A Rainy Day Inside My Head

WARNING: This blog contains ranting, unhappiness, and, :::gasps::: even complaining about things that probably aren't that important to anyone but me. If people don't want to listen to me complain, I will complain to myself in the comfort of my own blog. Sooo if you don't feel like reading the pointless rantings of me then please stop reading here ...

Okay ... I've been having a bad day. Actually, more like a bad week. Here are my reasons why:

1. I haven't had a day off from work in 2 weeks, and I don't get any days off THIS week either. Which means I'll be working at least 3 weeks in a row without a day off. (And that depends on whether I get a day off NEXT week ... which I probably won't ... that'll make it 4 weeks in a row.)

2. They're currently doing construction ALL over my apartment building to make it look "prettier," (when it's already super nice,) which means I wake up every morning, (on the mornings where I get to sleep in some what before work,) to the sounds of jack hammers and chain saws outside my window. HEAD ACHE. Even when I'm NOT sleeping, I can't stand to be in the apartment because they go ALL DAY LONG.

3. Due to the construction, they have taken away several of the guest parking spots and have put up POINTLESS pictures and posters in their places. SEVERAL parking spots have been replaced by a stupid wall with POSTERS on it for decorative purposes. IN a parking garage. This means that it is now especially hard for me to find parking in my own building. Why don't I just "buy a parking spot," you might ask? Because "buying" a parking spot costs at least an extra $75- $85 a month. What the hell?! I already pay a shit load just to live here, and they want me to pay an EXTRA $75-$85 just to have a parking spot?! Even if I wanted to, I couldn't afford it.

4. I DON'T like living in the middle of the city of Los Angeles. Period.

5. Right now, I spend my time working TWO jobs and rarely get a day off, and I STILL barely even have enough money to pay all the bills every month. In addition, I don't even want to be here anymore. I don't feel the strong desire to do movies like I used to. Yeah, of course I would still like to, but I don't have a strong enough desire to make that my main career goal. It's just not what I want for my life anymore. I would much rather do my wedding planning right now. I could even WORK for a wedding planner/business until I start my own. So the problem is ... I'm now pointlessly living in one of the most expensive parts of town for no reason. And I don't make enough EXTRA money each month to save in order to move. So I just feel "stuck" here. And as nice and convenient as my location is, I'm miserable.

6. I'm home sick, I miss my friends and family from back home, and I can never get a hold of any of them.

7. My front left tire on my car looks like it's going flat, EVEN THOUGH I just had my car inspected, (which includes adjusting tire pressure,) THREE weeks ago. Plus, my car is starting to act funny. The mechanics who looked at it last month probably screwed everything up on purpose so I'd have to pay MORE money. Because I have NEVER had problems with my car util last month.

8. F##KING Bally Total Fitness keeps taking money from my checking account each month, EVEN THOUGH I don't go there anymore and told them I wanted to cancel my membership. I have to "pay a fee" in order to cancel, which I can't afford!!!

9. I want to go home for Christmas, but am worried that if I go home, I won't have enough money to pay January's bills, (because obviously I won't be working while at home.)

10. I'm stressed, I have a headache, and I feel depressed ... which for me is unusual. I don't usually get depressed. I was so depressed this past weekend that I just sat at home after work on Saturday night and cried. How pathetic is that?

So there you have it, for those of you who read. Maybe I sound like an ungrateful person to be complaining so much, but I'm really NOT ungrateful. I just don't feel like this is where I'm supposed to be ... and OH the headache.

Mmmm ... Nummy!

So ok, I don't drink often, but when I DO, I like to have something yummy. One of my absolute favorite drinks of all time is a mudslide, which I think all of you need to try making! It's my favorite drink to make, and is definetly one of the yummiest!

Ingredients:
* 2 oz. of Vodka
* 2 oz. of Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
* 2 oz. of Bailey's Irish Cream
* 2 cups of Vanilla Ice Cream
* 2 cups of Crushed Ice

Directions:
Put all the ingredients in the blender EXCEPT the ice. Blend on low for about 30 seconds, then switch to high until the mixture is well-blended. Add 2 cups of crushed ice, (or SMALL ice cubes, unless you want there to be ice lumps in your drink, lol) and blend everything for about 1 more minute, (or until there are no more ice chunks.)

It's best to serve in a chilled, larger glass, (like a sundae glass or big tall glass.) But if you want it to be extra yummy, drizzle chocolate syrup around the inside of the glass, THEN pour your mudslide in. Next, top with some whipped cream and chocolate shavings and ENJOY. Yummmmy for the tummy! Mmmm ... now I really want one! : P

Boo!

Right now I'm currently sitting in the library reading ghost stories ... (well ... technically I'm taking a break and writing a blog ... but I WAS reading ghost stories!) With Halloween only days away, there's many different ghost story/Halloween related books on display right now, so I figured, "Why not? I could go for some chilling ghost stories!" Unfortunetly, I haven't read any that have "chilled" me yet. Now adays, I'm just too damn hard to scare! I feel like Martin in 'The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out about the Shivers,' when he says, "I wish I could get scared!"

The last time I truly got scared was two years ago when my dad gave "The Haunted St. Louis Tour." We visited many different "huanted sites," including the Lemp Mansion, which is considered one of the "Top 10 Most Haunted Houses in America." That was pretty cool. We also went to see various grave sites, and stopped by this site out on the railraod tracks where a whole car full or teenagers got hit and killed several years ago. In addition, we visited the actual hospital where the demon possessed boy that "The Exorcist" novel and movies were based on had his exorcisms performed, and we stopped by the Church where they took the boy first. After visiting several other places (at night of course,) we returned home only to watch the movie "The Exorcist." Needless to say, when it was all over, I was thoroughly creeped out when I went to bed and began hearing scratching sounds in the attack, (the same sounds that the real family AND the family in the movie of 'The Exorcist' heard in the beginning right before their child was possessed.) NOT cool.

I don't know WHY I like getting scared occasionally ... maybe it's the adrenaline rush, LOL. If I'm lucky, maybe some good, scary movies will be playing on Halloween that I can watch ... of course ... I'm rarely scared by movies these days either!

Let Me Count the Ways II

Ok so apparently, Chris doesn't think that my previous list of "reasons why I love him" was long enough and that the list included too many "physical reasons," (i.e. his perfectly shaped lips, lol.) I thought my list was quite lengthy and well-rounded, but oh-de-well. In addition to my previous blog titled, "Let Me Count the Ways," here are some more reasons, in no particular order, why I love Chris...

