License and More

First of all, license obtained. 

The test wasn't hard at all but I think the funny part is that I took the test exactly 2 weeks and 1 day after I put the key in the ignition for the first time... and I haven't driven since. Nor is it likely that I'll drive again for a while. BUUUT I'm not THAT concerned about it because now that I get the gist, I don't feel like it's something I'll really lose. But who knows...

I went to PA for a few days... actually I stayed for two nights so it was more like a full day and a bit on either end. It was pretty regular but I did manage to take Harry Potter 2 and 3 (1 is lost, although I put a valiant effort into searching for it) and I have the rest in storage. I also took back the book Running with Scissors, one of my Ellen Degeneres books, Ella Enchanted (shut up!) my Bill Maher New Rules CD, which I may choose not to put in my itunes, my Michael Jackson music video dvd, which I know is kind of useless due to youtube but I don't care, and my rosary. I'm not sure why I brought the rosary back with me, but... did it. 

Although my thing now is that I am almost 75% sure I'm going to not use netflix for this month... financial reasons. I have to decide before they charge me which will be around August 8th. I should probably make my official decision tonight or tomorrow... maybe I'll bring it down to 1 dvd so I can still have the watch instantly feature. We'll see. I may have to call to see if I need to type up my queue... if that'll be erased. Decisions decisions. 

I'm glad to be back in Boston, although my stomach is SUPER not glad at all. Because I'm SUPER poor and STILL a terrible cook. Although for some reason I want pork REALLY badly right now! Bah!

The only movie I watched recently was Ice Age 3. I didn't watch the second one and I didn't like the first one buuuut... my grandma wanted to take me and I wouldn't say no to a free movie, especially in 3d. It was shmena but I told my grandma that I liked it because I didn't really like Cheri, The Proposal, or Harry Potter and I didn't want her to think I was being a ball buster for not liking any movies she took me to.

But MOSTLY I got my license. The doors have opened up... 

... for more decisions. 

Driving, Irish Music, Movie Disappointment

Driving test on Wednesday morning. And we're coming down to PA right afterwards. I feel pretty good about it, but I think I'll still have a proper amount of anxiety because I REALLY can't afford to fail. Although I'm beginning to enjoy myself... pretty much INFINITELY more and I kind of hope that I get to drive at least part of the way down to PA. Although they might not want me to because it'll be a bigger vehicle that I'm not used to. We'll see.

Also I wonder, due to the speed of my learning, if driving will be one of those things that I forget that I know. Like someone will be talking about driving and in my head I'll be like "I don't know how to drive... oh wait. Yes I do." I still do that with my age. I don't make errors out loud but in my head I'm like "I'm 17... oh wait no. I'm 21."

Today we went to the Utica Irish festival (not the official name). It was GREEAAT!! Irish music is glorious! Although I was confused because there were a LOT of people in kilts, which I thought was only a Scottish thing. Then I saw (and heard) about a jillion bagpipes and concluded that the Scottish have decided this is as close as they're going to get to their own festival. I'm not complaining at ALL! We might go back later tonight.
Side note: Young men playing their heritage instruments enthusiastically... oh yes! Oh YES!

MOVIE SECTION:
The Proposal-- I don't WAAANT to be a ballbuster about romantic comedies. I honestly can't decide a lot of the time whether the movie is actually really bad or if I'm kind of unable to suspend myself for that genre... assuming that the romantic comedies that I continue to love I only like for nostalgic purposes. That being said, it wasn't the worst thing I've ever seen. And also I think some romantic comedies need to be seen on HBO out of boredom like 3 times before you start to really like it. Still, Ryan Reynolds is hot and endearing but I never really care about him and I don't know why. Also, I don't like my movies to have INCREDIBLY broad humor unless that's the point. Unless it's Superstar or Wayne's World or a Will Ferrell/Adam Sandler/Judd Apatow/Ben Stiller movie-- and even for those types of movies it can be too much. I just don't want to see people dancing weirdly or strange strippers or people falling down. I don't think it's funny. Although I know that not everyone feels this way (and of course, there are exceptions. Sometimes a fall is genius... but usually it's not). I'm just saying, does Julia Roberts fall down a flight of stairs? Ever? No. I don't know that they should copy Julia Roberts movies, I'm just saying there's a reason.

Sorry that I'm double paragraphing on this, but I've decided that I just need my couples to go through more in romantic comedies. I'm not saying that this will create a golden movie, but I think it's a necessary start. I need either a LOT of time between the two people or a LOOOOT of together-ness in a short period of time... and trials. Otherwise I just don't believe it. Otherwise I just can't care because I KNOW it's not going to work out... it can't be a happily ever after because I don't believe that it'll last more than a few weeks to months. And it makes it seem stupid when they treat their relationship as a breakthrough after like 2 days of nothing.

Ahhh triple paragraph! But I mentioned this to my grandpa, particularly how I'm not sure I'm very capable of enjoying new romantic comedies and he said that in the paper they said that The Ugly Truth was the nail in the romantic comedy coffin. It said that they've all been so bad lately that they should just wrap it up with that genre. Agree-sies. At least about how the recent ones have been sooo poor. Enchanted was the last good one that jumps to my mind... and I'm not sure that's even totally within the genre. Buuuuut I think this is a golden opportunity to flush out all of these shitty leads that they keep using. Let's keep Amy Adams and Rachel McAdams and I can do without Katherine Heigl (sorry... I don't hate her but...), girl from The Breakup Kid and Maid of Honor, and the girl from Watchmen, The Breakup Kid, 27 Dresses, and she was even in The Proposal... and not to be a bitch but.. I freakin' ... don't like her at all!! And I'm sorry to say that her neck/jaw might be the cause. I don't want to be that person, but I can't help how I feel about it. I will like to bring in some new talent. I want the next Julia Roberts please. Oh... and I'll keep Anne Hathaway around just in case. But... I think Kate Hudson's time is up... not to discredit her previous masterpieces. The same goes for Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, probably Sandra Bullock... you know.. etc etc (only romantic comedies... they can keep trying other genres but I just need some new talent-- I may change my mind about this but... right now I feel quite strongly).

And on a completely side subject, Leonardo DiCaprio is doing a movie, looks like horror, with Martin Scorsese called Shutter Island. I'll see it because of my faith in Leonardo DiCaprio. BUUUUT MARK RUFFALO IS IN IT! DAMN THAT GUY! I know not everyone despises him the way I do, but now every movie he's in incenses me more! ARrrg!!

I also saw Harry Potter 6 which pissed me off. I couldn't help it. I HONESTLY tried to be as open-minded as possible, but the people are REALLY not doing justice to the film. I think one of the main problems is the all-British cast. Not because they're British at all, but because it's a much smaller pool of actors. The older actors are FAIR to good, but the kids... they are really quite poor. QUIIITE poor. Plus I don't feel like the screenplay even TRIED to do justice to the books. They plodded along emphasizing just... the absolute wrong parts. I bet they dedicated an hour of the film to the relationships between the students when that could have been done with a few well placed looks (although not by these actors. Honestly, again I don't want to be a ballbuster, but Harry is supposed to be clearly lusting over Ginny but he doesn't even LOOK at her when she talks. And it's kind of hilarious because Hermione will be like "I see the way you look at her" and I'm like "I DON'T!") I just don't need a full set up when nothing even happens between any of the characters in this book.

