I knew I'd forget things.

So, as some readers know, when the Jupe has dreams, they tend to be nightmares. Like, 85 percent of the time. I had a dentist appointment on Monday, and while my dentist is no psychologist or anything, he suggested that these nightmares might be causing me to wear my teeth to nubs while I'm unconscious. I chipped off a piece of enamel on a back tooth! Neat! I guess. I refuse to wear a mouth thing, because then I will not be able to sleep at goddamn all.

Aw, shoot. There was one other thing. When I remembered that I forgot things, I remembered two things. But now I can't think of what the other was. Let's see ... muffins? ... holidays? ... dark humor? ... message boards? ... chicken?

Bah, I don't know. Um ... I have finally have pictures of Zombie Foot online soon. I know Pat will be happy about that. Y'know, if no one else.

Also, remember way back in the depths of time I made a post just to explain all the song-related references I use in entries? I mean to do that again. So, hold on to that thought for me. That reminds me! Must send an email!

I'm sure it will come to me.

"I HAVEN'T?!"

My response to being told that I haven't blogged lately. Hah! Well, I'm doin' it now, people! You'll be sorry you mentioned it, O Three People.

Um. I haven't been *not blogging* for the record. I just ... haven't. Not too much has been going on with me, I don't think, and if I have a story, and tell it to one person, that counts as it being told, and therefore it's over. And then there's nothing left to blog about.

I've been reading The Lord of the Rings, and that has been occupying much of my time. I've been rewriting certain segments to entertain me in twisted, geeky ways. I'm geeking out, folks. Like, even geeks, even Lord of the Rings geeks (except maybe that one girl Who Shall Not Be Named), would be, "Eh... that's a bit geeky."

You want a name, bitch? I got a whole sack full, how many you want? I could do this all day!

Heeee! And also, making lists of things, like, "Names and Places in Middle Earth That Sound Dirty But Really Aren't." Such as ... "Helm's Deep," uh ... "Wetwang" ... "Eorlingas" ... "The Lonely Mountain." And, of course, "Bilbo."

Happily, I have received the DVD set for Christmas! Oh, yes, Christmas! Well. That went well. We do stuff on the Eve, so I went up to my sister's. Then on Christmas Day, my mother and I just hung out at home, and she made a chicken, and we had a nice little Christmas dinner, and a fire, and just hanging out, and it was very subdued, but very nice. I was pleased. I got some nice presents in the way of clothes, warm-making items and .. some things. I don't know, I forget.

I'm not as good or thorough at holiday recapping than are some others. I need to update Pat on some things, but not until the future/past! Heee!

Oh! But here's a development! I'm off to Maryland for the New Year! So long, suckers! ... Um, I love you? Anyway. Uh. I expect Steph or Pat to inform me if they create new life, and as for the rest of you ... don't do anything of interest until I get back. And Beth can call me.

I think that is it. I knew I didn't want to update right now! It has come out like so much crap. I'm not even going to spell check.

I knew something was going on!

So, I cleaned my room, including the parts of it I don't usually clean, yesterday. This made for dust, and dust made for allergies. My house is dustier than the average house, I think. I asked my father if he could bring me an air purifier, since he's always got things like that lying around. It turns out he was going to give me one for Christmas, but it's a better gift at the present time.

Then today I had no work, so I washed all my bedclothes (including my winter blanket for its first use this year) and then I waxed some parts of my face where I'd rather people didn't know I grew hair. Whoops! That cat's outta the bag. I'm presentable, though. My employer hasn't called me, so I assume I have no work tomorrow. But that's okay!

Because tomorrow I get to be an extra in a short film! And not like a student film, neither. Like, an "experimental SAG" short film, written by someone whose name I find on a fair number of pages when looking through Google, and a director who is supposedly important but who is as yet unidentified. [eyebrowmonkey] They will not pay me, but they will feed me.

I am a .

I like this place.

You Are a Visionary Soul

You are a curious person, always in a state of awareness. Connected to all things spiritual, you are very connect to your soul. You are wise and bright: able to reason and be reasonable. Occasionally, you get quite depressed and have dark feelings. You have great vision and can be very insightful. In fact, you are often profound in a way that surprises yourself. Visionary souls like you can be the best type of friend. You are intuitive, understanding, sympathetic, and a good healer. Souls you are most compatible with: Old Soul and Peacemaker Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Because ... pretty much, yeah. Although I'm always bothered when I get things like "visionary." What's that about?

Two words that made everything better.

Cheese. Biscuits.

My father took me to Red Lobster today. (After three doctor's appointments, and a trip to the mall in which I had to wait for him to finish rummaging through the Sports Authority. Bah.) I have only been to a Red Lobster one other time, and it was nearly four years ago. Red Lobster's cheese biscuits are my holy grail of food, like Arizona sweet tea is my holy grail of beverages. Vastly moreso, my friends, because of the number of years involved, and the times I have *tried* to get into a Red Lobster and been thwarted, my dreams of cheese biscuits crushed forever.

THEY ARE SO GOOD. I had four, and then my stomach threatened to sue me, so I had to stop. But, it's like, everything is better now. The magical cheese biscuits made everything okay.

Later, I went back to a book store, this time Barnes & Noble with my mother, where we waited at a book signing for Lidia Bastianich. Hopefully someone (other than Annika) knows who she is. Two hours! Not bad. It was my first book signing. I met some nice folk, including a three-year-old girl who was remarkabley well-behaving after standing in a line for two hours. Lidia dedicated the book to my zia, Patrizia. And then she was all, "Ooh, who is Patrizia?" Lying is awesome! But my Auntie Pat will be very happy, we believe. She loves Lidia. Furthermore, I now have a recipe for crostatas.

In conclusion, "You should not rely on any acting job to pay your bills or keep you happy; you need a day job for your paycheck and a hobby for your sanity." 1:2.

And Roger will attempt to write a bittersweet evocative song...

I'm not sure if I'm more likely to cry, scream, or go completely insane.

Probably that first one. I've got a good streak going on.

HOLY SHIT how I did not miss writing entries like this.

Drunk?

Hi! Pat has suggested that upon consuming of alcohol, I should post drunkenly. At least, I think that's what he said. And so I have!!

Which is to say, my mother took me out for dinner, and in there I had some beverages. Like, so few. I had a glass of red wine (my mother told me I wouldn't like red wine, because she doesn't, but I have sipped white wine in the past, and that sucks), it was shiraz! From Australia! I felt very good. And then !! Then! I had port. PORT! Aren't you proud of mE? And then I had dessert, which is not wine.

I assume that I'm disappointing everyone because this is mostly (?) free from typos. Is it? Anyway. I'm not drunk. Or .. I don't know. My mother spilled booze on me but it was entirely accidnetal. And yesterday I was plastered! Heee! And I reeked of booze. so, it's a thoroughly fulfilled event, even if I'm only somewhat woozy, after having a minimal number of alcohol. If you could watch me, though, I am very close to the keyboard, and going slowly because I don't know what kerys these are. Also!!!! There have been typos. But I corrected them. Unless I didn't, in which cae, ... I didn't. I'll try not to correct any more, if I can. zzi hope I don't barf vomit.

I'm still waiting for a bunch of bitches to call me!! And ,... boozwe. Booze? Booe.

The end.

Got a feeling twenty-one is gonna be a good year.

Holy crap. I am twenty-one. Wow. That was fast.

For my birthday, my mother has given me an iPod mini. Which means that at some point during the next week, I am going to be making an entry complaining about USB ports and begging for assistance. At first I was nonplussed! I don't want no Mac technology! But it's so tiny! That's cool. I hope we needn't return it due to its not working. Sigh.

Also, I am all caught up on my Joan of Arcadia recaps. Last night, after I finished my kitchen project at exactly midnight - I got ready for bed and watched my first taped episode, "Friday Night." That episode kicked. my. ass. But in an okay fashion.

So far the day of birth has been quietly meaningful and meaningfully quiet. So far so good! Later, I plan to have one, possibley two drinks of alcohol, and then I will be drunk. Bless my adorable alcohol intolerance.

Oh, I did get that job, by the way. It's pretty cool beans. The lady I work for is a million times less a flake now that she has realized how awesome I am. I'm still trying to figure out when and how I will get gifts for Christmas and for the rest of my December babies. It would be easy to buy things there, but everything is ridiculously expensive. What's with the prices? Are we paying for the atmosphere? Sigh. At least it's fun to know that some of the gift baskets I make go for $165 a pop!   I am awesome!

Also, I request that anyone in the know please not point out the irony in my title. I'm well aware.

[hums "Happy Birthday to Me" quietly, to self]

I love this show.

Lost  babble.

Seriously, I love this show. I love it more than anything else in the world.

Okay, that's blatantly untrue. There is a list of things I love more. But less than you'd think! LESS THAN YOU'D THINK!

I love it so much, I'm marketing for it .


[Begin Spoiler for Lost - "Raised By Another" — Highlight to view]

Thanks to Buffy, I was allowed the following thought process:
Lost: "Rohm."
Brain: "Oh! Like Elisabeth!"
Lost: "R-O-M"
Brain: "Oh! Like the gypsies!"
Brain: "..."
Brain: "That ain't right."

Even though I was totally suspicious of that dude before. I mean, I thought it was a weird way to integrate the other extraneous castaways, but it really seemed like that dude was all suddenly "there." And I also barked out "Why are you so suspicious?!" when he was being all evasive to Hugo (HEE!). And you knew that  was gonna happen. You know what I mean.

This is totally like a story. Up until now, the whole show has been built on mystery. That's typically bad, because you have to reveal what's going on sooner or later (and if it's later, people get bored) and you have to have a story that's worth it. So far, from what I can surmise, Lost does. ...Fingers crossed.

Also, HOLY SHIT!!

[End Spoiler]

My aching feet.

I originally wrote "fett" but that's neither here nor there.

