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June 26, 2007
weekend in new york
intro
this weekend i agreed to prepare a small office in nyc for a planned power outage [i.e., unplug everything and then plug everything back in after the power outage]. in exchange, i was rewarded with dollars and the added bonus of adventures in the city
friday
spent five hours on the fung wah bus to new york. nearly froze to death due to a combination of summerwear and extraordinarily effective air conditioning. read parts of a "cultural resistance reader" and started reading cat's cradle, both of which i borrowed from rian when i was about to leave to catch the bus and realized i didn't have anything to entertain myself.
some things i read:
simon reynolds from generation ecstasy account of a lynching in 1920 "huge mob tortures negro"
dick hebdige "the meaning of mod"
riot grrrl "riot grrrl is..."
kathleen hanna interview in punk planet
virginia wolf from a room of one's own
radicalesbians "the woman-identified woman"
jean railla "a broom of one's own" from bust
janice radway from reading the romance
john fiske "shopping for pleasure"
when i arrived in new york's chinatown i took a cab to the office, did the unplugging thing, and after a few scary moments when i was convinced i was locked in the office for the weekend [there was a button on the wall you had to press to unlock the door to leave], i was on my merry way.
however, alone in new york i wasn't quite sure what course of action to take next. i ended up walking about eighteen blocks to a movie theatre and seeing eagle vs. shark. which i liked a lot, but i arrived at the movie theatre like an hour before the showtime, so i kind of felt pathetic wasting away the time by myself on like the fifty millionth floor of the theatre, eating pretzel bites and fruit snacks. but whatever.
after the movie i took the subway to 14th & 7th to meet the friend from school rian and i were going to stay with. [rian had to work on friday, so he took a much later bus.] i dropped off my stuff at his [mike's] apartment, and then we walked around greenwich village. we stopped in a couple of smoke shops to look for a shark pipe, but the closest we could find was a fish. which obviously is not even worth it.
after much wandering around we ended up at the corner bistro, where, surprise!, mike ran into some people he knew. we got a table with them in the back and created some fine art out of the salt shakers and ketchup bottles. rian showed up eventually, had a couple beers, then it was back to mike's apartment, where we met up with still more of his friends and hung out until it was finally time for bed [on his classy fold-out couch, cha-ching].
saturday
we awoke at noon and went to possibly the best pizza place in new york, at least in the top three. one mushroom pizza later, we were back out in the shining sun. i got a [delicious] tiramisu ice cream cone next door and i must say i can't recall a happier time in recent memory than strolling down the street in my purple dress, licking my ice cream, holding hands with r hunter. the weather was gorgeous.
apparently there is such a thing as a mermaid parade and apparently it was happening on saturday. so we went to coney island, meeting up with two of mike's friends we had met the night before. the parade part had ended when we got there, but there were still tons of people in various interpretations of mermaid costumes, from cute little girls to old fat men and more. definitely check out pictures.
we went on one of those rides that slowly takes you up really high and then drops you all of a sudden. scary. and the cyclone which was also incredibly scary, in that it made a pretty convincing case that it might fall apart at any second as only an eighty-year old wooden roller coaster can. and obviously it was ridiculously fun.
after the rides, we got some boardwalk snacks [cotton candyyyy!] and sat on the beach with [even more of] mike's friends. dipped our toes in the water, but obviously it was freezing cold. also i got some sun because the top half of my boobs are now just a shade lighter than the rest of them.
after coney island, we all had sushi for dinner in brooklyn. yum! then we went back to mike's friend sarah's house who we had met on the beach. she was really cool. we played a huge game of uno [eleven people, i think] that went on foreverrrr. but was also exciting in that competitive card game for ages 5+ way. rian and i were pretty exhausted at that point, so while mike went out for still more fun, we crashed.
sunday
sunday we had a pretty late start. our original plan was dim sum, but on our way we realized the gay pride parade was much more interesting, so we walked along the parade route for a while. everyone is having so much fun it's infectious. in a good way, not an std way. i couldn't help smiling the whole time.
we ended up at benny's burritos and as we waited for our food, eating the chips and dip, i realized how starved i was. my plate of beans and rice and cheese was perfect.
after food, we relaxed. i read the feministing post and comments about street harrassment. we played wario ware and watched paprika which did not live up to rian's expectations. later we ventured out for falafel.
monday
woke up. went uptown and plugged everything back in. took the bus home with rian. played kirby. napped. went to sr haus for tyler's birthday.
