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Friday, April 4th, 2008
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7:24 pm - Nothing personal ....
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Actually, it's been a while since I posted anything more than a few sentences, and certainly not a meme, but I got tagged by ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) orehime so here goes - actually, first, the rules:
Once you have been tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 random things, facts, goals, or habits about yourself. At the end, choose 10 people you think may answer - to be tagged, listing their names & why you chose them. Don't forget to leave them a comment (you're it!) and to read your blog for instructions. You can't tag a person who has tagged you. Since you can't re-tag me, let me know when you've posted your blog so I can read the answers!
1) I could live happily in San Francisco forever. Even in a crappy neighborhood. Maybe preferably so.
2) I don't like being in bodies of water I can't easily swim across.
3) I'm hopelessly addicted to coffee, either with or without caffeine, but preferably with.
4) I collect ridiculously expensive dolls.
5) I don't think there are enough Doc Martens boots or Converse sneakers in the world and I guess I collect those too. The louder in color they are, the better, though my favorite boots are the black ones.
6) We need EYES! (maybe one person on the planet will know what that means)
7) I wish I were a better seamstress.
8) I firmly believe that breakfast cereal should not taste like cookies. Or be sweet at all.
9) There is nothing I dislike more than feeling as if I've been played.
10) Some day I'll have something more ambitious than a magazine article published. But I'll probably use a pseudonym.
Okay, so, to tag people. That's hard. Most of my F-list won't thank me for it.
rkold, tb_ll57, kingofbraves, sedens,
petkamui, monaleslie, violaine
I didn't tag ten. Not sure I could name ten people who won't kill me if I do or who haven't already done this.
current mood:  bouncy
current music: The sound of the sump pump. It's running constantly coz it's springtime
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1 spill  spill a little
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| Thursday, March 20th, 2008
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4:14 pm - Zuh? Chinese Astronomy?
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It's been WAY too long since I've updated. I'm really boring.
And really busy. The tales of which are really boring as well, so I won't get into them here, but suffice it to say that since the holidays I've spent substantial time in NY, LA and SF and a few points in between, written dozens of pages of fiction and non-fiction, acquired, uhhh, several dolls (a couple of them accidentally), shoveled metric assloads of snow, sewed till my hands ached and either built on or embarked on several very nice friendships.
So yeah.
For the doll lovers on my F-list, here's my latest arrival, Rachiel. Since NY Dolpa I've regretted not getting a Masha for myself. When this one fell into my lap, I nearly imploded. I love the scrappy little thing so much.
And because I'm spoiled, I'm hunting desperately for an Okita, since my first two attempts were unsuccessful and I've already got a name and a backstory for the anxious looking guy. Yes, there's the AE, but right now I'm stalking Y!J, which is sooooo dangerous. *sigh* Somebody hit me.
In other news, life is basically good. The busy continues. I don't think I could stand it if it things really slowed down. No major travel plans until June though, which is good. I need to be home a while. Play with dolls, cuddle the kitties.
Quit caffeine again, because I freaking fell of the wagon and hard.
But that's a whole other entry.
current mood:  blah
current music: The History Channel, I think
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5 spills spill a little
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| Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008
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12:25 am - Happy New Year
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I love that the first song I heard this year was Joy to the World by The Three Dog Night. I woke up to it, in fact. It gave me my first, sleepy, smile of the year.
Resolutions. Yeah, I have a couple. I make one or two every year and they're always something realistic and attainable. Here they are:
Be more grateful for what I have and for what the world brings my way.
Be more clear with myself and others what it is I really want.
I think I can manage to keep these. If any of you catch me wavering or waffling on them, call me on it. I count on my friends to keep me grounded.
I want to hear yours now. And if you're one of my customers - a few of you read this journal - comment here, PM or email me your resolution. The most entertaining, profound or amusing one will win a free pair of pants. I'll announce that on January 7.