INSTEAD they put these huge holes in the plot so that 1. my grandma was VERY rightfully confused about what's going on and 2. I don't know how they're going to jump into the next movie because they left parts out that are KEEEEY for the next one. Also, the end of that book, in my opinion, was UNBELIEVABLY dramatic and made me want to kill myself. It was just the epitome of hopelessness and fear and like... the shit went DOWN! And everything they had done seemed so futile! And I thought they should have REAAAAALLLY put the energy and extraordinary budget towards making the ending as epic and climactic as it was in the book. THAT'S the important part. THAT'S the part you remember from the book. But they cut out things, huge action pieces, which OF COURSE should be in the movies. Why the hell are we even watching the movies if not to put a picture to the incredible action!?! I thought it was COMPLETELY inexcusable and I DON'T think I'm being harsh. They have more budget and expectation than... almost all other movies. And they have a INCREDIBLE story to do justice to.

I think what sums up it's ridiculousness to me was the last line in the movie. "I never realized how great this place is." Something along those lines. I'm just saying that at the end of the book I thought MY world was over. I was in unbelievable distress! UnbeLIEVable! Because they are ALONE and their lives will NEVER be the same!!!!!!! And in this movie they didn't even look that pissed or utterly TERRIFIED the way that it really should be. Ugh. Terrible.
... Visually stunning though...

That is all.

Parallel Parking, Book Dilemma, and Weeds

Today and yesterday I did some parallel parking. And three-point turns which aren't really that scary. Actually neither is parallel parking... although we've been doing ONLY parallel parking for a while and it gets kind of... boring. But that's probably good... not that I'm a champion at it or anything. But no huge failures.

I finished Barrel Fever surprisingly fast. Two essays/stories I had already read in Holidays on Ice but... it was SUPER hilarious!

But now I have to choose from Pride and Prejudice which I've started twice in the past, both times before I'd seen the movies. The thing is, I don't particularly like the Jane Austen writing. This isn't the specific issue probably, but I know that sometimes when I try to go through her books I think to myself "if you say 'amiable' one more fucking time...!!!" Same goes with "agreeable."

So it's that, The Da Vinci Code, or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which is my favorite book but I've read it like... 5 times. Or I could read one of my grandma's books. Tricky tricky.

Yesterday I watched Weeds at it's actual broadcast time. Right afterwards I was INSTANTLY pissed that I didn't try to wait as long as I could. But it really seemed like I WAS waiting as long as I could. The night before last, I had a dream that I saw the episode of Weeds (the one I just saw)... and it was SUPER steamy!! And then I dreamt that my mom, my grandma JoAnne, and I were having lunch outside of some building, like a mall or something, and there was a TV on the ground next to our table, and instead of talking to my mom and grandma, I kept trying to rewatch the episode of Weeds that I had just seen. AND I was even uncomfortable because I wasn't sure how much I wanted to see such a steamy episode with the two of them... but I STILL tried to watch the episode. I woke up thinking I had really already seen it. But nay... And it goes without saying that the actual episode wasn't the same as it was in my dream. And like I said, afterwards I was SOOOO UPSET that I have to wait a whole other week to watch the next one!!! I think what's even MORE tortuous is that even when I get my TV back from storage, I STILL won't be able to watch the show when it comes on because we don't get Showtime. Otherwise I might have had a brief but glorious period of time when Weeds is still on and The Office returns. Oh good heavens! How current tprogramming consumes me.

Some Dates

Here is the official but semi-tentative update:

My road test is Wed. July 29 (thank GOD!) at 8:45am.
We are LIKELY going to PA right after my test until Friday or Saturday-- unsure.
They are LIKELY returning me to Boston Monday Aug. 3.

Highway Time

Today I went on the highway for the first time. Of course it was Sunday morning so there was hardly any traffic. I'll probably have to go back on the highway later today. Also yesterday I took the state required 5-hour class (which was actually 4 hours). Mostly we had to watch videos of various car accidents, both real and reinacted. Made me want to kill myself a bit. AND it made me VERY wary of going on the highway today. But whatever. I don't want to stress it too much because I don't want to give myself a stigma about it, but I don't really love driving. I guess I don't hate it so much when I'm on the road, but I definitely go to bed at night sad knowing that I have to drive the next day. AAAND we usually go out several times a day, which, even though I'm very grateful, is a special kind of torture because there is no relief when I'm done.

BUUUUT we now might be able to get my license before I leave, which would be GREAT. Hopefully we'll get it before August 7th, which is the VERY last day I want to be here (arbitrary date). Honestly that seems like a while from now. I just keep thinking about how no one is using the apartment... all the things I should have done before I left to make sure that I don't come back to something terrible. I'm not going to name the things I think about because I'm afraid of any judgement. I AM worried about my ivy though. I don't know if it'll survive.

Also, the other day I went for a walk, which was very relieving. I really don't leave the house except to drive. I left at like.. 7:30pm and walked various ways. I tried to remember a few streets around my grandparents house and assumed I would be able to make it back. I found a little store and got a coke and some Now and Laters, which was WONDERFUL (more wonderful than I thought it would be). Then I started to head back and after about 20 minutes of walking around in what I hoped was the direction of home, I realized I was lost. This is stupid for the following reasons:
1. I have been driving around the area, me behind the wheel, about twice a day for a week and probably SHOULD have some idea about where I am (although in my defense, we did turn every which way... not much opportunity to memorize the way to get back).
2. I KNOOOOW I'm terrible with directions. Why would I think that I could just look at a few street names and be fine in a foreign neighborhood?!

Well it started to get dark and there are no street lights and not every street has sidewalks. And I'm more nervous around cars now-- walking on the street seems like much more of a risk now that I've been driving. But I was really embarrassed to call my grandpa for directions so I kept going for... maybe 45 minutes before I finally had to concede and call my grandpa. He laughed, told me that I was close and told me where to go-- 5 minute walk ... which kind of bummed me out because I could have avoided calling if I'd only gone a few more blocks.

Well I follow the directions and when I get there I see that I'm not home. So I walk back to where I came from to see if I could have started out wrong. It starts to rain a bit. I get to the original place and there was no other way I could have gone. So I start to go BACK to to where my grandpa's directions were, thinking maybe I didn't see something when I got there. At this point I KNOW I've been gone longer than they expected and assumed they were either going to call or come and get me; they did the latter. Grandpa in the car, grandma on foot. How embarrassing! Turns out I wasn't where my grandpa thought I was (which I kind of figured). I apologized for being an idiot but he just thought it was funny. Now they make jokes about directions. Directing me to my room etc etc.

Here is the movie section:

Whale Rider-- It was OK. I enjoyed watching it, but it was too straightforward. From the beginning you know exactly what's going to happen. But I really liked the girl in it.

Half Nelson-- Ryan Gosling was GREAT and SUPER attractive! The main girl was really great too. It was a nice character movie, but... the plot kind of plodded. It was more like a double vignette. I usually don't like knowing much about plot before I watch a movie, but I remember being told that this movie was about a drug-addict teacher and his student and how they help each other. But they didn't so much help each other as vaguely TRY to help each other. In fact, they were both really introverted and vaguely understood and liked each other. It was interesting being between a male teacher and a female 13-year-old student. I kept getting uncomfortable when they were together, even though it didn't really seem like anything bad would happen.

