Meaningless Accomplishments

This weekend was one of meaningless accomplishments (I may be the only one who cares...):

1. Finished my book, This Much I Know Is True by Wally Lamb. It was excellent. Afterwards, I tried to look through the other books that I mysteriously own and found that ALL of those books are schizophrenia-related. One novel (the one I read) and two medical-y books. Naturally, I started having elaborate fantasies about myself being schizophrenic and my alter ego buying these books to prepare me for when my regular self learns about my illness. Although, by reading the Wally Lamb book, I know that that isn't how schizophrenia works. The fantasies, none-the-less, persist.

2. Started arranging "Head Over Heels" for Corina and my (so far fictional) a cappella group. It wasn't monumental progress, but breaking ground is the most important step.

3. Bought a new string for my favorite necklace. Again, not huge, but it's been months and months since the moment I decided the string was too frayed to risk wearing and the moment I got the new string. Considered buying a coloring book AGAIN, but suppressed the urge and instead...

4. Tried to paint again. I've been working on this same damn Bob Dylan/Suze Rotolo painting for probably a year. More than. Maybe two years. Every time I work on it it looks like I've done nothing. I'm thinking of abandoning it and/or starting a new painting to get reinvigorated and going back to this one in time. I feel like it's when you're reading a boring-ish book and you don't want to start a new book until you've completed said book. And then you end up not reading for like... 3 months straight. I should just do a face. This painting I'm doing now has too much scenery for me. I'm a much lazier painter than this.

5. Watched the movie Unmade Beds. It's not REALLY an accomplishment, but I enjoyed it. I feel like Natalya would really like it and intend to recommend it to her next time we speak.

6. Finally watched the finale of season 4 of Skins (UK). I had some sort of block against that last episode and halted Corina and my progress for several months. 4-6 months, I would guess. It was a pretty disappointing episode, but at least we got through it. I don't even know why I refused to watch it for so long.

7. Watched a couple of old episodes of Bored to Death. It was pretty good. They were 3 "for your consideration" episodes from a year or two ago. One episode had Jenny Slate from the abortion rom-com "Obvious Child." If you haven't seen it, I HIGHLY recommend. I've seen it like... 4 times and I just LOVE it. And thus love her (you may also know her as the recent SNL addition who said "fuck" on her first episode-- I'm not sure if she's still a cast member and don't care enough to check). I don't like Bored to Death enough to recommend, but I would watch it if I had cable and nothing else to watch.

If you want something to watch, go with Wilfred!! Hulu. I already list it in my short list of shows I actually watch, which is huge (only in my mind). Also, I may accidentally going through movies looking for Elijah Wood, who I'm accidentally in love with (I do know what "accidentally" means). I will not watch Lord of the Rings and I'll DEFINITELY not watch Everything is Illuminated again. Puh!

8. Taught Corina to play gin. In the moment, I felt like I'd never been more excited in my life. I LOVE playing cards and have often fantasized about roommates who will at least indulge me. Corina seems to like it and won the first game 124 to 4. Terrible with the trash talk, though. My grandpa would be disappointed with her on that. Or teach her REAL quick how to effectively criticize a cut of the deck or prophecize incredible failure.

9. Asked my boss for the Monday after the wedding off. That trip will be a real adventure. My grandma is making a dress-prototype out of muslin. I'm going to try and get an autographed headshot of my sister's favorite actress that I happen to know. Figure out where I'm staying. If I'm getting a rental car.

And it will mark the first time I've stepped out of California in almost 2 years. I never went this long without leaving Boston. I'm not sure I ever went this long without leaving Pennsylvania. Crazy. But slightly irrelevant, I guess.

Feeding my fish has become a lesson in patience. One of the fish will gobble everything up on sight (Chair Beverage), but the other fish will hold a piece of food in her mouth and swim around with it for a while before finally eating it (Ladder Phoenix). Thus, I have to wait until Ladder eats her food before I can put more in the bowl. Otherwise, Chair will eat like... 5x more food than Ladder. The fact that I'm willing to do this--NOT let Darwinism inflict it's wrath upon Ladder-- shows that I'm growing, surely.