26. I love that he's a hard worker. Right now, he's both teaching full time AND is getting his masters.
27. I love that he's good at- and knows the importance of- communication. Especially in a relationship.
28. I love that I learn things when I'm with him. I don't feel like I'm always the one who has to lead the conversation into an intelligent direction.
29. I love that he constantly went through the trouble of organizing "group trips" to go to the internet cafe so that he could write me while in China.
30. I love that I can look like dump and he still finds me pretty.
31. I love that he actually makes an effort to know my close friends, (like writing Michelle!)
32. I love how I can feel so happy and content with him, even if I'm just watching him write a paper.
33. I love how he makes me feel safe and accepted.
34. I love that he bought a ton of Disney dvds, (special editions, no less!) partly so that we could share them together.
35. I love how it doesn't destroy his "manhood" when I beat him at miniature golf, (which happens often when we play, : P) Heeeheee.
36. I love that he plays an instrument- and well. (Even if he IS a bit "rusty.")
37. He love that he's so well-rounded in his interests. He likes stuff ranging from football to Shakespeare.
38. I love that he's a warm fuzzy giver. (i.e. he gives me warm fuzzies ... which is a very nice thing to get, my friends!)
39. I love that he once boasted about cooking a home made pizza, and yet he can't cook Ramen.
40. I love how we have so many of "the little things" in common.

Ok there. Happy now? : P That's an additional 15 reasons added to the list, and none of them are about physical qualities. (And, just for the record, only 5 of the reasons in the previous list had something to do with physical qualities, 6 if you include being a good kisser ... which ... really isn't just a physical quality, because I'm sure there are some really, really good looking people out there who are AWFUL kissers!)

Hmmm ... maybe I'll gradually build this list up to '101 reasons why Allison loves Chris. Awwww.'

Scene It & Slushies

This past weekend was busy with work, but it was nice because I got to see Trevor, (a friend from back home,) who I haven't seen in ages! On Saturday we went out to eat at a yummy Italian restaurant called Chi Chis (I think that's what it was called,) went to the mall, and just talked. On Sunday he and some of his friends came to eat while I was working at the Elephant Bar so that I could wait on them. Another friend who I haven't seen in about 4 years also showed up to dinner, so that was cool! : D

Yesterday I drove out to the Best Buy over by Chris' house to buy the keyboard I've been eyeing for several months now, (because it said you could pay $17 a month instead of paying $600 all at once,) ONLY to find that you have to have a "Best Buy credit card" to do the monthly payments. I was not pleased. And I was totally going to enter the Starbucks song writing conest! In fact, I already had 3 songs written! Grrrrrr. So I huffed and puffed around Best Buy for awhile, determined to buy something because I refused to have just driven all the way out there only to come home empty handed. So I ended up spending $40 on this fun trivia dvd game called "Scene it" instead. : P

On my way home, I decided it would also be dumb to have driven all the way out to West Covina without stopping to see Chris, so I stopped by a 7-11, picked up some yummy Coke slushies for us both, and spent several hours at his place. During that time, I watched him type his paper ... which ... as boring as that sounds ... really wasn't! I was actually really happy just curled up next to him while he typed! We also tried out my new game that I had bought just hours earlier, (Scene It,) which was fun. After we were done playing, (yes ... Chris won ... grrrrr ...) I just layed on the floor and entertained myself by going through all the trivia questions, which was actually quite fun! We also gave the bathroom a "special memory" while I was there, teee heee hee. : P

I ended up leaving around 11:45pm because it was a school night and Chris had to be up early the next morning. I think I cause him to lose alot of sleep ... lol ... sorry Chris. The worst part is, it just gets harder every time! Everytime I go over there, the less I want to leave. Pretty soon, he's going to have to physically FORCE me out! : P

There's a Time in Every Woman's Life...

I need to go shopping. There's a time in every woman's life where she just needs to shop. And not for boring stuff like groceries and laundry detergent, but for FUN stuff, like clothes! : P I haven't been shopping in months ... and for me that's a long time. I've been so hard-pressed for money lately that I've only been buying the essentials. As a result, I'm getting so desperate to go shopping that I even want to go SHOE shopping! (If you know me, you'd know that I usually prefer clothes shopping- not shoe shopping.) In fact, I want to do MORE than just buying some clothes- I want to buy some dvds too! Or maybe a keyboard- hehehehe. Oh, and a mudslide sounds really tasty right now. Hmmm ... maybe I'll just go "window" shopping right now. That never hurt anyone! Just a little, harmless, window shopping. (And if I just "happen" to accidentally buy something, that's ok too!) : P I'm off!

I Really Want...

To play Super Mario Brothers. The old version. Right now. Unfortunetly, that's not going to happen because a.) I don't own any type of nintendo and b.) I don't own any games. Grrr.

Let Me Count the Ways

Me no get to see Chris this weekend. *sniff sniff.* That really makes me quite sad. Oh Chris, how I love thee. Let me count the ways! …No really, let me count the ways! You don’t want to hear the ways? Well then stop reading, damn it! This is MY blog, and I’m gonna count the bloody ways!!! Ok, here goes … (WARNING: The following is a long, sappy list. If you don’t feel like reading a long, sappy list, then don’t read it!)

1. I love how Chris is a cutie AND a hottie all rolled into one!
2. I love how he’s pretty damn smart.
3. I love how his hair smells HEAVENLY.
4. I love how he’s very thoughtful.
5. I love how he’s always looking out for me.
6. I love how he bites his lower lip, especially when typing at the computer.
7. I love how he’s the best snuggle buddy- ever.
8. I love how he likes Donald Duck cartoons.
9. I love how he knows about and likes all the classic movies I like.
10. I love a man who can enjoy some karaoke.
11. I love that he can be entertained by movies for just as long as I can. (He would be a perfect “Bum Day” candidate!)
12. I love that he finds all of me beautiful, even if I don’t.
13. I love how he tries to help me “grow,” instead of getting frustrated with me and cussing me out, (like SOME body I know …)
14. I love the adorable faces he makes- especially when he’s typing on webcam!
15. I love how he holds me. Awww!
16. I love that he’s an English teacher- woah baby!
17. I loooove that he owns a cat. (A Toasty, no less!)
18. I love his super ultra soft cheeks! (Sounds kinda like fabric softener, don’t it? lol!)
19. I love a grown man who can wear a Yoda watch on a daily basis.
20. I love how he’s patient with me. (Well, except when it comes to playing video games, lol!)
21. I love how even when he’s busy, if I have a problem he always takes the time to help me the best that he can.
22. I love how he has the most perfectly shaped lips.
23. Speaking of lips … I love how he’s the best kisser too! Heehee! : P
24. Speaking of kissing … I love how he runs his hand through my hair WHILE he’s kissing me … woah ho baby!
25. I love Chris because well … he’s Chris!

There … I counted the ways. I COULD count longer, but I’ll spare ya’ll at 25. : P

My Boyfriend is a Sexy Biotch!