Candy-- Heath Ledger movie about a junkie couple in Australia. I REALLY liked it. I would say it corresponds a little with Trainspotting, although the plots are quite different and this one doesn't give the techno fast-paced feeling that Trainspotting does. But it is a unique and epic drug film. I REEEAAALLY enjoyed it. REEEALLY.

I also watched a one hour special on J.K. Rowling, which was pretty good. And I watched about half of an interview of Gene Wilder in which Alec Baldwin was the interviewer. I mention it because Alec Baldwin, in my opinion, did an exceptional interview-- really did his research and asked VERY thoughtful questions. Plus you never really see an actor interview another actor, except in Moviephone.com's Unscripted (which I LOVE), but that is between the actors that are in a movie coming out. And it's only 10 minutes long. This was an hour. I really like Alec Baldwin, although I'd be too afraid to meet him. He seems aggressive, someone who demands perfection.

Also, I finished reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. It's a non-fiction book about social epidemics. I don't know how to sell it so I'll give you the description on the back:
"The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed best-seller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas."
Anyway, I thought it was GREAT! The description makes it sound a little more consumer-centric than I thought it was. It really made me feel incredibly optimistic about the world. More than anything I've read or even heard in a long time.

I also finished Naked Pictures of Famous People by Jon Stewart (1998). It was shmena. But I appreciated it because Jon Stewart wrote it. And I bought it for like $.99 on Amazon.com.

I gave up on Holiday's on Ice by David Sedaris, even though it's a super short book and I LOVE David Sedaris. I partially believe I stopped reading it because I wrote that I was reading it on goodreads.com (which is really irrelevant because only Devon could possibly see what I was up to on that), and I didn't want to have to follow my own rules about what I'm reading. Or maybe I was just bored. Impossible to say. LIKELY I will next be reading Barrel Fever by David Sedaris, which will be the last of his books that I haven't read... except, of course, Holiday's on Ice.

Lastly, I know I shouldn't even mention it, but I have a kind of constant light cramp on my left side like... right at the love handle area. I've had it for about 2 or 3 days but I don't know if a) it's imaginary or b) it's something I should address. On the one hand, I don't want to be the person who complains about every feeling my body gets, but I also don't want to get an ulcer and then tell people I've had the cramps for days and then be scolded... or die. I'm really not sure what happens when you have an ulcer.

Blog 2 from NY (July 15)

Driving was MUCH better today. We left at 7:15am and went around the cemetery. Tomorrow I'm going to warm up in the cemetery and then we're going to drive on actual streets. Crazy.

Mostly my grandpa had a doctors appointment and then went golfing with a friend. I hung out in my room all day, which didn't bother me (obvs... I quite enjoyed myself), but I couldn't decide if it bothered my grandma. I got back from driving at 8:30am. Around 11am she came into the room thinking I had fallen asleep, but I hadn't. She came back in around 2 or 3pm and I WAS asleep and she reminded me that I don't HAVE to stay in my room. At 5pm she reminded me that I could use the internet whenever I wanted. At 6:30pm we ate and I helped her move a piece of furniture. Then my grandpa came home and I went back to my room and haven't emerged yet. It's 11:17pm now. The issue is that I can't decide where I'm less of a burden. Is it causing her more anxiety for me to be in a room all day or would it be worse if I were sitting downstairs trying to make conversation. I have to assume the latter is worse.

I also watched She's Got the Look... TERRIBLE show. It's Top Model with a much lower budget and with my least favorite demographic-- women between 35 and 72 (mostly in the 40s). PLUUUUS it's mean. All the judges want to be Simon Cowell. And the competition I saw involved taking each individual's worst fear and making them take a picture while experiencing it. To me that's just mean. It's one thing if eveyrone has to work with snakes and one person is afraid. Well that's the shoot and you have to do it or you don't want it enough. But in what magazine are they going to be like "what is the model's LEAST favorite thing? Yeah? Let's DO IT!" Mean. ESPECIALLY to a 72 year old lady, who is obviously my fave. although I don't plan on watching the show again.

Blog from NY (July 14)

I'm writing my blogg off the internet so by the time I get this up, it may be outdated.

So I came into New York and my mother and sibs came the next day. We went to the Wolber Open, which was pretty fun... although I mostly played fooseball with my brother, sister, and my mom's cousin Craig, who bummed us out a bit by telling us about his life. But there was some glorious food. And my mom got recipes for pepper jam (??) and pickled watermelon rines (???!!).

Then I spent the night worrying about my 1000 pieces of identification and continuing to look over the permit stuff. Got up early in the morning the next day, went to the DMV where they didn't really question my pieces of identification at all, got 100% on the quiz, etc. etc. Permit acquired. BUUUUUUT they told me that in order to sign up for a road test for my license, I have to take the required 5 hour class (it's in a classroom) which costs $45. And they said that they are booked until mid-August. Buuh. So we decided NOT to take the 5 hour class and ... I'm going to figure out some way to get my license in MA or PA, which was really the original plan anyway. I'm honestly not worried about it... although maybe I should be.

Right after I got my permit, my mom, the sibs, and I went to Syracuse (where I was born) to hang out with our old friends Kim, her son Cassidy (who's my age), and her two other children Cyrus and Maggie. That was pretty fun. They are Korean and have the BEST food!! I'm sure I'll have some sort of picture to show eventually. Also, Maggie is two and SUUUUPER cute... and Matt was REALLY cute with her. I shot a really terrible video with my cell phone of them. Some other highlights were hiking around a lake, playing gin with Cassidy, and enjoying some wiffle ball. Some un-highlights .... well the ONE un-highlight was the terrible sleep I had on the floor competing over a small blanket with my brother. I woke up on the complete opposite side of the room from where I started. Matt seemed surprisingly unfazed about it in the morning whereas my whole body ached.

We came home the next afternoon and grandpa and I immediately went to the cemetery to start driving. WAY scarier than I though it would be. Certainly makes me more nervous about people texting while driving... and I was ALREADY nervous about that. We went out of a little more than an hour and a half and I got (obviously) better over time. Then we came home, ate a little, and then went out again for an hour. It was better the second time. Nevertheless, I've decreed that I'm not a natural. Buuuuut... I also don't think I would have been any better or worse starting at 16. At some point when I was driving past these two people walking, I heard them laugh and say matter-of-factly to each other that I was clearly learning how to drive. I'm not fooling anyone. Also whenever I was driving past people, I kept trying to smile at them-- a kind of "hee hee I'm learning"-- but I kept remember, as I saw their faces, that they were likely not in the smiliest of moods, being in a cemetery and all...

Tomorrow we're going back out at 7am and then again tomorrow afternoon. The only thing I'm a LITTLE worried about is that my grandpa keeps bringing up things we can do at times when I don't really intend on still being here. Not that it's difficult so far, but I haven't regularly been with them for that long... so I don't really know how it's going to be. But then grandpa suggests taking me to PA on July 27th or something.. seeing my friends while they take my brother and sister somewhere (Valley Forge maybe?) but... that's kind of when I was hoping to head back to Boston. It was worse when we were still considering trying to get my license here... waiting until mid-August. Although I AM getting free food... and a pretty relaxed and relatively anxiety-free company. Nevertheless I'm already exhausted from being around people constantly.... But it was GREEEEAAATT seeing my mom and brother and sister without being the home environment.