Oh, and because I'm grateful, thank you all for your friendship. Even when I'm cranky, I do appreciate it.
current mood:  Wired
current music: Just the hum of the sewing machine
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1 spill spill a little
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| Saturday, October 13th, 2007
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5:39 pm - Sugar and Spice
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This really isn't meant to be a doll-centric journal, but this is too stinkin' cute not to post --
Spent two thirds of the last two days looking for a tiny shoe and a little beaded bag to complete a doll outfit. In the process I found all kinds of other stuff I forgot I even had, cleaned out three junk drawers and an antique dresser. Brought on a dust related asthma attack (coz gee, SOME of us love to clean about as much as we like emergency dentistry), filled two garbage bags, organized the doll room, found and played with my Talking Julia, who, miraculously, still speaks and yes, found the shoe and bag. All in all it was worth the time spent.
So and I'm making spaghetti sauce today, the way my Italian grandmother used to. Simmer it all damned day. Fifteen quarts at a time. Enough to share with neighbors and still have a metric assload of it to freeze for lazy day dinners. And the smell is KILLING me. I've got several hours of this to go. I may not survive it.
I'm not too patiently awaiting the sub of the first episode of Gundam 00. WTF people? I know it's free and all that, but I've got needs.
Also going nuts waiting for a release date for the new Firewater cd. If you don't know this band yet, you should. And if you have serious issues with how our president is running this country you REALLY need to listen to this cd. It's being streamed on Firewater's myspace here:
http://www.myspace.com/realfirewater
Just incredible stuff.
current mood:  busy
current music: Firewater, The Golden Hour
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4 spills spill a little
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| Friday, September 28th, 2007
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11:07 am - A question of will
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So I had a dream this morning. In it I asked someone I loved, 'What do you want badly? Today. Something you can have.' I woke up kind of burned by this question, so I'm going to ask my loved ones here.
Now I don't want cheesey answers like world peace, or impossible dreams like a new president. Or wishes, like a mountain of commissions or the perfect body or the shipping notice on that doll you've been waiting for or a magical transportation to an exotic land where bullshit doesn't exist.
What do you really want, in the next 24 hours, that will make you joyful, or fulfilled (even for a few hours) or just plain GOOD? Something achievable if you just reach for it. Even if it's something simple like a haircut or a new pair of sneakers. A conversation with a friend over lemon meringue pie. A long walk in the sun. One really heartstopping, weak in the knees kiss. Things like that.
Now my next question - my challenge to all of you - is, are you willing to take action to have that thing?
I fully expect to hear what thing you want and that the answer is yes, you're willing to make it happen.
I'm going to.
EDIT: Auntie Lynnie - If you're reading, you can tell Marshall that on the way to pie and conversation with a friend, Auntie Marsh saw the moon, full and high, high in the sky, thought of him, and howled at it.
current mood:  Focused
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13 spills spill a little
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| Thursday, August 16th, 2007
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1:23 pm - Grass Stains
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I forgot how blessed FUN it is to play in the garden. Yesterday I spent an absolutely wonderful and much needed day out at a friend's house, crawling around in his garden, grinding mud and grass stains into my jeans and shoes, taking pictures of the rezin!kidz. The second such day like this. There are already plans for another.
The rest of the results can be viewed here:
http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b333/universaldonor/secret%20garden/
current mood:  content
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2 spills spill a little
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| Tuesday, August 7th, 2007
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12:10 pm - Altered states
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I have absinthe! Real, genuine, distilled, French absinthe. The good kind. I know this because I spent a lot of time researching and chose the brand and the importer very carefully. Anyone who's 'met' or knows of my character Bryn, appreciates this event and how excited I am to receive this particular birthday gift.
Now I just need to be off pain meds long enough to actually have some.
I think I can manage that.
current mood:  excited
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6 spills spill a little
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| Monday, July 23rd, 2007
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7:39 pm - Mixed bag
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Things are good, mostly, and too busy to keep up with this journal much. But I've been quieter than usual the last couple days so here's a small overview.