Bills, Books, Movies

Sometimes when I haven't written a post in a while, they come out super super crappy. I just deleted 3 separate drafts from the past week that I was forced to abandon because even I'M not interested in reading them (and I think it goes without saying (saying it) that I'm my own biggest fan...). So let's just see where this goes... (under-hyping).

My first bills started a-rolling in. $11 for electricity. Sounds good, but I'm concerned that it was only for a 21 day period. I guess it's fine, but I may unplug our TV during disuse and see what happens (I think I've counted 3 total times that we've used the TV. And we've only watched movies). Gas bill was an alarming $55 but it turns out, they added $25 for set up and $20 deposit, and then tax. So our actual bill was somewhere around $7-$8. Golden. Internet was, I surmise, $30. ANYWAY, it's for posterity. I used to list the details of my homework, remember? I can list bill details... ...

If all goes right, I will have made $1025 extra monies this month, which is huge!! None of that money is in my hands, but all the work has been done, so I think we're solid. I keep bragging about it because--and I hope I'm right about this--I am young and poor enough to not seem tactless. I'm dreaming about all of the things I can do with so much money! Pay my grandpa back! Get a new muffler! Get new clothes or maybe even a pair of shoes! Change my plates! Buy tickets to Colorado for the wedding! Turns out, I need more money... La-ame.

I'm reading a book called I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb. I have no idea why this book is in my possession. I found it during the moving process and can only assume I accidentally stole it from someone. Because I knew I wouldn't be willing to travel back to Burbank regularly, or find a library close by for the next several weeks (accurate prediction), I took a look at the book, saw it was an NY Times bestseller and didn't appear to be a mystery or biography of someone I've never heard of, and decided to dive right in.

GREAT choice. I'm really really enjoying it. Unfortunately, it's 900 pages long and not a recognizable title at all. What I'm saying is, I will never be able to share this book with anyone else. I will never be able to convince someone that IIII know to pick up a 900 page novel about a man and his schizophrenic identical twin. I feel so alone, like people I know who DON'T only read 12-20 books a year (and let's be real, half of those books I read I've read before (and half of THOSE are Harry Potter...)). People who REGULARLY read books that they can never talk about. But it is a real joy.

Discovered the miracle of frozen pot stickers.

Am strongly considering trying for a THIRD TIME to see Midnight in Paris tonight. I haven't decided if I'd rather eat soup and read. It's a tough call. I could ALSO go and see The Beginners with Ewan McGregor. I like the look of The Beginners more, but my gut tells me that Midnight in Paris is going to be a more moving experience. I'm seduced by it's popularity and mysteriousness. What is that movie about?? Regardless, I'm not inviting anyone. I maintain that movies are better to watch alone. ESPECIALLY in the theater. I haven't really said it so bluntly before, because I don't want people to stop inviting me to movies, but here is why it's better solo:

1. Impromptu. I like to decide at that moment, "I am going to see this movie NOW." Then I just go to the theater, get the next ticket, wait around if it's required, and enjoy the exact film I wanted at the exact time I wanted to see it. If I have to plan it, then maybe I'm not in the mood for that film on the actual day. I'm not saying it's the WORST to go to a movie when maybe you'd prefer a different movie or no movie at all. I'm just saying, impromptu is better.

2. No compromise.

In nearly all aspects of my life, I feel like I don't have a preference. Where are we going to eat? What is the itinerary for the day? Where do you want to sleep? I don't care, I don't care, I don't care. I've thought about it a lot, and I don't think I'm a pushover, per sé. I just get VERY uncomfortable when I can see that the person I'm with is visibly disappointed. When the person I'm with VISIBLY wanted burgers and we got Indian because they asked me what I want, THAT is what affects me. Not the food I'm eating.

Anyway, the point is that, in my narcissistic self-observation, I've noticed that the one opinion I DO have is on movies. And I can't help but be internally pissy if we're going to see a movie that doesn't seem worth $12.50 to me. I don't care if someone else is disappointed. On the subject of movies, my disappointment weighs in stronger than anyone else's on my care-o-meter.

(I believe this correlates to why if someone recommends a film to me, I will most likely take 6 months to watch it. How I spend my movie time is MY decision, with few exceptions.)

(note: I have to admit, though, that sometimes I will be internally pissy about a movie, only to come out being extremely grateful that someone dragged me.)

So... I think I've made it clear that I don't like to compromise with movies...

