Sir Groaneth Quotes-a-lot Saves the Day!

hsr82 @ 2007-02-17T02:52:00

2007-02-17T08:04:36Z

More than anything else, I fear that I will be forgotten. I understand that everyone else is as busy as myself, but I find time to think about my friends. I always make my friends feel welcome and remembered. I often fear there is no one else in this world who would do the same for me. My body shakes while I try to figure out what it means to be an adult and why I can no longer relate to my friends in college. I am 24, and I sense more and more that my age is my disease, my disability.

I am further saddened because I lost much of the hearing in my left ear when I had mono. I constantly ask people to repeat themselves, and I am mortified each time. I do not want to grow up faster than I must, to feel as old as I am. I will be a student once more this summer, and many of my friends will join the real world; this role reversal will shock me out of a rhythm once more. Another year where I must adjust my niche in society, find a new group of close friends, evaluate who I trust in life.

I want consistency, rhythm, normalcy. I cannot find salvation, and it is driving me insane. As I grow, I become more and more conservative (read: libertarian) and fear the curveballs of life. I have finally found direction, yet I have never been in such a precarious position. My teeth chatter and my stomach churns, but I welcome it; anticipation and anxiety make me feel alive!

Life is about dealing! I remind myself of that every day; I think I am quite good at it. But honest to God, sometimes I just wanna get into a nice lil rut!!!

kaloo kalay

2007-02-01T06:45:34Z

Xine's new job may demand long hours, but the perks are amazing!
She had to go to nyc for "training," and so I spent a very frigid thurs and fri in an $800 per night hotel room.
Got to see peoples as well.

To add to the good news, I got a call this morning at 8:30 from Prof Findell at BU. The call was equivalent to an acceptance letter! The application deadline has not yet arrived, and the waiting is already over. I may even make money if I went to BU; they are offering plenty of money.

So I'll wait and see what happens, but the anticipation is over almost before it began. I'm gonna be a teacher.

hsr82 @ 2007-01-19T14:23:00

2007-01-19T19:25:12Z

If you go to BU:

I am looking to trade a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble for cash.
If you still need to purchase books for the spring and are interested in buying this gift card from me, comment!

hsr82 @ 2006-12-22T16:09:00

2006-12-22T20:09:26Z

Lost lost its time slot?!
What the crap?!

hsr82 @ 2006-10-02T16:02:00

2006-10-02T20:18:26Z

I got laid off today.

They believe that there will not be work for me until after xmas, so they decided they no longer need me.
I left with a smile, and I am not sure why there is no skin off my back. Perhaps the 3-hour round trip had something to do with it.

There is something wrong here with how they handled this situation: I need to give them two weeks notice, but they can simply tell me to leave at 11am on Monday morning. I thought that executives let people go on Friday afternoons to avoid incidents.

Anyway, I do not view this as bad news!

I now have opportunity to study for the GRE, apply for grad school, get more exercise, do housework, find a part-time job to pay for rent, and better connect with friends.

I am not happy that I lost my job. But I will not miss it.

hsr82 @ 2006-09-26T12:01:00

2006-09-26T16:23:34Z

I've got y'all beat!!!
Here is the character that Xine made for me, in case you were wondering what spurred yesterday's fad.

Here is the one that I made for myself.

Below is the character that I made back in 2001. That's right!!! I'm old!!!

hsr82 @ 2006-09-25T09:14:00

2006-09-25T13:56:00Z

I turn 24 today. I dislike birthdays...correction: I detest birthdays, especially at this time in my life. Everyone I know and love keeps busy; stuffing our schedules is what keeps us both sane and crazy. It is in our nature to occupy our time, to clear out boredom and replace it with activity. The word "hectic" best describes our lives; it has become a necessity to write down every activity, project, and bathroom trip in an organized, leather book with the date atop every page.

On this day, part of me expects my friends to set aside time for me because it is my birthday. Then there's another part of me who realizes that it's not my day. On any given Monday, maybe 1/10 of all the people I know possess some free time. Of this small fraction, how many are willing to take the time out of their day to make me feel special? How many simply penciled my name into their planner and instantly forgot about it? And how many took the time because Facebook reminded them?

I WOULD RATHER BE TOLD "I APPRECIATE YOUR FRIENDSHIP" THAN "HAPPY BIRTHDAY."

