The Highways and Byways of the Stratosphere |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
We've moved to a new location!
Other People's Blogs and SuchBob Scott Craig Erin Kristina Mark sarah Suzanne See Also:My livejournalMy homepage My links page Archives
|
Tuesday, December 31
There's something on the AOL welcome screen about some Congressman wanting to reinstate the draft. I really hope nothing comes of that, since being drafted has always been one of my greatest fears. I'm pretty sure I'll be safe if nothing happens within the year, but it's still a scary idea. The weird thing about it is that the AOL story says that the Congressman thinks having a draft will make the country LESS likely to go to war. The good news is that I managed to find a copy of Super Mario RPG at GameStop the other day. I'd heard both positive and negative things about this game, and I wanted to check it out. The game was really dirty when I got it, and it wouldn't work correctly, but now it seems to be working fine. I really wish GameStop would clean their games, though, instead of just throwing them all on shelves and in bins with no protection from the dust. The game is kind of corny, and not that challenging (although I probably wouldn't be any good at it if it were), but still fun. I've made it up to Moleville. Sunday, December 29
I want to see The Two Towers sometime soon. I probably won't tomorrow, but I might go with Beth and Mark to see Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets again. I used my Red Lobster gift certificate to take Beth and her Uncle John out this evening. I tried calamari for the first time, and it was pretty good, although it didn't have that much flavor. With the calamari appetizer, however, I wasn't able to finish my main course of shrimp. They give you a lot of food there. I also bought a new leather coat, since I'd been needing a new coat for some time. I think it might have been before I started college that I got my last coat as a present. Thursday, December 26
I just went down to Virginia, where I got some Christmas presents, including a tie with elephants on it and gift certificates to Red Lobster and Chili's. I also saw my grandfather for what will probably be the last time, though, and that was sad. I'm back home now, and I'm kind of bored. I sort of want to play video games, but the only system currently hooked up is my brother's Xbox, and I don't want to play anything on that. Maybe I'll do some writing or something. I don't know. Tuesday, December 24
Now playing: A Christmas mix CD from Beth I have good news and bad news this time. The bad news is that my grandfather is probably going to die soon. He hasn't been doing well, and I knew this was going to happen soon anyway, and it's still really sad. The good news is that Beth and I exchanged Christmas presents the other day. I gave her a stuffed Nyago (a Sanrio character), a stuffed Marie (from The Aristocats) with her birthstone (which is also my birthstone, but that's not important right now), and a Queen Greatest Hits CD. There's something else I want to give her, but I don't think I've gotten it yet. She gave me a new watch (which I really needed), a cute toy Bowser Koopa, some Hershey's Kisses, two Monkees mix CDs that she made, and some cheap CD called Fuerza. Beth's family gave me presents, also. Okay, I need to wrap some presents for other people. Sunday, December 22
Yesterday, I went to Best Buy. The lines there were terrible, but I WAS able to buy a present for Beth. I wish the other thing I had ordered for her would have arrived before I left for her house, but I suppose that will just have to be an after-Christmas present. Thursday, December 19
Oh, and I just found out that I probably won't get my first paycheck until the beginning of January. That sucks, but at least I'm getting one. I'm working at the reference desk, and someone just asked me about MLA citation for webpages. Unfortunately, I couldn't be of much help. They keep changing the rules, and I've never been good with citation styles. I try my best, but I have yet to understand why anyone cares. As long as you say, "This person came up with the idea, and they said it here," why does it matter what style it's in? This is something that's always confused me, and maybe I'm missing something obvious. Wednesday, December 18
Friday, December 13
This apartment building is REALLY annoying me. There are two washing machines in the laundry room, one of which is jammed, while the other ate my token and didn't turn on. I called the office, and they said they might not be able to get anyone over there until later in the afternoon. While I guess that's understandable in a way, it's very irritating, because I desperately need to do laundry before I can go anywhere. I've never known the machines to be this non-functional before, although there HAVE been occasions when they would eat my tokens and do nothing, or constantly get "unbalanced." I don't know what the deal is. I just need some clean clothes soon. If all else fails, maybe I'll have to go to a laundromat, and pay their inflated prices. I hope it won't come to that, especially since I'm running out of time. I have to finish Christmas shopping, since I really don't have that much time left before Christmas. I'll probably go to King of Prussia tomorrow. It looks like I won't be able to work much next month, unless I can find another job. It's a shame, really, since I was hoping I'd be able to work at least as much as I am this month in future months. I guess any paid work is better than none, though. Sometimes I wish there weren't so much I wanted to buy, or (much more often than that) that I had a lot more money, or stuff didn't cost as much. I guess everyone probably thinks those things, though. Wednesday, December 11
 What are you addicted to? brought to you by Quizilla I think that's less true now than it once was. The thing I'm probably closest to being addicted to is the Internet, but, considering the choices on the quiz, I don't think it was a possible result. I don't want to drive in freezing rain today. Tuesday, December 10
There wasn't that much to do at work today. I mean, I helped people with reference questions, and straightened up occasionally, but there was a lot of time when I had nothing to do. This is good in a way, because it means I'm not always rushing around, but it makes me feel a little guilty, and I get worried that they'll soon find my job superfluous. Then again, I think they said it was a slow period around now, and hence a good time to start, so I probably shouldn't worry. Overall, the job is enjoyable, and usually not difficult. I think it'll be good experience, too. I hope I get paid soon, although most of the money I make will probably end up going toward gas, tolls, and food. Sunday, December 8
Yesterday, I went with Beth, her Uncle John, and her cousin Craig (whom we hadn't seen in months) to the Cherry Hill Mall. I'd never been there before, and it's a pretty weird place. I mean, the stores are normal, but the layout is kind of odd. I bought a Super Mario Bros. T-shirt at the Hall of Heroes there. We ate at Bennigan's after that, and that was good. In fact, I still have some of my food left over, and I think I'm going to eat that when I'm done writing this entry. Today, Beth's Uncle Tommy changed my oil for me, which I really needed done. The thing is, I only bought four quarts, because that was what the manual said, but the engine actually holds five quarts. I tried to buy another quart, but none of the stores I went to had the same kind I had used. We also saw Beth's aunt Tina's kitten, who is really cute. In the evening, Beth and I saw a performance of The Nutcracker at Stockton College. It was pretty good, and we had front-row seats. I have to go back to work again tomorrow. I don't really mind the working, but driving there isn't much fun. At least I don't have to drive as far to get there, since I'm going from Beth's place instead of mine. Friday, December 6
If I can go into rant mode for a minute, what is the point of eBay's concept of "reserve"? If you won't accept less than a certain amount, why not make that the minimum bid? All I can see is that they have an odd sense of humor, and like watching people bid amounts that are too low to win the auction. eBay is kind of annoying anyway. I've been trying to find a copy of Super Mario 64, but, despite all the copies that show up there, I can't seem to win any of them. Either they cost too much or someone outbids me towards the end. Oh, well. Thursday, December 5
I hate snow. Walking in it was bad enough, and driving in it is worse. Fortunately, I didn't have to do THAT much driving today. I took the train into Philadelphia to take the civil service test. It wasn't as hard as I feared it might be, but there was stuff on there I really didn't know. I guess I'll just have to wait and see how I did. If I want to take it again, I'll have to wait six months, but I might not really need it anyway, depending on what kind of job I get. As for my current job, I like it all right. There's a lot of time where there's nothing to do, which is good in a way, but also makes the job kind of boring. I hope people don't think I'll lazy for not finding stuff to do, when I don't even know what there is to be done. Tuesday, December 3
I'm a Gin & Tonic, discover your ALcoHoLiC personality! Wow, WAY too many pop-up ads on that site. I started my new job today. It's only part-time and it's far away, but it'll be good experience, and provide more money than sitting at home ever did. I'm a reference librarian at a community college. I learned a lot about what I would be doing today, and it didn't seem like it would be that difficult. I hope to be able to move closer to there someday soon, since it's a long commute, and I'm already kind of annoyed by it. Saturday, November 30
I am unsure as to whether I should buy XTC's Fuzzy Warbles discs. I'm sure they'll be good, but the price the official site is charging seems a bit steep (over $24 each, with shipping). Maybe I should see if I can find them anywhere else, although they probably wouldn't be autographed by Andy Partridge if I do get them elsewhere. Friday, November 29
From The Spark's pick-up test: What's up frigidaire. You are 17% pickup-able! You're cold and unapproachable, like a big glacier that's unapproachable. And cold. Unlike the Arctic tundra, few even venture to plant their flag in you. You're definitely not a Scorpio, unless you were born between October 23 and November 21. The bad news is that you'll end up miserable and alone, probably knitting doilies out of cat hair. The good news is that this is apparently what you want. Honestly, I don't even feel comfortable talking to you right now, so I'm just gonna go… yeah… wash my friend's hair. Tuesday, November 26
 Which Tori Amos Era are you? brought to you by Quizilla That's pretty weird. Anyway, I'd better finish getting ready for my interview. Monday, November 25
