HAI GUESS WHAT YOU GUYS IT'S MY GOOD FRIEND aerinbooke's BIRTHDAY TODAY :DDD

So I think everyone should go over and post on her journal and tell her how awesome she is? It doesn't matter if she doesn't know you, she'll definitely still enjoy it. :D

plz?

And um.. I drove home today in crazy crazy weather, so that was some nice experience. And I also went shopping with my mom at J C Penny's and T J Maxx (I get those two mixed up, like, ALL THE TIME) and the long and the short of it is that I actually have a pair of flip flops now that I don't feel ashamed wearing (unlike my slightly too big bright blue squishy ones which are a little iffy).

This is exciting news, you better believe it!

Also I had japanese food today and japanese food is basically my favourite food you can get over here soooo I am pretty stoked.

You guys should totally check this out if you haven't already- written and genius'd by Joss Whedon, it's a three part musical blog thingy. The protagonist is Dr. Horrible, who is trying to get into the Evil League of Evil but frustratingly keeps getting held back. His girlcrush from the laundromat is also quickly becoming the interest of his nemesis, the more-bully-than-hero Captain Hammer.

IT IS AWESOME, OK. My favourite is Act II and it's only free to watch on the site until Sunday night, so anyone who hasn't should check it out in the meantime.


In other news, I really really want to see The Dark Knight but I don't have an excuse, one, and I promised myself to stop spending money! and buying movie tickets is money! But I kinda want to see it in a theatre. Oh, woe is me, being all conundrum'd like I am. :P

There's something about music...

you spend the day thinking "I am less of a person because of this, I'm lacking this, why don't I have this, There's something wrong with me."

and then you listen to a song and you can close your eyes and...it's ok. It'll be ok.

And even if it's only for that three minutes and forty nine seconds, the feeling of respite is the best thing that's happened all day.

Ask me one question for each of the following subjects:

1. Friends
2. Sex
3. Love
4. Art
5. Internet
6. Random

Sooo I've seen this meme around places, and I ended up taking it from Tanginello just I guess for an excuse to post a journal entry. :3 I'd also put up the meme about "put this up if you have livejournal friends who are awesome and who you wouldn't have met without the internet" but I can't find it and I guess saying it is enough. :D

Anyway, if anyone wants to ask me questions, shoot. I'll be honest; it's not like I have anything worth lying about anyway.

some things never fail to make me laugh. the clip in my icon of stephen fry demonstrating french kissing is one of them. :D
( edit: a particularly accurate quiz answer )

My roommate finally got in touch! -does a little 'talkin' to my roomie' dance- I have no idea if we're going to be even friends or anything, but I have high hopes that we'll maintain a familial-ish relationship in which we are polite and cordial to each other, respect each other, and like each other. Which is what happened with my last roomie. Personally, that's kind of my ideal roommate- someone you don't mind spending time with, but who you don't actually end up spending a lot of time with simply because you have different interests and friend groups.

Maybe? :D I HOPE SO, TEEHEE.

Anyway, Um... went to work from, like. 8:30 'till 4:30 today WTF. Brought back home a lot of work that has yet to be done, so we'll see how I get on that tonight..

Also- in a rather disturbingly "the universe WILL make you think Torchwood references" fashion, I was ordered to make the coffee this morning by my dad. So I did. all WTF HOW DOES THIS THING WORK WHAT IF I SCREW UP THE COFFEE THAT DOESN'T LOOK PARTICULARLY BLACK, AAH. But in the end I ended up figuring it out WITHOUT (until the very end) looking up and seeing the instructions which were written, I dunno, on a sheet of paper above the coffee maker. Smart move, Katie..... I also had to prepare a coffee with milk and sugar for the guy who was coming in to fix our thang, which made me feel very Ianto. Except, like, completely incompetent. But I digress.

Uhhhh I filled out a kind of preference sheet for my advisor, which basically consisted of "what do you like? and my answering "EVERYTHING OMG :D".. but I have decided that I'll fo sho take an Environmental Science class my first year because, you guys, the environment is important, and if I can dig it (not literally), I bet there'll be jobs in that area. What's this nonsense, Katie, it's like... planning for your future, or something.

