| 2003 - jan - feb - mar - apr - may - jun - jul - aug - sep - oct - nov - dec - 2005 |
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Sep 30.04 Scholes tried to give us poor troubled phys.chem students some extra help today during class, once again wasting our paid time. I swear I'll bring him down if it's the last thing I do. The test is next week and I don't have the textbook. Only my two pages of notes taken from class. And I take good notes. (Compare to physiology: up to two pages per hour) If I do well on the test, I can say "look how useless your classes are!" If I do poorly, I can also blame it on his shitty lectures. So it's win-win. Donated blood for the second time after my last class today. I was supposed to a few weeks ago but couldn't find the time. It was pretty quick and painless, but the fun is starting to wear out. But I'll keep going until they don't want my blood anymore. It's like having a swear jar, making something good out of something bad. Sigh. I was wearing my beloved McGill sweater today, and at the bus stop, some old Chinese man with blue eyes engaged me in conversation on the premise that his son went to McGill (why is it that *everyone* went to McGill except for me). He just about told me his entire life story, but it was so interesting I didn't have to pretend to be listening. Some people are so worldly you just feel like a fetus. --------------- Sep 29.04 Nothing going on except for finishing up Matchstick Men the novel. Actually I liked the movie a lot better. It was less dark and a lot cleaner. Guess it's a sign of Ridley Scott's talent that he could take a mediocre novel and turn it into a reasonably good movie. --------------- Sep 28.04 Today was the day of freebies. In the morning along St. George, some police officers were serving freshly made pancakes for United Way. I was given a big serving -- this turned out to be a bad thing as the syrup was tasteless and the pancakes were dry and I was having trouble walking and eating at the same time. Still, nice way to start the morning. At the bank, there were some Timbits for people to take, but everyone in line was waiting and getting angry so I didn't want to leave my spot. In the end I forgot to grab one. Finally, the big UT barbecue in the King's College field took place at lunchtime. We had class beforehand so we were right at the front of our line. There were burgers (humongous, thick, beef burgers that literally killed me a little), foot long hotdogs, chips, water and pop, and pizza all for the taking. And lots of it, too. Not just one helping, but you could keep going back for more and more. It was like heaven. I would support a hidden tuition fee just so that we could have barbecues every once in a while throughout the year. It would make students feel like the university was cool even if it was just an illusion. Brilliant. Why hasn't anyone thought of this? We all ate until we got sick and enjoyed the lovely day (there's been a lot of sitting under trees since school started) out on the field. Perfection. In organic chem class, Dr.Andy was back, with the announcement that he was a new father (awww!!!). We'd all seen it coming (yeah right). The cutest thing was when he put a transparency up on the overhead projector and proceeded to tell us about his (10 pound) baby as if it were part of the lecture (sliding the page down to show us more info). Congrats, Dr. Dicks! Went back to Bayview for the first time since last year's spring concert to be a teaching assistant again for the grade 7 & 8 youth enrichment band. There was another volunteer there, apparently a music/commerce grad student, which was cool because I suddenly felt so adult-like. This feeling went away when I talked to all the music kids that I knew though. It's weird seeing all of the former enrichment band students as teaching assistants at Bayview now, and every year it gets harder and harder to tell the difference. I was still mostly useless throughout the night, being assigned floater duties. But it was fun and it looks like I've become a regular fixture at Bayview again. --------------- Sep 27.04 Dr. Andy didn't show up to organic chem class today and I nearly cried. Instead we had this funny old man whose name had a few k's, y's and z's in it and insulted both us and our beloved prof. If we don't get our prof back I'll fucking drop out of university, I swear. I'll do it. Had my first jazz band practice at Hart House at night. It was dark and stifling, but a lot of fun. I must be the youngest one, and the only Asian (aside from the lead trombone. She's half I think) and probably the weakest player, so I stick out. The cool thing is that apparently Jules the director had a little trouble deciding who should be second trombone, me or the pharmacy guy. I chose third just because I wanna take it easy for now and I don't really have the confidence yet. The other trombone Greg from the open rehearsal didn't get in, or didn't audition I guess, because he's not on the list. In his place though is this super cute guy who just showed up. So that works