Today I received the second of two advance copies of magazines containing articles I've authored. Both are cover stories. One is pretty much a glorified press release, written as a favor to a friend. The other I'm rather more proud of, because it took some fancy footwork to but together an article the subject and publisher were both happy with just from off the record conversations. Long story, but yeah, had minimal cooperation, so mostly I winged it. Winged? Dunno. Anyway. So if you're curious, the August issue of Contemporary Doll Collector and the Fall issue of Fashion Doll Quarterly (FDQ) contain articles by moi. And actually, the FDQ issue has a second, brief article in which I also receive photographic credit for the craptastic pics I took covering a recent doll convention.
I'm actually writing for pleasure again, rather a lot, and that makes me happy. I'm not sure I can even call it so much writing as helping out with plot and dialog, with tb_ll57, though she'll probably hit me for putting it that way. Our collected works are archived on her LJ and I'd be honored if any of you felt moved to go read them. I think it's the best work I've ever done. It's certainly the most fulfilling.
After a decades long search I have finally hunted down, purchased and received a much loved book from my childhood. After I finish the Potter book, I'm anxious to dig into it.
Speaking of the Potter book, I made a now traditional trek to the wilds of Canada to procure the UK edition with petkamui and somehow managed to avoid falling into the landscaping.
Don't ask. You really don't want to know.
Now, the bad stuff.
Sometime in the last twenty-four hours a minor toothache became a badly infected and abscessed tooth, resulting in excruciating pain, a sleepless night and a really ugly travail at the dentist office. Darvocet's not touching this thing. NOTHING's touching this thing. I've decided to stop being stoned off my ass for nothing and gut it out until the antibiotics kick in and pray they can get me in for the actual root canal before August 17.
All things considered, it's not so bad to be me today. Be nice to have better drugs though.
current mood:  ouchy
current music: Summer sounds
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10 spills spill a little
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| Wednesday, June 20th, 2007
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2:17 am - Alive or something like it
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Because I’m in a grim, pissy mood I’m distracting myself with quizzies. I kinda liked this one, taken from tb_ll57
| What color is your soul painted? Orange Your soul is painted the color orange, which embodies the characteristics of balance, heat, enthusiasm, flamboyance, playfulness, aggression, over-emotion, danger, desire, strengthens the ability to concentrate, attraction, adaptability, and stimulation. Orange falls under the element of Fire, and symbolizes glory and fruits of the earth. 
Click Here to Take This Quiz | 
Quizzes and Personality Tests |
And this one, stolen from manzai
Which literature classic are you?
Virginia Woolf: Orlando. You are a challenge, for outer events, the outside world, the time etc. play no importance to you. Your focus is in writing, in gender issues, and inside your own head. Self-analysis and exploration of yourself as well as the outer world hold great importance to you.
Take this quiz!
Quizilla |
Join
| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code
Aside from this, there’s not a lot to tell. Just got back from a very fast, very exciting trip to New York. Getting my ducks in a row for a trip to LA next week. I’ve been practically chained to the sewing machine and when I’m not (and sometimes even when I am), I’m writing.
Oh, and sleep … even with only very infrequent caffeine, sleep has pretty much evaded me this week. Hence the above mentioned grim and pissy ‘tude.
But I've got the new book by eegatland tonight and I’ll be seeing about half my f-list at AX next week and those are very good things.
current mood:  yyyyyeah
current music: Some crap on TV
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1 spill spill a little
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| Thursday, April 26th, 2007
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12:05 pm - Everything and nothing
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So, the last several months have been interesting and moderately chaotic and posting just hasn't been happening, mostly because I just haven't had it in me. It's raining today and I'm feeling lazy and a little self-focused and this meme appealed so I stole it. Thanks Greenapple.