Anyway idk because if environmental sciences have too much math then I'm afraid the planet's going to have to burn without my help. Not really. But..eeewmaath.

Dear writers of In Plain Sight,

I love you and what you doing with Marshall Mann's character, really, it's amazing, don't stop, especially not the whole "stewardess" thing which was I mean pretty much the best moment of television ever, along with the mambo episode.

Yours forevermore (unless you write something I really can't forgive*),

Katie.

Ok. With that order of business over it's time to turn to.. business! I've been working on a gaia commission (when am I not, good lord, I am a procrastinator and if I actually got most commissions done in a decent time after they were ordered I'd never have any customers. As it is now I have three. Separate ones. two of them with double orders, and one of them with a very indepth one due on Friday. WHAT.) But also on semi-normal art, wherein I turn Painter on, and then look for inspiration to draw something. It's been actually pretty good so far but I fear my technical skills in art have atrophied for...life. Blah.

In the real money world, I'm now working for my Dad occassionally, doing stuff he can't be stuffed to do. Apparently I'll be cleaning his office room sometime eventually, which will probably be tedious but I'm sure I'll find some way to make it interesting. I STILL NEED AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE FOR THE LAPPY. AAAH.

*= which will be pretty hard since one of the characters in the last episode graduated from WELLESLEY, HRM, WHAT KIND OF COLLEGE IS THAT, I WONDER.

Here's the thing: I talk to myself in the car. I mean, I did it the first time I drove solo because I was freaked out and everything, but this is getting a little ridiculous.

I was getting upset because south blvd was like WHOA WAIT TRAFFIC TO THE MAX? REALLY? while I was driving to kung fu today, and I was freaked out about the car running out of batteries so I'd turned off the music and everything else possible. I mean, I don't stay on south blvd for very long at all, but long enough that it held me up for like 10 minutes...

Anyway. I basically talked to myself the entire time and CONTINUED talking on well after I'd passed the traffic, I mean, like, the kind of talking I usually reserve for stressful situations in front of a mirror, the kind of talking where I invent a character and just roll with it, usually someone annoying. In this case it was a version of me who is all upset about driving a car because it's "a huge deadly hunk of metal" (true) "and could totally kill someone" (also true) "and is expensive and bad for the environment" (true and true). I talked about this. To myself. With an uncharacteristic lack of guilt for the amount of "like"s I threw into the conversation, perhaps because I knew it would take a lot for the other party to get irritated.

But I mean, it was either that or sing along to my CDs at a disturbingly loud volume. Which I did on the way home.

MAN I AM COOL.

I think the only reason I wrote this was if you were actually thinking I was, I dunno, sane. Because.. I'm not. Also, I watched a documentary about Ellen Degeneres today and was reminded that I have a BIG FAT GIRLCRUSH on that woman. AND SHE'S 50. She's like...my favourite female famous person. I think. :D YAY ELLEN.

Written on Sunday- I'm sore, sleepy from white tea (?), and have blisters on the heels of both my wrists thanks to kung fu. :P the white tea isn't thanks to kung fu, though, that's thanks to going to SPM (can I just call South Park that? well too late, I just did) and specifically Teavana to get tea with Pads. And I met her gay uncle. Which was unexpected, heh.

Anyway, today we had one of those summer "tempests" that is, well, very summer. I was at kung fu while it raged where I live and so apparently missed the worst of it, though, because it was only when I was driving back when I started seeing signs of it having rained, then caught a bit of heavy rain and noticed that the streets were basicaly flooded. And then I got home and my parents were like "HAVE FUN? HAIL." And I was like "Well, It was a bit rainy- HAIL!?" We haven't had hail in quite a while, let me tell you.

Today I didn't do much but we did get our first box of ORGANIC PRODUCE today (organic is nothing new in our house), but the delivery is! :D So I made a kinda pasta primavera for dinner, wasn't too bad. The goats cheese was a little much. I think, but eh.