out. We mostly ran through a whole bunch of pieces again. I don't play very much, which is a real drag because, as with all trombone-playing directors, Jules picked a lot of songs with wicked trombone parts. Not that I could play them (most of them I can't), but the principle of it. The rehearsal was from 7:30pm to 10:00pm and it just wasn't long enough (the other players with more intense parts, meaning everyone else, would probably disagree with me). This'll probably be the highlight of my week. I miss out on computer time now, but playing in a band again is so much fun. Band geek, once again. --------------- Sep 26.04 I showed up bright and early just to clean up garbage, and realized how sad that is. I think up until now I was fine working but I'm finally growing weary in that "I hate this job" way. It was a good run while it lasted, at least. All the leaves are falling now and it smells like autumn. I wanted to just lie on the hill in the foliage and enjoy the day but of course that's not the sort of thing people get paid to do. Reminds me of my first day at work. Spring had barely started, and in the empty park all the magenta blossoms were raining slowly from the trees and blanketing the ground. By the next day, they'd been cleaned up by the ecology crew. --------------- Sep 25.04 Another weekend, another two shifts to pull at Wonderland. Everyone's gone now, and our area is being invaded by homeless Splashworks people. On the bright side, I got sent to Ghoster Op three times today. On the downside I got sent to Rocketport three times today. None of this matters though because it's starting to get old fast. Summer's over and everything is still the same. --------------- Sep 24.04 Went on an impulsive shopping spree today after class and spent a load of money. See, this is why I have to be constantly shopping. It means I'm getting my consumerism fix and are less desparate and less likely to splurge like that. Read The Coma by Alex Garland. It was a quick and easy read but interesting. Too bad the newspaper review ruined most of the would-be-interesting elements of the writing. The woodcut illustrations were cool though. Slept in the music room in the basement today. Before tucking in, I got up to grab some more sofa cushions in the dark, and halfway back my spot on the floor, the TV turned on. But without reception. Just the blip and hum and faint black CRT light. I was pretty freaked out. Then it caught cable and on turned the news. It wasn't loud but with the light filling the dark room it felt blaring. I was about to go turn it off when just as abruptly the TV turned off. Now it was getting scary. Then it turned on again. Then off. Then on and off, in arythmic intervals. I was starting to lose my shit, so, reverting to a panicky child state, I covered my ears with the sofa cushions, squinted my eyes, ran into the music room and fumbled desparately for the light switch. With some lights I ventured back into the room with the TV and turned on all the lights there. But I found I couldn't bring myself to approach the still-possessed-TV and see what was up, so I ran upstairs and got my dad. His presence was enough for me to get close enough to see that when I'd grabbed the sofa cushions, the remote had slipped into a crack in the seat and was holding down the power button. Oh. I guess that explains everything. --------------- Sep 23.04 Went to a class with a friend at St.Mike's college, where I was forced to climb four flights of stairs, then walk across the street and do the same thing, even though the class was all the same people. It was like walking up and down towers in Hogwarts or something. Had my biology night lab today, where I got to isolate and spool DNA. Nerdy cool. Our TA, Lan, was alright, though we suspect she doesn't enjoy the teaching aspect of her job much. The class is cool though; everyone's really friendly. And the high-tech labs have stools. That's important. --------------- Sep 22.04 Got the follow-up e-mail from the Hart House jazz band. I'm in! Had my first physical chemistry tutorial, which wasn't very illuminating. Our TA Gary is OK, but mostly just because I liked his style. His crackly voice was kind of annoying. This year I made the resolution to put a little more thought into what I write in these journals as opposed to just "stuff that happened today". It's turning out to be harder than I thought on days when I haven't done anything. I guess in order to avoid rambling on about nothing the way I am now when I have nothing worthwhile to say, I should just cut these short. ...What's the deal with bloggers these days?! --------------- Sep 21.04 (first day of autumn) It's been really pleasant lately (in terms of weather). Warm and breezy. This being the first day of autumn, I have to say I'm conflicted. If it had been like this during the summer, that would have been ideal -- though I'd have been working anyway and unable to appreciate it (plus good weather draws crowds). I can enjoy this at school. On the other hand, a big part of me wants it to start getting chilly just