Chris is SUCH a sexy biotch! (Said Bee-otch, lol!) I mean, he should be certified in his sexified biotchyness. Last night, Chris received an invitation on myspace to join a group called “Sexy Biotch” (or was it “Sexy Biotches?”) Unfortunately, he declined the invitation. Just think, he could have been an official Sexy Biotch! How many girls can say that their boyfriend is an official Sexy Biotch? Hehehe … me all done now. : P

On another note, last night I gave something very special to Chris. Something that he will cherish forever. I gave him my best burping effort. And for ME, that is something to cherish! Why? Because I don’t burp! (Or fart!) It’s not like I intentionally don’t burp or fart … I … I just don’t! I’m not quite sure where all the air and gas in my body goes. Out my nose maybe? Ears? ANYWAY, I bought a can of coke last night and just tried to let loose. I got a couple of “real” burps, but most of them could have still been qualified as “baby burps.” I’m definitely not to the level of “belching” just yet. I'm sure I have great burping potential under Chris' tutalidge. He gives me so many things to aspire to! LOL.

Here Comes the Bride

Last night while on the phone with Chris, the topic of weddings came up. (No, not OUR wedding, : P) And with my wanting to be a wedding planner, I asked Chris how much he thought the average wedding cost in the US. His first guess was $40,000, and although his guess was a bit high, it by no means makes the actual average cost sound cheap. The average cost of getting married in the US is $27,852! And just out of curiosity, I looked up the median household income for 2005 in a report by the Census Bureau. The average household income? $46,326. What the??? You do the math. Never mind, I will. : P What household in its right mind is going to blow 60% of its annual income on cake, champagne, invitations, and fluffy white dresses? It would be far better for the young couple, IF $25,000 was available to spend on the wedding/reception, to spend $3,000 to $10,000 (MAX!) and put the rest into investments for the future, such as a down payment on a new house!

I have had several friends get married on a budget of $3,000 or less, and the whole ordeal was still just as lovely as an "expensive" wedding. There are sooo many ways to cut the cost of weddings. Here are a few ideas…
1. Get married during the "off season," the venue will be much cheaper.
2. Involve friends and family. For instance, have a friend who bakes well make the wedding cake (that could save over a $1,000 right there!) And have friends and family help make pretty home made decorations for the ceremony and reception. Not only is that fun, but then everyone will feel like they've contributed something to the special occasion.
3. Make the invitations yourself. Plain and simple.
4. Don't invite everyone, including your roommate's best friend's aunt, your 3rd cousin who you've never met, and their dog.
5. Hold the wedding and/or reception some where for free! For example, at your Church that you're a member at, or at some one's house, or even in their yard. Parks and gardens are also quite nice!
6. Instead of buying things for the wedding at places like "bridal shops," buy them elsewhere. A set of white candles at a bridal shop will cost twice as much as the same set of white candles you could find at Wal-Mart.
7. Don't serve alcohol at the reception. At least don't do an "open bar."
8. Don't have a sit down catered meal at the reception. Instead, opt for a nice buffet style meal or just serve snack foods and dessert.
9. Get married in the morning or in the late afternoon, as opposed to the "early afternoon" when EVERYONE gets married. Better yet, get married on a Friday or Sunday instead of Saturday, like everyone else.
These are just a few great cost-cutting ideas, and trust me, I have lots more! : P

The marketing industry is soooo responsible for the irresistible dumping of hard-earned dollars on a ceremony that takes months to plan, lasts less than 30 minutes, and produces a marriage that some times doesn't last much longer than the ceremony! It's obvious that marketers want us to spend more money. The more we spend, the more they make. But what's scary is how they've managed to convince many people that the more expensive a wedding is, the better, prettier, more fun, more luxurious, and more memorable it will be. Uhhhh- NOT true!

The point is, after all, that you're married. I'm pretty sure I'd feel just as married if I spent $3,000 instead of $27,000 on my wedding.

Did you know, that back in the "old days," (around 1910-20,) it was considered improper etiquette to spend more on the wedding than you could actually afford? People would be criticized for "inappropriate lavishness."

No there's an idea! Now adays, you're made to feel guilty if you aren't spending more than you can afford. It's rather amusing to think that, less than 100 years ago, people thought it was tacky!

I Just Couldn't Resist!

I saw this posted on myspace just now and I couldn't resist! : P

Three names you go by:
1. Allison
2. Allie
3. Magic Markers and Allisoroni San Fransisco Treat (Courtesy of Kara, LOL)

Three screen names you have:
1. GigglesCookie
2. Dorkemon
3. My hotmail address

Three things you like about yourself:
1. Fun/Dorky
2. Friendly
3. Smart

Three things you hate/dislike about yourself:
1. My acne … although it hasn’t been too bad lately! =D
2. My feet
3. My inability to say “no,” (although I’ve gotten much better at it!)

Three parts of your heritage:
1. German (about ¾)
2. English
3. And more German and English

Three things you want right now:
1. Something to eat
2. A shower
3. Chris AND Michelle! (I guess those are people, not things, LOL.)

Three favorite foods:
1. Cinnamon rolls
2. Fettuchini Alfredo
3. Poppy seed bread

Three favorite movies:
1. Moulin Rouge
2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
3. The Notebook

Three things that scare you:
1. Spiders
2. Demons/”evil spirits”
3. Car accidents

Three of your favorite states:
1. Colorado
2. Missouri
3. California

Three of your everyday essentials:
1. Lip gloss or chapstick
2. A brush
3. Tooth brush and paste

Three things I am wearing right now:
1. Lame black pants
2. Lame Elephant Bar shirt
3. Lame apron thingy for change/pens/money

Three of your fave bands/artists (today):
1. Queen
2. Kelly Clarkson
3. Pink … crap … I have too many I can’t list just three!

Three of your fave songs at present:
1. Kill Bill – “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood/Esmeralda Suite”
2. Kill Bill – “The Lonely Shepard”
3. Jessica Simpson – “Breath of Heaven”

Three new things you want to try in the upcoming year:
1. Learn how to cook more different types of dishes
2. Get/try my first weapon in Kung Fu
3. Write/record some songs

Three things you want in a relationship (love is a given):
1. Commitment
2. Intimacy
3. Friendship

Two truths and a lie:(not in any order)
1. I’m a good singer
2. I’m related to Bob Newheart
3. I’ve been to 8 different countries

Three of your closest friends:
1. Michelle
2. Chris
3. Anna

Three physical things about the opposite/same sex that appeal to you:
1. The smile
2. The body in general, lol
3. The hair (and if it smells super yummy, that’s a plus!) ; )

Three things you just can't do:
1. Live without my planner/organizer
2. Fall prey to the superficial whims of Hollywood
3. Sleep with loud noises

Three of your favorite hobbies:
1. Scrapbooking
2. Going to Kung Fu
3. Painting/drawing

Three careers you're considering:
1. Well I’m currently TRYING to earn money as an actress
2. Wedding Planner/Event Coordinator
3. Those are the only two … although making a living off of singing would be nice

Three places you want to go on vacation:
1. Australia
2. Europe in General
3. Both Hawaii and Japan (I know I know, that’s FOUR places)

Three kids names (boy or girl):
1. Lock
2. Shock
3. Barrel (those are kids names! Lol)

Three things you want to do before you die:
1. Have a successful acting career
2. Have a successful wedding planning business
3. Do a lot of traveling

A Bit of Good Advice

Recently with all my unexpected car/DMV troubles, I ended up having to pay $800 total in about a week and a half. Because I was not expecting this, I was definitely not prepared. I didn’t have enough money! Soooo, I had to do one of the things I hate the most: ask my dad for money. He offered to help me out a little, but he wouldn’t pay for everything, even though it would leave me extremely hard-pressed for money. He did, however, give me $50 to go out and open a savings account with right away. He said to put a little bit of money in the account every month, so that eventually I should have at least $1,000 saved for “emergency situations” like the one I encountered.