I'm always embarrassed when someone says "Happy Birthday!" to me. After all, it's just a day. I didn't do anything particularly significant. I often joke about birthdays: "Hooray! You didn't die this year!" Christine's opinion is that the birthday is a chance to remember all that you have accomplished in the past year, but I do not subscribe to that newsletter. My attitude towards the anniversary of my birth is sub par, and I attribute it to the birthday's uncanny ability to remove the cloak of ignorance. You find out who is willing to MAKE time for you, and who is not. You remember who has really been there for you in the past year, and the answer is fewer people than you thought.

It begs the question: am I someone that everyone remembers, or someone who everyone forgets. We all have friends that we like, enjoy, and care for, but we are all in the end human. We make mistakes, we forget people. Some people just find a way to slip through the cracks, and I stay awake every night wondering if I'm that type of person for you.

I desire and strive to be a good person, and I want my friends and family to remember me as such. I invest much of my energy making others happy because I believe it will in turn bring me happiness. I tell a joke in hopes that at least one person will laugh, and I beam when I succeed. I appear to be living rather altruistically, but I do not believe in the concept of altruism. I perceive this as the shallowest and most selfish practice of mine; I pretend that it is enough for me to please others, that I can survive on others' joy alone. I am full of shit. I am really waiting for someone to return the kindness.

hsr82 @ 2006-09-22T09:13:00

2006-09-22T13:18:49Z

I always complain about work, but my birthday is in three days, so here are three good things about work.

1. I can make my own hours. If the job gets done, and I only wanna be here for 20 hours a week, that's fine. If I wanna come in for 60 hours a week, and there's work to be done, also fine.

2. Free tea. Yes, I'm still sick, and tea is pretty much the only thing that has kept me from hacking a lung up onto my keyboard.

3. I take a break every day to get one productive non-work task done. Flowers used to occupy this position mostly, but regardless of the task, this is where my daily sense of accomplishment is derived.

hsr82 @ 2006-09-19T11:32:00

2006-09-19T15:32:42Z

Thanks to Jen because this pretty much livened up my day. I hate being sick; I lack energy and enthusiasm, two qualities that help me shine.

Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man		70%
Superman		70%
Iron Man		65%
Catwoman		55%
Hulk		55%
Robin		50%
Green Lantern		50%
The Flash		50%
Batman		40%
Supergirl		33%
Wonder Woman		18%

You are intelligent, witty,
a bit geeky and have great
power and responsibility.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

hsr82 @ 2006-09-13T11:48:00

2006-09-13T15:59:05Z

Most recent bad news: My ipod died!
Most recent good news: I convinced Citibank to give me an additional month's interest ($50).

Anyway, I've become swamped with all that I need to do in the coming weeks. So for the first time that I can recall, I've made...
...My checklist!

Poor Teddy:
update facebook members to mailing list - CHECK
update signup sheet emails to mailing list - CHECK
email alum club about forming a group - CHECK
reserve room for GM - CHECK
reserve rooms for auditions - CHECK
ask marty if i can cast his silent roles - CHECK
draft email to send to wminds and st lists - CHECK

GRE:
buy book - CHECK
practice with a CD during work - ongoing
schedule a test in nov. - this week
study my ass off instead of watching tv - until nov.

Grad School Apps:
find out application due dates - CHECK
research grad schools - this week

General:
manage wm frisbee games - saturdays
transfer student loan payments - CHECK
check pay stubs for dental error - CHECK
install dvd burner - tuesday
buy a/v cable, coax for tv - tuesday

hsr82 @ 2006-08-30T08:55:00

2006-08-30T12:55:19Z

My apologies to those who realized I accidentally left in K's answers as well as my own.

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (pet's name and current street name)
Burt Magazine

2. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/grandmother on your mom's side, your favorite candy)
John Jellybean (that's silly)

3. YOUR "FLY GIRL/GUY" NAME: (first initial of first name, first two or three letters of your middle name)
T Jo

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Green Monkey

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
John Waltham

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 2 letters of mom's maiden name and first 3 letters of the town you grew up in.)
Anttoxenew

7. PORN STAR NAME: ( the name of your favorite doll growing up, and the street you grow up on)
Teddy Elgin

8. SUPERHERO NAME: (your favorite color, favorite drink)
Green Tea (too bad my favorite drink is not lantern)

hsr82 @ 2006-08-23T11:58:00

2006-08-23T16:10:27Z

I have not posted in a while. Usually when I check my friends page, I do it as a way to pass the time at work. It is a point in the day when I am bored and unhappy. That's the worst time to post, or rather to get up the energy to put words to your thoughts.

