge, though.
Have you been on a plane lately? I guess I haven't. They have the touchscreen computers on all the seatbacks, and there's a ton of free content on there, and it's networked. So, you can play poker, and the screen will tell you in which seat the person who just snapped your pocket aces is sitting. Or who's kicking your ass in Inflight Trivia Challenge. (Short answer: it's me.) And you can watch whatever movie you want (on a tiny screen, but whatever, you're on a plane, so it's about three inches from your eyes), or some TV, or whatever. And again, mostly free. Not the HBO, but big deal. See above for my movie content, all free.
All right, I have about six hours to kill. I'm going to find out if there's somewhere to get an outlet around here, and then see if plugging into it destroys my power brick. Also, croissants.
--4:01 AM, EDT, or 9:01 AM, GMT, or actually, is Paris on GMT or GMT+1? Whatever. and I was tossin' and turnin'
Recording these live as they happen, uploading when a connection is available.
Screw you, Philadelphia International Airport. You should be providing free wi-fi, and you know it. You're just like all the rest, aren't you? Aren't you!?
This is how my trip started.
Okay, not really. Back this puppy up. My trip started when Justin sent out what I'm sure he intended to be a mere formality, a politeness not really meant to become anything actual. An invitation to his (second) wedding, in Bulgaria, ancestral home to the lovely Gergana, in the summer.
And I said, "I'd love to!" Really, why wouldn't I? I've never been to Europe, and the last time I went to a wedding in another country, it was a stone cold blast. (Chris and Mizuki, come and visit soon. Your room is all ready for you.) And I've been working steady and have a good job opportunity coming down the line... a great time to take advantage of my temporary employment status.
So, I booked a flight. You would think, that when one is spending about a grand on international travel for the sole reason of attending a single event, one would be certain about the timing of such an event. Wouldn't one? Well, this one didn't do such a great job -- I somehow convinced myself that the wedding was on a Thursday, and possibly in May... neither of which was true -- so I arranged to fly out of Bulgaria at about the same time that Justin and Gergana would be getting hitched (again). Good job, me! I rebooked, and learned that you never get a refund from either A) Delta, B) any airline, C) international travel, and/or D) really expensive travel. Choose all that apply.
Luckily, traveling Wednesday to Wednesday was a little cheaper than traveling Saturday to Saturday, so that offset some of the "You Were A Dumbass" fee that they charge you when you have to reschedule your trip. I was not offered any such benefit from my travel insurance people. I love customer service.
Then, right when all was looking good, the State Department (the good job opportunity noted above) e-mailed me to let me know I was actually not cool enough to work there. They were vague on details. So, I cried and punched a dog and one of my shoes came off, but after that I was cool. Pfft, State Department. I mean, who wants a job with good benefits and travel and job security? That's crazy talk. (When I re-apply next year, you are not allowed to cite this passage. Violators will be planed.)
That was yesterday. Today I'm in the airport. Things that have happened already today:
I have gummy bears and corn nuts and DFW's Infinite Jest, with the inscription from the girl in Milwaukee who moved to Manhattan, I have my laptop and my iPhone (but don't call, I will probably get charged out the wazoo for any use, you could probably text me, though, at $2 per), I have a handkerchief for when I sweat unmerciful, though the air conditioning is pretty fierce in here. I have a wad of American dollars, to reassure me about my personal value as a human being. I have a fear that the cuisine on this trip will actually kill me. I have high hopes. I have faith in the Philadelphia Flyers.
And I will see you all later.
--4:56 PM, EDT, Philadelphia, PA, you gotta take the elevator to the mezzanine chump change
Earlier today, there was an aroma of toast in my apartment. To be clear, I was not making toast. Yet there it was. You live in an apartment building, you have these kinds of things. It's fine. Except, now, it's 2:00 AM, Eastern Daylight Time, and there is a smell of cooking onions. Not quite overpowering, but omnipresent. I find myself looking around for a skillet or a wok, and there is none. It is simply the building, and we must accept that for what it is. Really, though, who's frying onions at 2 AM?