In The Book of Virtues, Abraham Lincoln wrote this letter to his stepbrother, John D. Johnston, who had written Lincoln that he was “broke” and “hard-pressed” on the family farm in Coles County, Illinois, and needed a loan. Lincoln’s offer of a matching grant, as we call it today, was recognition that “this habit of uselessly wasting time, is the whole difficulty,” and that getting into the habit of working was far more important to Johnston than getting a loan.

“Dear Johnston:

Your request for eighty dollars, I do not think it best to comply with now. At the various times where I have helped you a little, you have said to me, “We can get along very well now,” but in a very short time I find you in the same difficulty again. Now this can only happen by some defect in your conduct. What the defect is, I think I know. You are not lazy, and still you are an idler. I doubt whether since I saw you, you have done a good whole day’s work, in any one day. You do not very much dislike to work, and still you do not work much, merely because it does not seem to you that you could get much for it.

This habit of uselessly wasting time, is the whole difficulty; it is vastly important to you, and still more so to your children, that you should break this habit. It is more important to them, because they have longer to live, and can keep out of an idle habit before they are in it, easier than they can get out after they are in.

You are now in need of some ready money; and what I propose is, that you shall go to work, “tooth and nail,” for somebody who will give you money for it.

Let father and your boys take charge of your things at home- prepare for a crop, and make the crop, and you go to work for the best money wages, or in discharge of any debt you owe, that you can get. And to secure you a fair reward for your labor, I now promise you that for every dollar you will, between this and the first of May, get for your own labor either in money or in your own indebtedness, I will then give you one other dollar.

By this, if you hire yourself at ten dollars a month, from me you will get ten more, making twenty dollars a month for your work. In this, I do not mean that you shall go off to St. Louis, or the lead mines, or the gold mines, in California, but I mean for you to go at it for the best wages you can get close to home- in Coles County.

Now if you will do this, you will soon be out of debt, and what is better, you will have a habit that will keep you from getting in debt again. But if I should now clear you out, next year you will be just as deep in as ever. You say you would almost give your place in Heaven for $70 or $80. Then you value your place in Heaven very cheaply, for I am sure you can with the offer I make you get the seventy or eighty dollars for four or five months’ work. You say if I furnish you the money you will deed me the land, and if you don’t pay the money back, you will deliver possession-

Nonsense! If you can’t now live with the land, how will you then live without it? You have always been kind to me, and I do not now mean to be unkind to you. On the contrary, if you will but follow my advice, you will find it worth more than eight times eighty dollars to you.

Affectionately,
Your brother
A. Lincoln"

My Fabulous Weekend

This weekend was a lovely weekend. Despite the fact that I had to work both Friday and Saturday, (which I always do,) I requested Sunday off so that I could actually have a weekend day off for once!

Friday night I worked my first “dinner shift” at the Elephant Bar, which went alright. I didn’t leave until after midnight, but it was alright nonetheless. I’m already one of the fastest servers in the west, hehehe. : P And, you make like 3 times more money during dinner shifts then you do working lunch. Tomorrow, I’m going to tell them that if they don’t schedule me at least 2 dinner shifts a week, well, I’m leaving! Take that Elephant Bar, take that! But no…I’m serious. I really am!

Saturday I worked at the Elephant Bar again, (only lunch this time,) which was slow so I requested to be cut early because I wasn’t going to make much money even if I stayed. Blegh. I hate money…but that’s beside the point. Actually, I don’t really have a point, so if you’re waiting for me to get to the point then you’re in for a sad discovery- because there isn’t going to BE one! (Well, besides that the weekend was fabulous…so I guess I sorta DO have a point, LOL.) Anyway!

After work I drove to West Covina to go visit Chris- and since I arrived before 5pm, (Chris has class until 5pm,) I went to Wal-Mart and Starbucks to kill some time. I even brought him a nice, venti hot chocolate! (Aren’t I a great girlfriend? = P) Even though he forgot to drink it until like 5 hours later … but he did drink it, mind you! That evening we went to have a nice dinner at the Elephant Bar, (Now, I know what you’re probably thinking. “Geez, she spends all her time working at the Elephant Bar, now she chooses to spend her off time there too?) You’re quite right in thinking that, but even though I work there, I find I still like to eat there, (as long as it’s not the same one I actually work at.) I love the atmosphere, and I love the food! (I even love a lot of the music that they play!) So THERE. : P

Afterwards we came home and watched a cinematic classic: Spaceballs. Heeheehee, I have sooo many memories of Spaceballs, and I couldn’t help but picture Michelle dressed as Dark Helmet during half the film! (Which makes the movie that much more entertaining!) Then Chris chose to watch Dark City … I think that was the name of it … I HOPE that was the name of it, otherwise Chris will probably kill me because he feels like I don’t like watching the movies he picks out. I mean … the time he tried to show me the anime Escaflowne I fell asleep on the floor, (although I was SICK that night with a fever,) the time we watched the Mel Brooks Western I fell asleep, (because it was like 2:30am,) and the time we watched Rocky 4 (or was it 3?) I fell asleep because … well because it was just plain awful! And I DID let out a few displeased mumbles when he suggested we watch the Jean Claude VanDamn movie ‘Kickboxer.’ But … but I don’t mean to fall asleep and complain, I really don’t! Well anyways, “Dark City” was actually a good movie, and it had Jennifer Connely in it, who I really like. And don’t worry, there was plenty of cuddling and cuteness afterwards. = P

Sunday we slept in until 1:45pm (impressive, huh?) And continued to just lay there until 2:10pm. It was heavenly! The day was all around gloomy: Cloudy, cold, and drizzling rain, so we spent the entire day all cozy watching movies, (Including ‘The Island’ with Ewan McGregar and Scarlett Johansson, which was good.) We even watched the beginning of “The Grudge” just so we could see Lone Star (otherwise known as Bill Pullman,) take a nose dive off the top of a balcony! (Hehehe, ok that was MY request, aren’t I twisted? : P) We also spent several hours rolling around tackling each other on the floor, (yes, you read right, LOL!) Chris even burned me a copy of the Kill Bill soundtrack, which I simply love! I left around 11:30pm (I always hate leaving. Half the time I’m over at Chris’ place, I’m dreading when I have to leave, LOL. I’m pathetic, I know. After getting home and sleeping for about 3 hours, I had to get up for work at 3:45am this morning (such a rude awakening to such a great weekend!) And that’s where I am right now. I’m back from work, just woke up from a nap, and currently have some stomach pains. Ouch. I’ll probably go to Kung-Fu tonight as well so I can work on my Viper Assassination Squad status. Go me. : P

Well, that’s my weekend – in farley decent detail – for those of you who care to know. : )

Pure Ecstasy

The word "Ecstasy" is defined in the Wikipedia as "a category of trance or trancelike states in which an individual transcends ordinary consciousness and as a result has a heightened capacity for exceptional thought or experience."