THE END
Posted by almeda at 5:22 PM | Comments (1)
June 19, 2007
lip balm anonymous
the weather has warmed up considerably, in case you were concerned.
last friday we had a BEE-BEE-QUEUE at sr haus. yummy. i bought some bubbles and raspberries and hint of lime tortilla chips. also veggie burgers. i squirted mustard everywhere. oops.
then we went to see LA VIE EN ROSE which was kind of long and depressing. and since then klack has been intermittently bursting out with NON JE NE REGRETTE RIEN at the top of his lungs.
on saturday i wanted to go on a field trip to the beach or the zoo, but everyone was too lazy, so we ended up just having barbecue two: the sequel. and then, since lauren was working besk from SIX PM to TWO AM we all hung out there and played truth or dare and were very silly and had a good time.
i woke up sunday morning and beat bizzie and klack at scrabble, thanks to words like "ex," "ox," and "mandible" [i'm so good]. called my daddy for father's day. <3 then we went into boston to buy groceries at trader joe's, and had a picnic lunch in copley square. teeny snapped some shots of kids playing in the fountain and trinity church and offered to take a picture of these two women for them because she is q. kind.
went home. showered. picked up rian at the airport after some complications on the t. complications such as there was construction so i had to take a shuttle bus between two stops but not until i had gone one stop in the wrong direction by accident. but he hadn't even got his bag yet by the time i got there, so it was okay. <3
last night was egg's birthday and i baked her a cake that didn't turn out so well, but i licked the bowl, which was delicious, and also ate a lot of icing out of the tub [rainbow chip, of course]. i dropped the spatula i used to mix the cake batter and got chocolate all over my dress, but i did laundry today and it came out, so don't worry.
we worked on egg's birthday puzzle [over three feet wide! glow in the dark! new york, new york cityscape] and played the game where you go around in a circle and say something kind about everyone, which is now a birthday tradition, apparently [dugan]. we all said something nice about barack obama too because lauren is reading the audacity of hope for some reason.
i guess the final story i will leave you with is thus:
when dugan and i went to the student center to get some snacks, he left me on my own at subway. i ordered a veggie sub and the [youngish] sandwich-maker/cashier was kind of friendly to me, asking my name, etc. and then he says, as i am paying, OH DO YOU WANT TO HANG OUT SOMETIME and i am like i i i i i i i i i i i sure? because i don't know how to say no. and then he is like WHEN and i am like well i don't know. and he says HOW ABOUT TUESDAY WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER and i was like um i have a boyfriend but i gave him my number anyway. and now i am probably too embarrassed to ever go back to subway again.
Posted by almeda at 6:45 PM | Comments (3)
June 14, 2007
mittymittymitty
i'm back in the freezing north. well, not freezing. but while i am of the opinion that sweaters should not be required in june, boston seems to disagree.
lauren and i flew back yesterday to the cozy little suite we will be sharing with one [1] large egg and one [1] klacker. it is certainly cozy.
this morning i interviewed with a woman in the anthropology department, and it looks like i will have a urop for the summer. it's quite kind because it sounds like for at least the first project [researching the history of fumehoods ... i know], i will only need to check in with her like once a week, so i can still work besk. also in an attempt to put my best foot forward, i took out my lip ring this morning and then i walk in and see she has a gold ring in her eyebrow. lol.
so that's that. i think i have a kind summer ahead of me. especially after rian flies back this sunday.
