Monday, May 30, 2005

Memorial Weekend

Friday, May 27th

I stayed over at Jen's on Friday. Of course I got to visit Charlie & Frankie (Jen's two cats). I feel like they are somehow my cats too; it's funny how that works. Those two finally have become buddies, which is great considering they would not get along when Jen got Frankie. ... Her and I watched Spanglish that night. It's a great show and this was the second time I had seen it. I really like it, though the ending is a bit strange. Nevertheless, I recommend it.

Saturday, May 28th

I started the day off by getting a haircut. I can't stand when my hair gets long enough to start covering part of my ear. It bugs the everloving crap out of me! After that, I went over to visit my parents. I washed my car and helped my dad put something on ebay. I help him anytime he wants to sell something, and he always gives me at least 15% of the final sale price (though I always remind him he doesn't have to). So while we were at it, we also put my keyboard on there. I like it, but honestly I haven't even gotten around to using it in quite awhile. It's taking up too much space, and besides, I can use the money right now.

I also decided to give my electric guitar back to my dad. He gave it to me awhile back, but I hardly get around to using that either. I haven't even being playing my acoustic guitar much at all lately. So I talked to him about it and took it back over there. We will put that on ebay one of these weekends as well...

In the evening, I took Jen to see Star Wars - Episode 3: Revenge Of The Sith. I ordered tickets online for the 10:50 show, just to make sure we would be able to get them. That seems to be the way to go, because all you have to do when you arrive is swipe your credit/debit card through this ATM-looking thing (apparantly called a "kiosk")... and the tickets print right up for you to take. It's most triumphant. So sure enough, five minutes after the previews start, some annoying-ass teenage girls come sit down right in front of us and blab and giggle... and everything else that dumbass self-centered little girls do. Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway) I was SO upset with them. No, I mean like SOOOOO upset. I wanted them to stop existing. I really really wanted to fucking END them. I'm not paying $20 so my friend and I can hear you talk, you selfish bitches. I "shushed" them a couple times, but of course they didn't even hear me because they were busy talking about how stupid their stupid asses were (or whatever). I ended up having to get up and move to a different section of the entire theater. Jen did like the show though, and afterwards she told me about how I wasn't the only person annoyed by those two bitches... I'm sorry... girls.

You have to understand something about me. Distractions in movie theaters, to me, is infuriating. Cell phones, people talking, little kids, commercials....... all these things make me despise the human race routinely when I go to see a movie. I rank it up there somewhere under animal cruelty. It's so bad that I hardly even go to movies anymore. Only when something I REALLY really want to see is out (like Episode 3). Thanks everyone, you've ruined my enjoyment of the movie screen. Thanks a bunch.

I have to be honest... I sometimes wish I could kill certain people.

Sunday, May 29th

I took my parents to see Episode 3 at Cinerama in downtown Seattle (my "Sith" viewing #4 and counting...). A week ago, I reserved these tickets online, and it's a good thing I did. The day's tickets were sold out by the time we got there, and the line to get in was a good city block long. My parents waited in line while I got the tickets. We ended up not getting the seats I wanted, but the ones we DID get were decent anyway. My parents both really enjoyed the movie.

Later that night, Jen and I watched two films:
  • The Final Cut - An intriguing movie about a "cutter" (Robin Williams) who's job it is to edit and create a "re-memory" for funerals. Some people are born with a chip that records every memory and experience throughout that individual's life, from birth to death. Upon death, the chip is removed and given to the "cutter". The cutter then scans through the memories and makes a montage of the person's life... including any certain events requested by close friends and family. It's a very interesting idea, yet a disturbing one as well. People are not always who they seem to be...
  • Saw - This one was completely disturbing. One of those films that makes you feel uneasy and... just wrong. I actually didn't like it that much, though it was pretty intense. As much as I like Cary Elwes, he just wasn't the right guy for the lead role. Then again, the movie wasn't right for me either.