3. I can take the time to absorb the movie.

Not ALL movies need to be absorbed, but a lot do. And when I'm absorbing, I don't want to talk. The reason is, I don't like the pressure of stating an opinion that I haven't thought through, because then I have to back track later, or WORSE, I start to believe this spur-of-the-moment opinion is my ACTUAL opinion and then I have to defend it for life. Or until I watch the movie again and realize that I was being too harsh or too... praise-ful.

Anyway. Despite this, don't stop inviting me to movies. I do ALWAYS enjoy movies.

End.

Me and TV

House sitting, while still lovely, is no longer the absolute delight it once was now that I love my actual home. I mean that strictly food wise and the fact that I spend most of my lunch hour in the car. And lack of internet and cell reception, although that's kind of bitter sweet. Dog wise and cable wise-- AWESOME.

Corina and I are officially building a shrine to these dogs with materials left over from the move. Nothing more needs to be said on that matter.

Cable:

FINALLY watched True Blood. And now I'm about to shoot myself in the face as I wait to see (I'd BETTER SEE!!) some much anticipated banging. Very important. BAAAAAAAAHHH!! I hate waiting!

Watched, for perhaps my first time, Curb Your Enthusiasm during it's actual airing time. It was HILARIOUS and I remembered again the delight I will EVENTUALLY experience when I'm in the mood to watch 9 seasons of a show.

Then the next day, I heard through the walls our office neighbor playing the very episode.

And THEN I read:

The eighth-season ratings resurgence of Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm continues. The hilariously outrageous Palestinian Chicken episode on Sunday drew 2.4 million viewers for the premiere 10 PM airing to become the HBO series' most-watched episode in seven years.

What I'm saying is that I feel confident that Larry David made a deal with the devil for the episode. Must have.

ANYWAY ANYWAY

I remembered the miracle of Shawshank Redemption, and it is on my amazon.com list (if I ever buy movies again). That movie is a masterpiece. It really is. Also balled during the end of Toy Story 3 and Bright Star. Watched 10 minutes of Dinner for Shmucks and determined that my alternative choice, Jennifer's Body, was the better deal, which is REALLY saying something. Although I LOVE the Adam Brody killing scene in Jennifer's Body. It's HILARIOUS. Remembered that Get Him to the Greek IS quite funny, although I have a brain block with it for some reason. I can't ever remember details of that movie and this was my 3rd full viewing.

I also watched Inception, which I loved. Nothing to say about it, except that I got scared to walk around the house afterwards. I think it was a combination of the music that resonated in my head, I was up way later than usual, and I was in a strange house. What I'm saying is, I laid in bed for about 10 minutes trying to resist the urge to get my chapstick and lotion from the other room. But the dryness overwhelmed me and I faced my fears.

Corina and I also watched The Greatest with Carey Mulligan, Aaron Johnson, Susan Sarandon, Pierce Brosnan, and Jennifer Ehle and despite the largely British cast, everyone used an American accent, save Pierce, who apparently couldn't do it. It was okay. Parts stuck with me, but overall I wasn't thrilled. It seemed a little too scattered, ill-conceived. And Aaron was dead (not a spoiler-- happens in the first couple of minutes) and only shown in flashbacks, which was lame... and the scene was kind of scarring.

Actually, I'm just going to name the movies on my amazon list. For posterity.

-Shawshank Redemption

-Bright Star

-Breaking Upwards

-Groundhogs Day

-Cashback

-Mysterious Skin

-Mr. Show: The Complete Series

-Iron Man

-Emma

-Annie Hall (I still do not have this in my possession, for reasons beyond my control)

Over the Moon Still

I continue to be smitten with my life.

Fish. This time I got TWO fish because I learned that lady betas can live together. Fish brothel. Their names are Ladder Phoenix and Chair Beverage. I'm so happy they can have a buddy. I sensed that the best part of the day for Pavarotti Pizza-Pierogi and Hootenanny was when I came home, if only because they had something to look at that moved.

Margaritas made. They were delicious, although I made them with zero tequila taste. Plus, it could have used more ice. They were strawberry flavored. And they WERE in margarita glasses that we bought at Goodwill for essentially nothing. We also got an iron, mixing bowls, and Corina got Almost Famous (I already had it...)