Or maybe I'll be here forever and it'll be great. I just miss my friends already. AAAND I would really like to not walk on eggshells anymore. It's funny because my grandpa wants me to be amused and happy and have everything I want, which is AMAZING. BUUT I feel so indebted to him and I don't want tot get in the way or put him out more than I inevitably am that I just can't do anything BUT walk on eggshells.

Movies and Strangers

Today was a mighty active day for me... considering...

Hung out with the g-rents. We saw the movie Cheri which ... I truly didn't enjoy. My grandparents didn't really either. I would SUPER not recommend it. Also, at one point in the movie, I got super confused by the action the character (Cheri, actually) was taking. I figured I'd just spaced out and missed something that would warrant the action and I planned on asking my grandparents about it when the movie was over. However, when we left the theater, my grandpa asked what that action was about immediately! I told him that I was wondering the same thing and my grandma said so too. Turns out, we were ALL confused about the same thing but we ALL thought we'd spaced out! That's like... the worst sign for a movie ever for two reasons:

1. Clearly SUPER incomprehensible action by the main character. 

2. We were obviously all spacing out or on the VERGE of spacing out because we all thought it was OUR fault that we couldn't understand. 

Rough. 

Then we went out to dinner at a place I've been at least 3 times and thus should know the name but don't. It's a place in Harvard Square that serves New Orleans Mexican food. It was AWESOME not eating my own shit-ily prepared food. 

Then I hung out with Matt and Elena, which was awesome. 

I guess it doesn't seem like a hugely active day. I only think that because I walked from my place to Kenmore, Kenmore to Kendall movie theater, and Kendall movie theater to Harvard Square. Although so did my grandparents... wah-wah.

I also unfortunately paid for this month of netflix when I'm not going to be using it for 2 weeks. Bummer. I've decided to keep Angels in America instead of send the disks right back. Maybe I'll find the inspiration to watch it again. I hope so.  

Last thing, but I also accidently gave my phone number to two girls who wanted to tell me about how there is textual evidence in the Bible that God is a woman. I don't even have anything to say for myself. If I don't learn how to say no soon... ... I'll probably soon be purging my thetans for $150 per alien soul. Plus at some point, I'm just being stupid. But it's really difficult for me to bring down people who are so passionate. Although I REALLY wonder why they got me because I wasn't even KIND OF the only person on the street, they (apparently) go to BU, and I didn't even make eye contact... I didn't even know they were there AND I was listening to headphones. I think it's something in my face. Some invisible, but oddly visible, tattoo that tells strangers that I'm susceptible to bombardments by strangers. I don't even think I'm GULLIBLE per se. I've never been convinced of anything. I just can't turn down enthusiastic people face to face. It'll likely be a situation where I refuse to answer the calls. Like the last time I was saved freshman year (although I did go to one session... buh...). Or Ken. Or the time I told someone I wanted to help talk to people about global warming (which I actually DID kind of want to do). Or maybe I'll just continue to be an idiot... like the time I held hands with the guy who told me the two things black men like are native Americans and fried chicken. The time I gave my email address to the guy who I talked to for an hour at the greyhound station. The time I gave my name, address, phone number, and $3 to a guy in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum who smelled and had no teeth (that was a while ago though...). Just had to chronicle. Whatever though. 

Plans for NY

Grandparents are coming tomorrow. My grandpa is so awesome. He went to the DMV in New York and and learned that I need about 100 pieces of identification to get my permit. Like... A HUNDRED! What was truly confusing was that it didn't seem like regular high school students would have the right amount of identification. But it was lucky because now I can ask my mom to bring some stuff up when she comes for the Wolber Open. 

ALSO we decided that there is likely going to be a mandatory wait before I can get the actual license which I GUESS we're going to get in NY. AAAND you HAVE to take 5 hours of actual classes to get the license. AND the PERMIT isn't even sent to you until 2 weeks later. But I'll be able to use a temporary permit. Still... lame. 

Anyway, they are coming tomorrow. I'm pretty excited for the following reasons: 

1. Free food. YEEESSS!!! It's basically my dream come true. 

2. My grandpa REALLY likes playing gin with me. 

3. I bet we'll watch The Office. They'll probably take me to movies too. 

4. I'm pretty sure that they will fit into my intensely calm new lifestyle very well. I imagine I'll spend MANY hours away from them every day. Find a local park. Chill. Read. Heavenly. 

Nevertheless, I WILL be spending TWO WEEKS in Utica, NY! I have to prepare. I'm bringing all of the books I have... although it probably won't be a huge problem because my grandparents, if nothing else, are book-hoarders. Even if there IS an excess of non-fiction war books-- maybe not my least favorite genre... but I'm not planning on spending time thinking of a worse one. But They will also have the lovely fiction kind. It probably won't be a problem unless I go through a huge reading spree... which could happen. 

ALSO I'm going to bring a lot of movies. And obviously my laptop. I can't decide about painting. My grandma paints a lot... but also this could be a situation like the ones I often have on airplanes. I bring like... 1000 forms of entertainment and get super excited for the flight and all the fun stuff I can do... and then I fall asleep before the plane even takes off and wake up minutes before we land. I mean... I WILL be driving twice a day (according to g-pa's plan). And if I go for walks, play gin, read books, watch movies AND have my computer (internet is questionable)... am I going to need to bring all of my paint for just two weeks? Plus I'd probably want to do it outside so I don't accidently make a mess... and I think painting outside might not be too fun (SOUNDS fun but I'm afraid of wind blowing leaves and grass onto my canvas or drying my paint too quickly). 

Anyway, these are the things I need to do: 

1. Read the driving manual. It's only like 60 or 80 pages long and I have the whole weekend, but still...

2. Try to get a transcript (one of the identification options). 

3. Clean the apt. This includes getting rid of food that might spoil. Also, I have beer bottles everywhere. I've had people over drinking beer like... 3 times since my birthday, but I haven't thrown ANY of the bottles away because I want to recycle them. It does kind of give off an alcoholic appearance though.

4. Do the laundry. We're all gonna find out soon enough whether or not it's going to be awkward that I only have 7 shirts. I hope I can just do my laundry myself. Regardless, I'd like to put the pain off for 7 days. 

5. Pick the movies out. 

6. Find a way to pack excessive movies and books and clothes into what storage I have. 

7. I should also probably tell Pat that I'm leaving. I wonder if he'll be tempted to stay at all while I'm gone. 

In food news, I ate the entire "soup" that I made. It wasn't TERRIBLY delicious... or very soup like... but I did finish it. Also, today I decided to eat some frozen vegetables. I didn't want to buy standard mixed vegetables because I don't like lima beans, so instead I got mixed vegetables with broccoli, red peppers, carrots, green beans, kidney beans, white beans, and garbanzo beans (and I added some left over frozen corn from the soup). My review was a nay. The kidney beans were SUPER disgusting because they were REALLY hard. But the broccoli was QUITE mushy so I know I didn't undercook. The white beans were also gross but they were small and virtually indistinguishable from the corn in the light of my room.. so I ate most of them anyway. So you know what I think? BEANS DON'T BELONG IN MIXED VEGETABLES! That's my verdict! Maybe I'll write a letter to Bird's Eye or Hanover (yeah, I know the leading frozen vegetable brands. My extensive grocery store work was not for nothing! (Or does everyone know? It doesn't SEEM like common knowledge... ...)) Although the garbanzo beans were actually fine... and the green beans. And I bet if they added some edamame, it would be GLOR-I-OUS. 