These past few weeks I've been really tight on money, so I've been avoiding grocery shopping. As a result, I've quite literally been living off of tomato soup and dry cerial, (and occasionally the cookies my apartment has everyday in the living area,) and it was beginning to take it's toll on me. I was either always hungry, and longing for some big hamburger or plate of pasta, or I was not hungry, but felt tired because of just eating soup/dry cerial/and some cookies. Today I broke down and said, enough is enough. I can't keep living off of this crap. I'm always hungry, and when I'm not, it's because I just ate a cookie, which is bad for me. So I just returned from the grocery store, and toasted myself a bagel with garlic herb cream cheese. Let me just say that, the moment of eating each delectable bite of bagel was PURE ECSTASTY!

Sudden Realization

I just realized that Uma Thurman was 33 years old when she did Kill Bill volume 1. That means I still have 10 years to get to the level of being a former member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad! Isn't that great? Heeheehee, I thought so. = P

Autumn

This is one of the times of year that I always look foward to. I love it when you start to feel that crisp, autumn chill in the air, and the green leaves of summer begin to turn vibrant shades of orange, red, and yellow. I love being able to wear cute sweaters and coming home to get all snuggly with a nice, hot cup of apple cider. Unfortunetly here in California, the palm trees don't really turn shades of orange ... or red ... or yellow. In fact, they don't really turn shades at all unless they get too dry, THEN they turn a nice shade of brown, lol.

Back home, this was always the time of year where I'd bake a bunch of autumn/Halloween themed sugar cookies and give them out to friends and family. I suppose I could do that still ... although the list of family and friends would be a bit shorter. = P

It's finally starting to get a bit cooler here, and by cooler I mean in the 70's as apposed to the 90's. But I'm grateful for that tempature change, even if it IS a bit warmer then I'm used to at this time of year.

What I'm really in the mood for right now is to go on a nice, long hike in the mountains. The Rocky Mountains! I want to see the changing trees and feed the ground squirrels. That sounds like fun. =)

The "Ology" of Chris and I

ME

**FOOD-OLOGY**
What is your salad dressing of choice?
Ranch

What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
In'N'Out, McDonald's, and Jack in the Box

What is your favorite sit down restaurant?
Olive Garden, The Elephant Bar, (even though I work there,) AppleBees, Ruby Tuesdays

On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant?
15 %

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick off of?
Ice cream or strawberries ... or spagetti

What are your pizza toppings of choice?Cheese, alfredo sauce, and chicken, and garlic is yummy too

What do you like to put on your toast?
Don't eat toast that often...but if I DO I like butter and strawberry jam

What is your favorite type of gum?
Usually have either Dentyn (however you spell it,) or Eclipse

**TECHN-OLOGY**
Number of contacts in your cell phone?
No idea

Number of contacts in your email address book?
Again...no idea

What is your wallpaper on your computer?
Something random- and it's not my personal computer

What is your screensaver on your computer?
Doesn't really have one

How many televisions are in your house?
In my apartment, one

What kitchen appliance do you use the least?
Uhhhh...alot of them

**BI-OLOGY**
Are you right handed or left handed?
Right

Do you like your smile?
It's okay

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
Nope...not that I'm aware of, lol

Do you prefer to read when you go to the bathroom?
Don't usually do that- I'm really quick when it comes to using the restroom

Which of your five senses do you think is keenest?
Ummm...site...or smell...

When was the last time you had a cavity?
Never had one

What is the heaviest item you lift regularly?
Weights, and the trays of glasses at the Elephant Bar

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
Nope

**MISC-OLOGY**
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
I guess

If you could change your first name, what would you change it to?
Oksana Moon- DUH

How do you express your artistic side?
Singing, writing songs, painting, drawing, scrapbooking, and sewing

What color do you think you look best in?
Blues

How long do you think you could last in a medium security prison?
I can be a very patient person if I have to be

Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake?
Yes, 2 pennies, among other things

If we werent bound by society's conventions, do you have a relative you would make a pass at?No! Although I can think of one who might make a pass at ME, LOL

How often do you go to church?
Not much since I moved

**DARE-OLOGY**
Would you walk naked for a half mile down a public street for $100,000?
Ohhhh yeah- especially right now!

Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100?
Probably..if I had bills to pay- and I currently DO

Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000?No I like my fingers...plus that would really hurt my piano playing abilities

Would you never blog again, for $50,000?
Sure! I didn't even start blogging regularly until like a month ago

Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000?
hmmm..as long as the magazine wasn't printed..lol

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
I'd try my best!

Would you give up watching television for a year for $25,000?
Yes- I've already not watched television for 2 and 1/2 months- for FREE

AND NOW FOR THE CHRIS!

**FOOD-OLOGY**
What is your salad dressing of choice?
Pepsi?

What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
Can I list all of them? :(

What is your favorite sit down restaurant?It's a two-way tie between Elephant Bar (which my gf works at), and the Olive Garden, though I am partial to the desert at Black Angus

On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant?
15 %

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick off of?
Ice cream, pizza, and pepsi

What are your pizza toppings of choice?
Cheese, Pepperoni, Bacon (the American kind), McNuggets, ....

What do you like to put on your toast?
Don't own a toaster, but bacon sounds good!

What is your favorite type of gum?
Usually (Mitsubishi) Eclipse or Mustang

**TECHN-OLOGY**
Number of contacts in your cell phone?
Many - btw, that's a real number in hypothetical math

Number of contacts in your email address book?
Many

What is your wallpaper on your computer?
My home - San Francisco Bay

What is your screensaver on your computer?
Flying Toasters

How many televisions are in your house?
Two - a big one in the living room and a small one in the closet for my cat to lay upon

What kitchen appliance do you use the least?
The oven?

**BI-OLOGY**
Are you right handed or left handed?
Right

Do you like your smile?
No!

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
A tail and two horns

Do you prefer to read when you go to the bathroom?
It depends on how long the journey will last

Which of your five senses do you think is keenest?
They all stink: half-blind, half-deaf, ... I'd go with taste but I also have a gag reflex. Is my brain one of the senses? Pleeeeease

When was the last time you had a cavity?
Several years ago

What is the heaviest item you lift regularly?
My car - it's good for my pectorals and deltoids

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
Ooooh yes! By myself. Try figuring "that" story out

**MISC-OLOGY**
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
Sure would ... I'd hate to think that I spent my life going to school, depriving myself of fun, only to die a day before receiving my masters. I'd rather have fun in that case!