Oh my God my feet! I have been standing on them all day. I have at least two blog entries, and I didn't really know which one to make, but I guess that's decided now as I'm making this one. Lucky people! This one is about me. The other one is about why "Love Actually" is a horrendous movie. I know, I'm out of the girl club. I don't like chocolate, either. Or shopping.

Anyway! I guess the first order of business is Thanksgiving. A+! I read my livejournal friends list, and a lot of people were bitching about the fact that you're supposed to have a huge familial gathering on Thanksgiving, and they're depressed and angry that they don't have one. Well, funk that! You know what my big Thanksgiving was? My sister came over. That's all! But what made it A+ was that sweet potatoes were eaten by me. It was a communal food making and eating experience, just like that story that ABC News had. So there. The best part about Thanksgiving is days of left-overs. So just make a lot of food! Eat it later. Merry Everything.

Also, I may have a job. I'm still waiting to find out, because, as my mother just said nary a minute ago, "That idiot woman never called you?" It's about wrapping Christmas parcels for a gift co. I am both over-qualified and over-talented for it, and I only have the nerve to say that because the lady was terribly fastidious over a job that she later admitted she usually hires high school people for. I mean, who she be kiddin'! But she said she'd call me "by this weekend," so that's what I'm waiting on.

My mother and I have begun redoing the kitchen. Yesterday we chipped and sanded the hell out of everything, and then painted the ceiling. The woodwork had been done last weekend. And today I began Venetian Plastering! I am plaster happy. But only in the kitchen. It provides a bright and above all clean and attractive atmosphere for a place devoted to preparing food. I'd never put it in a living room or anything, though. I think it would feel too cold. But I completed one section of my total 5 planned out sections, and then I'm texture painting the tiles (which sadly, we cannot remove, as the walls are all gross behind) to look like stone. And then we're staining the cabinets green and getting new pulls. Nothing to be done about the floor (or countertops) at the moment, but, someday. I should have taken before pictures. Maybe I'll take after! That will have less time constraints.

Also, there are So Many Questions.

Furthermore, the phone line on which my modem resides has mysteriously ceased to function, so right now it's on-line on the main-line. Heh. It's okay, we rarely have phone calls, and anyone who would be calling this late for emergency purposes would call a cell phone. But I don't know what's up with that. The internet and I are still on speaking terms, but our relationship is strained. I just looked up some lyrics and now I'm getting to reading a recap. Woo hoo!

Something ... something more.

And, DUDE! MY BIRTHDAY IS ON SATURDAY. SATURDAY!!!!!!!!

That is all. Carry on with your intended business.

So true, so true.

Though, idealy, I would have been sweet potatoes. God damn I want some sweet potatoes.

You Are Mashed Potatoes

Oridnary, comforting, and more than a little predictable You're the glue that holds everyone together.

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

Also, I took the "How Like Your Sign Are You?" quizzes for both Sagittarius (my sun and ascendant signs) and Capricorn (my moon sign). I am 60% like Sagittarius, and 40% like Capricorn. Interesting.

Surprise!

Guess what! I was away all weekend in the South. NONE OF YOU KNEW THAT! Heehehehehee!!

I'm sorry. I don't know why that amuses me so much. I am so strange. Anyway, the person with the least idea of my whereabouts was Tiny Annie, who I saw ... okay, Saturday. (I was about to say, "Holy shit! Was it yesterday?" But it wasn't.) I had, prior to the weekend, intended to make a post about all the people I haven't seen in an insane amount of time (okay, um, not "all." Just the ones I'm very fond of, which is a much much smaller number), and she was going to be on there. Score! Fixed that problem.

Also, when I first saw her it was from the back of a theatre and I had to wait until intermission to get all up in her grill. So I was trying to find her in the crowd, and my precise thought was, "Well, my best option at the moment is that girl up front with the pigtails." I'm so perceptive. Also, when she was all afar, I was reminded of how adorabley tiny she is, and then when we were up close, I was reminded that ... we are the exact same height. Still. Sigh. But I'm always taller when she wears flip flops.

I will build a machine that transports me rapidly through space, and costs nary a cent. My first stop will be to the Pants's. Because I miss my Pants. I'm going to have to get on that.

Also, the boy and I watched the film Secretary (and also some episodes of Stargate SG-1. Yeesh). It was very little like what I was expecting. For starters, I didn't know James Spader was in it. SO WEIRD AND CREEPY. Ah, James Spader. We were entertained like the vastly mature people we are.

Also, I saw the latest Joan, Kirk. Because I couldn't tape it, so I just. watched it. I know, I'm proud of me, too.

Two weeks??! I can't wait that long!

Alternately titled: Lost. Hot. Damn.

Dear all my friends who have thus far not started watching LOST. Do it. I don't want to heard your lame excuses. "Oh, I have no time, I've already committed to watching other shows, blah blah wah blah wah." Stop doing other things! You have no better use for your time, I'm telling  you. Just ... no. Just watch it. That's my bottom line. Watch it.

I cannot wait two weeks! But then the next new episode is totally going to be C+C centric, and I am all about that. [exalts ] Although, it's too bad that it's now completely obvious


[Begin Spoiler for What is completely obvious. Well, if you watched the latest episode "Solitary"and the previews for the next. — Highlight to view]

It's Alex. Totally. Cracking Naveen Andrews on the head, attacking Claire (most likely for a slew of Oepidal reasons). Yeah. Totally. Oh well. Perhaps he's disfigured! With hives.

[End Spoiler]

In other news, there is sawdust everywhere. EVERYWHERE. I hate sanding.

Well, that was easy.

I totally do have an agen..cy. They just, apparently, didn't bother to tell me!

I thought perhaps that this evening I would call my cousins. I haven't talked to them in ... a million years, and yet they regularly turn up in my dreams. So maybe that's a sign of some sort.

In other news, I'm watching so much television that I can't even keep track of it anymore. I'm going to start watching Joan of Arcadia again because I accidentally caught the preview for this week's episode and now I really have to see it. But before I see it, I have to read the recap of the 16 episodes I missed. ... Before 8PM tonight. So, I'm taping the episode, and I'll watch it eventually. But sometime before that, I'm going to have to watch the Smallville episode that I taped, even though Pat already told me what it was all about. Jesus. Being a slacker is hard work.

Oh no!

This is a memo to the following members of the Buffyguide forums:

Jamie Marie, Victor, laser_doc, Marsia, starshine, Boo, Annie, Rob, Christine, Samantha, angel29, Angie, Nemesis, inertia, Helen, Valerie, Gandalf, Starshadow, Becca, Zeus, jadde, Zer0 Signal, Demon Girl, fetterdave, and CassyLee.

Never get deleted, yo. Never. Stick around for all time. For the following reason: if I still had my original restristration date, I would be the first name on the second page of the user list, sorted by registration date. If one of you were to cease to hold your position on said list, my name would, in spirit, be on the first page. This is alarming and wrong and should not come to pass.

You may now continue with your business.

Furthermore.

I eat dinner with my mother, and we watch ABC for most of the duration. Except Wheel of Fortune, because that's a stupid show. But, local news, Petey Jennings, Jeopardy! with the nerd. The whole thing. Even though my mother said she's getting bored with the nerd, because he always wins. And, as if in response to her gripings, it was an EPIC BATTLE on Jeopardy! tonight, during which Ken Jennings had to beat off two other nerds with his D&D magic staff. I imagine that when the cameras stopped rolling, he immediately turned to the man at his left and screamed: "Oh! You thought you could beat me?? I'm Ken Jennings, bitch!"

Anyway. I, lately, though I love the other Jennings man, have not wanted to watch the news. Like, at all. I've been rather success at not seeing the fucking news at all since last Tuesday. Although I do know that a 57 year old woman just gave birth to twins, and a news preview told me that one of Bush's cabinet was retiring.

Me: "Is it Bush?!?"
Mother: "No."
Me: "Is it Cheney??!?"
Mother: "I don't think so."
Me: "Is it Ashcroft? Rummy? Who??"
Mother: "I don't know!"

It was Ashcroft, incidentally, if you, like me, have been avoiding such things. And also the secretary of Commerce.

Anyway, instead of watching the news, I opted to watch The Secret Garden on HBO. Because it's a fucking fantastic movie. Because of that movie, and almost solely because of that movie, Agnieska Holland is on my list of best loved directors. It's one of the most beautifully directed films I've ever seen. My mother didn't want to watch this, either. She asked, "Yeah, how many times have we seen this ?" Even though I had to tell her what, exactly, it is we were watching.

And then, at the end, where they're all playing merrily in a field of heather, I turned to her and asked, "How could you ever get tired of this??" And then I burst into tears. With no warning whatsoever. I can't tell if this means that I am an enormous Girl, or, like, mentally unstable.

The Year of Jupe is back on track!

For the most part. I still don't know about the agency. (All your praise is too soon! Plus -- I didn't really do anything ) I went there today to drop off my headshots, and ... did exactly that. Hooray!? They were all "Great! Thanks! You may go." So I guess I will wait for someone to call me.

But in definite good news -- I have health insurance! Which I wasn't going to have, because I'm covered under my mother's plan, and it only covers me so long as I am a full time student, which, of course, I no longer am. But I have a new plan! That will mysteriously cover me at least until I become (maybe) a full time student again. Or a megastar. Either way. This is vastly important as I am a monumentally ill person, and need much in the way of doctor's visits and drugs and wacky, wacky procedures.

And furthermore, I know that everything will be alright, because I have had a sign from on high. Today, I was in the Port Authority of New York. I rather know this place, as I proverbially know my hand. Yet as I was preparing to go home, I wanted beverage, and I couldn't find any places selling such on the second floor. So I headed over to the escalators to the 400 gates. (That's right! 400!) And there, a fooding stand was selling Arizona Sweet Tea. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

As my readership may or may not be aware... well, let me start from the beginning. Many years ago, I was at my southern beau's house, and his mother inquired of me if I should like some "iced tea." And I was all, "Well sure!" And so then she started making ... tea! What? (I'm a total yankee.) And this mysterious "sweet tea" concoction was the most awesome thing I have ever had, ever.

