7.31.2001
i put down a deposit on my car. on thursday morning, i'm getting it checked out by a mechanic, and if it all works out, the car is mine by thursday afternoon.
the facts: it is a 1993 saturn SLI, dark teal, four-door, automatic, has only had one owner. seems to run really well, enough room, and it's definitely a cute car (although that was not a major factor in my ultimate decision, thank you very much!). i'd seen it the first day we went car shopping, my parents checked it out yesterday, and i test drove it today and fell in love with it.
i'm going to cry if the mechanic finds anything wrong. ;)
last night, my aunt, uncle, cousin, and her boyfriend came up to rutland from massachusetts, and stacy (my cousin) and james (the bf) hung out at the house last night. my father started telling us stories about when he and uncle wally were younger and about our grandmother (who died when my dad was 18, so obviously i never met her). before i knew it, two and a half hours had gone by and i'd been lying there on the living room floor fascinated. random night, but a great one.
good luck computer networks and my fellow users...don't let the worm get you down.
the facts: it is a 1993 saturn SLI, dark teal, four-door, automatic, has only had one owner. seems to run really well, enough room, and it's definitely a cute car (although that was not a major factor in my ultimate decision, thank you very much!). i'd seen it the first day we went car shopping, my parents checked it out yesterday, and i test drove it today and fell in love with it.
i'm going to cry if the mechanic finds anything wrong. ;)
last night, my aunt, uncle, cousin, and her boyfriend came up to rutland from massachusetts, and stacy (my cousin) and james (the bf) hung out at the house last night. my father started telling us stories about when he and uncle wally were younger and about our grandmother (who died when my dad was 18, so obviously i never met her). before i knew it, two and a half hours had gone by and i'd been lying there on the living room floor fascinated. random night, but a great one.
good luck computer networks and my fellow users...don't let the worm get you down.
7.30.2001
let it be known: hell is not fire and all that jazz. hell is a 10-7 shift when it's not busy and you're left to find things to do. when you wake up at 7 in order to get stuff done before work.
after work, dad and i stopped at mr. fuller's house to bring in the dogs (tom's gone for the weeks, so we're taking care of the puppies). i was nervous anyway, because i'll admit that big dogs scare me. when tom tells me that i need to be careful around lady, a shepard, because she is extremely "protective of the house", i get really scared. when we walk in and see a note about being careful to not startle magic because he'll bite, i get way too scared. imagine me standing outside, trying to approach magic with a doggie treat, in my whole soothing voice, creeping closer and closer, then magic growling and me jumping back, scared shitless. i looked like such a dumbass. dad took care of both dogs. :)
tomorrow morning, nice and early, i go into town to check out a car. it looks really promising--parents went while i was at work to check it out and think i'm going to love it. if all works out, i could have it by the end of the week.
me? with a car by the end of the week? when the hell did i get so old?
after work, dad and i stopped at mr. fuller's house to bring in the dogs (tom's gone for the weeks, so we're taking care of the puppies). i was nervous anyway, because i'll admit that big dogs scare me. when tom tells me that i need to be careful around lady, a shepard, because she is extremely "protective of the house", i get really scared. when we walk in and see a note about being careful to not startle magic because he'll bite, i get way too scared. imagine me standing outside, trying to approach magic with a doggie treat, in my whole soothing voice, creeping closer and closer, then magic growling and me jumping back, scared shitless. i looked like such a dumbass. dad took care of both dogs. :)
tomorrow morning, nice and early, i go into town to check out a car. it looks really promising--parents went while i was at work to check it out and think i'm going to love it. if all works out, i could have it by the end of the week.
me? with a car by the end of the week? when the hell did i get so old?
the smc site has (finally) been redesigned--kudos to brian, he said i'd like it, and i do. :) especially putting the photo of anthony in for "current students"--i miss the tony boy.