I think the best way to get back into LJ is by posting something amusing, thereby associating LJ with amusing experiences and memories. I don't know if it works, but I'd like to think so.
Here's a conversation I had with Jen a moment ago.

Jen: I AM SO BORED.
Topher: me too!
Jen: I've finished the book I was reading. and all my others are packed.
Topher: i just barely got to work in time for my 11:15 meeting
Jen: I'm seriously thinking of just getting up and walking to Barnes and Noble or sometihn
Topher: you need to buy a new book
Jen: I know what I want to get, too
Topher: paperbacks are only $6
Topher: what?
Jen: Neal Stephenson's The Baroque Cycle
Topher: ha
Jen: it's 8 books in 3 volumes.
Topher: youre such an engly
Jen: a what?
Topher: engly
Topher: look it up
Jen: ok
Jen: can't find it on wikipedia or urban dictionary
Topher: but you were less bored looking it up, right?
Topher: *slaps hands together*
Topher: mission accomplished
Jen: slightly
Jen: lol
Topher: haha
Jen: did you just invent a word to get me to look it up?
Topher: yes
Jen: that's quite clever
Jen: bravo

And thus, I found a way for Jen to pass the time at work. By making up words.

hsr82 @ 2006-07-24T20:17:00

2006-07-25T00:20:34Z

Got to work at 6:30. It's 8:20, and there's no sign of my going home. Everyone is gone now, so I've decided to make some money and take it easy. I'm hungry.

You Are Beer!

You don't need to get totally wasted when you hit the bars.
More of a social drinker, you just like to have fun with your friends.
And as long as the beer keeps flowing, you're a happy camper.
But don't mix things up: "Beer Before Liquor, Never Been Sicker!"

What Alcoholic Drink Are You?

Your Seduction Style: The Charmer

You're a master at intimate conversation and verbal enticement.

You seduce with words, by getting people to open up to you.

By establishing this deep connection quickly, people feel under your power.

And then you've got them exactly where you want them!

What Is Your Seduction Style?

hsr82 @ 2006-07-21T11:45:00

2006-07-21T15:59:57Z

DON'T FORGET THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PARTY IS SATURDAY NIGHT AT 9!!!

I thought I'd share three great conversations...

1.
Xine: Look around. We're the only white people here.
Me: I noticed.
Waitress: Would you like anything?
Me: Water would be great.
Waitress: Bottled water?
Me: No, just tap water or whatever.
*Waitress moves to next table, behind Xine*
Me: That's the second time she's asked if we want bottled water.
X: She's just trying to push stuff on us.
Me: Maybe she thinks that white people only drink bottled water.
X: No, she just asked those people behind me if they wanted bottled water.
Me: They just sat down. And they are also white.
X: Oh...

2.
Gary: Got any change you can spare.
Me: Nope. I'd offer you a Gatorade, but a big black guy down the street stole it from me.
Gary: That's dumb.
Me: So is he.
Gary: Did he rob you?
Me: No. I don't have any cash on me anyways.
Gary: Neither do I!

3.
Xine: I was walking up the stairs, and I saw the person I was friends with for two years, and it occurred to me: I'm dating Chrisanton.

hsr82 @ 2006-07-20T12:57:00

2006-07-20T16:56:57Z

Finally time to explain my horrific trip home last weekend.

Christine dropped me off at the A train at 5:15, where I waited a half hour for the train to arrive. I passed the time with an abysmal conversation with my mother. I got off at Broadway Junction to switch over to the J train. After walking a half mile to the J platform, I found it roped off for the weekend. Rather than return to the A platform, I decided to catch an L train because the platform was much much closer, and I really wanted to just get over to Manhattan. The L came almost immediately, but it waited for 10 minutes before departing. I sat there waiting for the doors to close, and once they finally did, I was treated with a 30 minute ride complete with a/c. I quickly scanned a map to see that the closest train to Chinatown was the 4,5,6, so I changed trains again, and again the train came immediately. So far so good, I'm in Chinatown.