And then we made a dip out of chili and cream cheese and cheddar cheese (extra sharp). And then some sour cream. It tasted GREAT but it kind of did a number on both our systems, although Corina actually vommed.

More free things! A chair, side table and trashcan. ALL things that I wanted. The chair broke though. I don't care. It was free.

Taco Ticos! Pillsbury (or generic but the brand kind of defines the product in this case) croissants with a concoction of cream cheese and taco flavoring. It's happening tonight hopefully.

Got another housesitting job!! Starts this weekend and I LOOOOVE these dogs. LOVE. Huskies. Beautiful, well behaved huskies!

REALLY intend on arranging "Head Over Feet" by Tears for Fears to jump start our a cappella group.

Saw the midnight screening of Harry Potter 7.2. I enjoyed it more than 7.1 and INFINITELY more than 6. There was one part that infuriated me, a couple parts that were annoying, but mostly it was okay and there were a couple parts I loved (ie: Helena Bonham Carter playing Emma Watson or the misguided gratuitous shots of Dan and Rupert without shirts -- the very VERY pastiest bodies I've ever seen).

I also KIND OF feel like I was tricked into liking it because:

a) It was past my bedtime and I was already feeling a little funny (which I love) before it even started.

b) It was a midnight screening so it was packed with so many costumed fans. It's hard not to get excited in the middle of all that positive energy. Although hilariously, the guy sitting next to me merely had a stick in his pocket. "Eh... it could be wand..." Hilariously half-assed.

c) I still had work the following day, so I BOOKED IT out of the theater and spent my drive home trying to clear my mind, not thinking about Harry Potter, so I could fall right to sleep. I didn't dwell like I usually would.

Anyway, it was good for me, but I don't really care. What I REALLY want is to read them again, but if I don't finish the book that I'm reading now, I never will. Must have self control.

Also, I haven't seen ANY new True Blood or Weeds and I rented Inception and I haven't gotten to that yet either. I've got some pleasures ahead.

Week 2 of New Apartment

I am kind of my own hero these past couple weeks.

Obviously the move was huge (understatement in my brain). Saving a SIGNIFICANT amount of money on gas. I think I cut the cost by half.

My diet did a 180 with the ability to cook and refrigerate. My conservative estimate is that I cut my meat intake by 4/5, but it's probably more than that. I don't know how to cook meat (really) is what I'm saying. I've supplemented with eggs. By the way, I have eggs for breakfast! Or at the very least, toast with peanut butter. Breakfast, guys! And I go an entire day without spending a cent. Two days even! Maybe 3!

Then I worked on set last weekend! That was a coup. Especially since I was actually paid! In money! And it was my first commercial shoot, which was an experience. Pretty fun, super exhausting, and as always, kind of painful since it's SUPER high energy for at least 12 hours per day on the weekend. But, as always, you feel pumped and proud and heroic in retrospect.

I also went to Target (on a weekday!) and got a LOT of things I'd been putting off.

1. Pair of brown pants (half of my shirts require brown and not black pants)

2. bras (2)

3. Razors

4. Sunglasses (mine broke yesterday)

5. Shoes. My DSW ones lasted a MONTH before the holes were unbearable and the pavement scorched my feet. 6 weeks before I replaced them. My new ones KILL. We'll see if my feet can build strong enough calluses or if I'm going to have to squander MORE money into foot protection.

6. Milk (gallon per week is the count so far)

7. parmesan cheese (in block form)

8. Shower soap

I even wrote the list before I went to the store!

My standard for heroics is actually quantum small, it turns out. But I'm very happy. Mostly, I'm in the mode again. My attitude is of the go-getter, push-yourself-to-be-better variety.

Also, I want to share a hilarious LA tidbit. My very least favorite highway in the WHOLE WORLD (emphasis because I'd never even considered not liking a highway, let alone despising a highway, before this one) is the 405, which I've spent significant portions of my life on. Stand still, 6 lane traffic that makes you want to drown everyone in your pee (a short sighted solution to an implied problem). They are closing the 405 down this weekend-- 8pm Friday to 6am Monday and we are all actively calling it Carmaggedon. Expected delays of 3 hours!! I'm kind of scared, but much more curious. I am supposed to be somewhere on Saturday, but if it looks too crazy, I'll shut in. I don't care. Stock up on some spaghetti-os and watch the madness from my balcony.