I like this guy.
current mood:  lazy
current music: Firewater, Man on the Burning Tightrope
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1 spill spill a little
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| Thursday, March 29th, 2007
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9:57 pm - Sometimes random things just hit you ...
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So I got a curious fortune in my cookie on Monday. Now, I'm not sure WHAT to make of it, but ... I'm assured it's pretty freaking appropriate.
"One must dare to be himself, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be."
Ohhh-kay.
There were some lucky numbers too. Not that I believe in that stuff.
And to add to the absurdity, the 'learn Chinese' word on the back was ice skate. No idea why that strikes me funny, but it does.
This one gets saved on the refrigerator, right alongside the one that advises me, "Don't kiss an elephant on the lips today."
current mood:  amused
current music: Killing Joke
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2 spills spill a little
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| Monday, January 8th, 2007
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4:42 pm - Accountability? No thanks, you can have mine.
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Warren Brown of the Washington Post nails it. WHY ISN'T ANYONE LISTENING???
( Dear House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: )
Most Americans have no idea what CAFE means, besides it's the place they buy their five buck latte every day. They have no idea that it's their voracious appetite and consumption of SUVs, pick-ups and other high performance gas guzzlers that skews the Big Three's CAFE numbers. Unfortunately the idea of a 400 HP luxury vehicle that gets 100 MPG is a fantasy and I have little doubt that if ANY car company could provide it, they would, in a heartbeat.
And don't even get me started on the energy-sucking abuses of the average McMansion we American homebuyers crave. That's a whole other rant.
current mood:  cranky
current music: Snow plows and other morning sounds
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spill a little
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| Saturday, December 23rd, 2006
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10:03 pm - Some people just have too much time on their hands
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| Sunday, December 17th, 2006
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6:59 am - A very, uh, kinky ... Christmas?
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Coz apparently, if I were a Christmas carol I'd go something like this:
So good. Flesh, wood *wink wink*, and CC Lemon. Does it get any better?
Thanks Violaine, for the best laugh I've had in days.
current mood: amused
current music: Animal Planet, something about Jaguars
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3 spills spill a little
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| Thursday, November 23rd, 2006
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5:57 pm - Grateful indeed
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Sweater weather and sunshine in the Detroit area on Thanksgiving day ... definitely something to be thankful for.
Hugs and love to all of my friends and family. Even though we're not together today, you're in my heart.
current mood:  thankful
current music: Marley, doesn't matter which album
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2 spills spill a little
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| Thursday, October 19th, 2006
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6:59 pm - This shit has got to stop ...
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So Saturday I'm minding my own business, sewing pants, right? Coz I'm ALWAYS sewing pants nowadays. And I'm about three pairs into it when I look up and see a SPIDER. Yes, one of those wolf spiders I have so many of around here, crawling OUT OF MY SEWING MACHINE!
SQUEAK!
Yes, I actually made that sound. Right before I blew him off the machine, onto the ironing pad and ironed him. And I mean, really, wouldn't anyone? I mean, I'm all about mercy and shit but I depend on that sewing machine. It's a tool. And I really don't think it's a good home for spiders anyway so really, he was asking for it, right?
So today ...
[14:46] TB: hi there
[14:46] Me: so i'm a terrible person
[14:46] TB: ?
[14:47] Me: ok, so i have this grated cheese container I put my change in, right? and when i'm going on a trip i roll the change and take it to the bank and get paper. so all my change was in this right stuf box
[14:48] Me: and i open the box and dump it in the teller's window. and while she's dicking around weighing my quarters i notice i also dumped in a very large, pale yellow-grey spider
[14:48] TB: oh ew
[14:48] Me: and i'm torn, because I should, like, tell her or something
[14:48] Me: maybe
[14:49] Me: probably
[14:49] TB: jeez marsh
[14:49] Me: so it's walking around on the glass. in the tray. and i'm thinking, how in FUCK does she not SEE it. it's freaking HOOOG
[14:49] Me: but she doesn't.