because in my mind, that's 'university weather' and it means winter is coming and it's romantic. Oh well, spring in Canada is basically winter without any of charm, which is what we've had all summer this year so I guess I might as well enjoy the heat's invasion into autumn. Just as long as it's not overdone (heatwave of 2003, anyone?). Did my audition for the Hart House jazz band today. It wasn't as abysmal as the faculty of music audition, but I wouldn't say I dazzled the director either. In fact, aside from my prepared piece (the grade 12 music exam), which I played to some good effect, I have to say I was quite unimpressive. The experience was all right though, mostly because the director was so nice and because (and I think this is related) I think I'm going to get in. The band doesn't have enough trombones as it is so they probably need me. I just wish I'd joined last year. Well, at least I did enrichment band at Bayview. Which, apparently, is around for me this year too. So it looks like I'll be around again. Ah, the music. --------------- Sep 20.04 Woke up before the sun rose in order to make it to my organic chemistry lab at 8:30. There I found that there'd been a complication in my lab change, so I was last minute placed into the Nitrogen pod (lab group), with TA Vangelis. He seems cool, laid back, yet very competent. I have lots of buddies in this class (including my lab partner), and being back in the sexy renovated labs is a plus. Most of all I love how all the TA's for this course speak English! Once again, organic chemistry is the best. Stayed late into the night at Robarts, which was fun even though I didn't accomplish anything at all. On the walk home, the mess that is College St. from all the construction on the TTC tracks was lit up by the work lights, even though no one was around. The road was in ruins and it was very ghostly indeed. Someone cue the zombies. --------------- Sep 19.04 At Wonderland today I saw two gay dads with their kids. They were so cute, I just wanted to go up to them and say "Your kids are adorable. How old are they? What are their names? Where'd you get them?" But common sense held me back. Later at home I stepped on my Wonderland pin in the laundry room. It must've fallen off or something. It hurt like a bitch but then I remembered how I stepped on that rusty nail on a two-by-four back when there was all the construction crap lying around our house lot shortly after we moved in. Now that hurt. --------------- Sep 18.04 One of the cats has relapsed with anxiety since my parents left for the cottage last night (not my cat, for the record. They took her with them this time.) So before work, I had to wipe up all the pee on the floor in the hallway and at the front door. I think I know which cat did it, and if I have to clean that up again, then you'll definitely have casuistry: the art of killing a cat. I found this musty old shirt in my closet today, and it's another one of those all-too-common cases recently where I never wear something and then years later I love it. Except I get the feeling that this shirt is probably at least six or seven years old. Ah well, can't beat the price, or the fit (the latter may prove to be both the flaw and the redeeming quality). --------------- Sep 17.04 Shopped briefly along College around Spadina, where there must be at least twenty computer stores selling mostly the same refurbished/factory outlet crap for various prices, or super-new ultra spiffy notebook systems. All I bought was a bunch of CD-R's (finally got around to it), though at once I shopped around I had to go in every store again, having forgot where I wanted to buy them from. --------------- Sep 16.04 Nothing much interesting going on today, except wearing my spanky red (pajama-type) pants from Ecuador and getting lots of compliments on my look. Or at least, attention. That was the point anyway. Strange how I've evolved into the kind of person who thinks about fashion and wears clothes for reasons other than comfort. Then again, I never thought I'd be the sort of person who reads the sports section in the newspaper for hockey updates either, so I guess we all surprise ourselves with the way we turn out anyway. --------------- Sep 15.04 blank. --------------- Sep 14.04 Today was the SAC clubs carnival day. Last year they did this during frosh week when no one was around so it was kind of dull, but this time it was a lovely day with lots of classes so we all got out and checked out the groups. When we discovered that there were tons of freebies to be had, it only made the day better. We picked up (and I'll do the product placements to reward free stuff): Old Spice deoderant, Aquafresh toothpaste, Pepsi and Sprite, No-name ice cream, Doritos, popcorn, sno-cones, cotton candy, pens, planners, buttons, and Biore products (which we got at least four samples of, each. At first we wanted seconds. Then we were walking around later and the girl was handing out more. Then we were done and hanging around and the girl came up to us and gave us some more). We enjoyed live music (the oldies were good, the Shania Twain grated quickly), the burning UV rays around us but not on us thanks to shady trees, the company (meeting lots of UT friends we don't see very often, and some that we've only met once or twice, like Sylvia, the upper year commerce girl who I shared a seat with on the first week of school in my beloved UC quad), the lovely breeze, the freebies, and we lay on the field waiting for class to start. Every day should be like that. Tonight I skipped another rare, beautiful chance to see Matt Good in concert so I could watch the World Cup 2004 hockey final: Canada vs. Finland. I just couldn't pass up the last pro hockey game for a year and knowing that the next World Cup will be in 2022 (yikes, that seems so much farther away than eight years), it should be something to remember. Not that seeing Matt Good live isn't. But he'll be around. I did get to hear some singing. The Finnish national anthem, which, I'm sure, sounds more tonal coming from a non-opera singer, and O Canada, sung by Canadian Idol judge and previously unknown pop singer Sass Jordan. It was possibly worse than the Calgary Flames' anthem singer. The game itself wasn't that eye-popping, and I'd missed most if not all of the games prior to the final, so it was admittedly hard to keep focus. But I did enjoy getting the opportunity to cheer for those players that I knew and scream at appropriate moments. Hockey, how I (will) miss thee. Canadians beat Finland 3-2. The lovely Frank Gehry artwork is ours. --------------- Sep 13.04 Checked the class ensemble lists for the MUS120/220 courses that I'd auditioned for, and my name wasn't on them. I searched for a while, partially out of hope but mostly because it was so hard to tell which list was for what, and whose name slowly popped out on every list? It was none other than Mike Tutton, that man of whose music career I will forever live in the shadow of. Once again I found that even though it's always a slap in the face, I'm always amused by the way he creeps into my life. I don't know why. Maybe I'm sort of glad to get to watch someone living my music dream (for there are many others that I've left behind) two steps ahead of me. Relieved that I could watch it unfold without having to actually put anything into it? Let me think about that one. I did attend the Hart House jazz ensemble (not a credit course) open rehearsal, which was intimidating in the way that last year's symphonic band was, but still very much fun. I felt a little overwhelmed by the music and environment, but not in a way that I felt I couldn't work up to that level. Plus they seemed to need trombones. So. I'll make a run for it. It sure beats snobby classical music anyway. In a random meeting on the street, I caught up with another neuroscience hopeful that I'd met last year. Of the three people (including myself) that I'd known personally who'd wanted to get in, none of us had made the cut. Funny how, again, with all of us, there was sort of an amused "Wasn't good enough, eh? But life goes on doesn't it?" attitude present. He'd given up and was currently going the human biology/psych combination route, where the other girl and I were going to give the neuro degree another shot in next year's admission cycle. Good luck for all of us lovely losers. Finally, I just heard of the juciest love triangle ever. What a small world it is. Stayed over at my grandmother's house tonight. With my wonky schedule, I'll probably have to do that more often this year. Thankfully (though I feel guilty about this), they've bought a new mattress, arriving soon. My back looks forward to this. --------------- Sep 12.04 Apparently Nik Antropov and his family were in the park today, which was cool since I'd seen Ponikarovsky so many times. I was up at the coaster though so I didn't catch him. Also, I found five dollars in change lying in the seat, so maybe that was karma payback from last night. (actually, a lady found it and handed it to me. The other crew members saw and wanted a share but I stood firm on the finder's fee. So really it was a newfound assertiveness, not karma.) the earth spins 365 times ... and it's back in the same spot was one year ago. But of course that's not true. Our orbit wobbles, the sun moves, our galaxy hurtles through space, and the universe expands. One year has whisked by like a bubble through a rapid, and yet so much has changed that it feels like it's been much longer. I try to look back on everything in that period of time to try to make sense of it all, but I find myself unable to hold on to more than flashes here and there of thoughts and memories and ideas. Or maybe unwilling? Maybe I'm anxious to put that all behind me and chalk it up as a transition, a time of progress and change. Yet I don't think I've really dealt with that to the extent it calls for. Is it possible for the monsters in the closet to be the memories of vanquishing them? --------------- Sep 11.04 Went back to work today, for weekends at Wonderland. It was hard to get into working again as well, because school's