Also, I just HAVE to mention that my original sim (Isaac)'s grandson (Todd, son of Alastor) (and to be clear, I haven't HAD daughters yet... I'm not medievally listing the male line on purpose) is now an adult. And I STILL haven't used a money cheat. I just HAD to say... although I know it excites no one but me. Also... just to mention, Alastor had a younger brother, Silas, who ended up falling in love with a guy at a young age who was super old (Ethan-- didn't name him). Very tragic. But his husband died fishing recently. And now Silas is an old man too. Very sad. Alastor is still with his high school sweetheart, Marlene (didn't name her). 

Anyway, I was FINALLY able to watch episode 5 of Weeds. Waiting is TORTURE! Especially because episode 6 has already happened by now. And don't think I haven't been checking the internet daily for these episodes. I have (don't judge). But I THINK grandpa has showtime on demand. HELLZ YEAAAH! Although he told me that I should hook up his DVD player when I get there because he hasn't figured it out. I wonder if that's within my capabilities. I'm inclined to think no but I DID hook up MY DVD player by myself. 

Angels in America

I just finished Angels in America which... it's an absolute masterpiece. It's SO epic and amazing and magical and scary and cynical and hopeful. It's the kind of picture that I couldn't even IMAGINE watching with other people because I couldn't imagine suspending myself the way the movie demands with other people around. Too much cynicism between two people. And it's the kind of picture that kind of makes you feel like YOU'VE changed after you watch it. Really amazing.

I'd watched pieces of it before probably... 7 years ago and I remember feeling incredibly moved then. But I'd watched it on HBO and couldn't catch the whole thing. Plus it's 6 hours long. And I've wanted to watch it since then, but when you know you have to put your absolute most full attention on every word of a 6 hour movie, it's difficult to bring yourself to do it. 

So I finally put it to the top of my netflix, I THINK because Justin Kirk is a main character and now that I'm more familiar with him, I'm more interested in things he's in (and now I'm flat out OBSESSED with him!). And then I accidently got the 2nd disk first so I had to wait. But last night I felt up to it at about 1:30am. I thought I was just going to watch the first disk. BUUUT, and I should be able to foresee these things but somehow I never do, after the first disk ended I HAD to watch the end. 

BUUUT then it turns out that I couldn't even see straight at... I assume 5:30am although I didn't look--I've been waking up so early that I couldn't take it. So, when I found myself having to rewind to catch the words, I decided I HAD to put it down or I wouldn't get the full affect... I would waste it. 

My dreams were SOOOO CRAZY! Involving AIDS and COMPLETELY epic. Scary and sad and turbulent and poetic like the movie. And I even woke up for a few minutes this morning, but decided I couldn't stay up. And I WANTED to go back to the dream and see what happened but I figured I wouldn't be able to. But I DID! More crazy and epic AIDS dreams. I think my brain was trying to finish the movie for me. 

I'm sure they are, but I hope the people who made the film are super proud. If I ever made a film half that great, I could die completely satisfied. 

PG?

The new Harry Potter movie is going to be rated PG. How is that possible?!

Independence Day

Fourth of July was fun. Interesting. 

So I hung out with Caroline and Wolf and Wolf's friend Audrina the night before the fourth, and my friend Spiegs was coming the next day at 9am (or so I thought... I don't know why). For whatever reason, I had trouble sleeping that night, even though I've been doing well for a few days. Whatever, I couldn't sleep until 4:30am. AND it turns out Spiegs was coming in at 6:30am. BUMMER. But whatever, we had a nice chat when she came and then we went back to sleep.

Now the "plan" was to go to a potluck at 12:30am, then go to the fireworks, then go to a party at Pretty's. Well I really haven't been consistently around other people too much-- if I had to take a guess, I'd say I am around people for 5 or 6 hours per 36-48 hours... and this is close friends-- and I realized kind of immediately that I couldn't be pressed into performing so much small talk. I just couldn't. Or maybe I'm a prick... but regardless, I knew it would just be torture for me to spend OVER 12 hours with other people. Honestly, I think that's a lot for anyone. Plus, no one was counting on me to bring the fun or anything. So I was pretty confident that I wasn't going to go to the potluck.... although I still couldn't be sure. 

After Spiegs left for the potluck, I turned around and made some homemade chicken noodle soup (which in my head I call "c-noodle" soup... I don't know why my head needs the abbrev... but it does). Well I looked up a recipe, but everything seemed pretty arbitrary to me so I decided NOT to use a recipe. Plus, I remember when I was younger, I wanted soup REALLY badly (I really LOVE soup... if I was going to have a shop, I think it would be a soup shop) and I just put some chicken bouillon cubes, noodles, carrots, and celery that we had in the fridge into some water. It tasted fine. 

Anyway, I went to the store and I got carrots, celery, a head of garlic, frozen corn, potatoes, and chicken broth. I also got chicken, and I think my error was here, because I wanted to get the cheapest stuff I could so I ended up getting boned chicken thighs. It was the cheapest thing, it's my favorite part of the chicken, AND I could use any leftovers for rosemary chicken because that's what I use. I think the SUPER error on the chicken was that it was also skinned. 

So I thought I'd just cook the chicken a little bit with some garlic powder and garlic salt (what I use for rosemary chicken) so that it had a head start before going into the broth. But regardless of the precooking, it was difficult to take the chicken apart. I DID take the skin off easily though. I was tempted to eat it (gross I know... but I LOVE the skin of chicken), but after trying one of them, I almost died. So nay on that front. 

Then I just put the stuff in the pot as it occurred to me... no thought on what should go in first. I also used ziti for the noodles because I wasn't about to get egg noodles JUST for soup when I already have so much pasta around. And I couldn't really MINCE the garlic with a regular knife, so I just cut it into tiny pieces... and I used the whole head of garlic. 

Here is what came out (I didn't think to take a picture until I'd eaten two bowls... so there was a little more, but this is the idea): 

Not bad, right? It tasted ALRIGHT. I know corn is like... the biggest ingredient in everything we eat and thus we don't need any more BUT... I REALLY like eating kernels of it in soups or salads. Not utilized enough in my opinion. The soup also primarily smells of garlic. And you actually just eat chunks of garlic as though I intended it to be considered a vegetable in the soup rather than a spice. Also... not so much with the broth. I definitely could have added more water to it ... especially because it's on the saltier side. 

Anyway, after that was done and I'd eaten my fill, the potluck was essentially over and I had to decide if I wanted to go to the fireworks. They started at 8:30pm but people were going around 3pm. So... I definitely had to pass on the 3pm. I don't remember what I did exactly, various things surely. I even talked to Caroline about my solitude, but she was sympathetic to what I wanted to do, which encouraged me to stay home. 

The problem with these holidays is that they are SUPPOSED to be fun. But REALLY they are like... obligations during your break from work (not that I have work right now... but I'm speaking generally) that you MIIIIIGHT have fun at. But also they can be, and often are, torture. And I honestly get upset during them no matter what. I get upset when I have to go somewhere that isn't fun on a "fun" day. Which is rude. I wouldn't snap at anyone of course... but I'm entitled to my feelings. I get upset when I don't go and then I feel guilty because I'm so socialized into having to be too social at these times. AND because if people are HAVING parties or whatever, they went to a lot of effort to make it happen and as a friend, I should be in attendance. I get upset that people want to know where I am and I don't have anything to say. BUUUT I would get even more upset if people didn't care where I was because of COURSE I hope that I mean SOMETHING in people's lives. Complex. Very complex. I feel the same way about Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. BUUUUUUT sometimes I DOOOO want to be social! Sometimes it IS really fun. Usually not Christmas, but some Christmas parties and... New Years I enjoy sometimes. 