I somehow ended up with weird and/or inexplicable movies in my Netflix queue this week. A Danny Boyle flick about reigniting the Sun, but with an Alien, horror movie vibe to it. Paper Heart, which had Michael Cera in it, and bills itself as a "quirky hybrid of documentary and scripted comedy." I really don't think that's allowed, unless you reverse the order of those two categories, or use a phrase like "based on some stuff that happened, no really." I don't recall ordering either of these films. Ooh, also State of Play, which I mistook for a Robert Redford espionage movie. No Robert Redford in there, just Ben Affleck, but with a little Jason Bateman toward the end there, you bet.
Tomorrow is Memorial Day, or rather today is, as it is past midnight. Ordinarily on projects like the ones I've spent most of the past three years working, we are given the option of taking the holiday off, with no pay. As a result, almost everyone opts to work. This time we were not given the option, and told the offices would be closed and we would be unable to work. This might be a nice opportunity, except I'm going to Bulgaria for a week, and would really like to get some hours while I can. The part of my brain that budgets is going crazy, because I'm going to earn half-weeks of pay two weeks running, while at the same time spending money to make it possible, and also spending money in a foreign country, which is like making bets with poker chips. Colorful and fun and you learn which colors (and Slavic cultural figures) match up with which dollar amounts and that's where you stop thinking about it as an expense. The good news is that stuff is cheap in Eastern Europe.
If you want anything from Bulgaria, I advise asking me before Wednesday. My phone will not work, but it might be able to pick up data networking, at roaming rates. As a result, I could get charged hundreds of dollars for receiving a text. No thanks - I will leave the iPhone at home and look at burners at the airport. I could be completely wrong about these assumptions. Please e-mail me with facts.
And hey, maybe when I get back, some good news from the folks at the State Department. Maybe? Hmm?
I'm going to bed. It's way past my bedtime. But when you go grocery shopping and buy dinner after 11 PM, this is what you get.
--2:28 AM, EDT, Hatboro, PA, woke up near Rittenhouse Square
It's 11:00 PM, and I'm going to bed. Well, I might have another piece of pizza first. Oh, wait, pepperoni pizza -- strange dreams has a correlation, no? Maybe not.
I had a fairly productive day, given that I spent a chunk of it roleplaying (Exalted, Keith's running it) and then watching hockey, more hockey and baseball. Maybe it just feels productive, because I got a lot done before noon, on Sunday, when it's entirely possible I would just sleep in until I had somewhere to be. But I didn't. So I'm awesome.
Man, the Flyers looked good out there. I was kidding when I said that the Habs knew how to beat superstar teams like the Caps and the Pens, but they'd be stymied by our workmanlike approach to the ice. I may not have been wrong, as it turns out. David's prediction: if we win by three or more goals on Tuesday, we sweep.
Listening to Elvis Costello and the Brodsky Quartet. I don't necessarily listen to all the same stuff I enjoyed fifteen years ago, but some of it is still great.
I started working out today. It's been a while since I did anything of the sort. I'm in miserable shape, so this might help a little - can't hurt.
"You start seeing double in fishes and bread." --EC&tBQ, "This Offer Is Unrepeatable"
Man, I'm going to Bulgaria in a couple of days. That's kinda cool. I'm looking forward to it.
Okay, I'm rambling. Y'all be good to one another. Happy birthday, Jen.
--11:07 PM, EDT, Hatboro, PA, "with all of my promise, unfulfilled"
No time to write now, must sleep.
All is well, or at least it's pretty well, and the unfortunate parts of last week are unlikely to repeat themselves.
--12:38 AM, EDT, Hatboro, PA, nothing's ever gonna keep you doooooown
"I don't know why / I don't know anything at all" --Shawn Colvin, "I Don't Know Why"
I told my friend the other day, "When I'm working, I whine about not having any time to do anything else. When I'm not working, I whine about not having anything to do." Obviously I have plenty of time for procrastination and such. More opportunity should equal more action, so let's work on that. Ironically, I probably won't share that through this journal, as that paradox goes as follows: I will either have nothing going on, and thus nothing to report here :: I will have lots going on, and in the effort to live and not just sit back and observe, I will not stop to relate the various events of the day.