Netfliiiiix!!

NOOOOOOOO!!!

Dear Blythe,

We are separating unlimited DVDs by mail and unlimited streaming into two separate plans to better reflect the costs of each. Now our members have a choice: a streaming only plan, a DVD only plan, or both.

Your current $9.99 a month membership for unlimited streaming and unlimited DVDs will be split into 2 distinct plans:

Plan 1: Unlimited Streaming (no DVDs) for $7.99 a month
Plan 2: Unlimited DVDs, 1 out at-a-time (no streaming) for $7.99 a month

Your price for getting both of these plans will be $15.98 a month ($7.99 + $7.99). You don't need to do anything to continue your memberships for both unlimited streaming and unlimited DVDs.

These prices will start for charges on or after September 1, 2011.

You can easily change or cancel your unlimited streaming plan, unlimited DVD plan, or both, by going to the Plan Change page in Your Account.

We realize you have many choices for home entertainment, and we thank you for your business. As always, if you have questions, please feel free to call us at 1-888-357-1516.

–The Netflix Team

I guess it isn't the WORST. And I have until Sept to decide what I want to do...

THE MOVE!

There is too much to even say!!

First, know that I am OVERJOYED!

Point 1: VAST overreaction to Davida situation.

Remember, this is 25 solid days of INTENSE anxiety. I'd clarify how intense, but I don't want to sound more melodramatic than I already do.

I got a text from Davida on Thursday night which stated she was going to check my room that night to see how much I owed. I could have vomited. I got home, I told her I'd be ready at 10:30pm, at 10:15pm, the place was SPOTLESS! Spotless like... I used Q-tips to clean room corners and window panes! I had basically already decided to give her $40 (I just HAD to) so I put the cash, my parking pass, and my keys in an envelope and waited. She walked in, looked around a TAD, looked in the envelope and asked

Davida: Is this $40 for cleaning?

Blythe: Yes... ...

Davida: Okay

We parted with her giving me a hug and saying "You had a great time here." To which I replied "Yep."

That was it. That was IT!

I tension laughed for the next 15 minutes. In the grocery store at 10:45pm.

I NEVER have to speak to Davida again!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!

Side story: When I got to my new apartment that night (kind of unexpected and I had to swiftly prepare (mostly mentally) for sleeping on the floor.) My new, Davida-less relief was my cushion, I suspect), my fire alarm kept chirping. I immediately thought of Phoebe in that episode of Friends. First I tried to press the little button on it with a hanger, but it went crazy and I realized that was a test button. Whoops. I knew that the chirping initially started after we turned the power on the other day, so I tried to cut the power. Still chirping! So I tried to find something to stand on amongst the scarcity of stuff in the apartment. I ended up standing on a box of books as I furiously tried to get the battery out of the fire alarm. I couldn't find it for the life of me and so, because it was late and I had work the next day, just tugged it down. The light turned off and I set it on the counter only to hear... MORE CHIRPING. Finally, I took down a bag of hats and stuffed it, Russian doll style, inside each of them and left the bag in Corina's room. Solved.

Point 2: One jillion things for free.

This whole move has been serendipitous in that it seems to me, everyone and their mother is moving and thus giving shit away. I received the following things for free:

1. Bed

2. Couch

3. bookshelf

4. bedside table

5. one jillion tables including an outdoor one, a coffee table, a table that I'm using for my new fish... (when I get one)

6. one jillion tea cups. We have more tea cups than regs cups.

7. A tea kettle

8. Lamps. like... at least 3 lamps (probs more)

9. a stool that I'm obsessed with

10. Bedspread and matching sham covers and a blanket (I didn't formerly OWN a bedspread!)

11. a jillion little things: vases, dishes that you put on tables to hold crap (like shells...), dish towels, regular towels, coasters, pot holders, utensils, big utensils (like spoons and vegetable peelers), pots, flower pots, flower pot stands.

And that's not even including the stuff that Corina brought with her, like a toaster oven, magic bullet, microwave. We already have a dishwasher! More pots and pans and dishes and silverware and, of course, tea cups. Colander, cookie sheet, pyrex pans. We were offered at least 3 separate blenders!!

