Howdy, guys. I'm on my roommate's laptop (my HP's new battery is hopeless), but as most situations have gone about since May 19th, things are working out even better than expected. I'm getting paid a dollar more an hour than originally informed, and I received half off on the rent last month due to complaints. Add that to the $400 my uncle bestowed upon me for his no-show and I'm getting a new laptop by the end of the week. :D

Besides, my job's definitely what I anticipated. The cast members at Disneyland seem nicer overall compared to WDW, though they are like one big clique and tend to spread the gossip. We get free food almost everyday, leftover from private tours that we take pictures for, and I cannot wait until I work in Princess Fantasy Faire. Capturing pictures of little girls in sparkly dresses, mesmerized by Belle or Cinderella or Jasmine and going up to wrap their arms around them, is just absolutely priceless.

There's a boy, too. It's totally a fling; we both know it and yet we keep going because we are so comfortable with one another. Admittedly more comfortable than either of us has ever been with the opposite sex. We can tell each other anything, stay up until 4 in the morning talking about God, bipolar disorder, and even advice on how to get the girl he likes in the apartment complex one block over, or the cute Southern guy I admire at work. Where I go wrong is letting it happen and not letting emotions get to me; he's 4 years younger than me and I'm having too much fun here to care.

I'm going to Burbank later this month to visit Walt Disney Studios with the roommates. We went to Newport and Huntington beaches last week, then saw the new Indy film together. I had a blast last night with my half-cousin and her family at Disneyland, their treating me to dinner and a Main Street ice cream sundae, and I found out I took the Picture of the Day for California Adventure park on my second day of shooting. As exhausting as these past weeks have been, I am having the best time, ever.

Hey y'all. I'm on my iTouch right now so I won't get into detail but, California?
I don't know what it is about this place, but man, I could get used to this. It's like a siren in good old Greek mythology.

Oh, yeah. My roommates couldn't be better. I think I did right.

I've begun a little to-do list for when I'm in Cali. Normally I don't make lists of this sort, but it's such a fresh thing for me that I'm into compiling it. And all you tried-and-true Californians can laugh at me for being a silly, know-nothing tourist. Or you could be extra nice and rec me some things to do, if I can somehow manage doing them!

( Things I want to do in CA: )

I can't wait for the semester to end.

Believe it or not, I didn't feel that way until I figured out more on the final project in digital. We are to take 72 raw photographs, which would be fine except the issue that my camera doesn't include raw format. At the beginning, I thought it would be okay because I'm allowed to borrow a Nikon at school, but what no one told me is that theirs don't come with a memory card. I have a different kind, and I don't want to buy another just for one homework assignment! So I'm going to talk to my prof today and see how that goes. I hate stressing out on the worst of the small stuff.

By the way, I want to wish fly_meaway a Happy Birthday! You're the best, and I hope your day's as wonderful as you are. I mean it. ♥

Considering that a) I'm going to be busy for the remainder of the year; b) Backstreet will be performing throughout '08; and c) I'm just not that into the Boys anymore, would anyone like to take over arok_daily? I know there are some loyal fans on the flist who could provide it with a spiffy new layout and upkeep. :)

Concerning real life, the bff flew out to Hawaii today. I wasn't able to spend any time with her for the past week because her mother's attachment to her could be likened to fascism, but at least last Monday we had a great night out. The only thing is that I am little worried about the recent increase in airfare costs, so I'm not sure about when or if I'll get to Oahu. Although I suppose that if it's meant to be, then it will happen.

( And: music memes. )

And then: Comment to this post with a top five you would like to see me post about (with pictures, if applicable), and I will post it in my next some future post. Feel free to give me multiple lists to do!

Er, remember how I ordered shoes for my birthday?

Well, someone apparently went colorblind (otherwise if they had run out, why didn't they just notify me of that fact?) the day the order came through, because instead of silver I received pink shoes. Hot pink. Great for my mom, but notsomuch for the way I am, and I've got bigger feet. Anywho, I returned them in-store yesterday and bought a Fossil handbag in substitute, since there was no way I'd be able to receive the shoes I'd purchased. I've never owned such a fancy purse before and don't see the big deal with the Coach-like designer trend, but. After the multiple discounts and credit, I snagged it for $26; it was the last one and I'd been oogling it the week before. Maybe it was meant to be. :)

Dudes, I was able to get ahold of my uncle who lives in LA (I know; I can barely believe it myself!). He said he could pick me up too, or he'd make Chris do it if he couldn't, which makes me feel quite secure in that three people now have it in mind. And believe it or not, my yia-yia plans to move to Cali in the summer to stay at his place. I'm not lying when I say that this all stinks of the freaky.