Posted by almeda at 1:39 PM | Comments (1)
June 11, 2007
torn
i wish someone would invent some sort of way for everywhere in the world to be within a fifteen minute walk of everywhere else. maybe some sort of teleportation center with remote access points everywhere. get on it, plz.
i guess the real issue is there are too many people i care about and why can't they all live in the same place. but i guess caring about too many people is better than caring about no one.
berry and i went on a date on saturday. mini-golfing, ice cream, the works. we invented a game called "that's me and that's you." there are also variations on the game such as "that's me, that's you, that's colin, and that's teeny." really no equipment is required to play the game, just something to point at. it's a lot more fun than it sounds. try it!
kaje and i went on an ihop adventure on sunday, which involved driving around excessively because there are a lot of places in jenkintown where you can't make left turns and kaje is intimidated by signs that say "THIS PARKING LOT IS NOT FOR IHOP." also lamenting the impossibility of ordering exactly what you want at ihop.
my stitches are out and looks like my mouth is healing pretty kindly. i go back to mitty on wednesday. :O
Posted by almeda at 5:45 PM | Comments (3)
June 9, 2007
a mighty princess forged in the heat of battle
thursday i mustered the strength to go into the city with kt & marisa. i bought some jellies, because if anyone can resist her childhood being sold back to her, it's not me. [they were only $10, also.] i also tried on the american apparel dress and swimsuit and took sexy pictures of myself on my camera phone in the changing room. the dress was a disappointment [my boobs were too small for it], and i couldn't find the courage to buy the swimsuit. even though it will probably always hold a special place in my heart.
after that, i went to a fancy birthday tea for my aunt, which was quite kind. even though i could barely eat anything due to wisdom teeth aftermath.
yesterday was when the boringness of home finally set in. the highlight of my day was maybe playing warioware on my brother's wii. it wasn't watching xena, that's for sure. i wish that show was as good as i think it should be.
the good news is that berry is back in town, after her weeklong stint at the beach. i missed her ever so much. heart kissyface berry heart. [happy?]
on the subject of missing, i think one of the things i will miss back at school is silvia sleeping in my bed. [no, not enough to take her to boston with me, daddy.] well, not so much sleeping in my bed, as prowling around my bed in circles, licking my cell phone charger [i don't know], and walking across me, nearly crushing me with her weight. but hopefully i will be trading up to a larger, less furry body to kick at in my sleep. that's also on the subject of missing. <3 a week!
Posted by almeda at 12:33 PM | Comments (2)
June 7, 2007
sophomore year mix
it's that time of year again. i made a sequel to my freshman year mix. points if you can tell which songs are the result of living with lauren. also, yes, 41w 90s prom means a couple of these songs are not quite current. i would put wannabe and ghetto superstar (that is what you are) on here too if i didn't think it might overrepresent that one night a little too much. also i think there is a stereolab gap, but i wouldn't know which song to pick.
willy was a whale - justin roberts
seventeen years - ratatat
don't call me whitney, bobby - islands
what i could stand for - mates of state
moby octopad - yo la tengo
listen - dream girls
pixelated - carrie okie band
cheated hearts - yeah yeah yeahs
woke up new - the mountain goats
parentheses - the blow
torn - natalie imbruglia
closing time - semisonic
lloyd, i'm ready to be heartbroken - camera obscura
god knows (you gotta give to get) - el perro del mar
don't cha - the pussycat dolls
irreplaceable - beyonce
girlfriend - avril lavigne
Posted by almeda at 11:54 PM | Comments (2)
June 6, 2007
take this sinking boat and point it home
saw a sweet little movie this sunday with m. got this sweet little song stuck in my head afterward. we came out of the theatre and it was raining, which seemed quite fitting. appropriately bittersweet and romantic, if you will.
it lost a touch of its romance when i was running home from the train station in the pouring rain sans umbrella, but what will you do.
tuesday i had my wisdom teeth out. it's had its ups and downs. they gave me a red rose. maybe to coordinate with the bloody gauze? i have a vague memory of walking through a rose garden to the parking lot afterward. talking of beautiful roses, teenybelle guided through my nausea [after i vomited twice this afternoon] with helpful hints such as: pressure point on your wrist & send jefferson out for some dramamine.
so hopefully it's all downhill from here. back to mitty in a week.