Then, this past summer when I was commuting to class, I stopped in a little shop in the train station, and saw that they were selling a sweet tea, as marketed by the Arizona Tea Company. Awesome! Thought I. And ye, it was good. It was totally, totally good, because Arizona makes delicious addictive beverages. But what then? When I went back, THEY HAD NO MORE. No more. And they never got more. And I never found it again. Ever. So I've been searching for it for the better part of six months.

And I found it. Yay! I went to the counter and asked, "How many do you have?" Which is why I walked away with $18 worth (9 bottles) of tea.

If I could top this all off with a Rufus Wainwright concert, I'd be set.

It has been such a good day. Except my chest is still broken out. That's not good. [/depressing footnote]

It's Good News Week!

I may, possibley, have an agent.

In other news, I was wondering if it would be possible to ... explain global warming to me. Because I ... may not believe in it. But wait! Don't kill me! I more insanely don't think I know what the hell it's about. So, if I could get some help on that, that would be good. I don't want to transform into a hyperconservative apologist or anything. But, uh... yeah!

I have nothing to say about anything else.

Well, touché.

My fellow countrypeople of New Jersey,

Fuck you too.

Your buddy,
President Bush

An open letter to our (current) president.

Dear George W. Bush,

Fuck you, sir. Fuck you.

Your buddy,
The State of New Jersey

Halloween Masochism.

Woo! So far, it seems that my radioactive powers allow me to make incredibley astute observations. No fair! I wanted a better one. Also, whilst I have been home eating soup all week, I kept seeing advertisements for the USA airing of "Queen of the Damned," the enemy of my soul. A film against which I had been waging a holy war. And yet, somehow, I convinced myself that it would be a good idea to watch it. Something to do with not being an utter hypocrite, I guess. In order to spew bile about it, shouldn't I at least watch it first?

Seemed like a good idea at the time. Yes I watched it. And it was enormously painful. I expected it to be the worst movie I'd ever seen, and it really surpassed my expectations. Wait, you ask, aren't I horribley biased? Well, yes. But I about forced myself to remain open-minded about it, if I had to pry my brain apart to do it. And it took thirteen minutes before I stood up and said "This is the stupidest film I've ever seen." Pretty good!

Anyway, I took notes throughout the film on what sucked and how much. Here, unadulterated, are some of my favorites.

- young Jesse enunciates just like Bob Dylan.
- Marius = Roman? = Russian? = close enough?
- Townshend = The Suck.
- David is old? Shit, he's like, thirty.
- Lestat = French? = Russian? = close enough?
- WHAT!?! STUPID!!
- Kinky.
- What awesome communication skills.
- Apparently, vampires are such that the only words they can ever speak to each other are expositional.

- 90% of Abu Ghraib prisoners surveyed said they were forced to watch this movie.

- Wow. The character interactions are so well-constructed and believeable.
- Nice makeup, though. On the skin. Not the eyes. The women look like drag queens. The men look like bad drag queens.
- Is he listening to his own music on headphones? In a room surrounded with PICTURES OF HIMSELF?

- I could write a better script by sitting on a typewriter.

- What's up with the shimmies, dear?
- personality = 0
- Is this Mad Max?

- Ew! Hairy nipples!
- Also, where is she getting all these gold bras?
- Explain please?
- ... in a way that isn't assinine?

In other news, I made up a new rule for Halloween. I refuse to give candy to anyone who is taller than I am. I complained about this experience to my mother. She told me that I stopped trick-or-treating when I was four. I told her that I didn't like it, because it was begging. Heee! FOUR! I laughed for the rest of the night. I bet I was the cutest child that ever lived.

Nuclear upgrade in five, four...

So, doctors, and everything else, are stupid. There was all sorts of nonsense this weekend about who was calling what and when and what in the world any of this had to do with scheduling my radioactive upgrade. But then my father called me this afternoon, and said he had scheduled the whole thing to be done tomorrow morning at 11AM. Good to know! I'm glad I was consulted.

Crappily, this means that I will not be able to hang out with Ace and starshine (and Jaynee?) this weekend, which I was looking forward to. Instead, I'm going to be radioactively ill. Or so my doctor claims. Given the amount of thyroid output my test showed, I can expect to get real fucked up for the next week. If you have my number, give me a call! I bet it will be entertaining. Also, I'm getting my period on Friday (I'm sorry gents, and prudish ladies). I only mention this because of course I'm having this done when my radioactive waste potential will be at its highest. I hate everything. I really should have seen my doctor about some sleeping pills, because it would be nice to be unconscious for all this.

I probably won't be online for a while, or if I do (who am I kidding?) it will only be for brief periods, so I'm not getting everything all radioactive. I was thinking of making my last entry before doing so my last review for Angel, but I still haven't watched the tape because I'm just that lazy.

For those who were asking though, I'm hoping to get some sort of knowledge or comprehension thing going, like, maybe be able to understand any language or anything spoken. Possibley because I'm able to connect to the mental channel that opens up when people are thinking and then start to speak. I was thinking though that I'll probably just become immune to nuclear blasts. Like the Homega Man. It would probably suck, though. Fighting off mutants and a conquering Al Qaeda or something. Maybe I'll be able to absorb the radiation and use my eyes as laser beams.

Oh, the possibilities!!

Turn off the lights, and I'll glow.

That was the worst title ever. I'm sorry. But it's true!

This is the continuing story of my being radioactive! See, it has been determined by medical types that I should undergo what is called a "thyroid ablation." This involves me taking a dose of radioactive isotope I-131 (the number is the count of protons in the nucleus! Yay chemistry!) which will then proceed to kill my thyroid gland so that it doesn't make me .. um, die.

I got to sit down today and read all about what I will be required to do after I become florescent. I will be a leper!! I'm supposed to stay at least 6 feet away from people for a week! No one touch me - I'm radioactive! Not that it's dangerous or anything. The radiation is totally safe for all people and things, including me the person ingesting it. It's not like it'll give you cancer or anything. I just need to ... stay away from all objects for a while. Just for fun!

Things I touch will not be in danger of being radioactive. Like an AIDS patient, it'll be okay to hug me. But watch out for my bodily secretions! TOXIC!

If I drool on anything, like I sometimes do, or I become a gross germ-infested mess that drips constantly from the nose, like I sometimes do, I will be dripping with radioactivity! And that which I defile will also become radioactive!

Luckily, the half-life of this isotope is such that in 80 DAYS, I will contain no more radioactiveness than people usually do, and I will be indistinguishable from you regular humans. On a nuclear level. But until then, it's no planes or nothin' for Amy! I wouldn't want to be detained and probed. Then I'd be on the news. Then I'd be shunned forever.

I have to promise not to get knocked up within that 80 day period, though. Easy!

In other news! I went to the Mall At Short Hills again today! I have no idea why my father seems to like shopping so much. Bookstore! I got a book that is the greatest thing ever, but I can say no more about it, because I might get another copy and use it as a gift for ... a person. Don't expect it to be you! Forget you read that! Just remember that I am awesome!

Anyway, if I don't gain super powers as a result of all this, I will be very disappointed.

New Jersey: George Washington's spiritual home, bitch.

So, today I went to Morristown to become radioactive. I wonder if I have super powers. I went there because they have the best nuclear medicine in the state, so I went, despite my mother's chides that there are places closer. It's not about convenience, it's about doing all I can not to fuck up my glands. So, there.

So around 10:30, I am presented with The Pill. The pill is very entertaining. It contains a minute trace of radioactivity (I cannot go on a plane without a doctor's note. Heee! You know, because of the terror). It's keep in this sealed, multi-chambered vial with a lock on it. The doctor does his best not to touch the pill, eyeing it nervously, then dumps it in my hand, and tells me to swallow it. Funny!

Anyway, this is by and large the most boring part of the day. I have to let the ISOTOPES settle into my body for four hours, so the old man and I hit the town. Morristown has a church on every goddamn corner. This may be an exagerration, but only *just barely* ! Churches everywhere.

In addition, they are so hard for George Washington. Washington stayed here! These are Washington's Headquarters! George Washington loved New Jersey So! Goddamn! Much! So you can suck it, Virginia!! I hope you choke on George Washington's thick love for Morristown! Bitches.

Also, I have determined that my fair state is broken up into "really nice areas" and adjoining "kinda crappy areas." It's a recurring theme I've noticed. The really bad parts are actually few and far between. It's most just "nice" fading into "kinda crappy."

But now here is the important thing: my father took me into a department store called "Century 21." I had never heard of such a thing before. In New York, you say? Whatever, guy who is very old! Century 21 is a realtor operation, isn't it? Anyway, my father really wanted to see it, so we when in. He wound up purchase a one-hundred dollar pair of sunglasses. For seven dollars. That was awesome! But not nearly as awesome as what I got!

What I got, and what I am now wearing, is a man's hat. I don't know if it's quite a fedora. Probably not. But it is an Indiana Jones hat. It's an archeologist's hat. It's so great. I love it. We were in the men's department, obviously, and I began trying on what were obviously men's hats. However, I looked really really good in them. It's wonderful. It's got that pinched part in the front, so I was holding it with three fingers over my stomach area, then putting it on over my face.

Honestly, even though this is definitely a piece of men's apparel, it is quite possibley the sexiest thing I've ever worn. Especially with the shirt I was wearing, that had mostly unbuttoned superfluous buttons at the top. I love my hat. It makes me want to talk to monkeys, and jump over chasms.

Well, when Zombie Foot heals.

Lost Review #1

Sorry if my title is confusing. I am not reviewing the show "Lost" - though I have been watching that regularly. It's a great show! All should watch! Hail Lost!

