More to add to that list...

21. Monica.

22. How the converter on my laptop power cable keeps my feet warm in bed.

23. That daylight savings time always lands on my birthday weekend so that my birthday parties can be an hour longer.

24. How the internet makes it possible for me to snuggle up with a new book without leaving my chair/bed/window seat at the cafe.

25. How a good workout makes my muscles mad and my brain happy.

Currently listening: In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 By Coheed & Cambria

Release date: 22 June, 2004

Sometimes I can't believe everything I read, but I try anyway

This evening I read a most interesting article. I bet KFC can't wait to get their hands on one of these chickens, for research purposes of course... Too bad he's dead already.

Also, I hope I never spontaneously develop an extra anus which turns out to be homicidal (or would that be suicidal?) I'm adding this to my list of "ways I'd prefer not to die."

Extra anus kills four-legged chick

25 October 2006

By YVONNE TAHANA

Forzie the four-legged chicken will cluck no more.

The Te Uku-bred Barnevelder chick - hatched at Marlene Dickey's property at the start of last month - has died.

But it wasn't the extra legs that led to its death, more likely an extra anus, Mrs Dickey believes.

"He developed two bottoms and I think he got glugged up," she said.

While she was surprised by Forzie's death - he weighed a "good pound of butter" and was gaining feathers slowly - it was not totally unexpected, she said.

And it was fun while it lasted.

"He was a bit of a laugh."

Looking ungainly on its extra legs but twice as cute, the bird was an exception to the rule that chickens with defects are not normally born alive.

He was found dead on Friday and is now in the Dickeys' freezer waiting to be stuffed.

After he's been to the taxidermist, the family plan to donate the bird to Auckland Museum.

Currently listening: Black Holes and Revelations By Muse

Release date: 11 July, 2006

I Love

I decided today, that some things worth appreciating might not always get the credit they deserve. So tonight I'm going to make a list of simple things that make me happy, so that next time I'm feeling blue, I can read this list, maybe add to it, and feel better.

Things I Love:

1. The way that milk in my tea makes billowing cloudy patterns, no two of which are ever alike.

2. When something healthy that I cooked from scratch smells delicious, especially if it turns out to taste just as delicious as it smells. (Like this vegetable beef stew I just made, or the split pea soup I made the other day...)

3. When you're outside the moment it begins to rain, and the rain is so gentle and sparse that it kisses your face but doesn't soak you to the core.

4. How lightning brightens up the night sky like something much much larger than you just felt like taking your picture.

5. When you walk into a movie theatre and sit down in the perfect seat right as the lights dim.

6. When the first pomegranate of the season is bigger than your fist and just sweet-tart enough to make you pucker and smile at the same time.

7. When something I sewed together with no pattern, machine or measuring tape fits just as I intended.

8. When a movie that I thought was totally predictable completely surprises me with a twist I never could have made up on my own.

9. When a book makes me laugh out loud, or cry real tears.

10. When I'm walking along and the smell of star jasmine bushes or one of my favorite butterfly trees reminds me that there are beautiful things that occur in nature when everyone (and no one) is watching.

11. When I reach into my clean laundry bag and the first things that come out are one of my favorite shirts and a pair of matching socks.

12. When my phone makes that little ringing noise, and I find a text message or email from someone who feels the same way about me as I feel about them.

13. How I think I've never taken the picture I wanted, and when I check out my work later, I find a photo that's much better than I imagined.

14. How the most random things always turn up in my size at the thrift store. (like my super-cool never-been-used-before-me roller skates from 1984)

15. When I'm out having sushi and they have just what I want on special. (Especially if it's Octopus and it's super fresh mmmm...)

16. How even though my hair has multiple personalities, it usually turns out ok with minimal effort.

17. How even though I doubt myself, I can still do things I never thought I was capable of.

18. When I connect with another person, a friend (old or new) and feel rewarded just because I've been given the chance to know them in that moment, no matter how long or short the moment lasts.