7.29.2001
a long day of work. no more needs to be said about that.
i did, however, have an opportunity to attend a meeting of the smcssvs--with bethy and chucky--which was great. first of all, it was nice because the day was so long and monotonous, so it was nice to be out in the fresh air at twilight moving and doing something. second, i've missed having bethy around me. it was good for me to be able to relax and laugh with her and make being home feel a bit less alien than it does--i mean, i know i came home by choice, yadda yadda, but it is, in many respects, like trying to slip into another skin when i'm here. i have to adapt to the surroundings, and, at times, it's really difficult to do. having beth and chuck (i was very happy chuck was around!!!!) around tonight made me very happy. and i'm hoping to be able to have another chance to meet up very soon--this time when coffee exchange is actually open. ;)
catchy new music coming over the eqx airwaves lately that i'm impressed with--in particular fuel's "bad day", blues traveler "back in the day", and ben folds "rocking the suburbs". good stuff...i'm compiling a list of musicians i need to check out when i get back to school. so far there is ryan cohen, bob schneider, david garza, and remy zero (i've been meaning to check them out--i need to need to need to). any other ideas of people you think i'd like?
i did, however, have an opportunity to attend a meeting of the smcssvs--with bethy and chucky--which was great. first of all, it was nice because the day was so long and monotonous, so it was nice to be out in the fresh air at twilight moving and doing something. second, i've missed having bethy around me. it was good for me to be able to relax and laugh with her and make being home feel a bit less alien than it does--i mean, i know i came home by choice, yadda yadda, but it is, in many respects, like trying to slip into another skin when i'm here. i have to adapt to the surroundings, and, at times, it's really difficult to do. having beth and chuck (i was very happy chuck was around!!!!) around tonight made me very happy. and i'm hoping to be able to have another chance to meet up very soon--this time when coffee exchange is actually open. ;)
catchy new music coming over the eqx airwaves lately that i'm impressed with--in particular fuel's "bad day", blues traveler "back in the day", and ben folds "rocking the suburbs". good stuff...i'm compiling a list of musicians i need to check out when i get back to school. so far there is ryan cohen, bob schneider, david garza, and remy zero (i've been meaning to check them out--i need to need to need to). any other ideas of people you think i'd like?
7.28.2001
today marked the first day of...
found some nice prospects. the search will continue tomorrow and then i know a couple of the cars i found today might advance to the semifinals (a.k.a. a checkup with the lafond's people). my parents amaze me sometimes...my whole thing is finding something that won't fall apart, runs, doesn't guzzle gas, and can be seen as a relatively cute vehicle. nothing more. hell, it's my first car and my parents, who should be focusing on themselves, are helping with it. what more should i expect? yet here they are, trying to make sure i have a nice car and looking at cars more expensive than the ones i'm looking at (not much, thankfully, but still). we bitch at each other a lot, i know, but the way they look out for me is so sweet---even if i'm not sure i deserve it a lot of the time. makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside (kinda like when i climbed the ropes in gym class...joey, that one was for you)
work today was long. a shorter shift tomorrow. still a morning shift, but at least better. and then meeting up with bethy! the smcsss is much needed. how long til i go back??? :-)
the great victoria car search
found some nice prospects. the search will continue tomorrow and then i know a couple of the cars i found today might advance to the semifinals (a.k.a. a checkup with the lafond's people). my parents amaze me sometimes...my whole thing is finding something that won't fall apart, runs, doesn't guzzle gas, and can be seen as a relatively cute vehicle. nothing more. hell, it's my first car and my parents, who should be focusing on themselves, are helping with it. what more should i expect? yet here they are, trying to make sure i have a nice car and looking at cars more expensive than the ones i'm looking at (not much, thankfully, but still). we bitch at each other a lot, i know, but the way they look out for me is so sweet---even if i'm not sure i deserve it a lot of the time. makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside (kinda like when i climbed the ropes in gym class...joey, that one was for you)
work today was long. a shorter shift tomorrow. still a morning shift, but at least better. and then meeting up with bethy! the smcsss is much needed. how long til i go back??? :-)
i feel exceptionally confident as i say that tonight's shift was the worst shift i have worked in recent memory. possibly ever. yes, yes, it sucked. now i am going to bed, because i must be back for an 11-7 shift. oh boy.