I have only paid for ONE thing. A mattress pad. Do you understand!!?? I entered a house with NOTHING and only paid $10 for a cheap mattress pad!!!

Side story: I decided to actually take a look at the lamps and noticed that one is super pretty and thus mine! So I grabbed it and put it on my side table only to notice that the pretty lamp clashed pretty hard with my change holder (or what some might call a year-old aquafina bottle with the top hap-hazardly cut off with change sticking out). So I decided to go through some boxes of crap that we have because I really don't even know what these boxes have. I found like... 4 alternatives for a change holder. I'm classy by default, y'all!

Point 3: The move.

If I was writing frequently during this process, the move would have been a huge entry on it's own. However, I don't have internet at home yet and I'm not in the mood for a play by play right now.

The move went well. The couch WAS the biggest issue, but I didn't have to drive the truck, so that was huge. We had plenty of help and we were finished around 3pm - ish.

FYI: Refrigerators are SUPER easy to find in LA.

FYI 2: I moved crap for 4 days! Two days involving large furniture and many locations. 2 days were preceded by sleeping on the floor. And if you know me at all, you know I was a fucking beast during the move (must brag because I'm extremely un-lady-like when moving). ZERO back pain. I had a slightly sore left arm the day after our final day, but that's it. MIRACLE.

Point 4: Everything was broken, but not anymore.

We quickly built up a long list of crap that didn't work.

a. My drain, which was going crazy slow and thus leaving grime behind. I had this problem during the summer of junior year, and it's an unpleasant one. However, I didn't want to bombard our manager on a holiday weekend for that.

b. Hot water on the sink. It was a problem we addressed, but we weren't feeling hasty about it.

c. Fire alarms - 2/4 were messed up. I couldn't care less.

d. dishwasher. We don't plan on really using the dishwasher, but we wanted to clean all of our new, free stuff at once. Plus we loaded it all up, so that was disappointing.

e. The stove. That was important so I made the call.

He came in and did EVERYTHING. I felt so bad for being so annoying, but he was so nice about it. It turns out, the cleaning crew unplugged everything before we came in and he didn't realize they didn't put it back. He also fixed things I didn't care about, like the spraying shower head and the blinds-opener on Corina's window (Corina cared, obviously). Now everything works!!

Point 5: The Little things

I am NOT over the fact that I have a refrigerator. I bought a bunch of food at once and then I could just EAT IT when I got hungry. My sodas were cold!! I had yogurt! And milk! I made my lunch today!! I can bring home leftovers!! I can eat pasta and eggs for cheap again!!

I'm SO much closer to work. I left a full half hour later than usual today, which gave me time to sit on my balcony and make breakfast. I am going to try really hard to continue waking up at 7:35am every day. It's easier to wake up in my room, because the sun makes it pretty uncomfortable right around 7:50am. If you keep the blinds open, which I do.

Yesterday, I sat on the balcony (I am ALWAYS on the balcony) and drank cold beers with Corina while 3 big firework shows happened around us. And the neighborhood did fireworks in the street. I couldn't have felt more peaceful.

Due to a lack of internet and a complete disinterest in leaving my new haven, I watched like... 6-8 of Corina's movies. Two movies I'd never seen: American Psycho (loved) and The Cell (not Corina's and I wasn't really obsessed.) I also started a new book that I'm liking so far, although I can't remember the name. I do not know how I got this book, but it said it was a NY Times best seller and it doesn't seem to be a mystery, so I'm down.

On our first day at the apartment, Corina and I walked around looking for food until we found a place that has the most delicious pupusas! We got 3 enormous ones for $6. I need to learn a LITTLE Spanish, though, before I feel good about ordering.

I can light incense and sing in the shower! Or in my room. Our walls are sound proof. Even with the bedroom door open, I can't hear Corina from the living room!

Preliminary pictures for your pleasure:

Living room. It's actually messier now than it was when I took the picture. Also, we stacked some boxes and put my TV up which looks TINY when viewed across the room from our full sized couch! Hilariously tiny. Like.... tinier than a youtube video would be if you're looking at your laptop.

I was going to make the bed, but I knew that it would be the one and only time it was ever made so I don't care. Also, the bed cover and shams aren't there because I doubt I need anything beyond a blanket until October or November. And I really don't foresee having shams...