19. When someone I know creates something so beautiful and unique that I feel humbled by their talent.

20. When I get to witness someone teach another person something that I taught them.

That'll do it for now. Now you tell me, what do you love?

Currently listening: Lights Out By Sugarcult

Release date: 12 September, 2006

Sometimes I surprise myself. Sometimes something I've heard or seen a thousand times surprises me. This week it's music. (Not that this hasn't always occurred, just it seems to be more common this week.) I've been listening to a few mixed minidiscs that I made and the lyrics in some of these songs keep catching me. It's funny how often lately I've had to just stop and consider some random lyric. Maybe the odd thing is that it's not any specific connection between all of these lyrics. They all catch me for completely different reasons. Some just because they're clever or eloquent, some because they're silly (I think I told Monica "Unicorns are people too." about fifteen times yesterday [it's actually "We're The Unicorns and we're people too" {I Was Born a Unicorn - The Unicorns} but hey...]), others because they make me wonder about myself, because they apply to the situations I'm facing in my life right now, or because they make me consider the experience of the person who wrote them. What brings someone to the idea of writing that down and sharing it through music? Anyway, I thought I'd share some of them (I'll even tell you what band/song if you promise not to laugh at my music choices) so here are a few that I jotted down as they day went by:

"I'll sing you something you won't forget, for the first time I know this is now who I am."

Seasons - The Academy Is...

"Watch the stars, turn you to nothing. Now blush and smile as they whisk you away. Part your lips a bit more, I'll swallow your fear."

Kiss and Control - AFI

"Pardon me while I burn and rise above the flames."

Pardon Me - Incubus

"A friend in need's a friend indeed, a friend who bleeds is better. Our thoughts compressed which makes us blessed and makes for stormy weather."

Pure Morning - Placebo

"Swallow all your bitter pills, that's what makes you beautiful."

Big Machine - Goo Goo Dolls

"Here's to the nights we felt alive, here's to the tears you knew you'd cry, here's to goodbye, tomorrow's gonna come too soon."

Here's to the Night - Eve6

"Am I beautiful? Am I usable?"

The Killing Lights - AFI

"If it is born in flames then we should let it burn, burn as brightly as we can. If it's gotta end, then let it end in flames, let it burn all the way down."

Currents - Dashboard Confessional

"If we cut out the bad, well then we'd have nothing left."

Cut Up Angels - The Used

"This table is taking a turn for the worst. Rock bottom and over the edge, well it's not like it hurts that much anyway."

Attention - The Academy Is...

"Do or die, you'll never make me, 'cause the world, will never take my heart. You can try, you'll never break me."

Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance

Anyway, in other news... I'm trying to decide if I have the guts to finish piercing my ear tonight or not. Two more holes and I'll be done. I just have to get it back to how it used to be and I'll be satisfied. We'll see I guess.

Also, I decided to be Alice (from wonderland) this year for Halloween so I think tomorrow I'll have to wander around farmers and look for costume items.

Currently listening:

Without You I'm Nothing By Placebo

Release date: 03 November, 1998

The "Big Kid's" Survey

Any teenager can write a survey about their favorite class or their secret crush or how nice their car is that their parents paid for. This is a survey for the older crowd...

1. Do you have a college degree? Nope. I think my idea of what I should do with my life has changed yet again. I wouldn't know where to start these days.

2. What was the amount of your last electric bill? I'm not sure... the last time I remember it being really obscene was when we had that crackwhore and an army of vagrants living in the granny house. It was like $400 a month.

3. Do you have life insurance? Not that I'm aware of.

4. How many hours per week do you have to work? Usually 40, depends on the queue.

5. Have you ever attended a Toastmasters event? Nope, don't even know what that is.

6. Favorite place to attend Happy Hour? Not sure that I've ever attended a happy hour.

7. How many miles is your commute to work each day (one way)? 20ish?

8. What time do you get up every morning? 6:45

9. What is your definition of sleeping in late? Waking up with only a few hours left until sundown. Usually happens after going to bed when the sun starts coming up...