Anyway, I have two more Angel episodes taped, so I figured I should fill in my reviews gap with what I have. I was also going to tape the last seven episodes of Angel (starting yesterday) but I'm an imbecile. I taped "Shells," but this afternoon, when I wandered in my room to shut off the tape at 6PM, the television was off. I can only assume right now that when the episode started, I hit "Power" instead of "Rec." Because I am apparently a functional retard.

Zombie foot is doing better. I'm up to 17 pictures! That I still can't show anyone. Blast you Windows 98!!!

In addition, I miss the boy. It's okay, he knows. But I think I'm going to have to ask some of you people to go back to being long distance, so I don't feel so isolated ated ated ated.

I have made cookies three times within the last month.

[Begin Spoiler for Soul Purpose — Highlight to view]

Well that was certainly interesting! I believe I liked it. I definitely liked the ideas contained within, but if I have trouble, it's probably with the execution. Directed by David Boreanaz! Man! Is that a first? That was ... odd. I'm not sure how to describe the style as being other than "disjointed" or "quirky." Not bad, but definitely underexperienced. Although, knowing what I know of David Boreanaz himself (courtesy of quotes at TWoP) this makes perfect sense. So ... alright!

I liked Lindsey, but it was hard. I didn't like the strip bar or whatever they were in in the beginning. And I didn't like that Lindsey was all showing up there proffering his business. When he was all "I'm Doyle" I thought, Oh Lindsey. First I had to stop and rewind to make sure he'd actually said that. Those bitter fans from Season One are so gone, man. So gone. You can never get them back. But I was intrigued. At first I thought, "Does he even know who Doyle is?" Sometimes I forget how long Lindsey has been on this show. I also like that Angel didn't find out about this shocking twist in this episode. They're saving it. Good work, I want to see what comes of that.

Following. I like the parallels of Spike and Season One Angel. I knew what they were doing, but it was nice and subtle. Except for the double-staking action, there were no iconic repetitions. And when Gunn and Wesley came to Spike peddling their wares, they were so like the smirking suits of old. And I wasn't even distracted with complaints of "oh, this is out of character" because they're really weren't. They had their motives that they weren't fully divulging, but according to Gunn and Wesley, they were the same people they'd always been, out to do some good.

And I very nearly enjoyed Spike again in this episode. I like that he replied "Well what did you expect?" to the girl he saved. It was like, "Hey, I recognize that guy." Of course, all the follow-up to that I didn't like. He lost that aura again. And I think in the whole episode, we went back and forth between Spike of Old and Spike Nouveau. It was kind of okay, and still kind of not. And the "Buffy" scene made me sad. Yes, I know, Angel's hallucination and all that, but, geez. No wonder Gellar didn't want to do a guest spot on the show.

The hallucinations were interesting. Took up a lot of time, and didn't reveal much and probably were over-used, but they were okay. "Thank you, bear!" Heeeee! For some reason, I think that is the greatest line ever. It's so random, and Amy Acker's delivery is just perfect.

Eve continues to exist. God! Why! And we now, apparently, know ... everything we need to about Lindsey. Well. That was quick. Honestly, I would have been okay with a tiny bit more suspense and not as much upfrontness, but then again, the season is half over at this point. Oh well. It's hard to make speculation about what has already happened (everyone reading knows if I'll be right or not) but I seriously hope his only interest in Eve is using her. I hope he winds up selling her down the river. Not only does she deserve it, but she's stupid and annoying and deserves it. And I would feel much better about Lindsey if he didn't have any serious interest in her.

And as for their little game, I'm glad Angel at least is starting to figure it out. It would be very annoying to have Eve lead them around when we know what she's saying is diversionary bullshit. And they are so stupid!! I swear to God, I wanted to slap all of them. Why are they listening to her? Why do they care? Why are there no warning lights going off? She tells Gunn that the Senior Partners don't know what's going on and are confused. Well my eyebrow just shot right up. This is the Senior Partners, yes? Who we've always been given to believe are Not Of The Earth? Why is it not completely obvious that she's lying? When everyone is working on important pressing issues, she tries to get them to focus on some little thing that she found and no one cares about. Why is this not completely obvious? She tells Fred her feet are being burned. Would you like some salve? An ointment? So? Blaaaahhhh. I can't stand it when the characters are so stupid. I hope Eve dies badly. Maybe I'd feel differently if she were portrayed by another actress.

Now for some shallow observations! I missed doing these. Harmony was wearing whore makeup for this entire episode. What was up with that? Also, I found it funny that she was also sporting Buffy's hair from Superstar. Commentary? Also, I got distracted by David Boreanaz's shiny shiny fingernails. In Anne Rice books, vampires are supposed to have shiny shiny fingernails, so I wondered if they were jumping on that bandwagon. But then I thought, David Boreanaz seems like the kind of dude that gets manicures. And perhaps Angel is too, you never know. Also, Harmony said "on accident" in this episode. Do people really say that? I must ask because I know I've said it, but I thought I was creating a new phrase or something. People say "on purpose" but they say "by accident." I determined once that "on accident" sounded completely cute, so I said it. I didn't know that it was an actual ... thing that people said.

[End Spoiler]

And on that note ... night all.

Foot update: Revenge of Zombie Foot!

Blah, so, sorry about the offer of Zombie Foot photographs. While it still looks driven to madness with the desire to eat human flesh, there is a problem. My computer has decided that it would be really cool to be the stupidest thing in the world, and refuses to recognize the camera I have PLUGGED INTO IT!

I don't know, man. My computer has two USB ports that up until this year I had never used. I plugged my web camera into one, and that worked fine. Then, when I got my first digital camera, I tried plugging it in the same one, but it didn't work. I plugged it into the second one, and it worked with no problem. Now, no matter what I do, I cannot get any new hardware to work in either of them. It's like you can only use one port for one thing ever, and then it's over, you're done. Yes, that doesn't make much sense, but then, my computer is ass retarded. Help?

In other zombie foot news, I got it stuck this morning with a local anesthetic ... or ... painkiller. Or something. It was weird, and the needle made my foot bleed a lot, because of all the blood trapped in my foot. I narrowly escaped dripping blood onto the floor! Anyway. I don't know that I care for it. My legs and lower spine area have been tingly since this afternoon, and I feel like my flesh is incredibley heavy, and being pulled down by an unseen force. Walking was definitely a challenge.

Wish me luck for tomorrow! [/mystery]

Also! Happy Wedding Annika and Will! I remembered and thought about you at approximately 5:40 Eastern Time, so hopefully that was some time around when you were doing wedding things. Aww.

Foot update: Spoke Too Soon?

That title has too many "o"s in it.

So, yesterday, I got off the train and directly into a doctor's office. See, on Tuesday the boy and I determined that my foot was ... unattractive. Or, the actual phrase used to describe it was "zombie foot." Because, seriously. So anyway, I called my father to get a second opinion about zombie foot once I got back.

My primary care physician said that all the alarming under-the-surface bleeding was not anything to worry about. However, the swelling, he said, was. I didn't think the swelling was too bad, considering that on Monday, it had been a grapefruit. Anyway, he said the amount of swelling indicated that there was bone injury. He wants me to get more x-rays.

Cut to: X-Ray Place. I get more x-rays. The technician is bitchy, but she should have gone home several hours before, and she was waiting for some dude to come in, which he didn't, so I cut her some slack. Anyway, longer story less long, I might have a tiny small fracture on one of the bones.

Cut to: going back to PCP's office! I'm waiting for twenty minutes in the car, at which point I call my father up in the office, and I'm all "What are ya doin'?" He's making me an appointment with a podiatrist.

It is apparently difficult to explain to people why I was at this point very cranky and irate and in the most desire to just go the hell home. But, anyway, I was.

At podiatrist: takes more x-rays. Determines that foot is probably fractured. A small, tiny, itty bitty, hairline fracture. Which means that it's really no more injured than I thought it was before, when I thought I had badly bruised the bone.

However, I'm apparently injured enough to warrant *a cast on my foot*!! Which made it more uncomfortable and difficult to walk than before. Also, on Saturday, I'm doing to go back to this dude, and he's going to take the cast off and pump me full of drugs so I can swim through my weekend.

Also, at the moment, my foot is wet from being in the shower. My mother gave me a garbage bag and some rubber bands to wrap around it to keep the cast from getting wet. Didn't work!!! Now my foot is also cold and heavy.

I hate everything. But! When I got home, I took a picture of zombie foot, if anyone would like to see that. Sadly, I could only get the toes, because the rest has plaster on it. I should warn you though, that some things are so gross that they're cool. This is not one of those things. It's so gross I can't even upload it and put the picture here, because it's just that gross. So. Who wants to see it!

Foot status: Not Broken.

Hooray! So, I'm at the boy's. On Sunday, many items were moved into the apartment, including some assembleables like the massive computer desk. Today I was going to attempt to start putting this together. The box containing the pieces (it's a big, long, pretty thin, rectangular cardboard box) was on its thin side, and I was going to lay it flat on the ground.

In theory. See, just because the desk is in pieces doesn't mean that the boy got some normal, cheapo pseudo-wood desk like normal people would get. I think it's all actual wood. And remarkabley heavy. I remark on it because I was not expecting the weight when I tried to lower it. Because of this, I was greatly surprised when it began plummeting towards the earth at a near instanteous speed. And directly onto my left foot.

To put it mildly: Ow. It sort of felt like stubbing your toe, if immediately after stubbing your toe you were also shot in the foot !! After ten minutes of wailing on the ground, I noticed that my foot seemed to have a grapefruit-sized lump growing out of my foot. Since I have experience in traumatic lower-limb injury, I figured it was about time I started moving around. I had actually been chatting with Pat at the time, so I thought I should let him know what was going on. That's never not awkward. "Um, hi! I seem to have ... broken my foot. But don't worry, though!"