There really is no close train to the Chinatown bus I discovered. And with the weather climbing into the 90's, walking is the last thing you wanna do with a heavy bag on your back. I know the neighborhood relatively well, so I made my way in more or less a straight line. On the way, I crossed the line of people waiting for the Fung Wah bus, and I realized how smart it was to choose Lucky Star instead. The line for Fung Wah was easily 500 people, which is like 9 buses, so there is quite a long wait. Lucky Star's wait turned out to be minimal.

The line for Lucky Star, however, is on a side street and runs adjacent to a trash heap. The smell is horrendous. As I made my way to the end of the line, I tried to hurry up but failed to beat a young couple there. Thanks to a talkative Hungarian guy who constantly asked me to watch his bag, I learned that the 6:30 bus was late (it was 6:50 by now). As we anxiously stared down the street, looking for a bus, the heat was really getting to me. I discovered that I had forgotten to refill my water bottle and also that I had not eaten anything since breakfast. Even worse, someone stole my debit card, and I forgot to borrow cash from Xine; I had $2, which I needed for the T. So the wait became miserable.

The bus finally came, and we all filed toward the door. I had joked that we would never get on the first bus considering how many people were ahead of us, and I turned out to be right. Just as I handed the guy my ticket, he pushed it away and said they were all full. And that is why I should have run past the young couple. I chatted with this nice Jamaican couple and their friend, but really I wanted to lie down more than anything. It took 40 minutes for the next bus to arrive, and although I had my choice of seat, I would rather have gotten on the bus before that one.

The bus ride was also less than stellar. The driver turned on what I decided to call Chinese pop music. Loud, obnoxious, and certainly not sleep-inducing. Despite my best efforts, I could not nod off, and I wished I had gotten more than four hours of sleep the night before. Either from lack of food, lack of water, or both, I developed a massive migraine, and sleep became out of the question. In trying to occupy my time, I remembered that I did not charge my phone or my ipod, and I noticed the phone battery begin to die. Both were nearing their ends, so I turned on the light and tried to do a crossword, but the woman next to me grew militant and made a scene until I turned it off.

At the rest stop, I saw that they accepted credit cards, and I was so happy to finally get something to drink. At the register, the woman proclaimed that credit cards need a $10 minimum. I stormed out and called Christine, hoping for some sympathy at least. My phone died instead, and I had an idea. My plan was to find someone who would pay me their cash, and then I would pay for both of us on my credit card. I asked several people who all answered no, none of them nicely. When I asked one man why not, he replied, "I dont want to." I felt like Elaine in the parking garage. The last person I asked ignored me, and I stood there waiting, and finally I lost my temper and told her to go fuck herself. I stormed back onto the bus and found some tic-tacs in my bag that I tried to use as food.

The second half of the trip was even worse than the first, as I really just wanted something to drink, my headache was horrible, and the woman in front of me pushed her seat back all the way. We finally arrived at South Station at 12:20, and I had to make a choice: take the red line and hope I could transfer before the green line stopped, or just walk to Boylston stop. I chose the former, and when I got to the T station, I was turned away by an mbta employee who said they were done for the night. I cursed myself again, and I started the long walk home. (I later found out you can pay for a cab with a credit card.)

I made my way through the other Chinatown, and I stopped at a 7-11 in the Theatre District. I picked up a bottle of Gatorade, and when I walked out, I noticed for the second time that weekend that there were plenty of people around, but not a white person in sight. I'm not racist, but you're not used to this kind of situation when you go to BU. I attempt to unscrew the cap while walking, and this proved difficult because the condensation made the bottle slippery, and I was exhausted. The bottle slipped out of my hands and made a sound against the pavement. This big guy leaning against a lamppost shouts out, "Yo, that's a Gatorade. You ain't sposed to drop it." Before I could reply with "Not tryin to drop it, tryin to drink it," his friend comes at me from my blind side and starts shoving me across the sidewalk. Both of them are much bigger than me, and they start backin me down the street. The first guy had to be really pissed I dropped the Gatorade because that's all he would talk about, and in the end, he decided I didn't deserve it. They could have taken my wallet, my ipod, whatever they wanted because it seemed no one was going to do anything. They wanted my Gatorade. I think that counts as petty theft.