10. Have you found any gray hairs? I was born with a gray hair. I've seen more since but that one has been there the whole time.

11. Do you check your cholesterol on a yearly basis? No, should I?

12. How large was your first cellular phone? It was one of those bigger Nokia ones with the changy face plates and battery lights. It was roughly the size of a small brick.

13. Does your employer provide good health insurance? Yes but it's expensive.

14. Did you use the internet to write a research paper back in high school or did you do it iwth encyclopedias and research books in the library? I've always been a fan of books and libraries. Plus I didn't have the internet until I got out of high school.

15. Have you attended a High School Reunion? Nope. Probably wouldn't either.

16. How many jobs have you held in your professional career? Hmm let's see... 4 or 5.

17. Have you ever been fired or laid off from a job? Yes, one time when the department I was in got outsourced to Costa Rica.

18. What is your favorite drink? Alcoholic or non? I like Crown & Coke or rum & coke. Also a fan of Midori and anything citrus flavored. As for non-alcoholic, I'd have to say juice of almost any kind. (Except apple, not a fan.)

19. What is the most expensive bottle of wine that you have in your residence? I don't buy wine and I rarely drink wine so...

21. How old were you when you stopped getting IDed for alcohol/tobacco etc...? I still get carded for shit you only have to be 16 to do...

22. Favorite casino? I really liked the casino at Caesar's. Or Bally's cause my uncle works there.. Around here I prefer Chuckchansi.

23. Are you happier now than you were in high school? No. I love school and I think things were much simpler back then. I can learn to be happy with the now. I'm working on it.

24. Did you ever have hypercolor shirts? I had one, it was a hand-me-down and it was totally radical.

25. Do you remember when Michael Jackson was black and attracted to older people? I remember when he had a ranch and a chimp is that the same thing?

26. What music was in your CD/cassette player when you were 16? Um, RHCP, Silverchair, Placebo, Blink 182...

27. Favorite fancy/upscale restaurant? I don't think I have a favorite... Probably Yanagi's in Pismo or Tsurugi's in SLO if I had to pick one.

28. How long has it been since you attended a kegger? A year maybe? I only stayed 5 minutes.

29. How many major wars have you lived through? What's your definition of "major war?"

30. Where were you when you found out about 9-11? I was at work at UPS. My mom was at my aunt's house freaking out so I had to leave to go be with them.

31. When is the last time you were at a 7-11? In a 7-11 or just at one? I was at one last Thursday night but I didn't go inside.

And lastly, here are the results of a cool IQ test I took the other day. Reminds me of the Baumer... "They said you was a genius?!"

Currently listening: Ixnay on the Hombre By The Offspring

Release date: 04 February, 1997

How many words are these worth?

So there's this old hard drive I haven't gotten into since, oh 2002 and I found a bunch of incriminating photos on there. Being the total voyeur that I am (just kidding, calm down) I decided I should share them with everyone before I get completely absorbed in w1k.com total Photoshop madness for the rest of the weekend.

Me, back when I was a n00b...

Go ahead and laugh, but I'm sure this was cool in 1998. (Ok, maybe not...)

Page 2 of a collage book that I made back in 2000

And pages 3 & 4

Ok that's enough reminiscing. Until next time...

Currently listening: Until There's Nothing Left of Us By Kill Hannah
Release date: 01 August, 2006

These Dreams

In the eighties things were so much simpler. I'd drift to sleep in the top bunk every night listening to my favorite song on tape (These Dreams by Heart -- Don't ask, it's my mom's fault, and yes I did sing it in a talent show once, but I was 10 years old, gimme a break.) and dream about pleasant things like flying. The only nightmare I remember having as a kid was on the night that my tonsillectomy stitches came undone and I had terrible dreams about being a vampire and eating lipstick, only to wake up with a mouthful of blood and get rushed to the hospital.

I don't know what's responsible for this change, but it seems like lately, I have at least two memorably bizarre or scary dreams a week. This week has been no different, I haven't slept well since Tuesday because I find myself waking up every two hours from some dream I was having.