I had to assume it was broken, but I couldn't really tell. Then I waited a few hours for the boy to get home. I rested for about an hour, then I moved around via the ground. I took lots of Advil.

After the boy got home, he made me a sandwich and then we had an adventure getting Lost In Maryland before finally finding a Patient First. They x-rayed, and found that no bones were broken or fractured or anything like that. I just banged it up but good. So ... I consider this a yay.

What's also a yay is that they hooked me up with some crutches and some sweet sweet painkillers (triple-strength acetaminophen laced with codeine). It should be better in a few days.

In other news, since I wound up staying longer here, I had to rely on the parents to tape Angel. Which ... probably did not go well. I'll ask my mother how it went tomorrow, but the answer will most likely be not good. I'd be lucky if she taped the last ten minutes. So, apparently the universe didn't like my reviews that much after all. Maybe the universe is a Spike fan. That would figure. Anyway, I think I need a little break from Angel anyway, so I'll consider this the Christmas/New Year's hiatus. And then -- Sweeps! The boy told me he will buy me the DVDs when they come out. Aww. No one tell him I don't have a DVD player!

Such is life. But the bottom line is that I'm not seriously injured, which would have made life suck a whole bunch.

General thoughts and ratings for Angel 5.9, "Harm's Way"

There will not be a review tomorrow! Superhero Girl will be so happy. Tomorrow I will be on a train! And then in a car! So my weekend will be filled with work and activity.

Also, I need new underclothes, like, bad.


[Begin Spoiler for Harm's Way — Highlight to view]

Well that was nice and pointless. Seriously. Here's a line to sum it up: Office jealousy, but with monsters and with Harmony, so that makes it a perfect episode for Angel. There was no point at all to this episode. Why did they bother? Its whole point was to show that Harmony is not an outcast in the firm. Great! Except ... when were we supposed to think she was? There was no build up at all to this, the problem was created and solved within the episode. We met new people who we will never have to think about or care about again, and even if these demons were to later become important, this intro would still be completely unnecessary. And who was that chick? Who cares?

At first, I liked this episode, because it was light and fun. I like Harmony. (And I've never tried to say otherwise!) But eventually the banality of the whole thing overwhelmed me.

I liked the entirely and wholly bizarre little skit in the beginning, but if I may channel Television Without Pity for a moment, that would have been good in the first episode, not the ninth. Do we have to explain the premise in every episode? [brain cries ]

The Spike Is Creepy factor was through the roof in this episode. I was utterly skeeved, and after he left the screen, I felt like I need a shower and a wire brush. I hope he dies.

And the title made no sense either. It was just a pun on her name, but had no actual relation to the episode. Good job!

[End Spoiler]

Nnniiinnhhhhhhhhggggggggiiiiiihnnn!!!

Sorry. That's just the sound my brain made watching THE LATEST EPISODE!

Uh... what in other news happened? I got my yearbook from Rutgers today! It's a piece of crap. Seriously. I don't know why I'm surprised. Half of the cover is made of rough plastic. I SWEAR! You cannot make this stuff up. In the back of the book there is a list of graduates. I'm not on it! My pictures looks ... not good, and "Theatre Arts" appears under my name. Just that. Which is going to be awkward when I (hopefully) get my degree that will say "Anthropology" on it. Oh Rutgers, you dumb, dumb bitch. I'm trying to remember if I was told I could only put down one major when I had the picture taken. That would make sense I guess. Because there's no reason I wouldn't have written both on anything. And other people have two down. None of these are uniform. They appear in the following formats:

Major
Major 1/Major 2
"Major 1, Major 2"
"Major" (this one's my favorite)
Major 1, Major 2
Maj.
Major1majo

Seriously. Oh well. This just continues the tradition of me resenting my yearbook. Baaaaah. I solemnly resolve that this be the last one I get.

Also, other stuff happened that I do not wish to divulge in blog-format. Don't worry, nothing bad, just, irritating.

[Begin Spoiler for Destiny — Highlight to view]

I actually missed the whole first bit with the phone/package deal because I was cleaning, so I don't really know what happened there. I mean, I taped it, and I could in theory go back and watch it, but, nggih. Oh David Fury! You infuriate me! It's so ironic. It bothers me somewhat that I have become very familiar with David Fury's writing style. It's very loud and brash, and he tries to make EXPLOSIVE things happen, but in the end, nothing actually has happened. See also: Crush. It's impressive when you can dig yourself into a hole *within* an episode, so that you really have nothing to do but get back to square one, stupidly.

Anyway, sadly Fury is one of their more accomplished writers, and I didn't always dislike him. But he tries too damn had, and he's angry. He is, actually, a lot like Spike. I know all the little spikeluva2310s have tried to paint Fury as this bad guy who hates poor little Spike, but he really doesn't. He's connects himself too closely with Spike. And I think Whedon is his Angel. Never gonna be him Fury! Lay down the rage!

Anyway, this loud brash episode also had to do with Spike, and I guess since they forced him onto this show, the writers decided that they needed him, because they needed to work through all the Spike-related crap from Seasons 6/7. And really ... they really didn't. I would have been so content if they just dropped the whole thing and cut their losses. I ceased to give a shit about Spike long ago. Trust me, you cannot win me back. See, part of me knows that there could be a lot of discussion from this episode, it's a Chatter, this one is. But I found myself at a loss for discussion about it. And I realized that this is because I don't care. I didn't get excited that there was a lot to talk about. The idea made me feel tired and irritable and a little sad.

So anyway, what else happened? Oh, that's right, all the sex. Thanks Mutant Enemy! I thought my days of experiencing Unexpected Porn were over, but I forgot we were battling for those ratings. My mistake. Also - lots of Eve in this episode too. God! What is wrong with you people? Why were they buying that sad-eyed bullshit? Why are they all "Poor Eve, let's trust her!"? Seriously! When Gunn was all nuts and choking her (did that have to do with the phones/package? I wasn't paying attention), I was cheering him on. Squeeze, Gunn, squeeze!

Sarah Thompson's speaking annoys me. She overenunciates. And her words sound all wet, like the saliva is splashing around while her lips and teeth are smacking all over the place, catching feedback from the microphones. Oh, especially the "t"s and "d"s. Man, those are killers. It's like when you catch some fabric when you're closing a wooden drawer, that swicky feeling in the fingers and teeth. Ngguh!

oh no. oh no!! Flashbacks! It's the Revenge of the bad hair and accents. And Drusilla, nice to see her as usual, but why did she seem so ... lucid? The hell! She was all ... coherent. I was bothered. Also, I like the fact that this flashback really doesn't fit with say ... Lies My Parents Told Me. THANK GOD. If we could forget that episode more than we forget the rest of Season 7, that would be great. Anyway, I liked the flashbacks. Ah, reminders of somewhat better times. Furthermore, Spike and Angel have totally done it. Totally. They practically did onscreen.

However, despite the tickling anger that I felt watching this episode -- wait, I don't know. I wasn't really angry. I'm not all ... angered by the show. It's just. How much more can you take? How much more can we drink from The Cup of Death or whatever it was? I was sort of angry, but also comicly said. And I missed Wesley. Probably off at the therapist. Wait, what was I going to say? Oh yes! Despite the fact that ... this wasn't the happiest hour of television I've ever sat through, there was that single line ... that I will not even say if in the event the spoiler-whore boy is reading, because I simply cannot ruin the joke ... the single line had made me laugh uproariously. It was, in fact, perfect. If the entire episode consisted of nothing but the setup and the line, it would be the Best Episode Ever. Thank you for that.

Okay, now to the most important thing. LINDSAY!!! I love you! Hate the tatoos or whatever that is, but I love you! Oh, I rolled my eyes at the last scene. As soon as I was sure she wasn't talking to herself (I almost laughed), I realized "oh, it's the Mystery Person is Off-Screen/Dramatic Reveal!!! thing" I was sad. Those can only ever end in disappointment. It's annoying anyway. But yay! Thank God! Save Our Show, Lindsay, Save Our Show! And get away from Eve! Please! You could do so much better. So much better. Dude. HERPES!!

Oh, but he doesn't know about the Halloween! Heee! Great. This gives me something to look forward to. I can also look forward to the fact that Spike could still die at any time. Right?

[End Spoiler]


— Edit!! —

So, I watched the episode again last night, and I realized I forgot to include some IMPORTANT THINGS.

[Begin Spoiler for IMPORTANT THINGS — Highlight to view]

First of all, I liked it a lot better after a second time. I don't take back what I said about Fury, because I thnk his "confrontational" writing style is what stunned and disoriented me on the first go-round. But it was tempered with DeKinghty goodness so, eh. I still didn't like all the Spike crap, though. It would have been better if he'd been mute.

1. "Toner" written on the wall in blood: truly inspired. That was near brilliant.
2. You know when Angel and Spike were all sticking their hands in the sun? This reminded me of something that made me roll my eyes. My cousin Michael is a very smart lad. Or at least, he used to be. I don't know, it's complicated and makes me sad. But anyway, his sister used to date an enormous loser. And from some reason Michael took to him a whole lot. I do not know why. Anyway, this loser boy introduced Michael to this neat little game, in which two persons place their arms together, and a lit cigarette is dropped into the groove betwixt them. The first one to move, loses! Isn't that coolest thing you've ever heard??? Sigh. So, yeah, anyway, that's what that reminded me of. That boys are really, really stupid.
3. The little group rolling their eyes at Sirk when he was explaining about translations. What the fuck? "Oh, he's so boring, ha ha!" I found that highly offensive! That shit's important! And Angel especially, you might want to pay attention, seeing as this concerns *your destiny* and everything. Jackasses. "You might as well have read a twelve-year-old's book report on the subjest." Heee! I like Sirk. He's like crotchety, but darker.

[End Spoiler]

I have no socks on.