If you could change your first name, what would you change it to?
Octavius (as in Caeser - the impetus behind the Pax Romana)

How do you express your artistic side?
Playing some tunes on the trumpet, karaoke, writing,

What color do you think you look best in?
Blue

How long do you think you could last in a medium security prison?
Long enough to plan the perfect escape.

Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake?
I hope not

If we werent bound by society's conventions, do you have a relative you would make a pass at?Of course not .... conventions or no conventions!

How often do you go to church?
Not much since ... well, I can't remember specifically what year. I'm sure I went in 2001!

**DARE-OLOGY**
Would you walk naked for a half mile down a public street for $100,000?
Yes ... that's almost 1/7th the price of a house!

Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100?
Hmm .... $100 dollars doesn't quite seem worth it seeing as how I make more than that every day at work.

Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000?
Agh! Only if I could get the finger iced and reattached. Even then, I'd have to think about it.

Would you never blog again, for $50,000?
Sure! I haven't blogged in months.

Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000?
Why anyone would want to see me naked is beyond me - but I would definitely go for the easy money.

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
Pft ... too easy. I've done that for a shirt.

Would you give up watching television for a year for $25,000?
Hmm ..... would I still get to watch movies at the theater? If so, yes. However, I'd have to start once I was done with my masters degree (3 classes left). TV is the one thing that keeps you going at 6:30 in the morning, day after day, while doing homework.

*Sniff Sniff*

Alright ya'll ... this is my last blog on the apartment computers! Starting tomorrow, they will begin remodeling this place EVEN THOUGH it doesn't need it ... which means they will be tearing the poor computers out of the wall and redoing the whole place. It's like a full meal deal, everything is included. As a result, I probably won't be able to write and check my messages as often, because I'm not quite sure how the library situation will work out ... I haven't checked that place out yet. Ahhhhh well.

But OH what to blog about now? I mean ... this is my final blog on this computer! It just HAS to be good! Heeheehee ... not really. Uhhh ... I got a compliment from the teacher of my Kung Fu class last night, he said, "I really appreciate your wonderful energy and the devotion you already have to this class." Yep, that's what he said! = D (Even though he worked our BUTTS off last night ... I mean literally ... I felt like my butt was gonna just FALL off! Hehehe!) Aaaaand let's see what else ... oh oh! I got Chris a really cute little something for his birthday next month! (And no, I'm not saying what it is! = P) But it's cuuuute. Speaking of cute, I just got a really cute text message from him about 2 seconds ago! Awwwww! =)

Alright, well that's my morning so far. I have to away with myself shortly in order to get to work, so I realize this makes for a pretty lame "final blog." Ooooooh well!

Oh! I told my Kung Fu teacher just now that I was going to have to stop coming to class this month because of my money issues, (the whole $800 car mess,) and that I would return next month when I "hopefully" have money in my account again- and he said that it's okay if I can't pay for this month's classes, and that I "BETTER NOT STOP COMING TO CLASS BECAUSE OF MONEY!!!" (Exact quote.) Isn't that nice? I thought so.

What the hell?

Alright, so everyone knows about the stupid things that "The Podge" has been doing lately, right? (If you don't, take a look at my blog entitled, "The Tale of the Poor Podge.") Well, I just recieved an e-mail from my dad, and he mentioned that he had recieved an e-mail from Roger about 8 days ago, (he wasn't able to check it until yesterday because he was in Europe,) but he recieved an e-mail in which Roger "expressed some concerns about Chris." WTF? He didn't say WHAT concerns, or what Roger said, but appartently Roger has taken it upon himself to e-mail my dad about Chris. I e-mailed my dad back and, ehem, "clarified" the situation by mentioning all the things that "The Podge" has been doing lately, including continuing to hit on me and to degrade my boyfriend by calling him "cheap," and making fun of him when I'm standing 2 feet away. Grrrrrrrrrr.

My Fantabulous Weekend

This weekend has been a busy one- good but busy. Friday, I worked at the Elephant Bar and then had an audition for a film immediately following. I guess I must have aced my audition, because I got the part on the spot! It was for a short film called ‘Cat & Mouse,’ with this whole detective theme going on in it. I really liked the way it sounded, and was really excited when I found out that they were filming it in black and white, in the style of the movie ‘Sin City.’ Of course I accepted the offer, even though they said they were going to start shooting tomorrow! Chris was planning on coming over to visit me in LA Saturday night, (for the first time!), but I knew I couldn’t turn the part down. So as I was driving home from the meeting … it occurred to me that I was very sad at the prospect of not seeing Chris at all over the weekend, (since the weekend is the only time I get to see him,) = ( so I called him and I desperately invited myself over to his apartment that night, even though he was busy studying for his Saturday class. I figured; only a few hours of seeing him would be better then not seeing him at all! We spent Friday night watching the new special addition of, “The Little Mermaid,” which just came out, and of course which Chris just bought! Heehee. It was great, as usual!

Saturday morning I woke up earlier then I would have liked, because I had to go to work at the Elephant Bar again. I woke up with 50 minutes to wash my face, get dressed, and do all that other stuff girls do in order to get ready. Although I must say, it makes it rather hard to get dressed when your boyfriend is trying to yank off your clothes when you're trying to put them on. I’ll skip what happened over the next 45 minutes. = P I arrived to work only about 7 minutes late, worked my duff off, and then came home to get ready for the film shoot. Saturday night we shot at a mansion in Beverly Hills, which was pretty awsome. The back yard had a full size outdoor basketball court and pool/hot tub. I was even afraid to go to the bathroom, because the counters were made of black marble and the sink and toilet were gold. Yes, I said gold. I was totally imagining a “Dumb and Dumber” happening, where you have to take a MAJOR crap only to find that the toilet is broken, LOL. Anyway, the toilet turned out to be fine, and I didn’t have to take a “MAJOR” crap, so it didn’t matter. The shoot was great, and it was definetly the most “high tech” film I’ve done so far, complete with a fog machine! = P We filmed until about 4am, and I returned home to catch a few hours of sleep before doing it all over again later that day. Went to work, (AND got slammed at the Elephant Bar because it was extremely busy, and some one didn’t bother showing up to work, grrrr …) Like Saturday, I went straight from work back to filming, only this time we were filming in an “echo room” located on the LA film school campus. The scenes we were doing were pretty “emotional ones,” which made it tougher to do, especially when you have to film the same scene about 35-40 times in a row! (Not to mention the fact that the camera is about 2 feet from your face at times, and you have about 12 people hovering around you watching!) But that’s what makes it great. I absolutely love the film making process! I love seeing how everything fits together and I can’t wait to see the film when it’s finished. Actually, we’re filming the rest of the film in a couple weeks, but they’re going to give me a little “preview” tape to watch until then. =)

Well, that was my weekend. I woke up at 4:00am for work this morning after getting 45 minutes of quality sleep, woo hoo! = O Today I'm going to spend doing laundry, maybe writing some music, and going to Kung Fu, yay!