The Schmuel Song from Last Five Years is sooo pretty it nearly made cry. I like re-discovering music in iTunes. :D

THE PHOTOS ARE UP. Well almost all of them, anyway, in the form of three facebook albums! :D please tell me if this works out, I hope it does.
album one
album two
album three

Pictures will be coming when I a) turn my desktop on so I can edit the hugeass pics from my camera, or b) figure out how to NOT make facebook or flickr hate me. :P

And with pictures will be more stories about our trip! Until then, have a meme. :D

Comment on this post and I will choose seven interests from your profile. You will then explain what they mean and why you are interested in them. Post this along with your answers in your own journal so that others can play along.

abofal another name for "A Bit of Fry and Laurie", which is, if you are a fan of both Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, pretty much the best thing to ever have been made. I mean, I'm a fan. :D

things that go "fuff" Kind of a QI in-joke, QI being a television quiz show with (surprise surprise) Stephen Fry as the host. Man I love that dude. ANYWAY, there are two animals that go "fuff". One is a tiger, the other is a weasel. Go figure.

kratt's creatures This TV show I LOVED LOVED when I was a kid. It was basically a kid's show about animals hosted by two brothers (the Kratt brothers), and they had shows about things like Africa's "big five and little five" and I basically worshipped them.

schmendrick the magician A character from The Last Unicorn (both the book AND the movie), and I just really like his character. Very amusing.

purple potatoes I went through a period in my youth called the "weird and proud of it" stage during middle school, in which I jokingly would pretend I had an invisible friend called Cecilia the flying purple potato...which kind of helped my love for purple potatoes, but come on, most people don't believe they exist!

milk tea with pearls A fantabulous drink that (I've heard) originated in Taiwan, also known as "Boba tea." It is fantastic but I've yet to find a good place that doesn't make theirs from powders, which is still good, but still. The first time I had it, it was amazing- I forget what the flavour was, maybe lavender or something equally exotic, but I remember it was in the airport in Taiwan and my uncle got it for me and I was skeptical at this milky purple looking drink, but then I tasted it and HOT DANG. It was love at first taste. As for the tapioca pearls, don't get me started. I love chewy things.

ethiopian wolves My favourite animal! An exceedingly rare and disturbingly endangered species of wolf, native to Ethiopia that is becoming quickly scarce due to rabies spread by local dogs and (of course) loss of habitat. They are awesome, not enough is known about them, and I did a project on them once. :D


OHHHH YOU GUYS. GUESS WHAT I BOUGHT WHILE SHOPPING WITH EMILY ON THURSDAY. GUESS. GUESS. IT WAS A WAISTCOAT. IT WAS A FREAKING 4 DOLLA WAISTCOAT FROM BELKS. LIFE DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THAT.

in other news, I know my roommate's address, phone, and email, and a) she doesn't have a facebook and b) she hasn't replied to my email yet. -frustrated face- I WANT CONTACT WITH YOU, GIRL, SO I CAN STOP FREAKING OUT PLZ.

I AM BACK. Whole, alive, what have you, with my faith in humanity still quite intact but my cynicism also equally unmarred.


That's not so much, but it's all I can think about right now. I feel as though I'm still on the plane- I keep getting strange sensations of turbulence, or of bobbing about on water. Bedtime, maybe? it's 1AM UK time, so I guess so.

Oh, also, while on my trip I managed to finish Jane Eyre (ok, ok, I freaking loved it, so sue me), Memoirs of a Geisha (ditto), the book my neice bought which I didn't want to spend money on whose name I can't remember because it involved Mr. and a letter, like V or L but I can't find it but I read it basically completely through on the 8 hour plane ride over here and it fucked with my brain bigtime in a good but also slightly disturbing way, From Baghdad with Love (too much Iraq, not enough puppy), and finally Crap at the Environment, which is a vaguely noticed British comedian's story of how he started to try and get better at the Environment.

It made me want to start doing things as soon as I got home, like planting a garden and using less water and not using the dryer and using less electricity and writing to people to try and get them to, I dunno, notice that somehow despite being in the twenty first century we're still runing on sources of energy that are bound to die out at any minute in the relative future and it seems like all everyone's doing is humming and hawwing and mumbling things like "dramatic" and "overstatement."

DO THINGS TO BE NICE TO THE ENVIRONMENT, GUYS, PLEASE. It doesn't hurt you to think about it. I don't want any major disasters in my lifetime having to do with things my generation could have helped avoid, thanks. I know you guys are all probs way better at it than I am, but research, and see if there's anything else you could be doing- not plugging in chargers and leaving them, turning lights off and opening the curtains, finding use for plastic bottles other than recycling them, but REcycling them.