The lady from Trenton called recently, and cancelled my interview. I didn't really want to drive up there today anyway, but I did kind of want to get it over with. They said they were postponing interviews for a few weeks due to a busy schedule, but I hope I actually get one when they start scheduling them again. I might have an interview at another library tomorrow or Wednesday, though, if they reply to my e-mail. Maybe I should try calling them in a few hours if they don't reply by then. Sunday, November 24
It's been a while since anyone has commented on my blog. Not that it really matters all that much, and I'm not trying to get people to give pointless token replies to things they don't really care about, but is what I say really that uninteresting? With that out of the way, here are a few things that almost definitely won't spawn any comments: 1. Yesterday, I took Beth and her Uncle John to the King of Prussia Mall. I think it was the first time they'd ever been there. 2. I occasionally check my recommendations at Amazon, but, as of recently, it's been trying to recommend things I've already rated. Maybe it's some kind of bug or something. I guess it doesn't really matter much, since I don't think I've ever actually bought anything based on an Amazon recommendation. 3. I have an interview tomorrow in Trenton, but they still haven't told me what time. Apparently, they'll be calling tomorrow, and telling me when I should come in. I hope they leave me plenty of time, since I've never driven anywhere near there before, and I'm not even sure of the best way to get there. Friday, November 22
I just recently got back from seeing Frank Black (and the Catholics) in Philadelphia. I actually drove out there, and parked in a lot where the attendant was kind of a jerk. These people always seem to assume that I can park in a narrow space, and maneuver really well, but those things just aren't that necessary in the suburbs. I'm sure I'll get better with time, but I don't know why parking attendants aren't a little friendlier to us non-city folk. That's not that important, though. My first stop (after killing some time) was Tower Records, for an in-store. That was just Frank solo, and I don't remember the exact order of the songs, but he started with "Whiskey In Your Shoes" and ended with "Cactus." He also played "Bullet," and told the story behind the song. Apparently, when Frank's father died, his brother called him up to say he had found a secret compartment in the attic filled with unlicensed guns, each loaded with one bullet. Weird stuff. Cool song, though. The other things he played at the in-store, with asterisks to indicate stuff I hadn't heard before, were: Nadine* Mr. Grieves All My Ghosts Manitoba* Crackity Jones Horrible Day* Cold Heart Of Stone Shrimp Song* I had been wanting to bring a CD for Frank to sign, but I forgot. I got a poster there, though, and he signed it. I was too nervous to say much of anything to him, but I shook his hand. Then came the big show at the TLA. It took a while for the crowds to get in (probably largely because there were three openers), so I rested my feet up on the balcony before it started, and then went downstairs to stand near the stage. The first opener was former Pixies (and Cracker) drummer David Lovering, who did a somewhat scientifically-based magic show. Then came the Reid Paley Trio, with a lead singer and guitarist (apparently Reid Paley) who had a devil goatee and spat on the stage several times. I didn't think that much of them, probably mostly because I didn't much care for Reid's voice. The final opener, the Bennies, were pretty good, but not really something I'd want to get into. Their music was loud, fast, punkish stuff. Finally, at around 11:30, Frank and his band took the stage. Here's what they played (with the asterisk system used again): Gouge Away Dog In The Sand I've Seen Your Picture (really cool) Cactus I Want Rock 'n' Roll Crackity Jones Thalassocracy (I didn't recognize this until a little bit into the song) Steak And Sabre Bullet Dirty Old Town* (I'm not sure if that's the real title) Nadine Manitoba Monkey Gone To Heaven (with steel guitar, and including the line "rock me, Joe," even though no one in the band was named Joe) Jane The Queen Of Love Wave Of Mutilation Six Sixty-Six (something I'd been hoping to hear live) How You Went So Far Horrible Day Solid Gold Men In Black (another one I was hoping to hear) (no relation to the Will Smith song of the same name) Southbound Bevy (didn't seem to get much of a reaction from the audience in general, but I liked it a lot) Whiskey In Your Shoes (the only Devil's Workshop song in the set, oddly enough; I was hoping for "Velvety" or something) John The Revelator* (I'd heard this title before, but I didn't relate it to the song. I guess it's about John of Patmos, who wrote the Book of Revelation, but I don't know that for sure.) Cold Heart Of Stone Shrimp Song The Farewell Bend Black Rider ENCORE: Mr. Grieves (without the band) I don't know why he only did one encore (maybe because it was getting so late), but there was so much good stuff in the show that I can't really complain. It was a lot of fun. Driving back through Philadelphia in the rain WASN'T that much fun, but I managed, and this was actually the easiest time I had getting somewhere in the city. I guess the trick is to get exact directions, and, if possible, to avoid the Vine Street Expressway. (That road ALWAYS confuses me.) Wednesday, November 20
My MASH results: You will live in House. You will drive a purple Ford Focus. You will marry Connie Chung and have 2 kids. You will be a cashier in Chicago. I think it picked my joke answers on purpose. At least I'll live in a house, and won't have fifteen kids (which was one of the options I chose, by the way). Monday, November 18
I'm 25 years old now. It isn't that much different from being 24, as far as I can tell. People who see me in real life often seem to think I'm younger than I really am, while I've had people I only talk to on the Internet thinking I'm older. It's weird. I guess I'm more mature online than in real life. I'm not having much luck with my job search. Since libraries haven't been reacting very favorably to me, I've been looking for more part-time stuff. I applied at Target, which actually has computerized applications. As someone with bad handwriting and a tendency to get nervous when asking about job opportunities, I think this is a good idea. Target apparently has some positions available, so maybe that will pan out. I won't be able to move out on that kind of money, but at least I'll probably make enough to pay my dad back for the car, and stuff like that. Saturday, November 16
Today, I saw Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets with Beth and her Uncle John. I liked it, but, for some reason, the stuff they cut out of the story bothered me more this time than it did with the first movie. There was no garden de-gnoming or Harry seeing the Malfoys at the shop on Knockturn Alley (Beth's favorite part in the book, from what she told me). Peeves still wasn't there, and neither was Professor Binns. Nearly Headless Nick's party also wasn't shown. It seems kind of like Chris Columbus is anti-ghost, but I guess they're generally not relevant to the plot. The cuts will probably only get worse in the later movies. (I mean, how long would Goblet of Fire be if they kept in everything?) As far as visuals go, I didn't really care for the way they did the howler. Fawkes looked a little sillier than I expected, but this wasn't really a problem. I did like Dobby, and I thought the ink flowing out like blood when Harry stabbed Tom Riddle's diary was a neat effect. (Was it described as being like that in the book? I guess I'll have to go back and check.) I'll probably see the movie again sometime soon (and stay until after the credits, since there is apparently a scene that I missed). The other day, I saw Weird Al on VH1's "Rock the House." He helped to redecorate a room of some fan's house in a strange manner. The whole redecorating show trend is somewhat lost on me, but it was pretty cool. They also played a bit of my favorite Cracker song during the show. I have no idea WHY they played it, but I was glad to hear it. Beth and I recently got back from seeing Tori Amos in concert. It was a good show. I had seen her once before, at the auditorium of my old school. I was probably closer to the stage that time, but the venue wasn't as nice, and the sound was worse. Also, at that point, the only one of her albums I had heard was Little Earthquakes, so I wasn't familiar with most of the material. (From the Choirgirl Hotel was the most recent album at the time, in case anyone cares.) This time, I knew most of what she played. It was a good mix of stuff from various albums, although understandably heavy on Scarlet's Walk material. Of the stuff played, my favorites included "Black Dove," "Take To The Sky," "Wednesday," and "Cornflake Girl." She also did an amusing rendition of "The Wheels On The Bus." Friday, November 15
Why are the AOL Yellow Pages listings so often outdated? With all the "updating" AOL is constantly doing, doesn't it seem like they could fix their listings every once in a while? (That and fix their e-mail program, but that goes without saying.) Tuesday, November 12
I almost forgot that I was going to send a book today that some guy had bought from me through half.com. Fortunately, I got to the post office before it closed. Dave Hardenbrook, who moderates the Nonestica mailing list, has decided to shut it down for two weeks, due to some rudeness on there. I wasn't rude, though, so why should I suffer? I guess I've just been on much ruder mailing lists before, so I'm used to stuff like that. That's my favorite mailing list, and it'll be a shame not to be able to participate in any Oz-related discussion for that long. Monday, November 11
I got to my interview all right, and I guess it went pretty well, although I don't know for sure. It's not easy for me to tell. Afterwards, I went to a Radio Shack in a nearby mall to try to buy a car power adapter for my Discman. The first clerk I talked to didn't seem to know what he was talking about, and he sold me an adapter that wouldn't even fit properly. I brought it back, hoping to put the cost of it toward one that would actually work, but the cheapest one was $14 or so, and I thought that was a bit steep, especially when I think I've seen a power adapter PLUS a CD-to-cassette thing (which I already have) for $20. Ugh, I have an interview today, and I had trouble sleeping last night, so I didn't do much of it. I wish I were better rested. I also hope I can get to the place all right, since I've never driven to the area before. Sunday, November 10
This weekend, I tried to help Mark with math. I don't think I did a very good job, though, both because I didn't remember it that well myself (I haven't taken a math class since high school), and because I'm just not that good at teaching. When something is obvious to me, it's hard for me to explain it to someone for whom it isn't obvious. I think, if I were ever to teach something, it would have to be something that has more emphasis on facts than on how to do stuff. Football is stupid. I want a new Futurama episode! (I think football is stupid even when Futurama isn't involved, but I usually don't have any real reason to complain about it.) At least there's a new Simpsons (I hope). Saturday, November 9