"A bulging wallet, overstuffed with angels' pay / laughter" --XTC, "Holly Up On Poppy"
Here's my day, in chronological order: a) wake up late, caught up on sleep from my work week. My work week is nine hour days, with an hour of commute on either side. It's not bad, but it is a chunk of time. C'est la vie. b) I have a headache. I resist the application of pharmaceuticals in most things, so I try to wait it out. c) I eat some crackers, drink some Coke, play some WoW. Headache persists. I hope the caffeine will help with it. d) No relief. I take an Aleve. I immediately vomit. e) I sleep for about four hours. f) I attend book club. This month's book: Darwyn Cooke's graphic novel adaptation of "Parker the Hunter." It's excellent, as is the after-hours hanging out. One of these weeks we really have to take Rich's suggestion that we go to a bar or somewhere after these things. g) Listening to old CDs on shuffle and writing this.
"You silently check me out / You don't even know it" --artist unknown, from a 1990s music compilation Bear lent me
See, even there you can see the procrastination. I have laundry to do, but it's Saturday morning. Plenty of weekend for that! I'm pretty sure this was my rationale last weekend too. Welcome to this week's installment of "I'm Pretty Sure That's Not Why You're Reading This Journal," featuring my internal monologue.
"I'm for and against your love" --song unknown, though that's probably the title (or even the band name!), same CD
Happy birthdays this week to Mikey and Chuck. I love those guys. Also, a girl called me, which I like. We're having drinks. I like drinks. In the interest of the historical record, which is half the reason Mikey convinced me to post this page, Kentucky Fried Chicken introduced a "sandwich" this month that is a fried chicken breast fillet, cheese and bacon, and another fried chicken breast fillet. So, it's a bacon and cheese sandwich, but with fried chicken standing in for the bread. All of you know me; you know my diet is horrifying and will kill me someday. And this "sandwich" frightens and disgusts me.
"I tried looking for love but I guess it's true / you don't look for love, it's gonna look for you" --"Object of My Affection", Shawn Colvin (My CD player really likes this album and the '90s album. Shuffle is random, but devices have preferences. This is real.)
Since the last post here, I've completed step two in the application process for gaining employment with the State Department in the Foreign Service. Step three, I don't hear about until sometime as early as June, and doesn't occur until who knows when. Also, after step three, there can be a lengthy wait as they tally up available positions and candidates. Lengthy here is described as six to twenty-four months. If they don't hire you after twenty-four months you go back in the pond and have to wait for the next hiring process. So, keeping fingers crossed but not holding breath. I've got work, and I've got savings, and I'm looking forward to some good news. I'm pleased.
"They are holding out one righteous hand / while the other leads the marching band" --Shawn Colvin, "Kill The Messenger"
--11:12 PM, EDT, Hatboro, PA
I got work. Starting tomorrow. Anything happens to screw this up, and I'll blame you. You know who you are. You're on notice. /steely colbert stare
Wait, that might have been the /steely carebear stare. Never mind.
The worst bit is the not-having-a-work-schedule sleep pattern. Since I've been jerked around so much on the project start date, I've been staying up later and later, until my usual time to wake up starts looking more like my bedtime. NO GOOD. Might have to resort to coffee to get myself reacclimated. I hate admitting weakness like that.
It was Kristy's birthday! She's all old and stuff! You know how you can tell she's old? She's going to be someone's mommy in a couple of months. That's so old. That's like... Sarah Henley old. So old. Man.
If you have a couple of hours and want to try some Moroccan food, you should go to Marrakesh, off South Street near Fifth. There's seven courses, and you eat with your hands, and belly dancing, and it's a really good time. Reasonably priced, too, and the fact that you have to knock to be let in, and the lighting's dim and the place is laid out like a maze - all makes it very romantic, and noir, and such. You should go.
So, I have to save money for intercontinental travel this summer. I think packing my lunch is step one. Tithing my paychecks into savings (not to Holy Mother Church, sorry) is step two, and trying to argue my landlord into a more reasonable rental rate is step three.
But I have to have some walking around money, as well, because, you know, working in the big city. While I thought some of my income could go to replacing my beat-up old desktop PC (happy fifth birthday, you boat anchor), the revelation that StarCraft II could be available on Mac changed that plan. Still wanna play Warhammer 40K II. Must resist.
I finished watching Battlestar Galactica. Not bad. Kinda abrupt at the end.
Springtime in Philadelphia. Who's up for gelato, walks and parks? I love winter, but winter isn't here anymore. One must live in the moment.
--3:23 PM, EDT, Hatboro, PA, but you won't let those robots eat me
[ archives | front page ]