Whatever else I wanted to say will get said later, my nose is complaining and I am freaking tired. Peace out.

Went to bed last night at 8; woke up this morning at 4 so I could a) sleep on the plane and b) better adjust to the time difference. IDK if it'll help, we shall see.

There was a moment this morning, after my niece and I had made crepes and eaten one each and she told me she wasn't feeling so good because of the whole waking up early thing and so I told her to get on the couch and try and sleep while we watched RENT... there was a moment when I was overcome by fear of change.

It happens before any major change I make, whether it's a trip (any trip), or calling someone I don't want to... It's a moment of fear and sadness and clinging to what I'm doing right now- I don't want to go, I tell myself, I'm happy where I am, I don't want to move, don't want to do this. I am so freaking scared.

And then, just when I think I'm probably the worst traveller in the world, the fear dispells and I'm left with a clear-headed sense of excitement. I can't tell whether this is what travelling is all about, or whether this is what I am all about.

Either way, I'll BRB guys. See you on July 2nd. Don't do anything I wouldn't do.

So, sometimes (like all the time), I wish I had connections. Because here I am, realizing that I probably need to look up details of my trip, and going "OH GEE IN FACT NO I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET TO SHERINGHAM FROM LONDON, HRMMM."*

Much consternation follows. I mean, I can probably figure it out with the dude behind the ticket counter when I'm in England but here's the thing: People Behind Counters are SCARY. It's a 50/50 chance whether they'll pretend you're not an idiot or outwardly despise you. And they kind of have your itinerary in their hands, pretty much, so I mean JEEZ.

I think going to England is going to force me into a happy go lucky state of nirvana because without that I'm going to become a trembling bunch of nerves and I'll never get anywhere like that.

Lunch today with Johanna and Emily was quite fun, we went to South Park mall afterwards for a wee bit, and I harassed the Teavana staff until the supervisor lady got there so I could give her my mini-application. I don't think I'm getting a job there (she's looking more for a part-time worker than seasonal, it takes 21 days to train someone and that takes up like... almost the entire time that I'm back, although I said whenever I came back for breaks I could work), but despite that I somehow felt accomplished after I'd left the mall.

Today was an accomplished day, I think. I feel strangely pleased with myself even though I've still about a billion things to prepare (my dad does too, I'm suprised he hasn't exploded yet from the stress). So, let's stick with that and watch some Doctor Dolittle, I think (the 60's version because IT IS SO MUCH BETTER).

*I do know now. It's by train. With, like, four changes. It's all LOL LONDON-CAMBRIDGE-NORFOLK-SHERINGHAM, which is all good, but if I'm leaving from Otford can I book it there or do I have to wait until I get to London? :O

Today nearly turned out like yesterday (that is to say, another day where I felt more like some kind of blob of bones and flesh rather than a person who could actually contribute to society). But I did have to go to kung fu, so I set off in the afternoon, a little anxious about my driving.

The weather was dark and windy, and I hoped that I'd get to my kung fu place before it started raining down frikkin buckets because a) I can still count the number of times I've driven on my own on two hands, and b) I don't like driving in the rain.

I watched the lightning flashes with a kind of trepidation while I drove, noticing that despite the fact it seemed as though I was driving toward a light spot (or so I hoped), there was increasing lighting flashing DIRECTLY ahead of where I was going. Which was a little distressing. I wondered briefly if I was going to die in my car in the most improbable manner I could ever consider to die- not by any accident on my own or another drivers', but lightning.
It did start to pour once I started getting closer to my kung fu place, none of the parking spots closest to the door were open and despite the fact that there aren't going to be too many handicapped people doing kung fu (I only just realized that, actually), I didn't want to break the law. So I parked semi-away and fled to the door in the rain.

When I got there, the owner of the place was all "Go get Sifu" (to someone else) "Tell him the police are on the phone." and I was a little WTF, but I went inside and did class and by the end of class, after I'd watched a few policemen come in and out of the place, there were THREE cop cars outside and I saw someone in one of them.