started. So I'm kind of stuck in limbo between summer/school. And to add to the frustration, it was "UT Invades Wonderland" day, and Matt Good was playing at Kingswood. I could hear the music from Ghoster Coaster, which killed me a little bit. Meanwhile it reminded me that I probably could have sold my complimentary passes at school by now if it weren't for SAC's discount. I also got bloody ripped off on my textbooks when my frosh neighbour, the one who I'd gone out of my way to be nice to, brought his loud, obnoxious, nosy, Chinese-speaking mother over to my house to haggle my thoughtfully low prices. That stupid bitch. By the end of it, she had me shouting out numbers like some mercenary. And she didn't even bring enough money in the first place so she made me go all the way to her house to get it like I was the cheap bastard. In the end I didn't even get the five dollars I was scraping for, but at that point I was so sick and tired off looking at her and her son's face and hearing their voices that I just wanted to go home. Lesson learned: it doesn't pay to be a nice guy to people you know. I will never put up with that kind of bullshit again. --------------- Sep 10.04 Had my first (really, supposed to be the second) Biochemistry class with Prof. Deber. He seems OK, but find I've been left in the dust already. I'm not sure if it's his directionless plan for his part of the course material or my being behind, but I'm lost in the lecture. The material seems very hardcore. My third year Human Physiology course was cool because it's all neuroscience right now, but I was disappointed with Prof. Mackay. I thought he was supposed to be good, but he's not. There was so much writing in the first lecture that I didn't have time to think or listen to his so gay voice, or chew the bubble gum sitting in my mouth. The taste just slowly leaked out, sort of like how my interest waned through that long hour and how I lost feeling in my fingers. After class, I hung around chewing hard, tasteless bubble gum until my tongue burned (I hate how that happens), waiting for my dad to get downtown to buy textbooks and then eat at Chinatown with my mom. Weird that I was actually looking forward to eating Chinese with my parents. Later that night we watched 28 Days Later, the movie that, after watching, no other zombie movie will ever be scary again. It wasn't too creepy this time, but I still loved it. The cinematography, the story arc, the theme (well developed too), the music. Approaching the climax I even found my heart beating fast and heavy, as Alex Garland's climaxes are always tense, disturbing, catastrophic and cathartic at once. The deleted scenes and alternate endings were weird, but cool. Everyone should watch this movie. Skip popcorn fare like Resident Evil and their ilk. --------------- Sep 09.04 Today was the first day of class for me, starting second year Toxicology. Woke up bright and early so that I could escort my hopeless frosh neighbour to his first class. Public transit was extremely busy so thankfully I didn't have to interact with him or anything. Meanwhie, on the subway, my life was immediately invaded by summer time when I saw a friend from Wonderland heading off to UT as well. I also saw Prof. Rowe, the cool biology prof from last year, and Prof. Leblanc, our well-intentioned calculus prof. My first class was Biology, where I saw all the old familiar faces (I immediatelyfound comfort that all my hot guys were still around, though less hot than last year for some reason). There I was informed by my friends that I had missed the actual first class of the day, Biochemistry, because I'd written the schedule wrong. So now I had a lab conflict. And there was a big lecture. Fantastic. The biology prof, Chang, is OK so far. She's young and idealistic, it would seem. My next class was Physical Chemistry, which I was happy to be in because I needed the damn course and got a lucky spot last minute, but unhappy because it was bound to be boring. When I first saw the prof, Greg Scholes, I thought, "Hmm, not bad." And then class started and I saw him for the well-dressed, hobo that he is. What a waste of an Australian accent. He talks like Ross from friends, and acts like he's tripped out or something. Unstructured lectures and incompetence. Once again, physchem sucks. After that hell, in the same room, I had CHM247, the class I was looking forward to since last November. So I moved up to get closer seats to be in closer proximity to Dr. Andy Dicks. I almost didn't recognize him at first, with something like disappointment after almost a year of anticipation (and fantasizing). But then once he started talking I couldn't get the smile off my face. Amazing how I could be so intensely focused on both him and the lecture, it really is. If only all courses were like this. In my free time I was desparately cramming for my MUS120 audition, my first real audition, and it wasn't looking good. I went early to sign in and practice, and there were these two guys not even playing, just warming up and psyching themselves in. It was