Ohhhh Goody

Hello to my faithul group of blog readers! ... who I ... haven't ... really ... ehem ... built up yet because no one really knows about my blog ... LOL...

Anyway! To those of you who DO know about it and occasionally read it, I just wanted to let you know that starting soon, (perhaps even tomorrow,) I won't really have access to a computer for FOUR months! (Yes, I said FOUR months!) because the computer I use is in the "office center" of my apartement ... which is apparently undergoing remodeling over the next few months. The thing is, it doesn't even NEED remodeling, it's perfectly great looking as it is. Grrrr ... and grrrr. So yeah, unless I win the lottery and am able to BUY a computer, I will occasionally be able to use the one in the public library ... "ohhhhh goody." (Said like Scar, of course.)

My First California Stalker!

At the DMV on Thursday, I finally had my first experience with harassment…literally. Here's how it all went down:

I arrive at the DMV to FINALLY pick up my license plates, but of course, there's a million other people waiting to take care of business, so I'm told the wait will be about 45 minutes. I think, "I've already come this far, what's another 45 minutes?" So I grab my little ticket that reads B259, (I remember that because I spent a lot of time looking at that ticket, LOL.) Anyways, almost immediately after I sat down, this dude comes and sits in the chair next to me. He looks like he's in his early 30's, has tan skin and dark hair, (maybe Middle Eastern…), and he's several inches shorter than me but seems to be quite built. He smiles and greets me by saying, "How are you?" To which I reply, "Fine thanks, you?" "What's your name?" He immediately asks. "Uhhh…Allison…." After several long seconds of silence, he quietly mutters something. "What?" I asked, not hearing what he just said. "Are you single?" He asks a bit louder. I smile, saying, "No I'm sorry, I have a boyfriend, fortunately." Now, you would think that after me informing him that I have a boyfriend, he would lay off a little bit. Yeeeeah … NOT the case. "Can I have your number?" He asks. "Uhhh…no. I don't give my number out to strangers, and I have a boyfriend." Looking a bit frustrated, a persists by asking, "Can we meet at a restaurant?" At this point, I'm beginning to get slightly annoyed, and I answer, "No thanks." To make this story short, let's just say that for the next 45 minutes, this guy preceded to ask me for my number, (or shall I say, BEG me for my number,) at least 15 more times, asked me if we could either meet at a restaurant or his HOUSE at least 5 more times, asked me where I lived several times, where I worked, where "I go," where "I drive," and where "I hang out." Oh and what movies I've done. "You're a movie star? What have you done? What did you play? What is it called? You're soooo pretty!" Oh dear God. After 45 minutes of this nonsense, he finally gets his number called and he gets up to go to the counter. "Phew!" I think to myself, "Finally!" Shortly thereafter, my number gets called as well, and I go up to get my plates. When I'm done taking care of business, I look around the DMV as I'm leaving to make sure this freaking guy had left and wasn't watching me leave. Well … too late. He's already waiting for me outside, where he's smoking a cigarette. After asking me for my number again, and if we could go out again, and if we can have a "deep friendship" again, (to all of which I say NO), he then asks if he can drive me to my car, which is parked a few blocks away. "No thanks!" I say as I begin to walk faster. "Well," he tries desperately, "can I walk you to your car?" At this point, I'm ignoring him and just walking as fast as I can so that I can get the hell away from this stalker! And all the while, he continues to ask if we can go out for coffee "right now," (even though I've already mentioned that I'm going to Orange County right now…and of course he offered to DRIVE me there!) When I finally reached my car, he asked me for my number again, to which I responded – well … I'm pretty sure you can guess what I said. He ended up frantically writing down his name and phone number on a piece of paper, thrusting it into my hands, and asking me about 5 times, "When are you going to call me?" "Well, have a good day!" I ignored. "Can you give me a ride back to my car?" He asked, "No." Gahhhhh.

Bad Day

This morning I woke up sick, and with a bad hair cut. Ewww. Now I get to go to work and probably get stiffed by old people. This day...isn't...going....well.

ALL SYSTEMS ARE A GO!!!

So...after weeks of ridiculous car/dmv issues and not passing the bloody *%$#@! smog check...I finally got my car repaired at Mitsubishi this week and retook the smog test today...and...I PASSED!!! I swear, I just wanted to kiss the mechanic who did the check and gave me the news! (Well okay, maybe not kiss ... but a hug would have been okay, LOL.) ANYWAYS...now all I have to do is take my smog certificate to the DMV and I can recieve my license plates and tags- which I've already paid for. At $375, those better be some damn good looking plates! lol.

Some Where in Between

I'm a dork, and I proudly wear that title like a satin pageant sash draped across my chest. I'll spend hours watching Donald Duck cartoons and looking for Disney Cartoon Classics on E-bay. I can quote an entirely too complicated scene from the movie Space Balls word for word, and have several movies memorized, literally. I subscribe to mailing lists that cover both cooking and meteorology. I've spent entire nights playing Super Mario Karts and Donkey Kong, (and yes, I managed to find all the gold DK coins = P). I spend hours cross-stitching like a grandma, snort laughing like a pig, and playing the piano, (when I have one.) Oh, and I've just added taking Kung Fu to the list, so now I'm another bad ass wannabe, lol. Get the picture?

By most people's standards, (at least the ones in Los Angeles,) I'm not that "cool." I don't know one designer brand from the other, I don't watch 'The OC,' and I don't go clubbing. I'm not ridiculously knowledgeable about foreign films, and I could probably be referred to as a "music blonde" because I don't know all the hottest new music artists out there. (I spend more time listening to 80's music, soundtracks, and things like that.) I can't tell you the four corner stones of hip-hop without looking it up on google first, and I don't like spending hundreds of dollars on an expensive purse. According to LA standards, very not cool.

I'll occasionally indulge in random little things to further my dork quotient, such as playing Tetris on my boyfriend's cell phone, (and yes, I want that game for my own phone now, LOL,) calling place after place to see if they have the Karaoke Revolution volume 3 game for Playstation 2, and attempting to save money so I can go on that much anticipated storm chasing tour. Before I moved, I also used to love attending and hosting game nights and theme parties, with themes such as Dracula, La Boheme, 70's Disco, Mortal Kombat, and Moulin Rouge. And let's not forget the Star Wars laser tag party I hosted for my 15th birthday! (Or the R2-D2 costume I spent hours making- complete with sound- for Michelle's party.)

