Current mood:	cheerful
Current music:	Never Let Go by Utada Hikaru

Overheard in Champaign:

September 29, 2005
Good One

Guy on phone: What's up? ... Nah, I don't do drugs anymore, man.
[pause]
Guy on phone: Nah, I'm just kidding. Of course I do!

--Bus to Parkland Junior College


That was so funny and so wrong. This kid talked like a total surfer. He even said "fer sure." What is he doing so far from California?

Last weekend I went home, and it was awesome. Well, Friday not so much. It was pouring rain and I had to walk all the way from my dorm to the Armory, which is on the other side of campus. In the rain. With my purse, my umbrella, my overnight bag (which also contained my Playstation because Weston had taken his and my sister had no way of playing the new game she got for her birthday... I'm such a nice sister), and a plastic bag containing some chips and water because I had not eaten all day and my old Union employee polo that I needed to return. Which meant first stopping at the Union and clambering up three flights of stairs to turn it in. I had earlier put on a long-sleeved shirt, zip-up hoodie, and jean jacket in anticipation of the cold atmosphere both outside and in the bus, but all the activity had super-heated me, so I made the second leg of my journey across campus sweating under my shirt while still managing to be cold everywhere else, and both my jacket and my hoodie were tied around my waist. And my feet were completely soaked from the freaking rain. I finally got to the Armory, and I couldn't find my bus anywhere. An attendant told me that the Northbrook bus was "across the street." What he really meant, of course, was "down the block." I finally found the bus, threw my bag in the luggage section, and got on, ready to just sleep until we pulled up to Northbrook. Naturally, this did not happen, as an hour into the trip, our bus was pulled over by a state trooper. Apparently the bus had lost a wheel (although how the driver failed to notice this, I will never know). No one informed us of this, however, for at least 20 minutes after we stopped. Then it was another twenty minutes before we were informed that a replacement bus was being sent from the city, and would take at least an hour and a half to arrive. We were instructed to sit back and relax, and given the option to go outside for a smoke if we so desired. Resigned to our fate, imagine our suprise when a new bus arrives about twenty minutes later. Amazed at our good luck, we all began gathering our things, but no one came to get us. The other bus just sat there, and it was a half an hour before the other driver came aboard to explain to us that the second bus was actually smaller than ours. The Old Orchard people were allowed to board, and after that, five of the remaining thirteen people for Northbrook were picked to get on the new bus. I, of course, was one of the eight left behind. We looked at each other uneasily, wondering what would become of us. The second driver came back on to tell us that a new bus was coming for us, and we cheered. Until he explained that this bus' fuction was merely to drive us to a nearby McDonald's, where we would await yet another bus. One which would probably not arrive for at least two hours. He took our names and promised us "compensation" for the inconvenience, but never mentioned what it would be. At this point, I was ready to cry. I had been hot and sweaty and wet from the rain, and I felt like I was molding. I had been up until the wee hours of the night on Thursday working on a paper, and I just wanted to sit back and relax. And I really didn't feel like trying to juggle all my crap again. The man mentioned that there was one more seat left on the smaller bus, if anyone absolutely had to go, and I said in a soft voice, "I just want to go home." For some reason, it was decided among all the rest of the stranded kids that I had the most need, so my name was scratched off the "to be compenstated" list and I was allowed to board the bus. I briefly felt bad, but I was pretty miserable so that passed quickly. The "one seat" left happened to be in the very back, next to the bathroom, but at that point I'd take anything. I just threw my stuff down, put on my iPod, and sort of slept. The remaining bus ride was unremarkable, but when I got to Northbrook, I couldn't see my mom and sister waiting for me, like they usually were. I called my mum, who blithely informed me that she and Eimile tired of waiting for me, and I would have to wait for my dad to pick me up, which should take about half an hour. I was irked, but I let it pass, and decided to pass my time by perusing the bookstore, since I hadn't been to a mall in about two weeks. I hiked all the way to the other side of Northbrook with all my crap, and when I finally got there I found that Walden Books had closed. I really was about to cry then. I ended up just going back outside to wait for dad. Fortunately he arrived pretty quickly. We met up with Eimile and Mom at Hawthorn mall and ate at Portillo's, where I found out that Eimile had already seen Corpse Bride without me.

Saturday was infintely better, as Eimile was willing to see CB again (quite hilarious to me, especially since the bride's name is "Emily"), and directly afterward we saw Roll Bounce, which I officially deem best movie ever. SWEETNESS, WE LOVE YOU! Just nobody call me "Tootsie Roll."

In other news: Goth Betty! (I love how they have to say "V Box" instead of X Box, but are free to use Sonic the Hedgehog since the same people that publish "Archie" publish the Sonic comic books).