oh, and buzzing has reduced itself to a small whining group of people bickering back and forth, and i'm not even sure why i'm still on the list. it's pathetic really.
oh, and buzzing has reduced itself to a small whining group of people bickering back and forth, and i'm not even sure why i'm still on the list. it's pathetic really.
7.27.2001
i became one of what i had come to call "those people" yesterday.
cell phone touting, figure-out-what-kind-of-ring-i-want, what-color-faceplate-will-i-get, only-so-many-minutes, gotta-get-everyone-entered-in-my-automatic-dialer kind of people.
i had always sworn i'd never get a cell phone. i don't know where along the way i decided they were evil, but it came to be that NOT having one was my own little rebellion. walking down the street, everyone yakking away on their cells. the playhouse having to put a special announcement before the shows saying to turn off cell phones. everyone having their regular phone numbers but also the "but my cell's ALWAYS with me, so here's that number"...
but yesterday, as i went with my folks to the mall, they followed through on what they'd suggested before--picking up a cell phone for me so when i'm off in my car, i'm all set in case of emergency.
ok, part of it is also the fact that i'm famous for getting my long distance at school cut off because i've exceeded the limit, so this is an effort to cut down on my phone bill. but it's ALSO because of the car. so the first step in getting said car has been made.
scary thing is, i kind of like having the cell. it's cute (i'm so dweeby), and i was good and didn't get one of the tiny ones with the flip down mouthpiece like my father suggested (my response: i would lose that thing in less than a day). i like thinking that people are going to be able to get in touch with me whenever, and hell, i suppose everyone else in the world having one is a clue that they're smart investments (before you say it, if everyone jumped off the golden gate bridge, i wouldn't jump just to follow the crowd).
i also ran my first full shift yesterday. yay...no crises to report, at least no major ones. the only thing i was worried about was the end of the night paperwork and the damn deposit, but deposit was perfect and i remembered just about everything for the paperwork. after tuesday (when i run my first scheduled shift--jason let me run his last night), i sit down with mike and figure out what my raise is going to be. more money is good, even if it still won't be much. ;)
and now, since my fingers feel much better today, i am going to spend the hours before tonight's shift working on my collage and, naturally, playing my dear guitar.
cell phone touting, figure-out-what-kind-of-ring-i-want, what-color-faceplate-will-i-get, only-so-many-minutes, gotta-get-everyone-entered-in-my-automatic-dialer kind of people.
i had always sworn i'd never get a cell phone. i don't know where along the way i decided they were evil, but it came to be that NOT having one was my own little rebellion. walking down the street, everyone yakking away on their cells. the playhouse having to put a special announcement before the shows saying to turn off cell phones. everyone having their regular phone numbers but also the "but my cell's ALWAYS with me, so here's that number"...
but yesterday, as i went with my folks to the mall, they followed through on what they'd suggested before--picking up a cell phone for me so when i'm off in my car, i'm all set in case of emergency.
ok, part of it is also the fact that i'm famous for getting my long distance at school cut off because i've exceeded the limit, so this is an effort to cut down on my phone bill. but it's ALSO because of the car. so the first step in getting said car has been made.
scary thing is, i kind of like having the cell. it's cute (i'm so dweeby), and i was good and didn't get one of the tiny ones with the flip down mouthpiece like my father suggested (my response: i would lose that thing in less than a day). i like thinking that people are going to be able to get in touch with me whenever, and hell, i suppose everyone else in the world having one is a clue that they're smart investments (before you say it, if everyone jumped off the golden gate bridge, i wouldn't jump just to follow the crowd).
i also ran my first full shift yesterday. yay...no crises to report, at least no major ones. the only thing i was worried about was the end of the night paperwork and the damn deposit, but deposit was perfect and i remembered just about everything for the paperwork. after tuesday (when i run my first scheduled shift--jason let me run his last night), i sit down with mike and figure out what my raise is going to be. more money is good, even if it still won't be much. ;)
and now, since my fingers feel much better today, i am going to spend the hours before tonight's shift working on my collage and, naturally, playing my dear guitar.