So I figure, I'll post these dreams and maybe someone with more free time and a dream dictionary can tell me what they mean. Maybe not, but either way I'll feel better after getting them out of my head.

Dream #1

I find myself in some beach town I don't recognize. All around me are shabby homes with laundry hanging on outdoor lines. People are upset and crying but I can't figure out why until the earth starts to split and an enormous chunk of the town rises up above the rest, tearing the shabby little homes in half to reveal an enormous parking structure, already full of cars. People are falling to their deaths from the tattered chunks of their homes off of this enormous parking lot and there is nothing I can do to help any of them, yet the ones closest to me are all angrily staring at me and asking why I'm not saving their friends and family.

Dream #2

I'm riding a bicycle along a narrow path on the edge of a cliff, scared to death that I'll fall off the side. It's a long way to the bottom, and I can see that there are plenty of jagged rocks to break my fall. Suddenly I have the distinct impression that someone is following me, and I do not want to be caught by them. I begin to move faster, and come to the end of the path in an open field. In the field there is one large oak tree and a tiny Victorian house. I get off my bike and run towards the house thinking maybe I can lose this person inside but when I get there it's locked, and there is another person waiting to do me harm by the oak tree. Since I can't get into the house I figure I should keep moving and as I try to run by this second person and the oak tree, they grab my arm and proceed to try and pour hot coffee on me. I get mad, grab their hand and dump the coffee on their own legs, take away the now empty plastic cup and decide I have to be able to use it as a weapon. This leads to me smashing the cup against the tree, breaking off a roughly triangular piece and threatening to "shank" these people with it before running away.

Dream #3

I'm at some sort of religious ceremony with roughly 100 people I've never met before. They all expect that I know the process of things, and they seem to be very serious about everyone following along and doing everything right. We walk to the ceremonial meeting place which is littered with chunks of some sort of corpse. In my head I think I thought it was pieces of a whale or dolphin, definitely some kind of water creature or fish. The ceremony calls for everyone to dance figure eights and circles around the fleshy chunks without touching them, and I see others make the mistake of coming too close to the pieces, only to have them instantly and permanently adhere to their legs and feet. I don't know what I'm doing so I try to keep up with everyone else while attempting to look up the rules of the ceremony on my Merlin, but I'm obviously not doing something right, so they angrily kick me out. They push me through this door I didn't see before, and on the other side, I discover I'm now employed at McDonalds and someone has left without their food. I then destroy my diet by eating a few chicken mcnuggets, and I woke up cussing at myself for it.

So there they are, let me know what you think... maybe I'll sleep better tonight.

Currently listening: Here It Goes Again By OK Go

Release date: 21 September, 2006

Let it Rain

Current mood: sleepy

Ever had one of those days where you're trapped at work and the weather outside is so perfect that you're tempted to fake an aneurism just so you can go outside and enjoy it? Everybody has... unless you work outdoors I suppose.

Well, today might be the kind of day that makes up for it. All day at work I had a marvelously hideous emergency project to work on, and despite my brain slipping into hibernate mode several times, I think I managed to actually finish it. (It still took me more than 6 hours but at least the worst of it is complete.) The point I'm getting to is: all day its been gloomy outside, and I've been hoping for rain (just a little sprinkling, I wanna take this slow) and all day I could see out the window that my rain hadn't come. By some miracle of modern science I managed to make it to that moment in each weekday where the clock, which is my master, said it was finally five o'clock and I could be dismissed. (Now keep in mind that just because I've been dismissed doesn't mean I can walk out the door.) Today, when I finally did get to walk outside, I got just what I wanted: a delicate sprinkling from a hazy gray fluff of cloud hanging right above my head.

I know in a few months I might be singing a different tune, but for now I'm content.

Ok, then next on my list...