Monday, May 30th

Today was fairly uneventful. I always appreciate a day off. Sundays are often my movie days, so this week, that's what today was. I just watched the following movies:

  • Team America: World Police - This is honestly the funniest movie I think I've ever seen! I've never laughed so hard watching a movie, especially while watching it alone. A couple minutes into it, I knew I was going to love it. If you want a good laugh, watch this flick. The "Unrated, uncensored" version if you can... that's the one I bought. Keep an eye out for the classic sex scene. LOL Absolutely hilarious! Trey Parker is a comic genius (which I've known for a long time actually).
  • Zoolander - I finally watched this film at the recommendation of my friend Wayne. It was pretty funny also, though a bit odd. I enjoyed it as well, though having watched it directly after Team America, of course it wasn't going to seem as funny. Still, I'll watch it again soon to get a better idea of how much I like it.

I also bought tickets for my dad and me to go see Rain, a Beatles tribute band we've seen a couple times before, and one of the best out there. (http://www.raintribute.com/). I got two center-stage seats at the very front of the first balcony, so the seats will be most excellent! I'm already really looking forward to it. :)

Other than that, there shouldn't be anything going on this week. I'm going to take my lunch breaks at work, and I don't plan on staying late much at all. That will give me more time to take care of other things at home. I'm still trying to get ahold of Cory to ask him about the roomate thing, so I'll find that out. Otherwise, I'll need to be out of this apartment by the end of June. I may just end up getting my own studio place. That would be koo. I may even have a date some night this week... we'll see.

Well, I'll be online the rest of tonight, so drop me a line. I'm right here working on my music stuff as usual. :)

Thursday, May 26, 2005

Ambiguity

...And on a completely different thought wave, why is it that I feel more and more discouraged with the human race as each day goes by? I'm not talking about individuals here, just humans as a group. We see ourselves as heroic. We see ourselves as positively superior in this world. We see ourselves as noble, precious, intelligent, caring creatures who strive for an age of peace.

I see the human race, as it is now, as completely fucking primative. We are selfish and ignorant to the things around us. We are savages. Brainwashed, hypocritical and insignificant beings. We claim to understand it all, yet we cannot even begin to grasp the concepts of the universe waiting out there for us. We think in the absolute, when life itself is something abstract. I dream we are destined for something much greater than we are, yet we seem to be somehow devolving. It's very disappointing...

They say that ignorance is bliss. I say that would be incredibly sad... yet it seems to be true. It's not easy being a realist.

Pre-Weekend

This weekend is going to be interesting. Already in my plans:
  • A haircut
  • Two + more viewings of Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith
  • grocery shopping
  • help parents with a couple random things
  • music studio
  • stay at Jen's place one night
  • watch my new DVD of Team America: World Police
  • call my cousin Cory to ask him about possible roommate situation
  • serious room cleaning and organization
  • work on computer music project
  • pay off bills, watch over account balances
  • keep up with email, blog and online groups

... that's my plan so far, but a casino trip is possible too. I'm excited for this weekend though, especially since we have Monday off. : )

We all know I've been stressing out at work lately. Tomorrow I'm finishing up another 90+ hour pay period (counting the PTO I used when I was gone the couple days). Tuesday saw me work from 9am to 9pm with no lunch. I have too much to do...

Now on top of this, I have to be out of my apartment by the end of June. Since our lease is up, Geoff and Amber decided to get a one bedroom apartment somewhere else. That's reasonable, due to the fact they're getting married here in a short few months, and I honestly don't want to live with a married couple anyway. That just seems somehow... wrong. So as I noted above, I'm thinking I might talk to ANOTHER one of my cousins, Cory, and see if he's interested in rooming with me. He just broke up with his girlfriend of a few years, with whom he was living with. So he had to move back in with his mom for awhile, just as I will likely have to move in with my parents temporarily. I'm just bummed to have to resort to that. That's why I'm brainstorming now...