7.26.2001
in rutland's attempt at a huge sting (if you're not familiar with the city, it's been getting laughed at for this--or at least the newspaper has been for its coverage), there have been four new arrests--all of which come from my darling hometown. all four were arrested for selling crack cocaine, two of them went to my school, but were younger, and two of them come from my graduating class. one of the names didn't surprise me too much, although i had imagined him just going off to his college and becoming a frat boy or something. the other name, though, shocked me. first because i never thought the two of them would hang out, forget living with each other, second because he was always one of those "nice" kids, yadda yadda. not in any attempt at sounding preachy or anything (cause i would be a hypocrite if i even tried), but i just never thought he'd get in any trouble. i saw him working hard, finding a wife, and having his little family. i thought my parents were joking when they first told me. i kept staring at the paper in shock.
it's so odd seeing where my classmates are winding up...i mean, i graduated from a class of 33, so it's pretty easy to find out where everyone is. and some of the answers i'm getting are really shocking...
it's so odd seeing where my classmates are winding up...i mean, i graduated from a class of 33, so it's pretty easy to find out where everyone is. and some of the answers i'm getting are really shocking...
ohhhh...that's nice...good john. :) (regarding wallpaper) although i still fail to understand how someone that good looking can be that unphotogenic.
yes, and that is my shallow, superficial post of the day.
yes, and that is my shallow, superficial post of the day.
i arrived at my shift this afternoon actually rather happy to be there--the last couple of days have, well, sucked, so at least i'd be doing something and making some money (little money that it might happen to be, but whatever). i was supposed to do deposit from 4-5:30. within five minutes, i had managed to jam the door to the safe, requiring three people significantly stronger than myself to try to force the damn thing back open. finally opened with the help of a makeshift crowbar.
about a half hour later, i'm doing everything i can to keep it together. nothing was balancing out. all the drawers were off. mike was standing over me making sure i did everything right, which naturally meant i kept screwing everything up. he would fix everything for me when, in all actuality, i just wanted to fix it myself.
another ten minutes, and i'm in tears on the phone with my mother, bitching about mike, bitching about my job, bitching about my summer, and bitching about the fact that i'm bitching. it was a complete disaster. add to that people walking by asking me, as i'm trying to control the waves of tears that are pouring out of my eyes, why my face and/or eyes are red. just leave me the fuck alone, people.
yeah. it wasn't pretty. aurgh. i should be getting paid a whole lot more for this amount of stress.
to top it all off, i was starting to develop a blister on the middle finger of my left hand. so i couldn't really practice today, which has been my stress reliever as of late. AND i was feeling sick. i was one happy camper all day.
luckily the night improved. we had the camp order, which last time i worked was an utter disaster, but it went beautifully tonight. but chris, the head of the camp, has become such a jerk over the years. i doubt he remembers me, but hell, i WENT to the camp, i played against his teams for four years...don't be a dick to me, for cryin out loud.
by the end of the night, i was dancing about, singing at the top of my lungs (yes, i'm serious), then stopped to get gas (and ran into vinny--five years feels like five CENTURIES ago), and then drove home. "under the bridge" came on as i was listening to the buzz, so i started thinking about jhp back in seventh grade, as we had all adopted the song as our theme. which naturally made me think about other memory songs--"the sweater song" freshman year, "strawberry wine", and then all the songs of college. but "under the bridge"--that was, what, '92 i think? nine years ago??? good god, i feel ancient.