[14:50] Me: and she didn't. and it crawled behind the stack of envelopes the teller puts cash in
[14:50] Me: and i'm like, oh fuck oh fuck, she's gonna wanna put my cash in the envelope and it's gonna jump out and get her and there will be screams and i'll get fucking arrested
[14:50] TB: lol
[14:51] Me: but she didn't even ask me if i WANTED an envelope and i didn't tell her it was there
[14:52] Me: so when it gets her i won't be around for the screams and the arresting and i'm safe and tonight i'll sleep better knowing there's one fewer spider in my house and tomorrow I'll go to LA
[14:52] TB: lol
[14:52] Me: i really shoulda told her tho, but how do you say, 'uh, there's a spider in your envelopes and sorry but i think i brought it there'
[14:52] TB: like that. and then you laugh it off
[14:53] Me: i'm gutless
[14:53] TB: truly
[14:53] Me: do you think less of me?
[14:53] TB: well you didn't do it to me. and it's not like you killed the lady
[14:53] Me: well i LIKE you, and yeah but it was the bitey kind
[14:54] TB: you could call
[14:54] Me: oh HELL no
[14:55] Me: 'um, excuse me, but i was in the bank getting money a few minutes ago and i think i left my spider there. could you look, please?'
[14:55] TB: lol
[14:55] Me: would you have told?
[14:56] TB: yeah, probably, but i also would have been reaching over to catch it
[14:56] Me: O.O
[14:56] TB: i don't like it when other people kill things
[14:57] Me: well it's probably going to hide til night time, then lay a million eggs and the bank will be INFESTED
[14:57] TB: armageddon
[14:57] Me: i kinda like being an agent of destruction
[14:57] TB: lol
[14:57] Me: i feel better now
[14:57] TB: better choose a new bank tho
[14:58] Me: next time i'll go to a different branch
This spider thing is getting out of hand. I mean really.
current mood:  Umm, psychotic?
current music: Madame X score, by the amazing Paul Bruce
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2 spills spill a little
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| Friday, October 6th, 2006
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10:43 am - Funny and very, VERY wrong
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| Friday, September 22nd, 2006
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9:13 pm - Zuh?
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Stolen from mrsbnickel (too lazy to do that nifty linky thing, sorry):
My Personality
| | Neuroticism | | Extraversion | | Openness To Experience | | Agreeableness | | Conscientiousness | |
I can get with most of this. I really can. But suddenly I'm an EXTROVERT? And not your run of the mill extrovert but a 90s level extrovert. Uhhhhh. Not so much.
EDIT: OK, wait. I went to the full report on that Extraversion category and what bumped me up, apparently, were my high levels of assertiveness and excitement-seeking. Alrighty then. I still don't see how that makes me an extrovert. I more thought that made me crazy.
Huh. Learn somethin' new every day.
current mood:  Hell if I know
current music: Who's Next
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1 spill spill a little
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| Thursday, August 31st, 2006
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10:21 pm - A girl, a guy, a gun, a broken ATM machine and Pibb Extra
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Had kind of a scary adventure in a crappy gas station in the Missouri outback.
We stopped for gas.
There's like nothing around but farms for freaking DAYs. So Takira's gassing up outside, across from, I kid you not, a beat up hearse, painted with red letters like blood drips. I forget what, something like Horror Hauler, and a human skull, yes a real one, with the top sawed off, hood ornament and a gothy, creepy guy with some kind of skin condition like rosacea, pumping gas into it and I'm afraid to LEAVE her out there but I have to pee and we wanted sodas.
So I go in and it's a dump and there’s some guy I can't see RANTING about the broken ATM machine and how he wants his F-ing money to pay for his F-ing gas and he has an F-ing .45 that can solve this problem, etc.
And I'm like fuck ME, I'm going to die in Freaking Missouri and there's a hearse outside just waiting for me.