very troubling despite their reassurances. Another trombone player came in later (they always do). I couldn't tell whether he was good or bad, but eventually my time came so I had to go play. After fluffing the first bar, the two faculty of music people stopped me and said, "Okay, now play that forte. A Mozart forte." Then they smiled and leaned back. My reply went something along the lines of muttering, "Uh, right." The first piece wasn't horrible, but it wasn't dazzling. The second was worse. The runs sounded like the runs. When I finished, they said "Oops, blanked out there at the end. Don't worry, it's all we needed to hear." Was that a good thing or bad? My third selection, self-picked, was a baby study, and all it said was, "Yes, this is really how I play. No reconsideration needed." After I was done, I hung around a bit outside the room to hear a little of the other trombone guy, who went in next. He was playing something really high. Around that time I left. At least I got it over with though. That was stressful. So. Classes have commenced and I'm already behind and not even into the school mindset yet. Lovely. It's so good to be back though. --------------- Sep 08.04 Got the only important result of second round POSt applications: Neuroscience (refused). So I'll be applying again next year. The way my current Program of Study (toxicology) works out -- at least, the way I've made it work out -- allows me to take everything in neurosci up until the last year anyway. For now, when people ask what I'm taking, I'll just be saying "toxicology". Mystifying. Went with my family to Restoran, the Malaysian place across the street, for the first time in years. Apparently it's recommended in Toronto Life. The food was great, and all the wait staff there were really nice and friendly. Great service, great food. I think they changed ownership or something, or maybe it's just the shoddy memory from when we went there for lunch one day in high school back before the strip plaza was built. Later, had a late dropby just to hang out before classes the next morning and ended up reviewing and giving commentary to all the pictures on my computer from the past five years, which was exhausting. Still though, a nice bookend to the 2003-2004 year as the 2004-2005 year officially begins with classes tomorrow. Which reminds me, I still need to balance the books. No wonder they call it accounting. --------------- Sep 07.04 Didn't do much of anything on my first day off from work except for run a lot on the treadmill and Photoshop up a picture from the previous photoshoot into a convincing Calvin Klein ad. It's amazing what I've amounted to in my free time this summer. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't have very much of it at all this year. --------------- Sep 06.04 (labour day) Today was the last day of full time at Wonderland, and how (time and a half on a holiday). I got there early to try scalping my complimentary passes outside the parking lot, but it turned out to be much harder than I thought, what with security all over the place. Then in the end, most people already had season's passes or their own comps. The people who didn't, just weren't interested anyway. I guess I can't blame them, I would probably shrug me off too. After a few more attempts I gave up and went to ride a few rides, since I had a lot of time on my hands and I had dressed up (so to speak) already. My first destination: Silver Streak. It's the mini-Top Gun, and it looked so easy yet so fun for the whole season, right there in front of me. I felt like a loser when I got there though, from a)having not seen the entrance pathway and half-gone up the exit; b)seeing my crewmate from Ghoster temping at the ride and loading me in; and c)being alone since no one else was there early. Anyway, I was excited as it was my first 'roller coaster' in a few years and I was actually looking forward to riding (that slightly disturbed me). Silver Streak is the *best ride ever*. The drop was so baby that I didn't even feel it. I would have rode a bunch more times but, again, there were people that I work with operating the ride. So I headed over to Ghoster Coaster to give it a whirl (remember: I never liked Ghoster Coaster), where it would look less like I was a desparate loser going on baby rides before work. It actually wasn't horrible, though I did hold on to the lap bar tight and cringed for the first drop (it's damn big for a kid ride, honestly) . I rode again though for kicks, and then later on my break (with friends this time). Why do I have the urge to ride Dragon Fire, Top Gun and Tomb Raider now? Someone conk me on the head. Things I noticed today: in street clothes, you're invisible to crew mates. Think about it: you wear the uniform for 70% of your waking hours in the summer time, and you work 80 hours a week with these people in those clothes. You come to expect they'll look the same in real life. Also, it takes a damn long time to get on the ride, even with no line. Specifics to Ghoster: you spend more time in the train waiting for it