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

SW55T 4R51MS # 2


... so there I was, facing down the mighty droid army. Leading my fellow Jedi into battle, unsure the outcome of this war I was. Nevertheless, with my trusty saber at my side, we charged into our collective destinies. Die we may... be corrupted by the dark side, we will not. Like my master before me, I will not know possession. I will not know love. I will not know fear. Fear is the path to the dark side, and this Jedi will not give in to the Sith. I will bring balance to The Force.

...And The Force is with me...

Monday, May 23, 2005

Vacation

Well that was an interesting weekend I just had, to say the least...

It started with a five-hour drive to Idaho. That night, after meeting with my friend Wayne, we decided to go into Moscow to the arcade. We played games there for awhile and then decided to walk through the mall a bit. So we were just coming out of a poster shop, when two young ladies passed by us. One of them exchanged glances with me as we passed. With great enthusiasm, she smiled and said "Hi!". I returned the greeting of course, as we began to construct petty conversation. She made it completely obvious that she wanted me, as when she talked, she looked me in the eyes the whole time. She was actually pretty cute as well... and I was caught off guard. Not far into the conversation, the awkwardness got the better (or worse) of me as I assumed the conversation was over, and politely gave goodbyes. We walked our seperate ways, as Wayne said jokingly to me "swing and a miss". I know he was just joking, but it triggered a real loathing towards myself. Here is the ideal situation. Though yes, there were certain factors that were working against the two of us meeting (I was busy with my friend, her friend was looking bored, etc), at the very least, it would have been good for me. Now I can't stop running through my head the possibilities of that situation that will never be. A great line comes to mind:

"Oh, it's another social casualty. Score one more for me."
--- John Mayer

...I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me.

-----

The following day, Friday, was of course Episode 3 day! :) I had already bought the tickets online weeks before, so we only had to wait in line about an hour to get our favorite seats. This was the first time I ever wore my new NIN shirt (see previous blog, 05/04/05). This is relevant only because the chick who took our tickets commented on it. She asked me "You preordered it, didn't you?". Assuming she was referring to the tickets, I said yes (with some confusion). As soon as she said she "loved the album" and blushed, I realized she was referring to the new album [With Teeth]. By that time, some other guys had crowded in line to hand their tickets over and the conversation was over before it started. Another cute chick starting a conversation with me, and this one a fellow NIN fan. ....... To sum up the situation, it was my second point in two days.

Nevertheless, I loved the movie! It was everything I was hoping for, and we ended up watching it again later that night. I'm already planning on seeing it twice more this next weekend, so I'm really looking forward to that. In the meantime, I just got done watching Episode 4 - A New Hope.

-----

The next night was a lot of fun as well. Wayne's sister, Liz, took us out to a barbeque/party she was invited to. I recognized a guy I worked with years ago and talked to him a little. After awhile, we made our way downstairs where I found a guitar and drumset. So I played a little there until everyone wanted to meet over at one of the bars.

We showed up and had a few drinks. Being Saturday night, it was crowded. Wayne and I BS-ed for awhile and hung out. Eventually, people would stop to talk and sit down with us for awhile. One of them was some 60-year-old chick who wanted me. lol She kept holding my hand and shit... I was like "yeah okay, whatever". The next day Wayne was telling me how she wanted us to go back to her place afterwards. Needless to say we didn't go. But since I couldn't really remember the rest of the night anyway, I have to take his word for it. That night was a lot of fun! It's always nice to go out and relax a little, you know?

-----

The rest of the weekend was relaxing. We watched tons of movies and played some games and some ping-pong. After so long, it's nice to be able to just hang out and do stuff like that. I miss that. Lately it's all been about work and responsibility. Not my idea of a fun life... but I'm getting better at it. Point by point.