Because they got rocked the fuck off.


[Begin Spoiler for Lineage — Highlight to view]

This was a fantastic episode. Like other episodes where lots of Big Shit happens, it had the potential to go downhill really fast, but it resisted. Oh my Lordy Lordcakes. I really, really loved this episode. It was so fabulous and fucked up and so fabulously fucked up. HOLY SHIT!

I'm giving it a 9.5. It wasn't perfect by any means. There were definitely ways in which it could have been better, and certain things could have been left out cough*Spike*cough. cough*Eve*cough. Dude, is Eve still in the elevator? That's awesome! I could have done without the whole her and Spike business, because I didn't care. Also, that scene was shot at odd angles, so their faces looked distorted and unpleasant. Also, for some reason the position and posture of Eve's body made it look as though she were standing at a urinal. Unpleasant! Also, in the beginning, after Angel started digging into Wesley for his "error" my brain started going to delightful geeker joy places, theorizing and questioning as to how Angel was dealing with these actions that Wesley doesn't even know he did. The whole Connor thing is really confusing now. Did he still go dark? What up? Anyway, I was angered and dismayed that Angel and Eve then had to have a conversation spelling everything out. As Fred later said, "Do you know how patronizing you sound?" ... or approximate quote, anyway. Seriously. Because it's not like I've watched the show for the past five years. It's not like I'd know what was going on unless it was spelled it out and they used small words. I mean, do they think their audience is stupid, or have they lost all capacity for subtlety? Both?

See also, at the end. I was so happy that Angel was all "Hey, I killed my father too! Let's bond." and I was happy that they went there (And hey Kirk - relevant to our discussion!) but then they pissed me off with the over-explanation. See, he did that when he first became a vampire. Which you'd know if you'd ever seen this show before. On the one hand, I forgive it, because that was a great scene (including the Spike bit, which was actually nicely handled), but on the other hand it pisses me off because it mucked up a great scene.

Anyway. HOLY SHIT! Oh dude. This was a great episode. See, I was going to comment that Wesley's interaction with his father wasn't hitting the spot for me. I loved the dude that played his father. He seemed to be the perfect casting. I love that they looked similar, I loved that he was shorter than Wesley, I loved the whole thing. But I thought he should dig into him more. I thought Wesley should "revert" more. More like his phone interactions with his father, like in the last scene. Oh, speaking of the last scene, I could tell from the fingers and the tones that Wesley was pressing "0 44.." to call home, and that just made me really, really happy for some reason. Yee!

A quick sidetrack. What is Wesley's name? Is it "Wesley" or is it "Wezley"? Because "Wezley" has always pissed me off. I pronounce it the other way, so this seems lazy and unnatural. Yet Wesley's fake-father clearly called him Wezzzzzley. What up! I don't know if I approve of this! I forget how Wesley himself actually says it, but, dude. STOP VOICING THE FRICATIVES! God.

Anyway! Down to business. Dude. Wesley shot his father. HOLY SHIT. And I was very happy that it turned out to not be his father. I was actually very happy with this. I'm glad that his father wasn't evil, and I'm glad Wesley didn't kill his father. And I'm also glad that he thought he did. That was the only way they could have done this, so I'm not at all against the ridiculous fake-father concept. If it had been his father and he had been evil and all the rest, that would have felt really wrong to me. So I glad at the way this worked out. I don't have to be uneased by it. You can move past Wesley's reaction of: [vomit], and my reaction of: "Holy Shit!" and fully accept and revel in the complete and utter beauty and fucked-uppedness of the situation. It's so Beautiful And Fucked-Up.

And I also like the (perhaps unintentionally) subtle reactions of Wesley. Yeah, honey. You did it because he threatened Fred. Sure. That explains shooting him, once. Maybe twice. But you emptied the fucking gun, dude.

This episode was such a mind-fuck. And it was great! I loved every minute of it. Well, except the minutes with Spike and Eve. ... And the other reasons that I knocked off .5 points. Oh well. It still rocked heavy.

[End Spoiler]

Woo hoo!

Woo hoo and Thank God!

You may notice, gentle readers, that today is Tuesday. Therefore, you may note I am short one Angel review. Due in part to the fact that I have not slept in an entire month, and the fact that my mother took off from work yesterday (as she sometimes tends to do), I thought yesterday was Sunday. All day. Which is why I was not in front of my television at 5PM yesterday, and why I did not tape Angel.

This came to my attention at 2AM this morning. After ... some quiet hysterics, I thought perhaps I should look at my TV listings to see if perhaps Angel would be shown in the morning also. It was! That helped me get through the night. Sadly, I learned this morning that they were, in fact, showing "Bachelor Party." Crushed again. Then! I remembered that on the tape I was originally using to record the show, I had a bunch of random, out-of-order episodes from early in the season that I hadn't seen. Guess what was on there! Yay!

In other news, starshine called me on the phone, which was unexpected and quite entertaining. Sadly, I still had wet hair, so it dried into a big frizzball, so now I have it in rollers.

Also, my mother and I cleaned out the garage over this unnaturally extended weekend. SO MANY SPIDERS! Anyway, yesterday I sustained two bug bites (I'm assuming mosquitos, though I was not able to squish the bastards), and I'm worried now. I have decided that I have either developed a severe allergy to mosquito saliva, or I've contracted some fucked up tropical disease.

The last couple of times I've been bitten, I've gotten that flat and raised irregularly shaped patch. This is normal. However, I also had a 3-inch diameter circle of bright red around the bite area. Without having scratched at it. Yish! In addition, the bites I got yesterday are now resting in nickel-sized lumps on my thigh and arm. NICKEL SIZED. It's like a welt. It's like I was hit in the arm with a mallet.

Shit, I hope I don't die.

ANYWAY! Two reviews, one day! (Other to come later.)



[Begin Spoiler for The Cautionary Tale Of Numero Cinco — Highlight to view]

The teaser was really long, yo. Seriously. Many minutes. And it was full of stupid phrases that I didn't really understand. "If wishes were horses"? The fuck does that mean? "My old tumble"? The fuck does that mean? Although, "You're kind of like a woman." "That's not a compliment." Heee. Me too, Fred. Me too.

Okay, now into the episode. Man. This was ... weird. I don't even know what to rate this. It was good, and I really *wanted* to like it, but too much of it was kind of fuckedupweird.

I loved Number Five. ... Numero Cinco ... eh, I'm gonna call him "No. 5" because that looks cool. I LOVE No. 5!! He's a little old man! He delivers mail! He tells you stories of the past! I want to take him home and feed him soup. ... If he weren't, you know. This makes me sad. I hope good stuff happened to him after his brothers mysteriously materialized and then they all myseteriously dematerialized. I love you No. 5!

Anyway, yeah, let's start there. What the fuck? That was totally creepy! Let's just all, pop out of our graves! That's not weird at all! I can't even begin to think about what was going on there, because it makes my brain hurt.

I think Joss Whedon hates injuns! Hates 'em like he hates his father. What was up with that dude? Was it explained why he didn't look like an actual human, or was that just ... supposedly explained by the fact that he was evil? Also, did we ever determine why he needed the Hearts of Heros? I mean, yeah, they had that supposition that he was feeding off them, but then we switched gears and he was just all after the talisman. So, what's up with that? Is it because he's an Aztec, so lets have him cut out some hearts? That would be in keeping with the above theory! Oedi, yo.

Also, Wesley's theory? IS STUPID! Or maybe it's not. I don't know. I don't even know. I can't decide and am conflicted. To be a hero, you need to believe you're a hero, deeds are irrelevant? That idea ... bothers me. I can't decide why. Personally, I think the beef jerky explanation was far superior. 'Cause ... yeah!

Also, and this is important, What was the cautionary tale??? Seriously! What is it? What lesson was taught by the plighted life of the celebrated Mr. 5? "Ask before you throw people through glass"? (uhh, the glass bothered me) "Don't swallow talismans"? "Don't be disconnected"? Was that supposed to be it? That's ... awkward.

Oddly though, in contrast with the last episode, I do feel like watching this again. It was good, maybe? It seems like I should try to understand it more, but a larger part of my brain is telling me, "No, it actually is stupid, don't bother." So, that's my bottom line: "I liked it, but What The Fuck?!"

[End Spoiler]

General thoughts and ratings for Angel 5.5, "Life Of The Party"

I went out to lunch today with JuliaPrime and Iago. It was neat, even though my day was filled with stress (I hate you, PATH train), and I had to leave so I could come home and tape this here show. And I had a raging headache all day. But it was fun. We saw The Motorcycle Diaries . It was a good little film as far as films go, but I feel it was more artsy than it was substantial. I liked it, but the only thing I really felt when I left the theater was, "Wow, that was pretty." Well, that and "That young man's going to become a revolutionary!"


[Begin Spoiler for Life Of The Party — Highlight to view]

So this is what one calls a filler episode! Not that there's anything wrong with that. I give it maybe 7.5. It was an entertaining little number, but when I looked at the clock and realized that an entire half hour had gone by, I also realized that fuck all had gone on.

I'm shocked that I didn't guess, by the title, that this would be a Lorne-centric episode. And I liked that. I actually like Lorne as one of the main characters, I think he has a sustainable and interesting character. Also, the music they played over the first scene was about to bug me before I watched them work it into the mood. Nice job! Can't say the same about the music at the end, though. What's with all the music??

Nobody annoyed me in this episode, not even Spike, amazingly. He was actually kind of entertaining, yet still unnecessary. More than anything he reminded me that sometimes there's just no room in an episode for characters that contractually need to be in every episode. Also, there was no pointless backstory in this one, which made me very happy. The only thing that might have qualified was Lorne's little spiel about Caritas, but he wasn't saying it to inform, he was saying it to make a point, which he's still totally allowed to do.