So Halloween is approching quickly, and for those of you who live in Osos, offered to let us have a Halloween party at your house, and shall remain nameless, I'm just not sure that I can help plan a party this year with how stressed and busy I've been lately. (Note to self: quit stressing out, things will be ok.) So I don't know if thats an option. I'll talk to the party planners and try to make a decision.

Also, I still have no idea what to be this year, I suck at these kind of decisions. I didn't get enough opinions from my last post so keep 'em coming... seriously...

And lastly...

I've recently picked up a book and refused to let myself put it down. Perfect timing, since I decided that I needed an appropriate distraction before National Novel Writing Month kicks in (check that out here.) on November 1st and I have to devote all of my mental energy to pouring words out of my brain instead of absorbing them.

I'm reading "the most comprehensively annotated edition available" of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass with this huge introduction that details Carroll's life and relationship with the real Alice. It's much more fascinating than I imagined it would be, and I'm glad that Borders was out of the book I wanted so that I decided to buy this instead. I think if I manage to finish this with too much time left before November 1st, I'll have to pick up some Dickens next time. I'm stuck on this Victorian-era Europe kick now.

Happy Friday the 13th...

Currently listening: Decemberunderground By AFI

Release date: 06 June, 2006

Now what?

So... Things have been stressful lately. I'm not entirely sure why, it just feels like there's been so much more stress than usual and I don't know the best way to deal with it, but I'm coping.

On to lighter things... I need everybody's help. I can't make one of the most important decisions of the year. I don't know what I should be for Halloween. I have it narrowed down to a few choices, but I need some feedback, suggestions, etc...

Should I be:

1. A Harpy
2. The Crow (Like Brandon Lee style...)
3. Alice (Like Alice in Wonderland style... but less blonde)
4. Other (You better not pick this unless you're making a suggestion...)

Also, a word on responsible group bicycling:

Once upon a bike night, a drunken whore ran over my leg with her bike. Now normally I don't have a problem with people who like to be drunk, (or promiscuous for that matter) but in this case, operating a two wheeled metal aparatus while intoxicated, thereby causing trauma to my leg will get you shanked with the ragged edge of a broken acrylic coffee mug. Seriously people, what gives you the idea that you'll be able to ride a bike without harming yourself or others when you can barely even walk straight or keep your underpants on?

And, to the drunken whore I nearly pushed off her bike in order to save my leg from additional trauma, I'm sorry if I messed up your hair or hurted you terribly when I pushed you. I wasn't pushing as hard as I wanted to, and I do recall exactly what you look like, so if there's a next time, you'll most likely remember what I look like the next day as well.

Currently reading :
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
By Lewis Carroll
Release date: 12 December, 2000

Yay, it's finally October again!

Is it just me or does everyone notice their own set of special little details that signal the change of seasons?

A few weeks ago I saw a bin of real live pomegranates at Vons.

(Ok, I guess since they were separated from the tree on which they grew, they weren't technically "live" anymore) Even though they were extremely tiny and $3 each, this made me exceedingly happy. See, autumn is my favorite time of year (and also pomegranate season) and usually you don't start seeing these odd fruits in grocery stores until early to mid October. Anyway, the other day I was at Starbux and they have that pumpkin spice drink again, which is always a good thing. I forget those even exist until I see them in there, even though they're close to my favorite Starbux drink ever. (Those peppermint drinks they have around Christmas are pretty good too...) So that was sign #2... Maybe I'm just excited about it being October cause so many fun things happen this month... like my birthday... and Halloween... and some other holidays I'll leave off the page here...

Then this morning, it was practically raining in A-town. I think I'm about due for some rainy/overcast days. Autumn, I've missed you.

So other than random babbling about it finally being October, what else is happening, you ask...

Well last night was a super fun night of drinking, German food, drinking, and polka music... followed by some drinking, entertaining stories about pasts, presents and futures, and at least one question about sick cups and uncooked meats.

I don't know if I want to go back to work tomorrow, I'm not sure if I can handle another week of EXiTizing...

Currently listening:
Dusk and Summer
By: Dashboard Confessional
Release date: 27 June, 2006