I drove back here to Seattle at 4:30 this morning; got in about 9:00am. I may not have found the meaning of life yet, but I did find a bit more confidence I didn't know I had. So we'll see what I can do with it. : )

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

2 Quick Things

  • Today marks the 25th anniversary of the famous Mt. St. Helens eruption.
  • For the second time in ten months, I've been named Employee Of the Month at my clinic.

SW55T 4R51MS


...So, we went to this awesome party the other night, and we got wicked piss-drunk and made dirty sweet love in a walk-in closet for hours. It was a great night. The next morning, she asked me to marry her and to always be her "hot man stallion". I said "Yes", and we immediately flew to Vegas for the week, where she bought me all these expensive new clothes and everything. We just got out of the jumbo jacuzzi in our room and...... Oh, I gotta go, she wants me to go with her down to the casino for awhile. We can hear that roulette table calling our names. Later!

Monday, May 16, 2005

Check This Out

http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=pam_kfc_long


... this speaks for itself. Am I still so crazy for not seeing what a "wonderful world" we live in?

Sunday, May 15, 2005

Chaos

These last two weeks, I put in 91 hours at work. Tuesday alone was 11.5 hours with no lunch break. The only way I made it through was by thinking about my next paycheck. It should be a nice one, so that's cool. Of course, a big chunk of that is already going towards paying off my medical bills...

Still, I'm looking forward to this next week. I am taking Thursday and Friday off, as well as the following Monday. I'll be driving back home to Idaho on Thursday morning, so I'm excited about that. It's been a good couple years since I've been back there. Why am I going, you may be asking yourself (But likely aren't)? There is, as you may know, a major life-altering event coming up this week. It will go in the journals of history as the day the planets were aligned, and peace was brought upon all the land like a wave of happiness. And it was glorious... This that I speak of, of course, is the releasing of Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith. Tradition says my friend and I are to see the premiere at a certain theater in Spokane, Washington. I will be there. Oh yes... I will be there. And so will he. In fact, I've already purchased tickets online for the Friday night showing (@ 7:00pm). We'll do what we can to see it again that night, and we'll shoot for AT LEAST three viewings that weekend. This is the place we showed up at 5:00am one morning, and waited in line for 8.5 hours JUST to get tickets for Episode 1 a week in advance. We also have a tradition of going to a Quizno's in the mall right next to the theaters. This is actually the first time I ever ate there. Those were the times...

And while I'm talking about movies, I might as well talk about the deep psychological flicks I watched this weekend. The Exorcist III, The Butterfly Effect... and Ernest Goes To Camp.
  • The Exorcist III: Legion - This movie was very disturbing. I've never seen a film more revealing of a killer's behavior. There are a few choice disturbing parts in this film, and it was an odd one to sit through. It really didn't have the feel to the classic first film.
  • The Butterfly Effect - I thought this movie was very intriguing and original. Also a highly disturbing movie, this one I recommend to anyone who's in the mood to get a nice brain-fuck. You find yourself as clueless as the main character (played by Ashton Kutcher), and as the film progresses, things begin to make more and more sense. I really enjoyed this movie and plan to watch it again soon. It also helped me come to a decision... golly, I'd sure like to make sweet love to Amy Smart.
  • Ernest Goes To Camp - It's eerie watching this again after about 17 years. I still crack up during certain parts, but now it seems so.... 80's. Of course, I still love 80's, so it's all good. :)

...I also bought a few other used DVD's at blockbuster, as well as the others that Jennifer ordered online for me. I know, I know... I'm saving money right? Well you can just eat me, you judgemental bastards. Besides, after this week, I think I deserve it.

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Music Is My Battery

After getting my paycheck on Friday, it is quite frustrating to realize the whole thing is already spent. The bright side is... a couple more of my bills are paid off. Yay. And only two more weeks of hell until I get some more money.