I also thought the episode's dilemma was entertaining and not too taxing. Fred and Wesley should be drunk more often. And Gunn's reaction to Lorne's admission ... dude. Totally. I am right there with him. That would be so damn awesome. It would help so much!! The only thing mildly troubling was the sex. Not for the conventional reasons, though. I think it's been pretty well shown that Angel can get laid, he just can't like it very much. He could get great work as a manwhore. Anyway! Angel is lucky he's a vampire, yo. Because I think Eve's last name is "Herpes." Diseases, diseases, diseases. Yeck.

I also liked that they were able to extend Lorne's problem to fit them all, and that the way that they came about learning this very special information was entertaining and not at all preaching. I actually think I should rate this episode higher, but ... I don't really see any real call for me to watch it again. Good enough.

Furthermore, I loved that the demon gent had the ... underling, slave thing. Dude. That was so fucked up and great. And stolen from Anne Rice, but then, so a lot of this stuff.

[End Spoiler]

!General thoughts and ratings for Angel 5.4, "Hellbound"

Meh. This episode was a whole lotta nothin'.

[Begin Spoiler for Hellbound — Highlight to view]

I was fascinated by Fred's hair in the beginning. It's like her hair is better than mine; non-curly, but complete over all the head. So she can leave it to go kind of wavy as well as to straighten it, or enhance the curl.

I've been really groggy and irritable all day for no real reason, and I'm not citing that as a reason, but I didn't understand half of this damn episode. I'll give it a 5 because I'm being nice. All the pseudo-science and black magic made no sense at all, which is okay, because I didn't care.

The episode was Spike-centric, and I still don't care, and they also threw in Eve as a bonus, who still can't act, still is useless, and still annoys me. However, I have found that since season 4, I've been liking Angel more and more. Well, it is his show. And I was almost warmed to Spike given their interaction in this episode.

But then ... NO! No, you stupid, stupid bitches. No. No. Spike calling Angel "Liam" is not continuity. It's just stupid . There is no reason he should know Angel's name, other than Angel. Seriously. I could only except this if they showed the bad-hair flashback of this bonding session.
"So, you're William, huh? Me too, actually. I went by Liam, though. More ethnic."
"Wow, we have so much in common! Also ... you're kind of attractive."
"Hey, you too!"
"Let's make out!"

Sorry. ... Sorry. Valerie has this profile pic (or, as the journal set call it, an "icon") of Spike and Angel sitting on the couch, with the caption "Subsequent mansex is axiomatic." For almost, seriously, the entire episode, that was the only thing I could think about. Subsequent mansex is axiomatic.

But, yeah, apparently the Mutant Enemy writers are still misguided on the concept of wit. Also, I don't really know that much about drinking games, but I hope the ones out there have some stipulation about whenever a character gives completely unecessary backstory. It bothered me more than usual for some reason. Probably because we're only 4 episodes into the season, and yet in every single one the characters have had to explain to each other that they except an evil law firm's offer to run its LA branch and now they're trying to run it and help the helpless like they used to do when they ran a detective agency without being corrupted by said evil law firm. Oh, and Angel is a vampire. But he has a soul.

Speaking of that, I hope they don't try to pull this "Spike will Shanshu" crap like I can already tell they're thinking about. I also hope they don't pull in with Angel, because (and I honestly hope I am not the first person to point this out) -- but Angel already Shanshued. The episode was called "I Will Remember You." Angel became human. The Powers That Be Released him from their service. A while later, Wesley read a prophecy, announcing that the vampire with the soul would become human. Now, I know that episode took place after IWRY, but the prophecy was written before that! It's over!

Speaking of the writers disappointing me, I was starting to wonder when we needed to see Spike with his shirt off again. I think, contractually, it needs to be in a fourth of all episodes, so we need to see it at least six more times. But, oh, I underestimated them, he was pant-less too. Good job, writers.

I don't really even care about discussing the rest of the episode. It was, like, really close to being interesting.

[End Spoiler]

General thoughts and ratings for Angel 5.3, "Unleashed"

Hooray! Thanks to the Drama of TNT, I can now begin watching the 5th season of Angel (minus the first two episodes, which I already saw). And you know what that means! It's extremely belated review time! I'm sure this will mildly interest at least three people. A word of warning, though, no one spoil me for what's already happened in later episodes. If I ponder about certain things, do not confirm or deny my suspicions. General comments like "I never thought of it that way" do not count. If you spoil me, I will change the address of my blog and refuse to give it to you for the rest of eternity. I will shun your grandchildren's grandchildren ad perpetuum.

Sorry, I had to peel miniature potatoes this evening, and the process was filled with trials.

I also just watched the second episode of Lost , and I am of the opinion that this show is rather badass. Also, Dan Kwa, who will be reviewing the show at Television Without Pity, has earned my undying love by being really really funny. Also, with any luck, people will learn who Naveen Andrews, Harold Perrineau, and Daniel Dae Kim are, so I won't feel so utterly alone in that knowledge. Although, I'm reasonabley sure that Kim played Gavin Park, so the more hardcore of Buffynerds should know who he is. Anyway, talented chaps all.

I tried to get to reviewing earlier, but sadly, the rerun schedule is not ideal. My mother comes home between five and six, and she needs attention when that event occurrs. I need to watch my show! Also, they mess with the commercial breaks, so I'm sure I'm not getting the full dramatic effect as it is scripted. Anyway.

[Begin Spoiler for Unleashed — Highlight to view]

Hush! Quiet all! I like my spoiler tags, so they shall remain.

I liked the first scene. Perhaps because it was an "All New" episode after I have been so long without them. But I liked the interaction with the characters. I'm surprised that they were after Gunn so soon about the fact that he might be evil. It showed an incredible forsight for characters created by Joss Whedon. Sadly, though, I think Amy Acker's acting skills were way, way rusty. She looked cute, though.

I thought up so many comments about the first scene, like, "Hey, back off there, Wesley! I think he's kind of cute, too." And I didn't really have many thoughts on the rest. I mean, it was nice. It was a good story, I give the episode overall about an 8. I totally thought that chick was Julie Benz when I first saw her. They look similar. And though her personal struggle was, at this point in the game, old hat, I liked her talks with Angel about being a monster, and all that. And the girl was a good actress and the character seemed like she had more than one dimension, which was nice. I liked the fact that she lived with her sister and took ridiculous classes. It made her seem like an actual person.

Spike, apparently, is a distraction. It's weird everytime they mention him, because he *doesn't belong in this story*. I'm actually really interested in how they're playing this storyline so far, and what the characters think about it and all this, and then I'm reminded that Spike is there, and I get annoyed. "Hey, I'm the situtation, remember?!" Oh, how could we forget, Spike? How ever could we forget?

Anyway, I don't really see what the big deal would be with letting him slip into nothingness. I, personally, wouldn't give a shit, and I do believe this is the reason he doesn't want to tell Angel about his predicament, because I'm sure Angel would feel the same way. I do appreciate the fact that the characters, at least, seem to know he's ridiculous, and take him down a few notches. "Angel killed him with a pen." Ha!! Suck on it, IdiotBitch! Hmm. "IdiotBitch." I like it! Oh man, though, if I were Wesley, I'd be pissed. That pen was really nice.

Also, someone needs to rent James Marsters a lot of stale English period dramas before he ever again tries to claim that he can do an English accent. I mean, the decline has been massive. And his slow, halting speech in his first scene of this episode was ... horrific. Anyway, I think Spike's interest in Fred is a sinister one.

I really like that they had Lorne read the employees. Good job writers! My only problem is: Why wasn't that the first thing they did ?? Seriously! They want to know if the people there are evil, they want to know if they can trust these people, why wasn't asking Lorne to read all the employees the very first thing they did? Oh well, it only took them a month, though, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

Also, what happened with the dude who was trying to be Marlon Brando in The Freshman? I think, somehow, I missed the part where he learned his lesson. And yet, we're done with him now?

I've become firm in my belief lately that Angel the show is superior to Buffy the show. Seriously. I think I would like this show just as much if there had never been a Buffy preceeding it. And so far, I'm liking season 5.

Oh, but what was up with the sappy music they played over the last couple scenes? What? What was that? I don't remember crappy songs ever being played over the credits before. It was awkward and ill-advised. I think silence would have made it much nicer. I didn't need the song to realize it was a nice moment. It was, anyway.

Yes, and then there was Spike. [sigh]

[End Spoiler]

Pause. Gasp!

I just saw a commercial for the RBS, and the scenario is a wedding, a blond girl is marrying an assface, who starts ... saying something about banks, I don't know. I wasn't really paying attention, because after a second, I realize, I know her! !! That's Katya!

When I was a freshman, Katya Campbell was an MFA II, and taught my intro acting class. She also wrote me a recommendation and we infrequently met outside of class, and she was an all around awesome personal. That's so awesome! And since the company is international, I'm guessing this commercial is at least a national.

In other, less exciting news, I did not get to meet Crystal. [frown] Oh well. Someday. Instead I went down to a birthday dinner for my Auntie Pat, and that's always emotionally rewarding. However, this did interrupt my attempt at watching Indiana Jones And the Raiders Of The Lost Ark which I have never seen before. I wasn't really watching that closely either, which is why I don't know if I should be upset about the monkey, as I don't know if it was explained. The monkey had a prehensile tail. IN EGYPT!! But it was obviously also a Nazi monkey (which made me sad) so I suppose they imported it. Eh. The Last Crusade is still better.

Pretty

as 238 pictures.

And that's only of what we kept! Please bear in mind that the pictures got better as the shoot went on, so I hate all of them with that first shirt. I really like the ones where I'm in the purple jacket, but none of the ones where I'm smiling really did it for me, and the jacket is to ... something for a serious picture. Bah! I wound up picking 160 and 170. You can tell because they've been retouched to high holy heaven. Yay! My photographer rocks. Even though he's about twelve years old!