What I'm basically saying is that I'm an asshole. I'm telling you how I honestly feel, but I always think I'm being an asshole in these situations. And I can't even predict my own emotions... in another mood I could have spent the entire day out and about yesterday. But... couldn't make it happen. What I wonder is whether everyone else just ENJOYS being out like that? Is everyone else just sucking it up and I'm being a jerk? Or is it only painful to me and another small group of people and everyone else just really enjoys being around people all the time-- can't get enough.

(And just one more time, I DO like other people. I don't ALWAYS dislike being around groups of people. )

ANYWAY, I decided to watch Juno INSTEAD of fireworks. I don't even care. Did it. Proud. But I DID go to the party, which was great fun for me. It was the perfect amount of interaction after I had a whole day of preparation. Although the police came because some jerks set off REALLY loud fireworks in front of the apartment. Although I'm 21 now so it wasn't really an issue for me. But it was unfortunate because some (many) people were obviously scrambling for the back door. Then they all came back and it was fun... and then people did fireworks AGAIN! The police didn't come back, but there was a lot of paranoia. 

Then, even though I went to bed at 2:30am ish, I woke up at 9am, ready to go. Mystery. Spiegs was still asleep so I watched this movie called Puccini for Beginners. I REALLY enjoyed it. I think it's the first lesbian movie I've ever watched that wasn't a first time movie. Not positive. But I actually turned it on because Justin Kirk, who plays Andy in Weeds (probs (/almost definitely) my favorite character in the show... and you know how much I love the show), was in it. And he did NOT disappoint me. 

Spiegs still wasn't awake at 10:30am when the movie was over so I decided have a banana and then to go down to the esplanade. I just LOVE this one bench down there. So I stared into space for a while and then I read a little. I DID wear sunscreen, which I think was wise. Then I came back, had some turkey hot dogs that I bought (cheap!) and I'll probs have some more soup soon. And that's where I'm at (Spiegs is with her sister). 

One more thing. I got some mail to some guy who does NOT have the last name of Montero, which is the name on my mailbox. BUUUT instead of taking it back, my mailman WROTE HIS NAME ON THE BOX! Isn't that hilarious!? What sense does that make? Obviously he doesn't live there if his name isn't on the box! That's the point of HAVING the name on the box! Although it made me think that they wouldn't care if I wrote MY last name on the box and then I wouldn't have had to make all of my relatives send my birthday cards to a complete stranger. C'est la vie. I had to cross the name off the box and put the mail to the other guy in this little trough-looking place below the mailbox. I wonder if the mail person is going to feel like an idiot when they see that I crossed off the name. I wonder if they'll be like "DUH!" to themselves. 

So Much Needless Information

So I've been having trouble getting into my hotmail account. I don't know why and I don't know when I should be worried. It's been at least since yesterday, if not before then. BUUUT I COULD get access to some other things about my hotmail account that I thought were interesting. I started hotmail on June 19, 2001. Great. I listed my birthday as June 3, 1978... because I was still worried about my information. Interesting. But what I thought was REALLY amusing was that my secret question is (and it doesn't happen to be in the format of a question):

Favorite fictional character.

Which means that if I forgot my password, I would have to rack my brain to think of what or who my favorite fictional character was in 2001. Not too much for foresight, nearly 8th grade Blythe.

So yesterday, I watched Loser, which I REALLY enjoy. Truly. It's KIIIND of lame, and I'll take that, but.. if I was still buying movies, I'd buy that one. I'm sure that wasn't the last time I'll watch it. I just really like Jason Biggs. I don't understand why people don't like him more. 

Then I decided to start a new painting and thus had to pick out a movie. I was in the mood for EVERY MOVIE I OWNED! It was almost impossible to decide what I wanted to watch! It's equally great AND torture when that happens. I finally landed on The Last Kiss, which is truly a gem. Like... if I REALLY thought about it, could possibly be in my top 10 movies! Which is huge (in my mind)! Especially because I officially already have a top 6. I just think it's INCREDIBLY real. And it makes you want to die, but you can REALLY understand it all. And one of the coolest things I noticed when I first watched it, was that it made me crazy for one reason. Like... one thing stuck out the most to me as being... just awful and telling and terrifying. But then I asked the other people I watched it with, before revealing what bummed me out, and they both said DIFFERENT THINGS. But they were REALLY upset too. Isn't that weird? My mom couldn't even finish it because she got SO upset! But then it isn't even like... well I don't want to give it away. Gem, though. I love it and would recommend it to the people I consider to have the BEST taste in movies (which is, of course, subjective). 

As far as the painting goes, it was crap so I'm not going to finish it. I scrapped it 30 minutes into the movie. 

ANYWAY. It's been incredibly rainy in Boston, but I kind of think it's pleasant to take a walk in overcast weather, which is what I did yesterday. More accurately, I walked to the esplanade and then sat on a bench by the water for LITERALLY over an hour, staring into space. It COULD have been closer to 1.5 hours. And I didn't listen to music. And I didn't read. And I didn't text anyone or talk to any strangers. It was VEEERY nice. The weather kind of reminded me of an overcast day at the beach, which are kind of my most pleasant memories of the beach. Like, when it's 7pm and you already ate and you're all clean from the salt and sand and everyone is back in the house watching TV, but grandma wants to come and have a walk with you on the promenade.... and it isn't very crowded and it's pretty windy and the waves are really high and turbulent and only loyal joggers and people walking their dogs are out... not so much with the hoochie baby 8th graders. And you don't have to worry about the sun and you're not all sweaty and you don't feel like you SHOULD be with your family in the ocean. That's the best. 

Anyway, I'm sure it's good for the mind to spend a good hour staring into space. One of the things I thought about were ducks. I ended up writing out some questions I had. This is what I wrote, verbatim:

Questions about ducks

1. How long can ducks hold their breath?

2. How do they tell where they are on the river? Do they look at buildings? The bridge? Trees? Underwater things? Do they even care?

3. Do they have "home" areas? Do they have to get places at certain times? Are they ever in a rush (barring if something's chasing them)?

4. Is it easy for them to paddle up river? They always look so comfortable. 

5. Do they go underwater for storms?

6. Why wold a duck be alone? Why would only 2 travel together (females)?

After I finished writing down my questions, I wondered if the people jogging past me thought I was writing something really profound, like notes for a novel or something. 

Then I got some curry, which I probably shouldn't have done, given the money situation. But I was craving curry like WHOA. I don't know why... but I feel like it's relatively rare when you just really want ONE specific thing. Especially curry. I hardly ever even order curry when I'm at a place that HAS curry. Very satisfying. Plus it came with rice noodles, which I ADORE. 

I also need to mention that upon leaving the esplanade, I came across this on the pavement: 

This is just the epitome of fun. What I mean is, whoever made that handprint MUST have been having the BEST time. There is no other way. Look at how many colors! Awesome. 

After the esplanade, I hung out with Matt and Elena watching America's Best Dance Human or whatever (I'm sure I know the name, but I don't feel the need to look it up or plug it or anything. You already know). 