Friday, November 8
I want to take Beth to see a performance of The Nutcracker sometime before Christmas, but I'm having a hard time finding somewhere that's showing it. One place says to call them for information, but no one there ever answers the phone or returns calls. Pretty much all the e-mail I've gotten all day has consisted of replies to some French guy who just joined the They Might Be Giants mailing list. It seems like I should have at least gotten something from Nonestica, if nothing else. What's up with that? Thursday, November 7
 How can I label you? brought to you by Quizilla No, I'm not. I think I'm too old to be emo, anyway. I assume that quiz was for both guys and girls, due to the last answer for the first question. On the other hand, the FIRST answer for that question includes "a skirt," without specifying the male counterpart. Oh, well. Anything involving labels is pretty dumb anyway. Tuesday, November 5
Now playing: Camper Van Beethoven, "Une Fois" I voted today, but the Halloween store was closed, so I didn't get to use my store credit. I really should have gone yesterday, but it might have been closed then, too. I really don't know when it closed. I doubt I'll be able to use it next year (although I guess it's possible, if the same manager is working there). Actually, I don't even know exactly where the little slip of paper he gave me (it wasn't an official gift certificate or anything) is. I guess I just won't worry about it, but it seems like kind of a waste. I got the CVB box set in the mail today. It's their first three albums, plus Camper Vantiquities. I already had three of the discs in some form, but it's nice to have them all on CD, and I think there was a significant amount of stuff I DIDN'T have. It also comes with a booklet, which seems pretty interesting. I like to read stuff like that, with opinions and explanations on a band's songs. Monday, November 4
I got my hair cut today, and mailed an old school book to someone who had bought it from me through half.com. The post office was apparently out of the normal yellow padded envelopes, though, so I used some red Christmas thing. That's not a problem, but it'll probably be weird for the person getting it. I listened to the Ben Folds Live CD (has anyone else who has it noticed that the L in "Live" looks like an upside-down F?) in the car last night, and it's really good. I need to look into getting some of his earlier (i.e., Ben Folds Five) stuff. Maybe if I ever join a CD club. Saturday, November 2
I like the Final Fantasy games (the ones I've played, anyway), but this quiz wasn't really that good. Friday, November 1
Tonight, Beth and I went out to eat at Denny's, and then we went to Tunes and Wal-Mart. I ended up buying two relatively new CD's, the new Ben Folds (the limited edition, with the DVD and the curse words intact) and Tori Amos (not the limited edition of that one, though). My Tori CD has a cracked case, though, so I'm going to go back tomorrow or the next day and try to exchange it. My Halloween was pretty good, by the way. I ended up paying too much for a knight costume that didn't even have the gauntlets. I'm supposed to get $10 credit at the Halloween Adventure near home (they refused to just give me $10 back), so I'm hoping it's still open by the time I get back home. Wednesday, October 30
I have to go shopping for a Halloween costume sometime today. I hope there's something decent left. I ordered the Camper Van Beethoven box set, but it won't actually be released for over a week. Tuesday, October 29
I still don't know what to be for Halloween this year. Anyone have any ideas? It should be something fairly easy and cheap, but not totally lame. The new Tori Amos album and Lemony Snicket book were released today. I doubt I'll buy either one, but I don't know. Monday, October 28
Not only did I not get the job I wanted, but NO ONE did. It was supposed to be a newly created position, but there was new management or something at the library, and it was never actually created. For some reason, this makes it even worse than if they had simply rejected me, possibly because I realize there are other people in my position, and ONE person (even if it isn't me) getting the job is probably better than nobody getting it at all. I got my concert ticket and my replacement hubcap. One of my tires seems to have low pressure, though, and I'm not sure whether it needs to be changed, or just needs more air. According to a possibly unreliable person on the alt.music.tmbg newsgroup, the They Might Be Giants song "John Lee Supertaster" actually IS about John Lee of Muckafurgason, which is a suggestion I had jokingly made some time ago. (It is not, however, about my girlfriend's cousin's boyfriend, who is also named John Lee.) I'm worried that I'll never get a job, but I'm also kind of worried about actually getting a job. The money and the ability to get my own place will be nice, but it hardly seems like there's enough time in a day NOW, and I don't really do anything. I'm not sure I can imagine what it would be like if I had a full-time job. I guess I would adjust eventually. Mapping utilities (like MapQuest and Rand McNally are weird. Regardless of where you're going, they pretty much always tell you to take the most major highway in the area. I really don't think I need to take the by-pass to go two miles. Beth and I went on another hayride tonight, this time with Mark. This was after a trip to the mall, where I had intended to buy a concert ticket at the Ticketmaster outlet in Strawbridge's, but they closed shortly before I got there, which was maddening. The hayride itself was fun, but the lines were really long (much worse than the ones in Medford), and they eventually let us off the wagon for a haunted trail and house. The house ended up being scary, but not for the right reasons. It was VERY dark in there, and there were a lot of doors that had to be opened, as well as one part where you had to go up a ramp and down another one. It seems to me like making people walk down ramps in the dark is pretty dangerous. Fortunately, we didn't fall or anything. Sunday, October 27
Tonight, Beth and I saw a local Halloween parade, and went on a haunted hayride at a Christmas tree farm in Medford. The parade was very low-key, but all right. I did get a hat advertising the local Democratic candidates, although I can't vote for any of them. The hayride was well-done, and included some humor in addition to the scary stuff. Some of it was just weird, though. A witch summoned some kid who danced to Eminem, and the scenery included two peeing skeletons. Saturday, October 26
I don't really have much to report now. Beth showed me The People Under the Stairs, which was directed by Wes Craven, but was almost more of a social commentary than a horror movie. On Friday, we went out to a new Subway in the area with Beth's mom and uncle. The food was good, but they didn't cut the bread in the typical Subway fashion, meaning it was messier than usual. It didn't taste any different, but it was just weird, sort of like if I had ordered a burger at Wendy's and it turned out to be round (not that I ever get burgers at Wendy's; it was just an example). After a little bit of shopping, we came back to Beth's house, and I went to bed, having not slept much the night before. I think I'm the only one up here now. I'm hoping to go to the mall sometime today, and maybe see a movie with Beth. I guess that's all for now. Thursday, October 24
Last night, Beth and I saw The Ring. It was pretty scary, largely because of how it was made. There were a lot of times when images would flash on the screen, accompanied by the soundtrack getting louder. It was a fairly frightening concept anyway, but all the flashing and noise was what really got to me, I would say. I don't want to give too much about it away, in case anyone reading this might want to see it, so I won't go into any more detail just now. Monday, October 21
I had a fairly eventful weekend. On Friday, Beth and I saw Ben Folds in Philadelphia. I've always heard people complain about city driving, but I never really understood why. Now I do. It's complicated, what with all those one-way streets and roads that don't go through to where you want to go. It doesn't help matters that they tend to be crowded with people who know EXACTLY where they're going, and make it hard to switch lanes or collect your bearings. I got there all right, although it was later than we would have hoped, and we didn't get very good places. At least they were better than last time, though--I could actually see Ben's face this time. I'm really starting to dislike standing room only concerts; I think I'd almost prefer a bad seat to a good standing place, just because it wouldn't be so exhausting. Maybe I'll change my mind after seeing Tori Amos from a not-very-good seat, but it's just painful to stand throughout an entire show, especially when there are breaks with nothing happening (and it took FOREVER for Ben to get on stage after the opening act had finished). I know that it hurt Beth's legs and back. Unfortunately, I'm not really a fan of any bands big enough to play huge arenas, or small enough to only play coffeeshops and bars (not that I like bars anyway), so I'm usually stuck standing when I go to concerts. I did get to go to a sit-down They Might Be Giants show once, but a lot of people there didn't even sit down through most of it. (It was last November 16th, in case anyone wants to search the archives for my account of that concert.) The show itself was pretty cool, though. It's amazing how good Ben can sound with just a piano. He did a lot of the same stuff he did last time, but a few cool new things as well. He played a drum set (which was actually assembled by a roadie during the song) for "Steven's Last Night In Town," and did an amusing rendition of "I Touch Myself" with opener Ben Lee. Even though I wasn't all that impressed by Lee's own songs (they weren't bad at all, just not anything that blew me away), I thought it was cool that Folds actually interacted with him. I like it when the main act does something with the opener, so that it's not just like the opener is some random act that has nothing to do with the headliner. On Saturday, Beth and I went to Great Adventure with Beth's cousin Marji and Marji's husband Ronnie. Due to a combination of leaving pretty late and long lines, we weren't able to ride very much (I wish we could have ridden Nitro, but we didn't have time), but it was still fun, and at least we could get in for half price. Thursday, October 17
Is it going to rain EVERY Thursday night? Fortunately, it looks like I'll be driving away from the rain tonight, which is good. Wednesday, October 16