And of course I know I should just turn the hell around and leave without pop and without taking care of the coffee that wants out and tell Takira we need to hit somewhere else for a bathroom or heck, even just go in the cornfield but noooo, THAT would be smart. And we know that sometimes I just am not.
So but someone is in the bathroom and I still have to pee and get pop and Takira's going to come IN and get her pop and we can't have that, not with Mr. Personality back there, so I quickly buy my pop and go out and tell her, 'there's a guy like seriously unraveling in there so just wait for me and I'll get your pop and hopefully the ass in the can will finish so I can pee and we can go before someone gets shot'.
By now she's staring at me like I'm demented because I'm going back the hell in there.
And the poor girl at the register looks like a panicked mouse. And she's saying, 'Ricky, Ricky please stop swearing there's PEOPLE in here.'
Well there's me, and the dude rushing the hell out of the bathroom because he doesn’t much like how Ricky was talking.
So she gets on the phone and starts telling some ATM person about how this never happened before and she's only worked there a week and Ricky's still on about how he wants his F-ing money and I'm picking out two more pops and by then Ricky is at the front counter eating a biscuit sandwich and STILL ranting and I can't see the .45 but I know he has it, because this is apparently the wild, wild west and people pack heat. Like everywhere.
And I STILL have to pee. More than ever, now, and Ricky is between me and the bathroom.
So, and I swear I don’t know what made me do it, but I put the two pops on the counter and look at Ricky and say, 'so what in HELL is extra in Pibb Xtra, because we don't get this stuff in Detroit.'
And he just stares at me a second, then breaks out in this big, stupid grin, goes uber-polite and starts talking about Pibb Xtra. Because now he has a mission. Not that Ricky has much to offer. He has no idea what was extra but it tastes just the same as regular Mr. Pibb to him.
Ohhhkay.
So I pay for the pops and tell Ricky, 'I'm just gonna leave these here on the counter and use that bathroom now. You can keep an eye on them, right?' So now he has ANOTHER mission, which he seems to be happy as hell to do.
Now I realize it was stupid as fuck, what I did. It so coulda gone the other way. But I guess being confronted like that was just freaky enough to tip Ricky off his axis enough to diffuse the situation.
Whew.
Well, when I came out he wanted to tell me about some guy he knew in DEEtroit, but I hadda break his heart and tell him I was sorry but we were burning daylight and I had to go, but have a nice day. By then the hearse was gone and Takira was looking nervously inside wondering if she had to come in and get me.
Freaking Missouri.
The kicker is, Ricky is a shrimp. I mean, shorter than I am and neither thin or buff or fat. Just … unimpressive.
And that biscuit sandwich looked good too. A few miles away from that gas station, safely back on the highway I wished I had one.
I still have no freaking clue what’s extra in Pibb Xtra. I'm going to email Coca-cola and flipping ask.
It just tastes like Dr. Pepper to me, which it probably is.
current mood: Happily unperforated
current music: Toad the Wet Sprocket
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13 spills spill a little
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| Tuesday, August 29th, 2006
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2:47 am - Kansas City is an odd, odd place
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So, after several days in KC I've gotten to see a decent amount of the downtown area, mostly on foot. Seems like this entire section of town is being torn down and rebuilt, empty of people (even mid afternoon on a Monday) and eerily post apocalyptic (I keep thinking of The Twilight Zone ep 'Time Enough At Last'), but so clean it's almost puzzling.
Here are a few pics from my wanderings:
http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b333/universaldonor/KC%208-06/
Color me crazy but I love walking through cities like this.
And SQUEEE! Got the news late this evening that I've won a chance to get a Yo-SD Kuuta in the Dolpa lottery! I've wanted a Yo for a LONG time, but could never get one at even remotely near retail and this one is just SO blessed adorable. I'm sooo happy.
current mood: bouncy
current music: The rather noisy hotel AC unit
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2 spills spill a little
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exhausted