Now I was thirsty, pissed off, and still like 3 miles from home. I got so pissed off at one point that I made friends with a homeless guy near Vinny T's on Boylston and talked with him for a half hour. The rest of the walk home was uneventful, but I stopped off at Shaws to pick up food for the work week. At the register I realized that my Shaws card wasnt in my wallet, and I angrily left half my groceries with the cashier. Walking out, it then occurred to me that my other wallet was in my bag the entire time, but I felt so defeated that I just kept walking home.

It was there, at 1:30, that I heard a familiar noise. It was an outbound train, a D train. It was only the red line that was shut down for the night. I passed by the Boylston, Arlington, Copley, Hynes, Kenmore stops, and I never bothered to check if they were closed. It was one of those times when you feel like luck would never dare throw you a bone, so you assume the worst. By the time I settled down in my apt again, it was 2am, and I knew I would need to get up for work by 6 at the latest. So I cleaned my apartment until the T started running again.

And no week has ever felt longer.

hsr82 @ 2006-07-20T11:52:00

2006-07-20T15:53:40Z

You Are Dr. Pepper

You're very unique and funky, yet you still have a bit of traditionalism to you.
People who like you think they have great taste... and they usually do.

Your best soda match: Root Beer

Stay away from: 7 Up

What Kind of Soda Are You?

hsr82 @ 2006-07-19T14:01:00

2006-07-19T18:03:35Z

Stories will need to wait. I'm job searching hard core.
Dont forget about party at my place on Saturday.

"Maybe it's just in America, but it seems that if you're passionate about something, it freaks people out. You're considered bizarre or eccentric. To me, it just means you know who you are." ~ Johnny Depp

Oh, and I quit my job, effective 8/25.

hsr82 @ 2006-07-17T08:15:00

2006-07-17T12:19:04Z

"Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me." ~ The Office

Insane NYC–>Boston stories to come!

hsr82 @ 2006-07-12T07:51:00

2006-07-12T11:55:36Z

What are the first five albums you ever bought?

Here's mine:

1. Green Day - Dookie
2. Bush - Sixteen Stone
3. Soundgarden - Superunknown
4. Hootie and the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View
5. Dave Matthews - Under the Table and Dreaming

hsr82 @ 2006-07-10T17:09:00

2006-07-10T21:10:05Z

I will do you one better and rank them in order of my desire to see them die. I apologize if I left anyone out; I did this list from memory.
1. Jason Giambi. He's a cheater and a liar. OH, and lose the mustache.
2. Gary Sheffield. Purposely played badly with Milwaukee to get traded, godson of cokehead Doc Gooden.
3. Mariano Rivera. Sure he's good, but he doesn't love you. No matter how much you love him.
4. Mike Mussina. A Red Sox killer in every sense of the word, even when he was an Oriole.
5. Bernie Williams. Only on the team still because they feel bad, needs to learn how to catch.
6. Johnny Damon. Cut his hair.
7. Randy Johnson. See Johnny Damon, also has a porn name.
8. Derek Jeter. Can't stay out of the nightclubs.
9. Bubba Crosby. Thinks beating up BoSox groundskeepers is cool.
10. Miguel Cairo. Complains about playing time and doesnt have the numbers to back it up.
11. Melky Cabrera. Two outfielders on the DL is supposed to be devastating; he's not supposed to ease their pain.
12. Kyle Farnsworth. Can't take the pressure. Go back to Chicago where people have souls and like your jokes.
13. Mike Myers. Throw overhand, for God sakes!
14. Jorge Posada. Who is he fooling, honestly?
15. Jaret Wright. Probably has B.O.
16. Ron Villone. He has evil bug eyes.
17. Kelly Stinnett. His name is Kelly.
18. Chien-Ming Wang. Lucky bastard gets so much run support.
19. Tanyon Sturtze. Has lived in an untouchable cloud of mediocrity.
20&21. Aaron Guiel and Kris Wilson. KC rejects.
22. Andy Phillips. Will let you spank him.
23. Scott Proctor. Douche is written across his forehead. Probably fellates the Boss.