It was really bizarre but I didn't dare ask anyone what had happened, although I did wish that my mom was there so she could have filled me in on what had happened (because she is by nature nosy and everyone expects her to be, so they usually end up telling her what's going on without her even needing to ask. Harumph). Anyway, since there have (in the past) been a few car break-ins at nighttime, I hope this was related to that and that I won't have to freak out and worry about the car getting stolen every time I have to park in one of the furthest parking spaces!

Today was pretty chillaxed. I watched Animal Cops Houston for a good, I dunno, five hours. puzzled at my state of illness for at least two hours. And.. I'm not really sure what happened to the rest of the day. I did get a graduation present from our next door neighbour which was almost unbearably sweet; I now am the proud owner of a wind-up alarm clock! Not quite as inspiring as Stephen Fry alarm clock but this has the grace of not needing anything but my wrists to continue working.

This time next week I will be in an airplane, sleepin' my way to England. Hopefully. The Paris idea has been vetoed (the week before we leave, I know, good job guys? Oh well. That's what happens when you've not entirely delegated who is planning what when.), so we have three days at the end of the trip after Oxford of being nowhere....Hrmmmmm.....West coast of England boasts a helluva lot of hostels, some with very interesting names... "Lizard" and "Street", to name two, as well as "Cheddar" (which is easily explainable but surprising nonetheless). Wow I am really not motivated to get my stuff together. This is not a good sign! :O

In other news, I am now a part of a Nerdfighter "five awesome" style blog with five other Nerdfighters I met on the ning. They wanted to start a blog that featured college kids specifically, so I left a comment with my freshmanity andf college, and they were like HEY OK SOUNDS GOOD. It's not gonna be on livejournal, unfortunately.

I am also, rather embarassingly, the only freshman, but maybe that won't put me in TOO many bad books. Anyway, here is the link to where our blog will be starting (tomorrow), in case you're curious: http://nerdfighteruniversity.wordpress.com/

I'm Sunday, which means I'll be the long-winded end to the week. :3 And yes, I did pick it myself, I have NO idea why.

Lastly I want to say that USA's new television show In Plain Sight is taking a while to warm to me. I'm not entirely sure I like the main character yet, but I am kind of in love with her partner (it's a mix of body type/ sarcasm/ knowledge of random facts, I think). But unfortunately that does not in itself mean that I think it's a good show. It does, however, mean I will continue to watch it DESPITE my opinion of anything else in the show. I do love USA, though, because about half of my favourite current American television shows are up on there (Law and Order: CI, Monk, Psych, Burn Notice...). I'm really excited for Burn Notice to be back. Like, really excited. They have little pin up semi-commercials that get me all OMG OMG. It's almost a little sad.

Was oddly stuck with a sore throat and drowsiness today! Dunno whether it was the doctor's office or Marshalls, really, but I'm inclined to think Marshalls.

Pops concert is tomorrow, that should be fun (s'long as I don't get any sicker!)

Sir Alec Guinness was kinda hot. :O I watched "Our man in Havana" or something today, and... yeah. He was pretty nice looking. :D And Noel Coward was in it, too! fun times.

so I GOT A HAIRCUT TODAY. that was fun. The dude who cuts my hair is funny and asian and artistic OH SO INTIMIDATING and I thought he was gay until I was waiting to get my haircut  (about a year ago, the first time I met him/got my hair cut) and this woman was talking to me, and then I realized that she was his girlfriend. Because I'm smart like that.

So he's talking about, like, everything, from travelling to men's perfume (asks me why I don't wear any of the women's sort, I tell him I don't like the smells) and then cuts my hair all short and stuff so now I like it but.. how is this going to work with kung fu, is the question. It is too short to tie back for the first time in a very, very long time. I guess I shall find out, because I have kung fu tomorrow morning. HRM.

After that affair, went to lunch with joho and emily, then got our end of the year video upped onto the lappy and also got a NEW video on the lappy, this one about where everyone's going to college and a phone call with andrew lloyd webber.

and then I drove emily to cotswald (!!) to shop at Marshalls for dresses, because we are girls (well she is, most definitely. I just pretend sometimes.) And I ended up buying a dress! I know, WHAT. but hey. The times are changing and maybe, you know, dresses will be necessary. I'm just sayin.
Anyway. I like the colors. and Emily ALMOST bought a dress ( I was rooting for it, it looked really cute) but unfortunately didn't and I understand that (and I also ower her a dollar. this should be remembered!)