Then I went home and fell asleep immediately. I dreamt that my sister (Meredith) and I were in a room with a bunch of cool people, not like celebrities, but cool people in my life. I can't remember a single person there anymore. But they were all supposed to be organizing something, I don't remember what... like a presentation or a song or something... it was gonna be awesome. 

So my sister and I were put in a corner with someone else, don't remember, to exterminate pests. So my sister looks onto some wall and she freaks out because she sees some ants (which I don't think she would freak out about in life). And I tell her that we're probably not supposed to get ants. Like... who cares about ants? (probably not how I would feel in real life... I'm not afraid of small ants, but I do consider them pests in life). And then I see a mouse and I spray it and it dies. And then the other person with us goes like "here's the problem" and these bright orange and black striped spiders that have big bodies like bumble bees... like they look furry but they are also spiders with small pinchers are crawling all around. So he (whoever it was, maybe Saswato?) takes this tiny bottle, like an eye dropper, and pours it on one, inside it's pinchers which were open, and it sizzles and steams and then turns into a dead mouse. So this stuff is obviously some sort of acid. And then he gives the bottle to me because he has to leave, but he kind of drops it and it goes under one of the spider-bees (they don't fly though) and I get scared... but finally reach under the bug and pour the acid on them. And some acid gets on my fingers and nothing happens but I briefly wonder if that's going to be bad later and tell myself to not put my hands in my mouth or eyes (dream logic). Then my sister and I are mysteriously in a mansion on the first floor-- no one is there but us. And then I wake up. 

Anyway, I woke at 9:28am, which was awesome because my alarm was set for 9:30am and I didn't have to be frightened awake by Tears for Fears. So I woke and looked for quickie jobs. Not successful yet, but we'll see. I went to the office to get the referrals and on my way back, got some fire balls, which I paid for in quarters. I bought some a week ago and it was so nice having something to suck on (ha) when I got hungry. But when they ran out, I went to the grocery store and the only hard candy they had was jolly ranchers, which I usually can't eat because they LITERALLY hurt my teeth, which I think is very weird and also probably a sign that I shouldn't eat them. But I got them anyway and they WEREN'T hurting, but then I brushed my teeth and they were very tender in one spot. So that's why I've switched back to fireballs. 

I also bought a pot because I'm REALLY about making chicken noodle soup. And I saw some pyrex bowls for $2 so I got them. That way I don't have to buy the tin foil things when I want to make breaded chicken or chicken parm. You can't really reuse those, even if you REALLY want to. When I got home, however, I decided to make food with ingredients I already had (which is almost NOTHING). I finally landed on au gratin potatoes. Here's how they turned out:

Not bad at ALL!! Very delicious. And cheap as hell. And I'll probably make it again for the 4th of July potluck. So what if today my diet is potatoes, cheese and fireballs. It's just good I take vitamins....

Then I went to the gym... and I think that's it for today. I DID watch Stewart and Colbert from yesterday and the day before, catch myself up. I gave this clip to Elena because she's taking a politics in the media course. I don't know if it will help her... but if you have some anger in need of direction here ya go. 

New Class

COM reminded me today that there are still some classes left over and this was one of them. 

Special Topics: Cinematheque     Gerry Peary 

BU Cinematheque is  a for-credit course open to both undergraduates ands  graduates, and scheduled for Thursday and Friday evenings in the Fall 2009.The course is an opportunity for students to meet first-hand and  up-close with prominent filmmakers, who show a movie and talk about   working in the movie business: the art, the financing, the nuts-and-bolts of getting films made and show n. Over the years, the BU Cinematheque has brought many famous talents, i.e. directors Errol Morris, Paul Schrader, David Gordon Green, Tom Tykwer, editor Thelma Schoonmaker, cinematographer Gordon Willis, actors Sarah Polley, Eliza Dushku, screenwriter Budd Schulberg. Just as important,  the Cinematheque brings young filmmakers with their first works:  Andrew Bujalski, Joe Swanberg, etc.Note this key point: though the Cinematheque meets Thursdays and Fridays, the total number of classes is EXACTLY THE SAME AS FOR OTHER COURSES.  The class  meet s  15 times in the semester. Sometimes the class will meet both Thursday and Friday, sometimes only Thursday, some weeks not at all. But 15 will be the final number.   Why both Thursday and Friday? For necessary flexibility. Sometimes, the same filmmaker will show both on Thursday and Friday. Often, a  f ilmmaker from out of Boston can only come on Friday evening. Working   filmmakers rarely can predict their schedules, and the more days open for them to choose from, the more chance they can come to the Cinematheque .  

Well how can I pass that up?! So I'm no longer taking Writing for Comedy AND Television Comedy by the same professor, which was incredibly redundant anyway. I dropped the non-writing one. 

Driving, Quickie Jobs, Movies, and Thought

I have to make another entry for this part. 

For the past two days I've had a miraculously good sleeping schedule. Two days isn't a lot, but it's a start. 

I tried to get some quickie jobs, but have so far failed. I'd really kind of like just a regular job now, but since I'm going away for the week and a half, I feel like it would be difficult. I went onto the job board and saw some jobs that would be easy as hell to get and immediately felt like a fool for not trying sooner. But... it's in the past, and I'm not sure it's so much at retrospect is 20/20 as much as that looking in retrospect, I can't clearly see my other reasonings. I'm sure that I made a healthy and smart decision. Whatever whatever. Plus there is the distinct possibility that I want a job now because I know I can't get one. But I don't believe that's true. I'm just acknowledging the possibility. 

But as far as quickie jobs, I'll probably do a research thing in August (probably = they said that I could, certainly barring an extenuating circumstances like amnesia or death).  I tried to give blood but they didn't need any new people. Although I felt guilty because I'd said that I wouldn't sell my blood because I feel that I should just GIVE it away. After all, it isn't market research. It's people's lives. But, I tried anyway. I didn't succeed, however, so I only have to feel bad that I WANTED to do it, and not that I actually did it. Although the day I tried to sell my blood, fitrec was doing a red cross blood drive, which I'd put in my calendar and everything, fully intending on doing it. And... I obviously didn't because I thought I was going to sell it. So... wah-wah. 

I ended up talking to my grandpa and we went over the plan. They're going to come up on Wednesday and we're going to hang out. On Thursday we'll go to the art museum (AWESOME... I LOVE going with them... probably because they're the ones who trained me to love art museums to begin with), and then we'll go back to their place. AND we're going to the Wolber Open, and it'll be nice because my mom will be there. So my job is to make sure I do my laundry and clean the apartment (although it really isn't that bad at all) and read the driving manual. 

I also discussed the matter of where to get the license with him and we agreed that PA would be the best place, and MA would be the worst. However, I told him how my mother seemed to really against me getting my license in PA and told me I should get it in NY, which I thought was ridiculous. He was really stuck on why my mom might not want me to get the license in PA, and even though we started talking about other things, he kept coming back to it. Finally he mentioned that maybe she thought that ERNIE (my step dad) would have a problem with me using the car. I thought about it, but even though Ernie hates me, probably (definitely) more than anyone else in the world, I don't think he'd have a reason to not want me to use the car. Whatever else he thinks about me, I don't think he has a reason to not trust me with a vehicle. 