YACCS says something about old comments being unavailable, so I guess they're on top of the problem. I did a few scheduled maintenance checks on my car today. The lights and oil are fine, but I'm not sure about the windshield wiper fluid, and the manual doesn't do a very good job of explaining it. I need to buy some more fluid anyway. I guess I'll do that tomorrow. Would they sell it at any store that carries automotive supplies? I also need to check the tire pressure, but I'll do that when it's not raining. My mom gave me a digital tire pressure gauge, so it shouldn't be that difficult. Tuesday, October 15
What happened to all my old comments? YACCS seems to have lost about thirty of them, and Beth has the same problem. The 27th of this month is "Oz Day" at Books of Wonder. I seriously doubt I'll go to it (maybe if I had something else to do in New York that weekend, but it's not worth going JUST for that), but it's pretty cool that there IS one. Monday, October 14
I have a Tarot deck, but I never really learned to do anything with it. There was more traffic on the way home between 5 and 6 AM than I would have expected. A lot of trucks, especially. I didn't have any problems getting back, though, so I guess it isn't a problem. I should do some maintenance checks on my car tomorrow, since I haven't yet, and I've had the car for over a month. (Wow, has it really been THAT long?) I'm wondering whether I should get a pet when I get my own place. I've always been fond of cats, and, thanks largely to Beth, I'm warming up to dogs. (I used to be afraid of them.) I just don't know how good I would be as a pet owner. I'm sure I would love the pet, and feed it and all of that obvious stuff. I'm just worried that I'm not careful and gentle enough, and wouldn't necessarily know what to do in a situation where the pet had a problem. I guess this is one reason I don't want to have children, also, although not the main reason. Saturday, October 12
There's now a section of the XTC forum where Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding answer fans' questions. It's pretty interesting. I used to read the forum occasionally back when XTC's website first came online, but I haven't looked at it in some time. Actually, I haven't listened to much XTC recently, either. I'm hoping they come out with a new album sometime soon. There's the Fuzzy Warbles demo collection in the works (to which Colin refuses to contribute), but I'd also like to hear some new songs. I guess I should just be glad I didn't become a fan until the END of their strike with Virgin Records. Speaking of musicians answering questions, I wish Weird Al would start doing the Ask Al column again. I guess being married is taking up too much of his time. {g} Friday, October 11
Beth and I were going to go to Great Adventure today, but both she and her cousin Marji, who was going to go with us, aren't feeling very well. It's also raining, so we decided not to go. DaVinci's Notebook is having a concert nearby, but we never got tickets for it, so we're not seeing that either. I'm hungry. I'm going to make myself a ham sandwich soon, but I wonder whether I should go out after that. Thursday, October 10
I'm really tired. I wish I didn't have so much to do today. (Okay, it's really not THAT much, but I have to go to the post office soon, then to my mom's, and later to Beth's.) Wednesday, October 9
I'm working on sending résumés to various libraries in Beth's area, even if they don't actually advertise positions. I'm hoping I'll get some replies, because I really need a job. I wasn't able to address as many as I would have wanted last night, because Comcast had more Internet troubles, but everything seems to be working okay now, so I'll probably get back on that soon. Monday, October 7
Beth and I just finished watching I Know What You Did Last Summer. It was better than I thought it would be, and it managed to hold my interest all the way through. Beth is trying to get me interested in horror movies, which is a genre I just never watched in my youth (well, my previous youth, since I'm still pretty young). I don't think I'll ever be as much into horror as she is, but I've liked a lot of what she's shown me. I want to go to Great Adventure soon, but I don't want it to cost an arm and a leg. Burger King had some $10 off coupons, but that really isn't enough off. I don't even know why admission is so high when the park isn't even open for very many hours per day. Friday, October 4
Tuesday, October 1
I got my People Are Wrong! sampler in the mail recently. It's pretty cool, and I wish I could have actually seen it, but no such luck. Oh, well. ScanDisk takes a LONG time to complete on my computer. It's kind of annoying. I guess I don't have to run it that often, though. I had some weird dreams last night, and I remember waking up from at least one and thinking that I was glad it wasn't real. I remember one where my car wouldn't stop when put in park. My parents told me I might have to get a new engine. I think there was another bad dream, but I don't know what happened. I know there was one where I was playing The Sims and several of my characters lost their jobs, but I don't think that one was so bad. Besides, in real life, my game keeps crashing, and that's probably worse. Sunday, September 29
I'm wondering what I should do about my web page. I've been meaning to do some serious editing to it for some time, but I'm not exactly sure what kind of editing needs to be done. I DO think it would be a good idea to move it, since it's impossible to access a Geocities page without a zillion ads popping up. I don't want to pay for space, though (the site isn't that important), and I don't know of any free server that doesn't have the pop-up ads. I'm pretty sure Comcast, which my dad uses, has web space, but I don't know how much longer I'll have access to that. Any ideas? I had a dream that I had an interview at a school library, and I showed up for it in my pajamas. Oddly enough, the lady interviewing me didn't seem to care, but I was afraid afterwards that I didn't get the job because of that. Saturday, September 28
The other day, I got a call from a nearby library system saying that they had no positions available. Just recently, however, that same library system advertised several positions, and the ad was still up a few days ago. I guess it's possible they've already been filled, but that's really a shame. I'm starting to think I'll never find a job. Wednesday, September 25
Now playing: Sloan, Between the Bridges I got the new Sims expansion pack yesterday. You can buy pets now, and it's pretty cool how it works. Dogs can drink from the toilet, bark at the doorbell, and apparently chase the mail lady (I haven't actually seen that last one yet). Cats can use scratching posts, annoy birds, and hunt mice (although I don't think the mice will appear unless you have a cat). A few of my families have gotten pets, and it doesn't seem that difficult to take care of them, but I haven't quite mastered training them as of yet. There are also bigger neighborhoods now, and community lots that your families can visit. I think Unleashed is probably a better expansion pack than the last three. House Party and Vacation are fairly narrow in scope, and Hot Date was a good idea, but rather poorly executed. The downtown area is so complicated, slow-running, and full of bugs that I hardly ever send my characters there, except occasionally to buy stuff. I do have a few minor gripes about Unleashed, but nothing really serious. For one thing, the intro is back. This isn't that bad, since you can skip it with the push of a button, but it was absent from Vacation, and I was glad to see it go. I have no clue why they would have put it back in for this expansion pack. Also, as with Vacation and (for the most part) Hot Date, all of the new residential and community lots are exactly the same for every neighborhood, and none of them are vacant. I realize that I can bulldoze and start over, but I'd like to keep the stuff the programmers put in AND add my own. The original game provided both ready-made houses and vacant lots, and Livin' Large put some new stuff in the second neighborhood. Oh, well. If anyone who reads my blog has never played The Sims, that last paragraph will go entirely over their heads. Sorry about that. I got another job interview, which is a good thing. I just hope I don't mess it up. And yes, I realize I might not get the job even if I DON'T mess up, but I don't want to feel it's my fault if I don't get it. I wish those things I ordered would come in the mail. Tuesday, September 24
Sunday, September 22
Okay, let me see what I've been up to recently. On Friday night, I got a membership at a Blockbuster near Beth's house, and we rented The Other Sister and Ghost World, the former because Beth wanted me to see how crappy it was, and the latter because she liked it. The Other Sister was about two retarded people falling in love (and having sex, in one particularly disturbing scene). One thing I noticed about it was that it seemed the writers felt obligated to provide some minor characterization for the retarded girl's two sisters (perhaps so the title would fit?), so they made one of them gay. The family was very rich and conservative; at one point, the dad (actually the more likeable of the two parents) said he was glad his kids hadn't become Democrats. I liked Ghost World, and thought it managed to have an artistic feel and a theme of teen alienation without becoming too pretentious. On Saturday, Beth and I saw Mr. Show at the Electric Factory. It was really funny. They did one sketch I recognized from what I've seen of the show (the first two seasons), but the rest of it was new to me. There were some technical problems (pretty much par for the course with Philadelphia shows), but the cast impressed me by doing some improvisation and making fun of the venue when this happened. Last night, we saw a few videos on M2 that had been selected by Courtney Love, and I was somewhat disturbed to find that I actually liked most of them, up until she decided to show the Alice in Chains Unplugged special in its entirety. It was the first time I had seen a Pixies video on TV, and while the video wasn't very good (I've heard that they made most of their videos to be purposely pathetic), it's always cool to see a band you like being played. Okay, I suppose that's all for now. Saturday, September 21
J.K. Rowling is apparently pregnant. She'll use ANY excuse to not finish that fifth Harry Potter book, won't she? {g} Thursday, September 19
Stuff I want: The Camper Van Beethoven box set The new Sims expansion pack Stuff I don't have: Money A job Wednesday, September 18