Also, I have a sore throat now!??!?!?! wtf is this, Marshalls, DID YOU GIVE ME TB? YOU GAVE ME TB, DIDN'T YOU. JUST BECAUSE I LIKE CHEAP (OCCASSIONALY HILARIOUS) CLOTHING DOES NOT MEAN I LIKE GETTING DISEASES. for the record.

doctor's offices are never fun, but I like to think I am a compliant patient.
I take shots pretty well.
fingerpricks I'm not as happy with....

BUT HEY. that's it, it's over, hurrah and huzzah, etc. etc., why does everyone make funny faces when I tell them I'm going to Wellesley? O__o

And apparently I forgot that I'd had the HPV vaccination for, I dunno, a year, because apparently I had one (I had another one today). I was kind of looking forward to making the decision as to whether or not to get it, and I was kind of let down by the whole "here's your second treatment!" thing.

Kind of takes the wind out of a girl's deciding sails, the knowledge that she's already made the decision. Not that I was, am, or will ever be a good decision maker. I kind of just freeze and sweat a lot. and my brain turns off. which isn't really conducive to, you know, making the decision.

Oh well. Haircut tomorrow. I like short haircuts a LOT A LOT A LOT but I'm always too scared I won't be able to pull it off! plus, I like being able to tie my hair back for kung fu, and I don't like change... decisions, decisions!

I drove (on my own!) to the library today. What I really wanted were some James Herriot books, the craving having been set off by working in a veterinary hospital for the past week and living and breathing dogs and cats. Of course, the library didn't have any of his big compilations so I had to settle for his Dog and Cat collections (nice, but I'd like the stories, too, the story of his entire life there, when he met his wife, it's all really adorable). I also picked up Marley & Me, a book I'd read 1/4 of in an airport once, and another book about living with dogs and animals and things because I AM A SUCKER FOR THOSE TYPES OF BOOKS.

I also picked up a compilation of E.M. Forster's finest for my dad (although the library was lacking in A Passage to India, which was what he had asked for), Jane Eyre because I figured I need to read it at least once in my life and figure out what the fuss is all about (my secrit goal this summer is to brush up on my classics. I should consider borrowing some of my dad's Russians). Um... And Maurice and his Amazing Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett because I needed a palate cleanser and Terry Pratchett is the best there is. :D

Needless to say I walked out of the library with a sizeable stack of books and felt, you know, dorky, but in a good way, so.. that was important.

Last night I dreamed that I was in a car accident because I was reversing from a turn, or something. Anyway. Did not make me happy, so let's hope that don't happen.

I don't think I could ever be a people doctor. It's bad enough when pets are in pain and have to get shots and things, and bad enough for their owners when they die. I couldn't bear having people die. It's not so much their death that worries me as it is the hole that they leave.

 

Watched the first four episodes of the first season of House again, today. I MISS THE EARLY HOUSE EPISODES, BACK WHEN EVERYTHING WASN'T "DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT OH GOD."

Seriously. I mean, ok, the fact that Wilson's in all four of the first episodes, helping out & shit is kind of weird (because he's an oncologist and supposedly head of his own department), but there's a kind of delight in exploring this type of show that's pretty much lost by now.

I'm pretending that's the reason I like it so much better and not because Robert Sean Leonard was skinnier and not everybody had watched it then. But seriously, I'm really not invested in that show anymore.

Umm.. also saw the new Indiana Jones movie today. It doesn't really compare well against the other ones (in my book. The Last Crusade will probably always be my fave.), but I mean it's not... bad. An Indiana Jones movie is supposed to have crazy-ass fantastical elements (excuse me, holy grail?), so despite the fact crystal skulls are kind of WTF? they're not...abnormal. I feel like a lot of the parts were cornier and stupidly random than in the earlier movies, and maybe that's just because I saw the other ones when I was younger but I don't think so. plus, I mean, moosh much? seriously?

I had other things I wanted to talk about but I've left this too long and I'm too tired, so, 'night.

So.. I has driver's license! :D
oh yeah, you know that's right, I own the road now, bitchez.