I'm going crazy with overtime lately. Today I even worked from 9:00am - 8:00pm with no lunch break. I'm not just trying to get a nice check next pay period, but I'm also trying to keep us caught up at work. Whether it's working or not, I don't feel I'll be there much longer.

My music project is still rolling along. I just went through Guster's "Lost And Gone Forever". That is a great album, and I recommend it to anyone who's ever in the mood to listen to something on a different pace. I also listened to/ripped Sheryl Crow's second, and self titled release. That album is great as well, and filled with one solid song after another. Among the many sleepers on that album, "Home" stands out. Also, I'm really digging "Superstar" at the moment... a classic retro feel to it. :) SWV's "It's About Time" may seem like an odd duck in my CD library, but that album reminds me of a time when I thought I knew everything. Of course I still do, I'm just older now. Every song on there fills me with nostalgia for some unknown reason. But none more obvious than the last track, the "Right Here/Human Nature" remix. I suppose it may have something to do with hearing it one night on the freeway as a kid, looking out over the Seattle lights and thinking about the future. Funny how now I think of the past when I hear it...

And as many of you probably know, it's hard to come up with a favorite from Dave Matthews Band's "Under The Table And Dreaming". Sure, I want to say "Satellite" without flinching, or maybe "Warehouse" that I love so much. The mellow-choly last track, "34"? "Dancing Nancies"? With all these incredible tunes, I still have to go with "Jimi Thing". When I first listened to this album, this was one of those unimportant tracks I would skip past in a naive haste. After making myself sit through the entire album a few times, I realized it is actually full of amazing music. Give it a listen if you don't believe me...

Wednesday, May 4, 2005

[WITH_TEETH]


[WITH_TEETH]


Well it finally showed up in the mail today. I'm listening to it right now and it's sweet! Here's the track listing:

  • All The Love In The World
  • You Know What You Are?
  • The Collector
  • The Hand That Feeds
  • Love Is Not Enough
  • Every Day Is Exactly The Same
  • With Teeth
  • Only
  • Getting Smaller
  • Sunspots
  • The Line Begins To Blur
  • Beside You In Time
  • Right Where It Belongs

...the track listing itself sounds like a poem, doesn't it?

Anyway, I'll be here listening to my new painting. (Oh, and I got a t-shirt with it too. hehe I'll wear it for a picture sometime to show it off.) : )

Monday, May 2, 2005

Random Shit

Last week I got a new kind of contacts. As it turns out, my old ones were not letting enough oxygen get to my eyes, hence my trademark bloodshot eyes look. So these new ones are made of a thinner material, and I've been wearing them everyday since I got them. They feel great! People have already noticed that my eyes look better. My mom said they don't look as dry and bloodshot, and Jen mentioned that they... I believe the quote was, "don't look as icky anymore". Plus, it's always nice to see clearer, so I'm happy about it. : )

Saturday night, we watched Blade: Trinity again. Being a fan of both sci-fi action and vampire flicks, I really enjoy the Blade trilogy. I saw this one in the theater actually. It was better the second time. Also, tonight I just watched Napoleon Dynamite. lol What a crazy show. I liked it. But I feel obligated to let everyone know that not all Idahonians are that fucked up. lol I mean, look at me! Although, I too can dance a mean "Canned Heat". Seriously though, the film gives you the sense that no matter how weird and lame you think you are, there are others out there who are even worse. It's only a matter of finding those people and getting to know them. : )

Sunday, May 1, 2005

Reeling In The Years

Logically, no one knows what year it really is. It is certainly not the 2,005th year. Our best minds have narrowed our Earth's existance to the 4.2 billion year neighborhood, but nothing more specific than that. So years are meaningless. They are merely labels for the file cabinet of history.

So here's what you do...

Ask a random person on the street what year it is. When they reply "2005" and look at you with confused pity, say to them gently, "You're full of shit, and you're also stupid as crap.". It won't matter if they understand or not, because you'll take comfort in knowing the truth...

Years mean nothing. We made them all up.