I'm terrible at taking phone messages. It's not really that big of a deal, since most of the messages people give me are unimportant (Gold Card days at GNC) or something people should know already (dentist's appointments). Still, I should probably keep some writing implements near the phone. People like to call and leave messages when I'm half-asleep, though, which makes it kind of difficult. Is it weird that I like to eat ham sandwiches on Jewish rye bread? My Internet connection was down a little while ago, but it seems to be working okay now. I just hope it isn't like the last time I had problems, where it worked for a little while and then stopped. I have to call about the civil service test today. Is it pathetic or normal that I got out of graduate school in March, and I still haven't found a job? Monday, September 16
Kmart sent me a paycheck for $3.76. I wonder what it's for. Oh, well. Getting an unexpected $3.76 isn't a bad thing. Saturday, September 14
Yesterday, I ate at Taco Bell. This was only the second time I had had their tacos, and I was somewhat surprised to find that I liked them both times. I generally don't care for Mexican food because I don't like things that are hot and spicy, but the tacos really weren't either. I did develop a bit of a stomachache afterwards, but I can't tell if it was from that. I guess I would go back to Taco Bell again. In the evening, Beth and I watched A Clockwork Orange, which I had never seen before. It was pretty interesting. Beth decided that the movie was anti-behaviorism, and I guess that's true, but I've never had the film and psychology classes that she has. Friday, September 13
I drove Beth to school today, only to find that the foreign language lab had already closed. Beth's school sucks. I remember when I took German in college, and the foreign language lab was for extra credit. I tried to do the exercises there once, couldn't figure it out (couldn't figure out how to work the tape recorder, that is, not the exercises themselves), and gave up on it. Thursday, September 12
I just called a few temp agencies. When I was on hold with one of them, they played that song "Get Here" (the one with that rather offensive lyric, "You can get here by caravan, across the desert like an Arab man"). Thanks to American Idol, I can't hear that song without thinking of Justin "I have to coax my hair" Guarini. Wednesday, September 11
I went to the Ford dealer today, and they said they'd have to order a new hubcap, and it would be a few days. Tuesday, September 10
Well, I did go to Pizza Hut this evening. I wish I had remembered to bring a book for while I was waiting, but, fortunately, the wait wasn't that long. While I was waiting, I took a look at the jukebox, and, while I was there, some little girl wrapped her arms around my legs. I wasn't sure how to react to that; I think I just said, "What?" and she left. I had a large pan pizza with extra cheese all to myself, which means I have leftovers, but I like leftover pizza. I tend to prefer NOT having leftovers at some restaurants, especially the TGI Friday's/Chili's/Ruby Tuesday variety, because their food doesn't reheat all that well, but pizza is different. I wonder whether the few people who read my blog prefer pointless entries like this, or no entries at all. I called the Ford dealership too late in the day, and service department is closed. I guess I'll call them again tomorrow morning. I'm sure I can survive without a hubcap, but I hope they can do something about it. I'm back home now, and I got back without much trouble, except for hitting another (probably small) pothole, and pulling up too far to the right at a tollbooth. Beth has been lending me the Lemony Snicket books to read. I recently finished the fifth one, The Austere Academy, and I must admit that I was more anxious to get into the sixth (The Ersatz Elevator) than I was for most of the others, since the fifth ends on a cliffhanger. I have a suspicion that the sixth book won't actually reveal what "V.F.D." means, though. Maybe I'll go to eat at Pizza Hut this evening. I haven't been there in some time, and I've been wanting to. I do tend to eat a lot of pizza, though. To get serious for a minute, I really hope the anniversary of September 11 tomorrow doesn't lead to any new terrorist attacks. I know the fact that the date is the same doesn't necessarily mean anything, but it's still scary. Of course, there have been plenty of scares throughout the year, and nothing in THIS country of the same magnitude (I'm not trying to be disrespectful of other countries, but it's always worse when it's close to home), so maybe my worries are for nothing. I hope so. It's just that hearing about a heightened sense of security and all that isn't really that reassuring, especially considering the surprising nature of last year's attacks. I'll really never understand what motivates terrorists. Yeah, their excuses are sometimes found out, and there's probably some merit to the idea that the United States is being careless with other countries and making a lot of enemies, but I just can't see what anyone would hope to accomplish by blowing up a building, you know? Sunday, September 8
I drove to Beth's house. I thought it would be really scary, but it wasn't that bad. The worst part was when I took the wrong exit twice in a row and got lost. While lost, I hit a pothole, and my hubcap fell off, but I didn't realize it until later, so I couldn't get it back. I still need to get a new one. I wonder if the dealer could help with that. I drove around Beth's area a little bit, and it doesn't seem so bad, although there was a lot of traffic this evening, when I took Beth and Mark to Denny's. Tomorrow, I'm going to hand in a résumé and cover letter for a nearby library. I'd be glad to get a job there, since it's so close by, but I don't know what the odds of that actually happening are. Probably not so great. Friday, September 6
I don't think my interview yesterday went all that well. I actually talked to two ladies, and the interview with the first one was okay, but the other one (who actually worked at the library; the other one was just in human resources for the school) gave me the impression that I wasn't what she was looking for. It didn't help that I didn't know how to answer most of her questions. Oh, well. I don't think that's true, though. I don't even go outside very much, except when I have to. I used to like to sit outside and read when I was at college, but there really aren't any good spots around here for doing that, and that doesn't have anything to do with nature anyway. I didn't know April March covered the Pixies' "Alec Eiffel." That's pretty cool. Monday, September 2
Today, Beth came over, and we drove around to various places. She says I'm not a bad driver, which is reassuring. Anyway, we went to eat at Ruby Tuesday's, and saw Spy Kids 2, which was good. I still need to see Signs, but Beth had already seen that (and said it was enjoyable), and I didn't want her to miss this one. We also went to the new Walmart, and to Target, and saw where I used to live. Parts of the driving were scary, since I went to some places I hadn't driven before, and wasn't exactly sure how to get around. I guess I handled it pretty well, though, and I'm sure I'll get better. Sunday, September 1
I went ahead and got the Ford Focus. I'm going to drive it to Chili's this evening. I need to do laundry tonight. Friday, August 30
I test-drove a Honda Civic today. Oddly enough, the dealer didn't ride in the car with me, so it was actually my first time driving alone. I think I did a decent job with that, though. As for the car itself, I thought it was pretty good, although I like the Ford Focus a little better. It's more comfortable, and also a little cheaper. I had wanted to look at and drive a Cavalier (the dealer sells Honda, Chevrolet, and Subaru), but there were none on the lot. I've pretty much decided on the Focus, though. I'm probably going to apply for a job at Target tomorrow, although I have no idea whether I'll get it, and how long I'd even keep it if I did. I've heard they pay better than Kmart, though. Thursday, August 29
I test-drove cars for the first time yesterday. I liked the Ford Focus, but thought the Dodge Neon felt kind of weird, and less comfortable. The gas pedal seemed unusually small, although I guess I would get used to that if I owned it. I'm thinking of going over to the dealership in town today, so I can look around. Wednesday, August 28
I haven't had access to a computer in a while, but this entry probably still won't be that long. The most important news is that I passed my driving test, so I now have a license! Isn't that exciting? Oddly enough, they didn't take my picture again, so I still have the one from that ID photo from a few years ago, back when I still had long hair. Beth says I look like a car thief in it. It isn't as bad as my last student ID, though. Anyway, I need to get a car. I should be going out shopping tomorrow. Any suggestions or advice? Of the two new Frank Black albums, I think Devil's Workshop is the stronger one, even though it's much shorter than its companion, Black Letter Days. Black Letter Days has some good songs on it, though, and it usually takes a little while for Frank Black albums to grow on me. It took some time for me to realize how many great songs are on Pistolero, for instance. I haven't listened to the Neko Case album yet. This week, Beth and I took advantage of her digital cable and DVD player, and watched several movies: AI (which was pretty weird and kind of disjointed, with a lot of in-your-face moralizing along the way), Pumpkinhead (which I had trouble staying awake through, but that was more because I was really tired than because of anything about the movie itself), Pinocchio's Revenge (some crappy horror film about a puppet who murders people, or possibly a psychotic little girl who thinks her puppet tells her to murder people, depending on whether you prefer the fantastic or the psychologically plausible explanation), and The Good Son (that movie where Macaulay Culkin was evil). We also watched the Mr. Show DVD's, which were really funny. It'll be cool to see Bob and David live next month. Oh, and I'll wish a happy belated birthday to Ozma of Oz. Her birthday was August 21st (according to The Road to Oz, anyway), and I didn't get the chance to say it then. Wednesday, August 21
According to The Road to Oz, today is Ozma's birthday. It's also the day I take my driving test again. I doubt Ozma has a driver's license, but I guess she doesn't need one. Tuesday, August 20
I now have the three albums I had been wanting to get. I was hoping I could find them at Best Buy, because stuff is often cheaper there, but they weren't there, and the guy I asked said they don't always get everything in on the release date. Is it really too much to ask for stores to get things in when they're released? I did manage to get them at Borders, though, although they were still in the back. I was hoping to see Minority Report, but the theater I checked wasn't showing it. I wonder if it's still playing anywhere. According to Aimee Mann's website, her new album actually won't be out until next week. Just thought I'd say that, on the off chance that someone is using my blog to check for release dates of albums by artists I don't even know that much about. 