Yankees I like:
1. Carl Pavano. Traded away for Pedro once upon a time, Red Sox are very glad we didn't pay to get him back.
2. Matsui. Worked his ass off to prove himself to America. He is a hero to Japanese people, and you never hear a peep from him.
3. Robinson Cano. Young kid with all the talent who ended up in the wrong farm system.
4. Octavio Dotel. The Boss wastes money for him to attend physical therapy and lie in bed.
5. Shawn Chacon. On the Yankees shit list. He has to have done something right for Red Sox Nation.
6. A-Rod. Cause sometime's he's too damn good to hate his guts.

hsr82 @ 2006-07-06T12:07:00

2006-07-06T16:06:58Z

1. Reply with your name and I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie/book/fictional character reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a substance to wrestle with you in.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me. Or at least me.
5. I'll tell you my favorite memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal or plant you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal. You MUST.

hsr82 @ 2006-06-28T14:39:00

2006-06-28T18:41:47Z

Someone just approached me at work to say that the next company poker night will actually be...
SETTLERS NIGHT!

She's buying the expansion, so more than four people can play. I think we're gonna play somewhere T accessible, so if you want it, talk to me.
The date is July 21.

Also, rumors of going to Rose's cabin Aug 18-20!
That was one of the highlights of my summer last year, and I'm so excited to go back.

hsr82 @ 2006-06-26T15:35:00

2006-06-26T19:40:05Z

I was thinking about the terrible job I have been doing today and how I really do not belong in this position. I spend many hours each day online--email, looking for apts, AIM, fantasy baseball, LJ, movie trailers, homestarrunner, youtube, etc--all so that I do not have to face the imposing tasks ahead of me every day. I constantly feel like if someone watched over my shoulder while I worked, that they would fire me by the end of the day. Just when I was about to give up and go home, I found a friend's entry that described similar feelings. Writing a message to cheer her up reenergized me. I included it below. This is yet another example of why I do not believe in altruism. There is no such thing as an unselfish act.

"Chin up. I am horrifically bad at my job sometimes. They pay me anyways, so I just keep trying and keep cashing my checks. Life doesn't always cater to your strengths, and in those situations, effort is key. Sometimes it's more important to be trying than succeeding."

hsr82 @ 2006-06-26T14:50:00

2006-06-26T19:30:11Z

My weekend in NYC was fun-filled, informative, and altogether glorious.

Thursday-The Day of Travel: It was a short work day, so I took the D all the way out to Riverside and grabbed a bus to NYC. It costs more, but I made lots of money in the time I could have spent traveling to South Station, so it was worth it. After nearly six hours of bus and A train, I was greeted by Xine. I got a huge hug while my ipod played a BFS song about missing holding that special gal. We talked for a couple of hours and then got a good night's sleep in preparation of a packed weekend.

Friday-The Day of Not New York: We ventured out early with the weather threatening thuderstorms, and we caught a bus just around the corner from where Xine's grandparents live. Two buses later we were in Atlantic City where the sun was not only out but hotter than we would have liked. And so we explored, traveling up and down both sides of the boardwalk, scoping out every casino and the various shops in between. We had dinner on the boardwalk at a place called Flames. In terms of gambling, we spent most of the time at the Tropicana. Xine was exceedingly lucky; on her very first dollar, she won $25 without even realizing how the game was played. I immediately cashed out and pulled her away from the machine thinking "That will never happen again." After that, we pretty much evened out for the day, so our trip was almost entirely paid for.

Saturday-The Day of Relatively Famous Places: Went to a diner for brunch with Xine's grandparents, and on the way home, we picked up a 3-foot sub that they had ordered. We wrapped up two huge sections and were on our way. The drizzling rain kept us from going to the esplanade by the East River, but we still braved Prospect Park in the drizzle. Instead of directly traveling to the park, we overshot it for my "surprise." We walked over a mile down a rather large, busy, commercial street called Flatbush Avenue; likely someone along the way we passed the location where the house from Arsenic and Old Lace was based. We cut through just a small section of the park and up and down the streets of Park Slope. The rain getting worse, we holed up in a Starbucks, one of my favorite authentic New York coffee houses for a while. We then took two trains to Bedford Ave. near Williamsburg where we essentially crashed a private party at a bar called Joe's Candy Shop. A few blocks down the road, we had dinner at a Thai restaurant called Sea, which was featured in the opening scene of Garden State. We walked around Williamsburg and realized that the neighborhood we thought was blossoming and perfect for us to live was actually teeming with hipsters and musician/artists. Two more trains took us to Chelsea where we saw Reuben Williams perform long form improv; plenty of laughs and a great time, but not the most amazing thing I've ever seen. The theatre is actually the seating where they filmed the theater shots of Chronic-what?-cles of Narnia. Makes me realize how talented some LF'ers really are. That ended our 17 hour day.