to start than when it's moving. Same for when you're in the train waiting to get off. And coming back in when the ride's over does hurt the knees when it brakes. --------------- Sep 05.04 blank. --------------- Sep 04.04 Saw Alexei Ponikarovsky again, chalking up the sightings for this season to five. He was there with his daughter but his wife wasn't around this time, presumably because she's too pregnant and it's too humid. Who knows. Once again Mother Nature has ripped off the town of Maple for rain as it's been swelterin recently and the damned weather channel keeps pushing back it's rain forecasts. After work, for an 'outing' we stayed home at played board games. Or, attempted to at least. We gave all of five minutes of intense concentration into learning to play the Game of Life before giving up and moving on to Simpsons Monopoly. It started out all fine and dandy but *someone's* brother kept on raking it in despite our attempts to shut him out of trades. It was all the damn shady Taiwanese deals, I swear. Me, I went on a hot streak of about 2 minutes where everyone landed on my properties and then lost all my money by landing on Burns Manor (Boardwalk equivalent) with a few houses on it. From then on it was safer to stay in jail than walk around Springfield and lose an arm and a leg (and a tail. I was Santa's Little Helper). I think by the end of the game -- which is to say, when we got too tired of it -- my total assets were around $600, and since we start with $1500, all I can say is that I'm glad in real life I'm never in the red ink. Take that, business students. --------------- Sep 03.04 Me being the greedy (and pathetically so) bastard that I am, I showed up three and a half hours early to work in snatch up extra hours if, and most likely, when, someone called in. Thankfully a few people did so I got to sign in and get to work. But our silly new lead held me back half an hour waiting for the OK from the higher ups (and when they finally called, they wanted me to hurry). Oh well, at least I got more money. The things I'll do it, honestly. (specifically, show up to open an early open day when you're closing, totalling a thirteen hour shift.) --------------- Sep 02.04 Had the day off but basically wasted it because I thought there was going to a be a 'everyone going away' party in the afternoon. In the end we went out late at night, hanging out for a bit in small groups in a friend's basement. My reward for dressing up (and consciously making a fashion statement, against what, I'm not so sure) was finally getting my lucky red boxers back after one month of neglect and possible misuse. Perish the thought. At least they'd been washed. --------------- Sep 01.04 Had breakfast/brunch buffet at the Golden Griddle before work, which was cool, except that I wasn't hungry enough, having eaten a little beforehand. For nine dollars even, I should've stayed for thirds/fourths. I had one break on a long shift today, which is fine by me since they're all unpaid, but it would have been nice to hit the impromptu staff barbecue in our break area once more. Especially since it was crowded with people from other areas who had no place being there (but someone leaked the info). Weird how some days you'll eat nothing and other days people will throw food at you. earwigs on queen anne's lace After work, a crewmate and I thought we missed the bus because there was no one waiting for it. But it came on time and we were the only ones who got on. There we found the bus practically empty, which was equally disturbing. As the trip home wore on, it ended up to be just me, another catatonic guy and this lady with a kid sleeping with his head on her lap. I watched them for the rest of the time out of the corner of my eye, for no real reason. When the catatonic guy got up and left at his stop, the mother rose too, and I wondered how she would wake the boy. She just lifted him up and carried him off the bus, presumably to walk home in that manner. The boy didn't stir. I was now completely alone on the bus and wasn't sure whether this was the bus that would go a few more blocks down to my preferred stop, so I went to the front and asked the driver. It was. I remained there, at the yellow line by the driver's side, in the silence (nevermind that this was the 'angry man', who drives really aggressively after the last big stop, so the bus made its resistance heard). The whole world rushed towards us on all sides in purple, red and yellow, and I knew that my stop was coming up. When the time came, the doors opened before the bus had come to a complete stop and I jumped off, feeing the last bit of momentum fade away as my feet touched solid ground. I muttered a 'thanks' over my shoulder and heard the familiar 'sure, whatever', accompanied by the softer and less common 'buh-bye' of the angry man. It was a quiet walk back home even though the hum emanating from the house that love built was deafening. When I reached my front door I could see the lights on in the family room and the kitchen. Everything else was dark. --------------- |