You Are a Henna Gaijin!You're not Japanese, but you wish you were! You can use chopsticks with your eyes closed, and you've memorized hundreds of Kanji. You even answer your phone "moshi moshi." While the number of anime videos you've seen is way higher than the number of dates you've been on, there's hope. Play the sexy, mysterous gaijin, and you'll have plenty of Japanese meat. What's *Your* Japanese Subculture? My Internet hasn't been working for a while. Apparently there were outages all over the area. It was annoying. Anyway, I went to the interview, and I think it went pretty well. Better than the last one, anyway. On Sunday, Beth and I took a bus up to New York to see a show by Jordan Cooper, who is someone Beth knows. He's very talented, and we each bought one of his CD's for a dollar. While in the city, we both did things that we wanted to do. Beth wanted to go to the Sanrio store, which is very near the Port Authority bus terminal, so we did. I had been wanting to go to Books of Wonder for some time now, so we did that as well. Oddly enough, it turns out that Beth had already been there, and didn't realize it. They had a pretty good Oz collection, and I ended up buying copies of The Wonder City of Oz and The Unknown Witches of Oz, the latter of which was written by Dave Hardenbrook, who maintains the Nonestica mailing list. I had been wanting to read Dave's book, and hadn't been expecting to see it in an actual store, so that was cool. I was hoping I would be able to find a copy of The Blue Emperor of Oz, which someone on Nonestica had reported seeing there, but I didn't. I wasn't really expecting to, though, so that's okay. I'd like to go back there again sometime. I wish more stores would carry the post-Baum Oz books. Beth and I also wanted to go to FAO Schwarz, but it was closed by the time we got there, which kind of pissed us off. After the show, we went to eat at Bendix, a café on First Avenue and Tenth Street, and their food was good. Finally, we left the city, although we made an accidental trip to Brooklyn before getting back to the bus terminal. We spent some time (and money) in Atlantic City before going back to Beth's house. It was a good (if exhausting) day. I'm pretty sure two new Frank Black albums come out tomorrow, as well as new albums by Neko Case and Aimee Mann (both of which Beth wants). Maybe I should do a little shopping. Monday, August 12
I got another interview. Unfortunately, it's on the day I was originally planning on going to New York to see They Might Be Giants, and the fact that I couldn't get that day off was part of (but the the only reason) why I quit Kmart. It's like some kind of conspiracy against me or something. I guess the interview is more important than the concert, and there will always be other concerts, but getting interviews isn't that easy. I'm kind of bummed out about it, though. Sunday, August 11
Friday, August 9
 What obscure band are you? I think I've heard of them before, but I haven't heard any songs by them.
Take the Polygeek Quiz at Thudfactor.com Thursday, August 8
I got my permit renewed again today, for the second time in three days. Fortunately, there wasn't a very long wait, so I was able to catch the next bus out of there. I might also have another test scheduled, if it's okay with my teacher. I'm definitely going to want to run through the course a few more times before I take the test again, especially the parallel parking, so I'll be more comfortable with it. I wish I weren't so nervous about being judged, but it's hard not for me to be. I'm hoping that, if I know the course well enough, it won't matter so much. Tuesday, August 6
Well, I failed the driving test for the third time today. It's just so nerve-wracking to have someone judging you, even when you're doing something you know how to do. I messed up on the parallel parking. I guess I was out of practice, especially since I wasn't able to take the lesson I was supposed to take yesterday. I lost my permit, and had to go in today to get it renewed. I'll have to get it renewed AGAIN tomorrow, which is kind of annoying. What's also annoying is that I'm sure there will be a long wait before I can take the test again. I REALLY need to pass, and so far I haven't been having much luck. :( Sunday, August 4
Some guy at Kmart today was buying some 34-cent cans of cat food, and he insisted that they were supposed to be four for a dollar, according to some sign in the aisle. A lady who worked there went back to check, and said that she didn't see any such sign. The guy accused her of taking down the sign (which the lady said she couldn't have done, since she had no pockets and was holding a few tubes of lipstick), and then insisted on talking to a manager, getting the names of everyone involved, and finding out the customer service number for the company. Now, maybe I could see doing this if there was a significant amount of money at stake, but this guy was causing a big stink over what must have been about thirty cents. Why even bother? Thursday, August 1
I quit my job. I gave two weeks' notice, though, so I'll still be working there for a little while. I really need a job that actually pays well, but I guess I need a car and license for that. (That's not necessarily true, but it would make it much easier.) Tuesday, July 30
I'm thinking of quitting my job at Kmart. They're just really bad about giving me time off. I need time off for my driving test, and I gave them ample notice, but they put up the schedule without even looking at it, and then insisted I needed to switch with someone, because the schedule was already posted. I really think this shows incompetence on their part. They also rejected my request for time off to visit Beth, and they said I couldn't have it because full-time employees were taking their vacations then. Sheesh, it's not like they even have to pay me if I don't work then. I'm just fed up with this, but I'm apprehensive about quitting, because I'm not sure I can find another job. Then again, student workers will probably be going back to school soon, so it might not be that difficult. Anyone have any thoughts? Sunday, July 28
I need to get a cell phone. Well, I don't really NEED to, I suppose, but I'd like to have one. I think it would be cheaper than making regular long-distance calls. I guess it isn't hard to get one, since so many people have them these days. There's a Verizon store nearby, and my dad likes this one family plan they offer, so maybe I'll go check that out sometime soon. Thursday, July 25
Okay, so last night, I went with Beth and her cousin Dorothea to see Sloan in concert. Unfortunately, the sound levels were bad (see Beth's entry for more details), but the concert was a lot of fun. They played louder than I would have expected from most of their studio stuff I've heard. I think they played four songs I knew: "She Says What She Means," "Everything You've Done Wrong," "The Lines You Amend," and "I Am The Cancer." I was afraid they wouldn't play ANYTHING I would recognize, so this actually worked out pretty well. I actually had a line from "The Lines You Amend" stuck in my head a few days ago, and couldn't remember what it was from, so the concert jogged my memory. I need to hear more of their music. Maybe I should have bought an album at the concert, since they were pretty cheap there, but I didn't. I did get a T-shirt, though. Incidentally, Andrew Scott of Sloan reminded me of a more muscular Dan Hickey (the drummer from They Might Be Giants). They have similar haircuts and faces, and they both look older than the other members of the band. Maybe that's just a typical look for drummers. After the concert, Beth and I watched some tape I had won at an Oz Convention called Journey Back to Oz. I guess you could say it was loosely based on The Land of Oz, since it had Mombi as a villain and an invasion of the Scarecrow-ruled Emerald City. There were also characters who resembled Jack Pumpkinhead (called simply "Pumpkinhead," and voiced by Paul Lynde, which was why Beth wanted to see it in the first place) and the Sawhorse (called "Woodenhead Stallion III"). The similarities pretty much stopped there, though. I'd say the main difference was that the book was really good, and this movie was really crappy. Wednesday, July 24
I scheduled another driving test, but it won't be until August. I wish I could schedule more than one test at a time. As of late, it's been pretty much impossible to schedule one less than two weeks or so in advance. Hopefully I won't need to schedule another one, though. Monday, July 22
I don't really have anything interesting to say, but I haven't blogged in a few days, so I might as well do that now. I'm still trying to set up a driving test. I'll probably have to wait until August to actually take it, though. I wish this whole thing weren't so confusing. I'm tired of missing the bus, so I really do need a car and license. I haven't heard back from Princeton, and I haven't gotten any other interviews. I guess that's about all. Saturday, July 20
Last night, Beth, Craig, and I played Risk. I'd played the game before with my dad, but I wasn't very good at it, and I'm still not, really. I was the first to conquer an entire continent (Australia), but I couldn't keep it for long. I was the first to lose, and Craig was the winner. Thursday, July 18
I don't really care for my new haircut. I got it at the same place I did last time (and I DID like my last haircut), but a different barber cut it this time, and I don't think he did a very good job. I'm having trouble rescheduling the driving test. I thought I might be able to take it on Tuesday, but it doesn't look like anyone can take me. Dewey is a cute puppy. Tuesday, July 16