Sunday-The Day with More Queens Than Atlantic City: We woke up late and walked to the train station where we again took two trains (noticing that transfers are pretty essential?) to Astoria, a neighborhood in Queens. Our first impressions were much better than those of Brooklyn, partly because our first time in Williamsburg immediately followed a rich neighborhood and party because there is much less graffiti and everything is more spaced out. Astoria is to Williamsburg as Somerville is to Brighton. We found the only place worth visiting according to a guidebook, the American Museum of the Moving Image, which while small had some great features. They have the original Yoda muppet, a collection of Bill Cosby's sweaters, and plenty of ancient objects. I think the best aspect of the museum is its use of demonstration; for example, you can view a Chaplin movie operating a mutascope, add a variety of sound effects to a clip, or actually play some of the 70's most sophisticated video games. There was also an interesting movie about creating 1933 New York for the new King Kong movie. Afterwards we paced down the busy store-lined street in the area, discussing how brand name stores seemed to be moving in quickly. We were also delightfully surprised to find that taking the train to Times Square took just 20 minutes.

Sunday/Monday-The Long Road Home: Xine left me at Port Authority to catch my bus, and we said our goodbyes. Once again, it paid off to travel via Newton: Apparently the 7pm bus filled up and departed at 6:40 so that most people thought the 7pm bus never came. As they usually do in this situation, they fetched another bus, which filled up by 7:15 and took off, still leaving people with tickets that read 7pm. So they get another bus and explain that 8pm people will come after 7pm people in line; HOWEVER, they pull Newton people aside and allow them on the bus before anyone else. Had I bought a ticket for South Station, I would have gotten in around 1am and needed to take a cab home. We literally hauled ass and made it to Newton by 11:40, and I was really excited that I was going to get on a train. (My contingency plan if we didn't make it in time for the T was to call a cab that would take me to work, and I would work from 1am-2pm because a cab to either home is too much money considering I go to work at 7.) It was here that an event so ridiculous occurred, practically warranting an entry unto itself.

It was just myself and a lady stumbling around with a backpack. She had gotten on the wrong train and then fallen asleep, so she didn't have the fare. As I watched from the platform, the driver berated her for not having enough money, telling her "Get off my train, you g*dd*mn n****r. You're a disgrace to all of us." The woman proceeded to vomit all over the steps, so he called the police and then proceeded to incite her further as she rambled about wanting to go home. When the police came a few minutes later, she had to be dragged off the train forcefully, and then the driver had to go get another car so that they could clean the first one. To show what a jerk this guy was, when he finally came back around and took my money, he slapped my hand as I tried to put it in the slot, yelled "3 dollars!" at me, yanked the money from my hand, and counted it twice. When two boys tried to get on in Newton with $5 (instead of the required $6) he told them to get off. They said the change machine was broken, and when he yelled at them to try it again in front of him, he instead took off, stranding the two kids. I phoned MBTA this morning to complain, and they said that unless I show up at their main office and fill out a report and then miss work some day next month to show up for a disciplinary hearing, that they would take his word over mine. One more reason why I hate the MBTA, and with the dramatically positive impression I got of the Metro this weekend, I will not miss it.

hsr82 @ 2006-06-22T08:59:00

2006-06-22T13:10:33Z

Clyde has a new home. I now have a huge wooden futon frame propped up against my bedroom wall. When the craigslist guy said he lived far away, he meant 120 Mountfort. HA! Still, without Paul and Gels I would not have gotten it back in one piece. I'm going to do some cleaning so that I can actually open the futon up in my room for a couple months and enjoy it. It would be a shame for it to take up space the whole time.

I actually got two consecutive days of exercise this week. That probably has not happened in years. I'm definitely going to try to create a routine with Josh's Tuesday summer recreation group, Wednesday volleyball, and Thursday catch. Last night I was so beat that I just went home, showered, ate dinner, and watched TV. There is something refreshing about being too weak to actively participate in the world. While some feel pain and exhaustion are horrible, unnecessary feelings, I embrace them. Of all emotions, they are two of my favorites. Let's face it, folks; if you are huffing and puffing, and your knee aches or your shoulder is sore, the one thing you without a doubt feel is that you are alive.

I get to see Christine today!

See you all on Monday.