As for Ragnar, his coming in was sort of a nightmare that I never want to experience again.
During one part of the first night I gave him entirely the wrong idea about what I wanted to do with him, and let's just say I learned a good lesson. The next couple of days went smoothly, and I was glad that we were communicating on the same level. We ended up seeing The Bank Job; I got him his very first Steak 'n Shake, and he gave me random Disney stuff. My parents' sole comment on the matter went something like, "He would without a doubt marry you." I felt rather nauseous after I heard that.

Then I cried the evening he left.

I've got a month and a couple weeks until Anaheim, and there's so much on my mind that my brain literally hurts. ( ARE YOU THE BRAIN SPECIALIST? )

You guys wouldn't believe this, but. I had a telephone interview for a job at Disney on Saturday night, and fifteen minutes later, I was hired on the spot as a photographer at Disneyland.

I've already decided I'm going to do it. The result will be a seven-month stint from late May until January 3rd of next year, which means extensive change of plans for the second-half of this year. And because I won't have a car, I have to think about what that would encompass. I'm not even sure where to start, in general.

Good news is that I do get free public transportation, and my uncle and one of my cousins live about 40 minutes away in case of emergencies. The apartments provided are ten times better than my ghetto experience living in Orlando, but that also means they are twice as expensive. They have never been lived in before, are fully furnished including all kitchen utensils, and even have a washer/dryer in the house. The factor is that I do get paid more to make up for it.

Overall, I'm really excited. It's insanely last minute, and at the same time, I know it's right. It's my first job offer in what I love to do, and it'll be at Disney and near LA! How could I possibly go wrong with that?

Sometimes thrift stores can make my week.
I picked up an unopened Travis's The Invisible Band CD, and a like-new The Matrix DVD, each for a dollar, alongside the exact matte paper I needed for printing in Digital! The former aren't the fairest pop material in the world but certainly not the worst, and hey, you can't beat a buck. It's also just nice to be out and about after class.

Then I had some extremely fantastic chocolate marble cheesecake. Or was it cheesecake marble chocolate cake? As exactness deceives me at the moment, it was determinably the best damned cake in the universe.

Though more important, I've been fervently looking over prospective college applications (it's about time!). Soon will the transcripts and recommendations come into play, and God knows what's up with my immunization records; haven't seen hide nor hair of 'em. Another weird thing is that I'm beginning to feel uncomfortable about going downtown, like it's not where I'm supposed to be. I'm tempted to study somewhere closer to home because of my safety, and because of the lengthy commute. On the other hand, I find myself yearning to go to school out of state again, which I realize makes absolutely no sense. But when do I ever make any sense?

Not to mention that I've considered majoring in Graphic Design again. I think that even though Photography is one of my greatest loves, I don't see myself doing it full-time like I would graphics or illustration. Maybe I could go for both as a BFA, then eventually get a Master's in the one I prefer? It's a tough call at this point in time.

I do have some pics to share, and they should factor into the proceeding post. Lost's latest episode was by far my favorite of the starting five this season, and it's March and I've conjured up a small birthday get-together of sorts for the ides of the month. So life is spiffy, otherwise. :)

This is an lj-cut list of every DVD movie and tv season I or someone in my family owns. It's subject to (constant) change and more for appeasing my organizational OCD than anything else, but feel free to take a look at them. If there's anything you'd like me to upload, reply and let me know which one(s). Of course, if you have those films in the "Wanted" section along with some time to share them, by all means you're open to a movie of your choice, too. :)

( It's not much, but it's mine and that's enough. )

First of all, partical_boi ( interviewed me. )

Next, I've started watching Nip/Tuck. One of my exes recommended that I should years ago, but I never got around to it. It's watchable thus far; I like the juxtapositioning of the doctors (QAF-ish, anyone?), though I have no idea as to when I'll finish merely the first season. I've literally no time at the moment.