Incidentally, perhaps the greatest thing that I learned from this is the following: I have greatly misjudged PhotoShop. It is God. And I want to own it.

Please explain to me that I am pretty.

All these posts are written by me!

Or so sayeth the manage posts page. Man, I started making this post yesterday, and then I stopped. But I changed the date just so nokirk gets confused.

I'm utterly bored with the internet. I've spreed like a proverbial monkey on the board. I expect reproofs from any administrative types! And Blurty is cranky. So, I might as well blog like I promised my friend Pat I would. Part of my entry is about Harry Potter! I know! Again!

I'm fine after having been through my crashing ordeal. My mother is occasionally cranky about it, but then recovers herself.

I've been seeing a lot of movies lately, mostly on HBO. This is remarkable because I *never watch television*. I mean, I do but ... no. The movies seem to be of a similar genre, as well:
The League Of Extraordinary Gentleman
Underworld
Firestarter: Rekindled
Merlin
X2

The Firestarter one I didn't really watch too much of. I just thought I should give more Marguerite Moreau movies a try. Merlin I only watched half of, because I've seen it before, and I opted to watch the X-Men premiere instead. So I got to see my beloved Sam Neill and my beloved Ian McKellen both! And also my best friend, Jason Done. I also surprised myself by not disliking TLOEG. I kinda dug it! I am, however, glad that it did not have Dominic Monaghan in it, which for some reason I thought it did, and that that was in fact Shane West. He can be it bad movies, I won't care. I actually liked all these movies, for the most part. This further proves my theory that I've just been very forgiving with my entertainment choices lately.

I bought the "allure" magazine with Kirsten Dunst on the cover. The article left something to be desired. I admire her for getting a Prius, though. Good for her. There's also some things she spouted which pissed me off. Zach Braff, writer, director, and star of the movie Garden State claimed that when you're a teenager, your body goes through puberty, and in your twenties, your mind does. Which is an interesting philosophy. I think that could adequately describe Ms. Dunst at the moment. She's currently ill-at-ease with having been a child star, and doesn't know that she's going with her life what she really wants to do. And that's all fine, except that she also asserted that she "didn't have a normal childhood" -- or didn't have any, possibley.

This pisses me off to a great extent. You didn't have a normal childhood? Pardon me, but who did? Seriously? I didn't. Who are the people who had these fabled idyllic, happy, perfect, "normal" childhoods? Who? And I especially hate the "I didn't have a childhood" nonsense. You worked when you were young. That *was* your childhood. People have been doing it for a millenia. I'm sorry that it wasn't ideal, but that *was* your childhood. Some children are orphaned, some are abused, some children attempt suicide at the age of ten. And *that* is their childhood. That's it. You don't get a second one. And if you hadn't been acting, if you hadn't been overworked, emotional screwed up, whatever, you still would not have had a "normal" childhood. Because no one does. So get over yourself.

And now let's talk about Harry Potter! That was weird. That issue bothers me greatly, but I wasn't feeling upset when I started writing it, so I thought I would have trouble conveying how I felt. Not so!

The Harry Potter part is actually very short, and doesn't really even need spoiler tags. I saw the last bit of The Chamber Of Secrets playing on ... some station the other day, and I noticed two things:
1. Chris Columbus really is an asshole. I didn't even realize how much better the series was under the direction of the Mexican-porn guy, until I saw the first two again. What the hell, Chris Columbus? What the hell?
2. I think, and I feel pretty confident about saying this, that in ten years time, Bonnie Wright will be far hotter than Emma Watson. I've got a nickel to back me up.

When it rains, you also get into car accidents.

Um, yeah. I was just in a car accident about an hour ago. As my mother is injured, I've been driving her around today. Earlier, we went to pick up some prescription drugs, take the vacuum cleaner to be fixed, and dropped off some film to be developed at the local CVS's 1hour service dealy. So, one hour later, I was headed back to pick up the pictures. In retrospect, I probably should have walked, as it's only about six blocks away. But, no, I was in a car, and turned off my tiny small residential street onto a slightly larger street making a left turn (see diagram below). I looked (and this is important) both ways and saw absolutely nothing coming. I nosed out to get a clearer view, and there was a goddamn stupid SUV parked on the street, which I had to lean forward to look around, and still nothing, so I make the turn. ... And then see the white car which is barrelling towards me. I think I knew even before it happened that it was not my fault, as she (young chick, mid-twenties probably)was going far too fast for the street. Also, if she attempted to slow down, it didn't do much. So, I got hit directly in the driver's side door, and I screamed because I did not know what the fuck was going to happen. Then the window shattered and glass fell over me. Obviously, I am alright, as I am online now. A little old man who was passing by told me to turn off the engine, lest the car explode. I didn't want to move, because I was covered in shards of glass that had also fallen into my shirt and the back of my jeans. The other driver immediately came over to me and said "Oh my god! Are you alright?" Aside from some surface cuts and being a bit shaken up, I was. A police person was actually passing by on the street and pulled over, and issued cops arrived soon after. As I was only a block from my house, I called my mother and she walked over. After some minor drama of not being able to find her insurance information (it was under the passenger's seat, for some reason) she drove the car home, and I walked (I didn't want to sit, as I had glass in my underpants. Not cool.) I got home and took a shower to rinse the glass off. My mother called a cab to take her to the 4 o'clock doctor's appointment that I was going to drive her to. Then I called my sister, who calmed me downed and suggested I call my father. If I feel hurt tomorrow, I should go to the doctor, is her advice. I vacuumed out the car. I called my father (he's going to the US Open all this week) and he said he'll call me tonight to see how I feel. And, now that you mention it, my neck is starting to hurt. And so, here we are!

It has not been that long

and yet, I think I promised Pat I would update.

Thanks to Val's party I have: 1. Finally heard the music of Loreena McKennitt and Lucinda Williams. Williams I like quite a bit. 2. Removed one item from my list of People I Hate. 3. Eaten almost nothing but corn chips, all weekend.

Uh ... I actually think that's it. My mother fell yesterday, and hurt her wrist in doing so. I think it's probably fractured, so I'll be forcing her to seek some medical attention tomorrow. On the plus side, I drove her around today and she neglected to scream, hiss, and grab onto the car for dear live. Progress?

There are some days when, historically, nothing happened.

Acquitted!

Well, technically, dismissed. After sitting around in a room for two hours, my father (I was one of three people who brought lawyers) went up to talk to the prosecuter, who was an attractive (though kind of skinny) young lady, and he explained the case. Then, about half an hour later, the judge came in (here come da judge!) who was actually the head judge of the Newark courts, who was also surprisingly cool. I was the first person called up, and I didn't even have to say anything. The prosecutor moved to dismiss the case, "in the interest of justice." Because, I mean, seriously. Come on! And then she, the judge, and my father said a bunch of legal speak, and then we left! My father mentioned though that it's probably that the place will screw up the paperwork, so I should be wary.

So, technically I guess I didn't "freak the establishment" ... more like I "supplicated nicely to the establishment, at which point in resolved my problem in a surprisingly quick manner." Oh well. Same difference! Subject: Establishment. Status: Freaked.

Then a whole bunch of talk happened about my future. Nothing settled, nothing to discuss.

Also, Jess, your comment is pretty much exactly how I feel about people. Those who know me best find it odd that I have a degree in Anthropology, the study of people, when I seem to hate them so much. Well, I guess they look good on paper. In actuality -- not so much.

Have just seen Garden State .

Follow-up: am listening to "Caring Is Creepy" by the Shins. I will probably be sending some of this music to the Steph. You are warned, the Steph!

Oddly, my review of this film is pretty well stated in Elliot's blog review of this film. It was a really good movie, and funnier than I expected it to be. I walked out of the film feeling rather uplifted, which is strange because I don't actually think the movie was all that uplifting. (Pat, see re: our hypothetical action flick.) Nevertheless, it made me feel good about people in general. Of course, this could just be my typical mood lately. Since I got back from California, I've mentioned to people that I've been in a very chatty mood. The weather has been cool this week, and I've managed to feel just happy sitting around. I've posted a lot, and I've been talking to lots of new people. And liking it . What's next, making new friends? I've just been in a very friendly and cheerful mood of late. Of course, today I also had waves of deep unhappiness and paranoia, which hasn't really happened since I was so integrated in interpersonal relationships before. I realized that I still don't like most people, and I still don't want to know most of them, because most of them are stomach-turning shits. And it was nothing in particular that brought about this realization, either. Just a gradual dawning. Anyway, I hope my mood regulates itself soon, and hopefully in a way that won't leave me open and unsuspecting of hurt and disappointment. ... It was a lot hotter and more humid today.

Further thoughts on the film. This movie almost made me like Natalie Portman again. I liked her in The Professional , or, excuse me, Léon , and in nothing else since. This is not a good track record. I actually feel she's on par with Kirsten Dunst, in the sense that both have a great deal of talent, but rarely give performances befitting that talent. Kirsten has the double advantage of showcasing her talent more often, and having a personality that I feel much more at ease with. Also, the movie, despite being called "Garden State" did not feel or seem to accurately portray New Jersey, which is odd, since it was filmed almost entirely in Essex County, in which I live. Yet there was very little I recognized. At one point, the characters go into Newark, and it looked nothing like the city at all. Only sometimes did it feel "New Jersey-ian" - the architecture of the houses, particularly.

Today, I shamed myself by actually having a foodstuff advertised as "low carb." I feel dirty. But it was also advertised as a high-protein drink, which is why my mother bought it for me. My body is low on protein, as well as sugar, salt, fluids, white blood cells, and blood pressure. Heart rate and thyrois output, however, are up up up! I am, apparently, not a very healthy person. Which is odd, because I feel fine. Unless I feel like I'm going to faint or throw up, which lately is every day. So ... yay!?

Monday I'm going to court, bright and early! I hope that my effort to freak the establishment turn out well.