I failed the test. I'm disappointed in myself, because I really thought I could pass. The examiner I had this time was actually pretty nice, and he let me take an extra back-up on parallel parking, so I actually made it. On the course, though, I pulled out too close to another car, so I failed. The thing is, the examiner had me take a different route from the one I usually practiced with my instructor, and I probably would have passed if I had taken the normal route. I mean, I don't know this for sure, but the road where I made the mistake was kind of confusing anyway. I probably won't be able to take another test for a few weeks, so I guess I'll have to take some more lessons, so I won't get out of practice. Monday, July 15
Last night, I read a few of the film and music reviews at family.org. They were pretty amusing, but scary in a way. The goal seems to be to protect kids from the corrupting influences of society, such as swear words (including such horrible profanity as "heck," "weirdo," and "stupid"), violence, drugs, and burping, so that they don't turn out to be violent, foul-mouthed drug addicts with gas problems. Of course, they don't seem to mind that they want to turn kids into closed-minded conservative homophobes, but so it goes. My driving test is tomorrow. Wish my luck. I hope I'll do all right on the parallel parking. I know the technique pretty well, but I have to be careful not to hit the curb. I need to buy a car. I looked at a few lots today, but most of the used cars there didn't even have prices. I really don't know anything about car shopping, but hopefully I'll figure it out soon. Saturday, July 13
I had my interview today. I don't know how it went, really. I guess it was fine, although I got there a little late, and my mom says it was short. I should be hearing back about it next week, but I don't really want it anyway. I DO want to know how to interview, though, because that's important. Next time, I should remember to write down the person's name and phone number, and get better directions. I suppose those are good lessons to learn. Thursday, July 11
There was a weird problem with my blog. Whenever I tried to publish, it said there was a problem with my template. Eventually, as per Beth's suggestion, I re-selected the template, and used the source code to make it like it was before. It was kind of frustrating, but it's finally back to normal. Now let's just hope that never happens again. Beth and I celebrated our second anniversary yesterday. We met in Philadelphia, and visited the Eastern State Penitentiary. We learned about how it had changed from holding cells to solitary confinement, and then to a more modern prison before it closed. It's pretty run-down now (we had to wear hard hats on the tour), but it was quite interesting. We heard about how people outside the prison would sometimes smuggle drugs and weapons into the place by means of baseballs, and saw Al Capone's cell, which was furnished like it was when he actually stayed there. It was really swanky for a prison cell. We ate dinner at the Café Calamari on South 16th Street. I had shimp scampi over pasta, and Beth had ravioli. It was a little pricy for the relatively small portions we got, but the food was very good and the atmosphere was nice. We probably won't go back there very often (if at all), but I certainly don't regret going. We had dessert at the Painted Parrot, which was also very good. After dessert, we went back to Beth's. We had wanted to ride a trolley while in the city, but they didn't run late enough, so we'll have to save that for some other time. As a present, Beth gave me the Books of Wonder edition of The Patchwork Girl of Oz (which is slightly edited, but more nicer than the old Del Rey paperback I have), and she says another gift is forthcoming. In the evening, Mark came over, and we played Parcheesi and watched UHF with the audio commentary from Weird Al and Jay Levey (as well as Michael Richards, Victoria Jackson, and Emo Phillips, but they didn't say that much). All in all, it was a fun day. I love my Beth very much, and I'm glad we've made it to the two-year mark. Wednesday, July 10
Beth and I have been going out for two years now. I set up an interview for this Saturday. Unfortunately, I was supposed to stay with Beth that day, so I'm pretty bummed out about that. I don't think I'll be able to see her again until almost two weeks after that. Monday, July 8
Does anyone want a copy of They Might Be Giants' "Istanbul" EP? I already have a copy, but I bought another one at the local Coconuts today. Let me know if you want it. Otherwise I'll probably put it up on eBay or something. Sunday, July 7
I think the main thing I mind about working at Kmart is that there are so many people to contend with. I guess there will still be people around if I work at a library, but they hopefully won't be as annoying. Customers can be annoying sometimes, but I think the main problem is that there are always managers and supervisors breathing down your neck (not literally), usually telling you to do obvious things. Am I so incompetent that I need people watching me all the time? I guess I'd really rather just be told what to do, and only be "supervised" if I really need help with something. Saturday, July 6
I kind of have an urge to play The Sims, which I haven't done recently. The computer on which it is installed isn't hooked up right now, though, so I can't. Oh, well. I'm just kind of bored right now. Friday, July 5
Well, yesterday was the Fourth of July. Not that that meant all that much to me. I'm not un-American or anything; based on what I've heard of the rest of the world, I'd rather live here than in most of it. I've never been a flag-waving, America-can-do-no-wrong jingoist, either, though. I remember hearing recently about how the American government wanted to pull troops out of Bosnia because there's {gasp!} a chance that they might be held responsible for their actions. I don't pretend to pay much attention to the news, but this really doesn't make any sense to me. Americans (or at least government officials) seem to have the idea that our county is above all the other countries out there. I'm sure these other countries think the same thing, but, not being superpowers, they're generally not able to get away with as much. I'm not trying to turn this into a "bash America" thing, but even the guy who announced the fireworks said that the United States is "the greatest country in the world," or something along these lines. Can't we celebrate our own nation without putting down others? The fireworks themselves were good, though, and isn't that really what Independence Day is all about? {g} Wednesday, July 3
Tuesday, July 2
I finished The Neverending Story last night. I should probably start rereading Captain Salt in Oz, since it's the Book of Current Focus on my Oz mailing list. Monday, July 1
I went through the driving course with my teacher today. I should be taking the test on the sixteenth. I hope I can pass it this time Some kid who lives in this apartment building said I had a small head. I never thought my head was especially small, personally. Sunday, June 30
People in my checkout line always ask if the store is going out of business. I've heard that it isn't, but there's really no way of knowing. I didn't know Family Toy would close until it actually did. I really don't want Kmart to close, though, not because I really care much about my job, but just because it's old and familiar to me. I've been going there since I was a kid. They're supposedly building a Walmart in the area, and it might put the Kmart (and maybe even the Target) out of business, but I really hope it doesn't. It just pisses me off how Walmart wants to have a monopoly, rather than co-existing with similar stores. I don't like Walmart much anyway, but it's the fact that they don't want to co-exist with other stores that really bothers me. I'm sure Kmart is just as profit-driven as Walmart, but at least they aren't trying to put everyone else out of business (as far as I know, anyway; maybe they just haven't been very successful at it, but I prefer not to think that). Beth loaned me her copy of The Neverending Story, and I'm in the process of reading it. It's a very good book. I knew the movie from when I was a kid, but the book goes on for much longer than the movie did. Maybe the sequel covered some of the rest of the story, but I didn't think it would be any good, so I never bothered to see it. Saturday, June 29
I need to update my webpage. I kind of want to make at least the front page less text-intensive, but I really don't know that much HTML, so that might not be easy. Thursday, June 27
Sometimes I really think I'm a jerk. I have a habit of getting upset over little things, and acting inappropriately in response. I also say and do stupid things, without thinking beforehand. I'm sure most people do these things occasionally, but I'm just immature for my age, and it's something I need to work out. I should act like an adult, since I AM one. Sunday, June 23