Posted by almeda at 11:07 PM | Comments (0)
June 2, 2007
happy nora's birthday! a teenager at last :OOOOO
last night went out on the town with hanzel, ana, & fallon. introduced the two tourists to cheese steaks, water ice, etc, & bought huge colorful plastic earrings, because if there's anything i can't resist, it's colorful plastic jewelry.
went to cousins' graduation party this afternoon. played badminton both right- and left-handed. i think i am probably on my way to the olympics.
finally succumbed to all the adverts on pitchfork and clicked over to american apparel and now i am in the thrall of those two classic wardrobe staples:
the nylon tricot suspender swimsuit
&
the lamé mini tube dress
so feel free to buy them for me, if only for the comic value of seeing me wear them. lauren suggested i could wear the silver dress as a halloween costume and be an alien. a slutty alien, obviously.
finally, a surprising fact: i have been home for nearly a week now, and i haven't even touched my brother's wii yet. weiird.
Posted by almeda at 10:35 PM | Comments (2)
June 1, 2007
june moon goon boon tune rune loon soon
so i am home.
it all started last friday. a week ago. i packed my bags. boxed up my life. and carried it, two heavy boxes at a time from my room to kyrstin's room. she helped, although maybe she shouldn't have. it was approximately ninety million degrees. [fahrenheit].
i called a cab. the dispatcher said my address didn't exist, but they could pick me up right across the street....
so rian walked me downstairs in our matching pink shirts [by accident] with my pink luggage. think barbie on vacation. with her gay male friend? i don't think ken ever wore pink.
he kissed me goodbye and i got into a cab that wasn't the one i called for. i got a little teary-eyed.
my cab driver was hilarious/weird & interviewed me about whether my boyfriend would miss me and whether i would miss him, whether i had anything else pierced, whether my lip ring got in the way of kissing, and finally told me i was very beautiful.
i started reading this book i borrowed from luke called extremely loud and incredibly close and i cried on the plane and i cried on the train home from the airport. and i was very embarrassed. it might not have been just the book though. i think i was stressed from packing and hadn't eaten enough that day and was maybe missing rian a little already. plus, the book is kind of sad, not only because it is about a kid whose dad died on september 11.
when i got home, my dad and i drove up to mt pocono for memorial day weekend. the rest of my family had driven up earlier that day. we celebrated my grandmother's 70th birthday and i got to go swimming [love swimming] and see all these family members/honorary family members that i never get to see. it was really fun. except when i got a huge bug bite on my boob and was scared i would die of lyme disease.
we came home late monday and on tuesday berry and i had our traditional panera lunch/gossip fest/middle school reminiscence. tuesday night i went to kaje's house to eat too many baked goods and see people i hadn't seen in too long. yay.
wednesday i woke up at 8AM!!! to go to the dentist. i got my teeth cleaned and my yearly? biannually? free toothbrush/mouthwash/toothpaste/floss kit. i also started reading a trashy [=historical romance] book called the courtesan starring a [shock!] courtesan called GABRIELLE CHENEY. LOLOLOLOL. so i got up to the part where the main characters finally have sex [page 350] yesterday and haven't picked it up since.
wednesday night i went swimming with krista whom i haven't seen in a million years but she was just as crazy as ever. <3 favorite part? well, hard to decide, but probably "I HEARD THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE THAT YOU ARE DATING A GIRL" "..."
yesterday i had an ice cream social with berry's mom [too kind!]. and berry. and then berry and i went to cosi with miriam where we talked until the guy had to come up to us and be like, "um. we're closed. lol."
and now you're all caught up on my life and i'll try to blog more frequently because lauren and i were swept up in a wave of nostalgia recently by reading our old entries and we realized we would never remember anything that happened if our lives if we didn't record it for posterity on the internet. also, i am hilarious in my old posts. or at least i think so.
of course give it another year and they'll probably be painfully embarrassing to read.
such is life!
Posted by almeda at 2:09 PM | Comments (1)