As for the e-d-u department I've saved about $100 on books, and that caused me a beg of indulgence: I ordered myself a Holga camera. If you'd like to know exactly what a Holga is, I suggest you start here. But in a nutshell, they are cheap, -we're talking twenty dollars for a piece of plastic- an early 80s model that takes lo-fi pictures, pictures you could never quite emit from a digital, and some of the coolest you've ever seen.

Because sometimes, you want everything but perfect.




LOST IN FOUR DAYS. Don't hate the continuing madness, lol.

( If I were...Meme. )

Second week of classes, and the transition has been surprisingly smooth save for course materials. You could say I'm obsessed with buying textbooks for as cheap as they come; I've been willing to wait for online orders and read assignments at the library for the time being. And by the seat of my pants I've met camera specifications for my digital course, the sole issue concerning the final project which must be shot in RAW. My particular Canon lacks RAW capability, meaning I'll have to borrow one of the lab's SLRs later on.

Photo History is fun. I swear that if I wasn't completely infatuated with art and everything that goes with it I'd major in history. To become what, I have no idea (just not a yawn-inducing professor, please!).


Then, Heath. The last statement I made about him wasn't exactly praiseworthy, so now let me say that it's utterly tragic what happened. Like an unnumbered several of you I'd seen 10 Things and developed an unassuming crush on him, finding him the utmost of the male physical specimen yet less so of an actor. With Brokeback I thought he'd proved me wrong, but alas. Here again is the fate of the tireless celebrity who goes tired and loses his life to sleeping pills in his $23,000 a month apartment.

What a waste.

I resume college today.

My schedule has got to be the simplest thing in the world- three classes spanning three days a week, one class per day. All photography-related.
COD's changed the online server to Blackboard. I'm happy about this because I don't have to worry about my Touch's lack of Javascript and what that would otherwise entail (aka being inherently bound to the living room for the CIS course), and because it just looks nicer.

Kristen's twenty-second birthday also spans this frigid 15th; she's asked me to come over but honestly I don't feel up for it. Being with her makes me tired... drinking makes me tired. I don't think I was innately constructed for it.

( I'd rather fill out pointless forms than procure an evening of puke. )

All right. A week into the break, and I think I've been spoilt to death. I mean I haven't even exchanged all presents, or taken any pictures, for that matter (that latter one's just wrong.)
Thus far, I've been given the iPod touch, a camera phone, tuition aid, a Venus razor gift box, an 800-piece scrapbook kit, black tights from Express, a silver chain (needed a new one for an Austrian crystal snowflake I got as a kid), a Target gift card, the Memory Almost Full (Paul McCartney) DVD+CD set, a barge-load of good lasagna, and a weekend hangover. Yep, unquestionably spoiled.

Then I lucked out and saw the bff the day after Christmas. She came in to see her parents, and we both got to meet her friend's new baby boy, named Thomas, for the first time. Though, the best news? I found out the bff will be living in Hawaii, starting this spring, for about a year and a half. This is very exciting because next time I see her, we'll be meeting on Oahu, and as fate would have it, that means my two closest friends will be on the same island when I visit! I can't wait.

As far as the family goes, my mom bought this couch for the living room. I absolutely love it. You could say that it's partially in place of the usual holiday trip to Florida, a decision that doesn't bother me a bit since we went back in August. And my sister, it's funny to see that she received a conglomeration of Beatles things. I don't know what it is, but everyone views my family as being huge Beatles fans; which yes, we are, except it's really more the music than the memorabilia. Er well, we don't have much room for extra stuff, I suppose I'm saying. ;)

While we're there: Comment on this post, and I'll give you a band. Don't worry; I'll (try to) make it one you know and love. You put your ten favorite songs by that band on your lj, then challenge others to do the same. Let me know in your comment that you want to play along, and your last.fm link if I don't know your musical taste that well.