please let tomorrow night be better. jason's having me run the shift. this could go either very well or very, very badly.
about a half hour later, i'm doing everything i can to keep it together. nothing was balancing out. all the drawers were off. mike was standing over me making sure i did everything right, which naturally meant i kept screwing everything up. he would fix everything for me when, in all actuality, i just wanted to fix it myself.
another ten minutes, and i'm in tears on the phone with my mother, bitching about mike, bitching about my job, bitching about my summer, and bitching about the fact that i'm bitching. it was a complete disaster. add to that people walking by asking me, as i'm trying to control the waves of tears that are pouring out of my eyes, why my face and/or eyes are red. just leave me the fuck alone, people.
yeah. it wasn't pretty. aurgh. i should be getting paid a whole lot more for this amount of stress.
to top it all off, i was starting to develop a blister on the middle finger of my left hand. so i couldn't really practice today, which has been my stress reliever as of late. AND i was feeling sick. i was one happy camper all day.
luckily the night improved. we had the camp order, which last time i worked was an utter disaster, but it went beautifully tonight. but chris, the head of the camp, has become such a jerk over the years. i doubt he remembers me, but hell, i WENT to the camp, i played against his teams for four years...don't be a dick to me, for cryin out loud.
by the end of the night, i was dancing about, singing at the top of my lungs (yes, i'm serious), then stopped to get gas (and ran into vinny--five years feels like five CENTURIES ago), and then drove home. "under the bridge" came on as i was listening to the buzz, so i started thinking about jhp back in seventh grade, as we had all adopted the song as our theme. which naturally made me think about other memory songs--"the sweater song" freshman year, "strawberry wine", and then all the songs of college. but "under the bridge"--that was, what, '92 i think? nine years ago??? good god, i feel ancient.
please let tomorrow night be better. jason's having me run the shift. this could go either very well or very, very badly.
7.25.2001
yesterday wasn't as wonderful as i might have hoped--i think the hot, sticky, uncovfortable weather is starting to get to us all, and i was left unable to even play the guitar because my fingers were hurting too much. as a result, i felt like a caged in tiger--couldn't go anywhere, couldn't do anything, left to just be bored bored bored.
started a couple of projects for when i get back to school--first is my annual collage of the previous school years' pictures. i have to have all of my pictures on my walls, so the collage makes things a whole lot easier--if i didn't make them, my walls would be covered before i even had a chance to take any new photos.
second is an idea for over my bed. i'll say no more except that i think it'll be cool. i've taken to watching the discovery channel in the afternoons, with "trading spaces" and "the christopher lowell show", so i felt as if i was finally taking the good ideas and putting them into practice. it was also neat that my mother was helping me out as well. made me happy.
i'm dreading having to discuss some things with my bosses at work--i feel like i'm setting myself up for a big fall, but the present situation isn't right, and i'm getting upset about it, which makes me want to show up for work even LESS, which doesn't help anyone.
AURGH. i'm going to go try practicing some more. fingers be damned.
started a couple of projects for when i get back to school--first is my annual collage of the previous school years' pictures. i have to have all of my pictures on my walls, so the collage makes things a whole lot easier--if i didn't make them, my walls would be covered before i even had a chance to take any new photos.
second is an idea for over my bed. i'll say no more except that i think it'll be cool. i've taken to watching the discovery channel in the afternoons, with "trading spaces" and "the christopher lowell show", so i felt as if i was finally taking the good ideas and putting them into practice. it was also neat that my mother was helping me out as well. made me happy.
i'm dreading having to discuss some things with my bosses at work--i feel like i'm setting myself up for a big fall, but the present situation isn't right, and i'm getting upset about it, which makes me want to show up for work even LESS, which doesn't help anyone.
AURGH. i'm going to go try practicing some more. fingers be damned.