Okay, I think this post will basically just be a quick run-down of the last few days. On Friday night, Beth, Craig, and I played Life. Craig managed to win with over $3 million, even though he was a journalist, and Beth and I were both doctors. It was fun. I like playing games, and Beth doesn't feel like doing that very often. That same night, I gave Beth a copy of the UHF DVD, and we watched the deleted scenes. As Weird Al said, the scenes were deleted because they SUCKED, but they were still interesting to see. I've heard the commentary is pretty funny, and I'd like to hear that at some point. On Saturday, there was a graduation party for Mark (who really needs to republish his blog, since it doesn't show up at all now). After that, Beth and I went to Atlantic City with Beth's cousin Dorothea, and Dorothea's boyfriend John. We went to eat at the Irish Pub, but I wasn't hungry (having already eaten a hot dog, a hamburger, and a sausage sandwich at the party), so I shared an order of mozzerella sticks with Beth. Today, Beth got a new puppy! He's a male short-haired dappled dachshund, and she's thinking of calling him Jethro, but I don't think she's decided for sure as of yet. I've never really known any puppies before, so it will be nice to get to know this one. He's really cute. Friday, June 21
If you needed any more proof that the Kmart management is on crack, here it is. Yesterday, my shift ended at 7, and I had a 15-minute break at 6:45. Doesn't basic arithmetic prove that that doesn't quite work out? (Well, it didn't really work out badly, but I have to wonder if it's a mistake, since nothing like that has ever happened to me before.) Today, I started work at 10, and my first break was at 10:45. After I get back from lunch at 2:30, I apparently have to work until 7 without another break (unless it just hasn't been written in yet). Where's the logic behind that? "Oh, those first forty-five minutes are the worst, but those last four and a half hours are nothing"? I guess they don't exactly give people breaks when they need them, but rather when it's convenient for them, or perhaps when the voices in their heads tell them to. Personally, I like to take my lunch break more than halfway through my shift, so I know that what's coming up isn't as long as what I've already been through, but the people who schedule breaks seem to see it differently. By the way, if anyone who reads this knows anything about computers, I have a couple queries for you: 1. What is a "redundancy error"? I got these several times when trying to burn a data CD. 2. I bought a headset microphone so I could talk to Beth using AIM's "Talk" function, and, after I talk, I can hear myself on a delay. It's annoying, and Beth says that doesn't happen to her. Does anyone know how to fix this? I tried to copy some files from my computer onto a data CD today, but it took longer than it should have, because the CD-burning program kept complaining about the incredibly long eMusic filenames. Thursday, June 20
They're doing some weird construction work on the front steps, and it looks like they're mostly destroyed. I wonder how I'm supposed to get in and out. Wednesday, June 19
I'm stupid. Work today isn't until noon, but I thought it was at 10, so I arrived two hours early. I was able to eat breakfast, so I suppose that's an advantage, but I wish I had known, so I could have stayed in bed longer. I really DO have to work from 10 to 7 on Friday, and it's a pretty lousy schedule, because it requires getting up early, yet I don't finish until late, unlike with, say, an 8-4 or 8-5 day. Tuesday, June 18
Last night, I had a dream that I was at a They Might Be Giants concert in a small auditorium. During an intermission or something (I don't remember them actually playing any songs, by the way), this annoying little boy was running around, yelling, barking like a dog, and such, and John Flansburgh tried to calm him down, and signed his school notebook. They were right in front of me at the time, and I was hoping I could meet Flans, but I woke up too soon. I apparently can't take the driving test in Frazer until 3 July at the earliest. I'm wondering whether I should wait for my next work schedule to come out before scheduling the test, or I should just ask for a day (or part of a day) off to take it. Sunday, June 16
Thursday, June 13
The Flash animations on No! are really cool. "The House At The Top Of The Tree," "Fibber Island," and "The Edison Museum" are probably the best ones, but the others are good as well. It's kind of a shame that three of the songs don't have animations. I'd wanted to see the flying cars and gigantic metal bugs from "Four Of Two." I missed my driving lesson this evening. I knew it was today, but I just lost track of time, and didn't remember it until it time for it to be over. I rescheduled it for Tuesday. I feel stupid about missing it, but I guess it's not a really big deal. Wednesday, June 12
I am now the proud owner of a ridiculously overpriced copy of the No! CD. I ended up getting it from Sam Goody after all. I asked at FYE again, and they said it would be in "sometime today or tomorrow," they'd only be getting one copy, and it would also be $18.99. What is it with CD prices in this area? I'm listening to the CD now, but I'm only on the fourth song, and I've heard most of these songs before. I'll have to try out the interactive stuff sometime today. Tuesday, June 11
Speaking of weird Amazon combinations, take a look at this. I don't really know anything about Buffy, but I don't think it's geared toward the same audience as a CHILDREN'S album. They Might Be Giants' children's album, No!, was released today, but I still don't have it. Coconuts didn't even know what I was talking about when I asked about it. FYE (formerly Record Town) said they might have it in tomorrow. Sam Goody had it, but it cost $18.99. Incidentally, Sam Goody put it in the regular TMBG section, rather than in children's music (a pathetic section in every store I checked) or new releases. I called the Chester County Book and Music Company, and it's $17.99 there. I think it's less for club members, but I think that costs money, and I don't buy enough there to justify it. Maybe I should have asked. Anyway, if I don't see it anywhere else tomorrow, I guess I'll just buy the outrageously priced one at Sam Goody (since the bus fare to the other store costs more than I would save by buying it there). CD's cost too much these days. Sunday, June 9
You know how Amazon has those deals where you can buy two items together for a discount? For some reason, the item you can get with the Talking Heads' Sand in the Vaseline is the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone DVD. Both good items, but why would they be offered together? Saturday, June 8
Craig needs to blog more often. So does erin, but I don't think she reads this, and it probably wouldn't change her mind anyway. I have work in another hour. I'm at the library now, but I have to remember to mail my cover letters and résumés before work. Wednesday, June 5
It's been some time since I last blogged. There's been stuff I had to say, but I haven't really felt like writing recently. I have been sad about Beth's dog Sam, who recently died. I loved him, and I miss him. He was the best dog I'd ever met. Not everything has been sad as of late, however. On Saturday, Beth, Craig, and I went to the Appel Farm Folk Festival. It was fun, despite too much exposure to sunlight. Even though we all used sunscreen, all three of us got sunburned. Craig had it the worst. Anyway, the first group we saw was 4-Way Street. They were pretty good, but not spectacular. After that came DaVinci's Notebook, a really funny mostly a cappella group ("mostly" because there was a little guitar, keyboard, and harmonica). All three of us bought their albums after their set (fortunately, they had three albums, so it worked out well), and then got them signed. The first guy who signed my album (I forget which one it was) noticed that I was wearing a They Might Be Giants T-shirt, and mentioned that they once tried to do "Ana Ng" at an audience member's request. He also said that a song on their new album was "They Might Be Giants-esque," although the title didn't sound like it was. I forget the exact title, but it had something to do with enemas. He didn't mention that they had done a cover of "Shoehorn With Teeth" with Moxy Früvous, which was actually the first DaVinci's notebook song I had ever heard. The next act was Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, and they were more traditional folk performers. They used a lot of weird poetic metaphors and stuff. I remember Dave Carter saying something about how the weather affects people's souls, and then told the audience to give thanks to the Goddess. Most of their stuff wasn't that impressive, but they did one song that was pretty good. It was something about being like a raven, with a cool hoedown-style violin part. Some freaky girls were doing some weird dance during this set. Craig took a picture of them, but I have yet to see it. After those people came some blues artist named Guy something, and I didn't care for him. Finally (at least for us; we didn't feel like staying for Jonatha Brooks and Jackson Browne) were Nerissa and Katryna Nields. In case you were wondering which is which (as I was), Nerissa is the light-haired one who plays guitar and writes most of the songs, and Katryna is the dark-haired one who talks incessantly about her baby daughter. Last night, I went to see a Ben Folds concert with Beth and her cousin Dorothea. I had never seen him live before, and I didn't know most of his songs, but he was really impressive. He's an amazing piano player, and a good showman. It was a lot of fun. Friday, May 31
Last night, Beth, Craig, and I went to Denny's. It was one that had just recently reopened, and I hadn't been in some time, so it was exciting. I had a Breakfast Dagwood, but I couldn't finish it. I need to eat the rest sometime soon. |
|||||||||||||||||||||