( fly_meaway gave me, you guessed it: the Beatles. )

Ah, one more thing- I'm in the Franz Fanclub magazine that came out this month. The Dr. Franz Asks section, first question, third answer. I'm happy that one was picked. :)

Pilfered from the flist, and rather worthy of note:

1. You are walking in the woods. You are not alone. Who is with you? My future husband.
2. You are walking in the woods. You see an animal. What kind of animal? A dinosaur.
3. What interaction takes place between you and the animal? I go up to it and pet it; it nuzzles my hand, enjoying the attention.
4. You walk deeper in the woods. You enter a clearing, and before you is your dream house. How big is it? Mid-sized.
5. Is your dream house surrounded by a fence? No.
6. You enter the house. You walk into the dining room and see the dining table, what is on it? Fresh oranges and apples, and a bouquet full of wild roses.
7. You exit the house and a cup is on the ground, what kind is it? An hourglass one, transparent.
8. What do you do with the cup? I go back inside, fill it up with water and put the flowers on the table into it.
9. You walk to the edge of the property where you find yourself standing at a body of water, what is it? The ocean.
10. How will you cross the water? A sailboat.

( What it all means- )


I watched Edward Scissorhands a couple days ago after not viewing it since I was little, and geez. I cried buckets. I was a mess, lol. Then I went and bought it because I believe it is now my second-favorite Burton film.

Do you know that only four movies have ever caused me to bawl? When I type this, I mean real tears streaming down my face at the end (or beginning), not just watery eyes, the others being Finding Nemo, The Land Before Time, and Autumn In New York. Why Winona Ryder is in half of the movies that made me sob I blame on the time of the month I watched them. Otherwise, that would be kind of embarrassing.


I think I'm going to dye my hair red again, or black. I'm undecided.

I...just wrote up, licked and sealed twenty-five Christmas cards.

Not smart, let me tell you. I don't take to repetition that well, thus half of the way through I began rewriting phrases almost subconsciously (Sorry about any scribbles. Enjoy the front of the card.). I'd love to mail them, but I don't have twenty-five stamps.
Right now.

( There's nothing like making calls in your stockings. )

By the way, there's too much pfeffernüsse and lebkuchen in the house. I should know because I'm the one eating it all.
My mommy's to blame for it, since when she's not stalking church picnics for koulourakia (Greek braided cookies) she's stocking up the freezer with German pastries for the holidays. And sweets in general. They never go away, though her teeth often manage to.

First off- I've made/picked out all the holiday cards, therefore this would be the last call for receiving one. Card post is here; comments are screened.

Secondly, things have gone unusually well since the vandal incident. The positives that resulted from it are one, we've been zipping along for a week in the loaner car, a 2008 Lexus that operates exclusively on remote and buttons, and two, I am finally the proud owner of a shiny new camera phone. I've fancied one for a long time, but my family's always been behind on the cell phone deal; the ones that were stolen had thick plastic antennas, contained no color or downloading abilities, and were very literally thousands of years old. ;)

I guess it's obvious that the free car loan would work to our advantage, aiding with the near tepid snow and the ice we've been hit with. We actually managed to take my mom out to dinner while my sister practiced for her choir concert, and everything seemed perfect until I punctured my thumb on an open security magnet. Ironcially I don't think I'll ever feel secure again while sifting through pairs of discount-rack jeans. Or any new clothes, really.

Saw The Golden Compass today. I never read the books, but I am intrigued especially by the person/animal soul relationship. Also received a cute little card from fly_meaway, and directly before that she had the movie Play It Again, Sam sent to me, which was on my Amazon wishlist. It was a lovely surprise, and Christina, I don't think I could express my gratitude enough. Thank you for being so exceptionally kind to me. ♥

I'm the one who's lucky, truly.

( I've been tagged, again. Joy (to the world). )

So er, remember how I left my phone number in a post not too long ago? Well, don't call it.

Someone broke into the family car late Saturday night, while my dad was out in the city. Smashed the front passenger's side window clean off.
My cell phone was taken, my dad's briefcase (with all his workstuffs, some personal belongings and phones in it), and his wedding ring. I was able to suspend my cell account, but I can't help feeling sad about the entire situation.
It's my mom's birthday in a day, yet here she is with a window payment to make (our insurance doesn't cover that aspect) and my dad with a generous cut from the glass, and many of his keepsakes gone. Instead of a celebratory dinner, we're going to have to head south and get the Lexus fixed.

Hope your December's started out better.

Voice Post Time!