7.24.2001
quote from father about the point: "oh, if i'd known that, you definitely would have come. my roommate wouldn't have minded at all, and you could have crashed on the floor next to my bed."
at times like this, just hearing, "no, you wouldn't have been able to" would have made me feel so much better. aurgh. ;-)
at times like this, just hearing, "no, you wouldn't have been able to" would have made me feel so much better. aurgh. ;-)
i must go into town and get myself some guitar picks today. the fingers on my left hand are starting to form callouses, thankfully. i played all day yesterday, or at least as much as i could, but because the fingers are still sensitive, the strings were making them extremely sore. and i had to limit myself so the fingers didn't blister, because then i'd be out of commission for so much longer...
any time i tough anything with that hand, i feel an odd sort of near-numbness. it's hard to put into words because it doesn't feel like anything else i've felt, but it makes me happy because i know the callouses are coming. exxxxcellent.
bethy told me i needed to play a song for her when we get back and write one for her second semester. i told her i'd definitely play a song (as long as she doesn't mind her ears bleeding) and i'd start writing lyrics. what rhymes with pumpy? ;-)
any time i tough anything with that hand, i feel an odd sort of near-numbness. it's hard to put into words because it doesn't feel like anything else i've felt, but it makes me happy because i know the callouses are coming. exxxxcellent.
bethy told me i needed to play a song for her when we get back and write one for her second semester. i told her i'd definitely play a song (as long as she doesn't mind her ears bleeding) and i'd start writing lyrics. what rhymes with pumpy? ;-)
7.23.2001
as i'm playing around with the guitar, i've printed out the tablature for various songs to butcher. including "secret," "she says," "more you understand," "after you," and "lover you should have come over."
i officially apologize to howie day and the friends and family of jeff buckley for what i am doing to their songs. :)
i officially apologize to howie day and the friends and family of jeff buckley for what i am doing to their songs. :)
went back to blockbuster and rented "state and main". i thought the whole "shooting a movie in small town vermont" would be fun (note: they really filmed it in massachusetts). DEFINITELY a david mamet script. amusing. i want to know if kirk has seen it. i'm sure he must have seen it in the theatres. it is, in my opinion, what meg refers to as "a kirk film."
i'm trying this whole waking up earlier thing, so i'm not always so tired. we'll see how it works out.
i'm trying this whole waking up earlier thing, so i'm not always so tired. we'll see how it works out.
7.22.2001
today's fun buzzing post:
hey people, i was just letting you guys know that i have 1 ticket available for
tonights show. if you want it you can get in touch with me...
*biting hand so as not to scream* it would have been interesting to pull off, but now that i know of everyone's plans, i really might have been able to go to the point. mike's in philly, left today. was in the city early this afternoon. the show is in bryn mawr. metro goes to the area. it's 10 miles from the city. i could have, in all honesty, been able to make the trip. it would have been difficult, but it could have been done. but i realize all of this NOW...
hey people, i was just letting you guys know that i have 1 ticket available for
tonights show. if you want it you can get in touch with me...
*biting hand so as not to scream* it would have been interesting to pull off, but now that i know of everyone's plans, i really might have been able to go to the point. mike's in philly, left today. was in the city early this afternoon. the show is in bryn mawr. metro goes to the area. it's 10 miles from the city. i could have, in all honesty, been able to make the trip. it would have been difficult, but it could have been done. but i realize all of this NOW...
overtime makes me happy, although my body is aching right now. i loathe morning shifts, and today was a 9-5.
i think the biggest problem i have with my job is the fact that little crap customers come in and act like they own the place--and me. next time you go to a mcdonald's, or a burger king, or wendy's, or whatever, PLEASE be nice to the people who serve you. it will make me proud.
must go play guitar.
i think the biggest problem i have with my job is the fact that little crap customers come in and act like they own the place--and me. next time you go to a mcdonald's, or a burger king, or wendy's, or whatever, PLEASE be nice to the people who serve you. it will make me proud.
must go play guitar.
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