It's truly a shame that I reside in Los Angeles, where nerds like me are few and far in between. If I was back in the Midwest, (or in the Bay area like Chris says,) I could let my quirkiness, dorkiness, and nerdiness run free with everyone around me. Here, people just look at me like I'm a freak most of the time, LOL. Nevertheless, I still act pretty retarded around these "city people." I mean, you've got these city people scurrying around talking on their cell phones with their oversized sunglasses on, while carrying their lattes from Starbucks and walking their little mini dogs. And theeeeen you have me, running- (and tripping-) around in my sweat pants and t-shirts, carrying around my new Britney Spears purse that my sister just sent me, and wearing a Mario Brothers wrist band with all the different mushrooms on it. Hee hee, it really makes the outfit! = P

So I know it's pretty silly to now be hit with this- the anxiety that comes from knowing that I'm not dorky enough. I can't quote "The Simpsons." I've never been to a video game or Star Wars convention. I pretty much suck at most of the newest video games, and I stink at things like pool and bowling. And while I'm not a super fashionista by any means, I still have a nice hair cut, own cute clothes, and know how to put on make-up. PLUS, I even know how to do my own nails! = O

The cool kids are dorks and vice versa. I'm neither- just a big fan. I'm stuck in between wanting to go shopping and wanting to watch more anime to geekify myself. Oh, the humanity! lol.

I assuage my ego by making fun of both the trendy cool people and the uber-dorks. I snicker and make comments about how some people can spend $500 on a shirt, and laugh at some one else who can blurt out all the geeky computer terms. After doing this, I usually feel much better at the end of the day. = P

The Superstar Barista!

Ok so, apparently at Starbucks this year, they're looking for "partners," (that's what they call their employees,) to submit their original music creations to be judged by 'the Starbucks entertainment panel' (LOL) who will pick the top 15 favorites. THEN the top 15 favorites that were chosen will get their music played in all the Starbucks stores across America, (and there's only you know…like a MILLION of those, lol!) AND to make it even more nifty, they're going to put a compilation cd together of the top fifteen and actually sell them in all the stores! Imagine how funny it would be if I submitted my music and got chosen…picture this: I'm working my usual shift at Starbucks as a customer walks in the door to order a double tall caramel latte and begins to listen to the melodic tunes of my vocal cards playing over the speakers. They begin to look more distant as they start to concentrate on nothing else but the music. They stand there at the counter, holding up a line of agitated customers, unable to order because they're entranced by the music…when suddenly…they ask: "Wow! WHO sings this music that is playing?" To which I respond, "Why that's ME! Would you like to buy my cd right over there?" Heehee, nice thought isn't it? The top 15 will also be heard by record labels as well. How cool is that?! = O Now I just need to record my song so I can send it in by November 15th…damn it…I don't have anything to record with! Now I reeeeally have a good excuse to get that keyboard I've been eyeing at Best Buy for months, because you can record stuff on it! Me want keyboard! Surely I can spare an extra $17 a month? (PLUS $30 for the stand, $15 for the pedal, and $22 on the microphone.) = P

The Real World

These past couple of weeks have been hard- especially on my bank account! I ended up having to spend about $850 extra dollars this past week due to unexpected car/DMV expenses. Normally, I have a budget for every month and I’m prepared. This time, however, I was not prepared. I wasn’t expecting a smog check to end up costing an extra $450, and for my license and registration to end up costing $370 instead of $170. Needless to say, I have been complaining a little this past week…no…make that a lot this past week. After I lamented about my money issues with my dad on the phone, he responded in a hearty voice and said, “Welcome to the real world!” “Blah,” I thought, “I hate the real world!”

After I complained and whined until my heart’s content, I began to think about this whole “being out in the real world” thing. I realized that, despite how hard and annoying it can be some times, I’m really excited to be living out here in this so-called, “real world.” I mean, here I am, living on my own, in Los Angeles no less! And I’m not out on the streets scrounging around for food; I actually live in a really nice apartment about 10 minutes from Beverly Hills! (I didn't say I lived IN Beverly Hills...just by it! = P) Not only am I out here with the freedom to pursue the acting/singing career I’ve always wanted, but I can go to the beach any time of the year! I also get really excited about the fact that I can live in any state I want. I remember when I was little I used to think, “Man, I wish we could live in this state,” or, “it would be really nice to live in that state!” But now I actually can live in “this state” or in “that state!” I can live wherever I please, whether my family feels like moving or not. I can also decorate my own place the way I want, and even get a cat if I want to! (Probably much to the displeasure of my roommates, who don’t like cats, heehee!) So right now I'm settling with visiting Toasty, (my boyfriend's cat,) until I have a place of my own. I aaaalways wanted to get a new cat when I was little, and of course my parents would always say “no.” Quite annoyed, I’d usually whine a bit and act really disappointed…and then I’d try asking them again in about a week. = P But…who’s in the power position to say “yes” now? That’s right- ME!

So all in all, as much as I complain about the downside to living in the “real world,” I’m just as excited about the freedom it offers, so I guess it all evens out! = P

Lessons from Moulin Rouge

:::starts singing::: "The greatest thing, you'll ever learn...is just to love, and be loved in return..."
(Take notes my Podge, take some notes.)

The Tale of the Poor Podge

Last night, I received some interesting communications from my ex-boyfriend, Roger.

Lately, he's been doing what best he can to incite some reaction from me, for example, making fun of me in front of his jockish friends, cursing like a belligerant drunk, fabricating incriminating stories about our breakup for his parents, slandering me, claiming my chance at happiness, satisfaction and love were lost with his departure, and acting like a player (I thought players were the kind of guys who could actually walk up to a woman, but I guess I was wrong!) I thought that's where it would end, but apparently, his newest maneuver to win me back includes posting comments on my myspace page, as well as sending messages that directly comment on my sexuality and his yearning for me. For example, "You're number one where it counts (my heart)." Thanks, but no thanks buster!

*cough cough* He even referred to our relationship as a magic carpet ride dream .... Which is it? A magic carpet, or a dream? Either way, things don't look good. Magic carpets aren't real - is he saying our relationship wasn't real!? Oh .... I'm so ... what's that word Chris? Yes ... it's hurt. Anyhow, as for our relationship having been a dream, I'm sure he's fully aware that not all dreams are good. In my case, it was a long, long nightmare - one from which I had to physically rip myself from (remember the Matrix? Yeah, it was a little bit like that).

As such, my boyfriend and I thought it would be quite Hi-LAR-ious if he were to post comments on my myspace page as well, a sort of satire critiquing the ridiculousness of my ex's current behavior. Lo and behold (don't you just love that phrase? anyways) Rodge-Podge ended up quite the ticked off podge. He sent me not only an angry message lambasting the worth of my boyfriend (Chris), but also a message he wanted me to forward to Chris. Wo .... just wo there. Apparently, "the" podge can't even muster up the liquid courage to send his curse-ridden, grammar-error ridden, and unintelligibility-ridden messages to Chris directly. Not a good sign my poor podge. :P

*May the jock be with you* Nanu Nanu