We ended up talking about it for a bit, and I just got really upset and ended up bursting into tears about him. On the PHONE! With my GRANDPA! Which was really embarrassing, and definitely uncomfortable for my grandpa. And me. And my grandpa had to leave right after it happened and I KNOW he must have told grandma. And we're all going to be together for like... 10 days and I'm kind of worried it's going to come up... but also I kind of want it to. I kind of just want to talk to SOMEONE, other than my mom, who knows what's happened. Who can understand. 

(I know that was a little more personal than I usually am.. but... it's my blog and I felt like sharing.)

Regardless, my grandpa told me that he's going to try to teach me to drive-- we're gonna go out like... 2 times a day. And then my grandma will try if he's unsuccessful (although I don't know why he would be). And he said that worse comes to worst, he'll pay for me to have lessons with the local instructor. So no matter what, I WILL know how to drive by the time I leave. AAAAND as far as the license goes, he said that maybe I SHOULD get the license in New York because I can easily just get it changed over to MA or CA or whatever. My grandpa is always sooo generous to me. It's insane!! 

Two other things I want to mention: 

1. Last night I mysteriously went to bed at 10:30pm. I was exhausted. For no reason at all. So I'm in bed with a bra and pajama pants on, asleep, and then someone COMES THROUGH MY DOOR! I shot up, TERRIFIED! It was PAT! Moving in his stuff. He'd called but... I was asleep. I was trembling like crazy for the next... 15 minutes at least. They didn't stay much longer than that because he kind of had to emergency move in because the girl who was holding his stuff was going to move and he didn't get the message until recently. Something like that. So they came and left. But it was SUPER scary. And I think those things are infinitely scarier when you aren't wearing adequate clothing. 

I THOUGHT that was going to keep me up, but nay. I fell right back to sleep. Miracle. 

2. Unsurprisingly, I woke up at 7:30am ready to go. Like... couldn't have gone back to sleep if I tried. I looked up quickie jobs, but there were no new ones for today. Then I went to the gym... which was a little gross because the last time I did my laundry, I forgot to wash my gym pants... so they had/have a very .... disgusting feel to them. Anyway, as I was going back home from the gym, I came across some old ladies in front of the Planned Parenthood handing out pamphlets and rosaries, which, regardless of how I feel about their position on anything, I HAVE to admire because.... they have a cause and then they DO something completely generous and peaceful about it. Very sweet. And more than I can say for almost everyone else that I know (barring Natalya). I didn't take a rosary though, because even though they are pretty... I already have a rosary (which I told the lady) (and which I obviously don't use, but is very attractive) and maybe it should go to someone who doesn't already have one. She seemed delighted. Although, for all the work that I'm sure it takes to make a rosary and then get it blessed and everything, I wonder how many people will take one off the street and actually use it. I would have to probably say zero, right? Nevertheless, it was very nice. I chatted with them for a bit, came home, and... did this. 

As far as the movies go, I'm off my shitty movie kick I think. I just ordered Angels in America, although I made a mistake and got only the second disk... so it's useless as of now. I am also getting the movie Loser, which is KIND OF bad I guess... but I really like it. And I got the first Lord of the Rings... so we shall see. 

And what I watched: 

David Cross: Let America Laugh. I thought it was a stand up show, but actually it was like... a pseudo documentary of one of David Cross' tours. It was interesting. I really love David Cross and I would LOVE to see one of his shows. 

Also I saw Sophie's Choice. I knew it was going to be sad because it's always sighted as the saddest movie. And it was VEEERY sad... although III thought the choice was between the two guys, which I was sure would be sad... but not the saddest thing I've ever seen. I wasn't sure what the hype was going to be about. But... I actually don't know if I'm ruining it to say it WASN'T between the two guys... because that's probably what everyone thinks. But whatever.  It WASN'T. And you'll probably never guess what is WAS between... but suffice to say that it WAS one of the worst choices EEEVER!! I almost had to pause to absorb. It took my breath away. 

I also rewatched Spice World (with Katherine) and Superbad. Nothing really to say about them. If I didn't thoroughly enjoy them, each in their own way,  I wouldn't have rewatched them. 

Also, I've continued to read The Tipping Point, which is pretty amazing. It also has a chapter about children's television, which kind of discredits what I learned in television and childhood, which essentially told me that children's television is straight up bad (weird lesson for television students). Now I don't know what to think. Probably a little of both. 

I WOULD be more inclined to trust a school book over a pleasure book, but the school book was written by someone my teacher knew and worked with personally... and comes off as a little biased. I disagreed with some parts... like how Disney movies hinder creativity, which I just can't see as being true. I even asked my grandpa about how creative children were when he was a kid, and he said that there are creative people and there are some not creative people. He said that he wasn't particularly creative. But I happen to believe that my best friend and I were literally as creative as you could possibly be (I'm obviously biased and I know it sounds arrogant... and I don't think I'm even KIIIIND OF as creative today, but I truly believe that)... and...I saw every Disney movie made (except Dumbo, mysteriously). 

AAAND The Tipping Point is a hugely popular and hugely scrutinized book. But, you have to always be skeptical about books promoting media. 

Basically, I just don't know. It's all just food for thought, I guess. And really I don't foresee myself working in children's television... although it is a reasonable possibility for me, certainly more likely than it is for most other people. 

Romantic Comedies

Are we going to have ANOTHER He's Just Not That Into You fiasco!!!

Mother fucker!!!

First of all, I'm pretty sure this is going to be a huge hit. Bigger than He's Just Not That Into You. And second, I hope that HHEEE learns something at the end too... which... I think he might. And I hope that other less crazy women are portrayed in the film. And I hope she has a SPECIFIC reason for being crazy. I hope it starts with some childhood thing where something happens and then she decides she's going to always be the aggressor in relationships... or whatever her deep flaw is. And I hope he has a SPECIFIC reason why he's so mean about teaching her. And then obviously they'll fall in love yadda yadda. 

The thing about the romantic comedy genre is that it's forgivable for me to know what happens, beginning to end, by just seeing the trailer. I hate it, but I also love it despite myself. It's also the reason romantic comedies are not masterpieces pretty much ever. They are just the same movie with the actors changed.

I'm just pissed off that we're having a surge of incredibly flawed and crazy women being the protagonists. And I know that they want us to feel good because we all already KNOW we're flawed and crazy and these movies are telling us that SOME MAN will find and love us despite that. But it also tells us that men have the answers and are generous beings and whatever. And some men are incredibly generous and patient. I just don't think we should be socializing women to lose all the power we even have. 

And I just have to mention, because it makes me CRAZY, that I bet no one can name ONE movie where the woman was the real pursuer. The closest you get is the woman secretly trying to make the MAN pursue her. And maybe I shouldn't get so upset about it, but women seeking what they want just comes off as incredibly desperate. All of the classic movies that you love: Say Anything. If a WOMAN stood outside of the window, it would be a different movie. It would be Fatal Attraction. But The Notebook. Notting Hill. 10 Things I Hate About You. Even my favorites: Titanic. When Harry Met Sally. Moulin Rouge. The Princess Bride. I mean... you can't name ONE movie where the woman pursues. The only one that I can think of is My Best Friend's Wedding... and she DOES look crazy (but we forgive her because she's so cool and attractive) and she doesn't even GET the guy. It's like the only romantic comedy that turns out that way. 

I mean honestly, IIII don't even want to watch a movie where the woman pursues. I can't think of a way that I could possibly enjoy that movie. And THAT bums me out even more.