No, I don't have a paid account anymore, so I had to improvise. If the above link doesn't work for you, here's another. Either way you'll have to turn your volume up a good deal, because I used a cheap mic that's attached to a free set of earphones I picked up at the college bookstore. ;)

1) What's your name?
2) How old are you?
3) Where are you from? Are you living there right now?
4) Is it cold where you are?
5) What's the time?
6) What are you wearing?
7) What was the last thing you listened to?
8) What was the last thing you ate?
9) What was the last thing you watched on tv?
10) What's your favorite tv show? Why?
11) Quick! Find a book, or something with text on it! Flip to a random page and read some of it! GO!
12) What was the last movie you saw? How was it?
13) Do YOU think you have an accent? Talk about that.

Anywho, I'm keepin' busy in my free time. I've been ripping my DVDs in order to convert them to iPod format, as I'm receiving the Touch for Christmas. I've not owned an iPod before; I not at all wanted to, but now I do, for three reasons: the wi-fi, the recent burnout of my portable DVD player, and that incidentally I bear small enough knuckles to fidget with the screen space. Just as well I thought I'd share the short videos I could upload that ( wouldn't take five hours- )

Ah, nice. My dad's addicted to Sufjan Stevens, and it's my fault. Sort of.

Scene: Mid-August roadtrip, 2007. Destination: Orlando, Florida. I put a mix CD into the changer, and the result? I'm pretty sure I got about 2 hours' sleep, and that Come On! Feel the Illinoise! played about 20 times. Yes, twenty. I guess if I could personally thank Sufjan for his music helping to break my family cartrip record (23 hours!), I would.

Well okay, I would have. Because now, my father has random lyrical outbursts (I'll never listen to Chicago again). It's just, gah. There's been a mistake; I know, I made it!

On the flipside, I've been having wonderful luck with burning DVDs lately. Thank you, Nero Ultra Edition! Everything will write with this baby. :D

Also, quite a turnout for Christmas cards this year! I'm surprised. In lieu of it I decided to make some, and for the rest pick out a few really cute store-bought. Just know that with me, you never receive exactly the same card I give someone else- I hate sending out duplicates; even the ones I make are crafted on improv.

Today is officially a holiday shopping day. Isn't it nice when you're actually aware of what your loved ones want? I swear that if we all related to each other a little more, the half-used phonecards and ribbon candy from '04 would no longer be basking next to the bird cage, reminding me ever so consistently why people are strange.

Gakked from thisismorning:

1) Answer the questions and type into google image search

( 2) Post pictures from first results page )

Yes, it's that time again. And considering how I've been feeling lately (as in, creative? Maybe?), I might be making them like I did in '05. Not sure.

( Under the cut is a list of people for whom I have sent cards. )

And by all means, if you're a new friend, or even if you've been on my flist for a while now and would like one, please comment! Everything's screened.

Thanks!

( I was hit for the desktop meme. )
Want to do it? No one's stoppin' you.

Some sad news, then.
One of the two family parakeets, Skipper, died yesterday. Earlier this week I'd seen him on the ground of the cage, and I thought he looked as if he were ready. And the night before I had a horrible dream (I tend to have disaster-related nightmares directly before bad news, local or worldly), so I wasn't in major shock when I found him. Funny, but he'd actually covered himself up in paper towels like he knew it was time. Fact is he'd fallen off the bars when I was talking to Amanda not long ago, and from then on it was more difficult for him to get back up to the perch. But he lived about 14 years- we took him in from my late grandfather about 10 years ago- that's a good long life for a parakeet.

Next, Unbreakable. I feel like I have to type something about it. The tracks I'm actually keeping on my playlist happen to be those the guys co-wrote (Intro, Panic, TMR, USA), and Any Other Way (my fave; it's dance-y!). Thing is, they went again for perfect production over dirt and grit, which means I just can't appreciate it as much as their older stuff. On the other hand, although Treat Me Right sounds like something you'd hear on mainstream radio, honestly I'd rather listen to it on 103.5 than the currently hip garbage. JC > His-Ex-bandmate-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. But that's just me.

Now I love the new Radiohead album. Mm, that's brain food. I'll even exprerience temporary tinges of guilt throughout, thinking I should've actually paid them something for it. Except then I think about concept, and I conceptualize the rationale that yes, music's always been free. The best things in life always are.